Pretty Little Liar (Aruani Element Shifter AU) ✔️

Six

After school, I joined Christa by the main entrance waiting for her. I stood watching the rest of the pupils come out, a few of them turning and smiling at me, nodding politely.

They always did this. Ever since the day I came back, and everybody knew what had happened, they started noticing me. Always being overly kind, making sure I was happy. I didn't want their sympathy or any form of pity.

Annie was in the past. Her aunt and uncle left as quickly as they could, with no emotional ties to the place at all. They ran away, and I haven't heard from them since.

They buried Annie next to her mother, in the town she was born in somewhere in the south. I can remember everything about the months that followed, the grieving and the sadness, but I just can't seem to bring myself to remember the day they told me about her.

It all happened so quickly, so unexpectedly. I have no idea how she died, no idea what happened. They probably did tell me, but I had suppressed the memory so much that I had forgotten.

That didn't stop me thinking about Annie. Every single day, every night. When I'm alone, I think about how it would be if she was here with me, and what we would be doing. I see her, in the overgrown garden next door, by the riverside. I see her dancing around the streets towards the park, eating an almond Magnum on our bench.

As for that bench, I haven't been near it since then. The memory would be too painful. That's why I don't go to the river anymore, and I don't go to the park very often anyway. Recently, all I think about are my university applications, where I can disappear as far away as possible from this place.

Its moments like these, when I stand outside the school, alone, that I see her. She would have been so beautiful. We would have gone to prom together, instead of me staying at home all night reading. We would have done our GCSE exams, revised together, and then spent the summer running around like maniacs, free like the birds to do whatever we want.

But none of that happened. Annie is dead, and I am forced to live with that cruel reminder every day.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late!" Christa ran over, waving and smiling. I turned around just as she three her arms around me. "Lets go!"

We were going to my house, as we did every Friday. Once we arrived at my house, which was empty, Christa stopped.

"Armin, look," she whispered, briefly pointing her finger over at the house next door. A cold shiver went down my spine, as I looked over at the door I had tried so hard to avoid looking at.

There was a new car outside, as well as a moving van. Somebody had finally moved in next door.

I looked away. There will be enough time to meet them over the weekend.

"Come on Christa," I muttered.

"Okay." She ran towards me, and I opened the door and let her in.

"Okay, would you like something to eat?" I asked.

"Yes please."

"Okay. There's the snack cupboard. Or we have some stuff in the fridge. You know you're way around by now. Just help yourself."

"Okay, thanks."

I sat down with a drink at the kitchen table while Christa sliced two slices of bread, passing one to me. We sat in silence eating when the doorbell rang. I got up and walked to the door to answer it.

"Hello?" I said, opening the door.

A heavily pregnant woman stood in the doorway, with a big cardboard box in her hands.

"Hello," she said. "I'm Kate. My husband and I just moved in next door."

"Oh! Pleasure to meet you. I'm Armin," I said, shaking her hand.

Her eyes lit up. "Oh, great! While looking through the bedrooms upstairs, we came across this. I thought I'd quickly bring it over for you."

I took the box from her hands. On top of it was my name, in big block letters, in unfamiliar handwriting.

"Thank you," I said, a little unsure.

"It was in one of the bedrooms."

"Okay, thank you. Somebody must have left it for me. Thank you."

"We're a bit busy today, but we'll be sure to come and visit soon," she said. I nodded.

"My parents would like that. Thank you."

"Bye!" She said, and hobbled off down the path.

I walked back over to Christa, who was sitting patiently at the table.

"Who was that?"

"The woman who moved in next door with her husband. She said she found this in one of the bedrooms. It has my name on it."

"Shall we open it?"

"I guess so."

I went over to the drawer and bought out some scissors, and cut through the tape that closed the box.

"Oh my god," I said.

Inside the box, was all of Annie's most personal possessions.

From her mothers beautiful necklace, to her colourful sketchbook, everything that made Annie who she is, was in that box. I could see, wrapped together in string, a huge pile of photos, the first one of us when we started high school.

The memories all came flooding back. I hadn't even looked deep into the box yet, and yet I was filled with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia, a strange throbbing in my stomach.

"Annie," I whispered.

I fell to my knees, staring at the floor.

I remember it all. Crashing back into my memory. I couldn't stop the tears falling down my face. Christa was silent as she rushed to sit next to me on the floor. We were silent.

"Armin..."

"They left me all of this," I whispered.

Every bad thought and opinion I had towards the Blacks suddenly vanished. Annie's belongings were given to me, not them.

Now all the horrible nightmares can be replaced by sweet, tender memories. And I don't have to forget about her.

"These are... Annie's stuff?" Christa asked, looking up at the big, full box. I nodded.

"Get ready for a long story," I told her.