Tainted → Justin Bieber

TWENTY-SIX.

L.
One week later...

I sat cross legged on my porch swing, enjoying the hot air skating through my hair. Noah sat beside me, enjoying the air too. We haven't said anything for the past ten minutes but neither of us minded that. It's usually like that between us anyway. Enjoying one another's company but not really forcing conversation. That's how we liked it.

School was starting in a few days, which meant two things. Noah would be leaving tonight, and this would be my last year of high school. I can't say that I'm not relieved because I am. I was finally going to be a senior, then bye bye to that shit hole. I didn't know what this year would bring me. I just hoped it would be filled with happiness and good vibes because that's what I needed after the crazy summer I had. I couldn't erase those events no matter how hard I tried. If I thought things were crazy in my life before, this summer surely topped it.

I thought I found the guy of my dreams but I turned out to be totally wrong. However, he would always be in life because he was my nephews father, & my sister's now boyfriend. The three of them have been staying with my grandmother the past week. Lianna called me a few days ago and told me that she planned on moving back in and doing things the right way from now on. She promised to speak to me and tell me everything that went on with her if she felt it was necessary. I just honestly didn't know how I felt about Justin being around. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with him anymore but I guess you don't always get what you want. 

"What are you thinking about Lacey?" Noah asked me, breaking the silence. He looked over at me, waiting for an answer.

I merely shook my head, looking down at my lap. It seemed to be something I was doing a lot lately. "Everything." I answered truthfully. "Just everything that's happened this summer. I can't stop replaying the events. I really want to though."

Without saying anything, Noah stood up, walking into my house. A few minutes later he handed me a sheet of paper and a pen. "Write it down." He told me.

"Write what down?"

"Everything you're thinking about. Every negative thought that you can't seem to shake. Just write it down." I hesitantly took the items, scribbling on the sheet of paper slowly.

Justin. Drew. Bieber.

That was all I wrote before I tried to hand Noah the paper. He denied it though.

"Don't show me. Just fold it as much as you need, and follow me to my dad's car."

I did as I was told and soon we were both riding down the streets of Mountainview. I don't know where we were going but I also didn't question it either. I trusted Noah either way, besides what else did I have to lose?

We ended up on the Sara Lee Bridge. Noah parked the car on the side and came around to help me out.

"Noah, why are we here?" I asked. He walked to the ledge of the bridge, nodding his head for me to follow him. 

"This is you getting rid of the negative things in your life." He turned to me. "My mom used to do this with me all of the time. She'd make me write down anything that was getting me down and take me to the bridge in our town. We'd then get rid of the paper and all of the negative things on our mind. They'd be washed away with the water and never to be heard of again. It helps, trust me."

He placed an arm around my shoulder and looked down at me before returning his gaze to the wide spread of water in front of us. "Go ahead, get rid of it. Throw it out there."

I looked down at the tiny paper, toying with it between my fingers. There were only three words on it, yet they meant so much. So much emotion, heartache, happy times, betrayal, and hurt laced every letter on the paper. There'd be no moving on if I didn't get rid of this paper I continued to look at. I felt my eyes water a bit when the wind cut through my hair, a single tear I couldn't stop from falling. Just like that, I flung the paper in the water, watching it float and dance in circles away from me.