After ✔

04

After a night of tossing and turning, I wake up at six, have a piece of toast and some orange juice, and go over last week's notes.

That's my routine.

By seven, I've dressed and combed my hair.

By seven thirty, Amelia is up, smiling and making breakfast for herself.

But unlike every normal day, the air is tense around the house. Amelia notices the quick, worried glances that I throw towards Dani's bedroom, which is pointless anyways since the door is shut.

"He's not going to run away you know." She chuckles. She hands me my bag which lies on one of the chairs. "And he'll get better."

"Easy for you to say." I tell her. "Atleast he knows who you are."

Amelia shoots me a smile. "You're always so positive, Valencia, don't throw that away."

She walks over to the hand-written schedule she posted on the fridge. "It's... Tuesday, so you have classes till one, yeah?"

"Yup."

I shove the last of my books into my bag. I take a deep breath. Let Dani sleep. Maybe it's all the stress that's blocking his memories - yeah, that's it.

But that statement sounds stupid even to my own ears.

"I have a meeting in the gallery at 12, and Gabriella's leaving Mason here at one thirty. Think you'll be back by then?"

"I'll try." I answer. "Can't Gabriella skip work? You know, just for this week?"

"They need the money." Amelia sighs. "Besides Mason wants to meet Dani."

"Okay." I reach over and pull her into a side hug. "I'll see you later."

"Bye." She smiles.

After one more glance at the clock, I'm out of the door. I walk downstairs thinking I'm early, but my ride is already waiting for me downstairs.

I get into the passenger's seat. "Hey." She murmurs, a flash of blonde hair sparkling in the little sunlight that shines through the glass of her Ford.

But before I can even reply to the greeting, Catherine fixes me with her unnerving glare. "You didn't tell me."

"I was pre-occupied." I shrugged.

Usually, Nate drove me to the university, but ever since Catherine moved here last semester - that was three weeks ago - we've been inseparable.

She starts the car and then we're zooming through the streets, passing buildings and shops and people. I barely glance out the window today.

"Forgiven." She says. "I kind of guessed."

"I bet Claire told you. That girl couldnt keep her mouth shut if her life depended on it."

She pursed her lips. "It was Eli." She says. "Claire is on edge these days. She's not talking to Liam, and since Liam and I used to date once upon a time--"

"Hang on. What?!"

She shrugged like it was no big deal and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "It lasted for like, half a day."

I sit back in my seat. "Now that, I believe."

"She doesn't get it." Said Catherine. "I only did it to make Kevin jealous anyways."

"Mhm." I check my phone, almost instantly regretting it. Claire and Eli were onto me like a pack of wild dogs.

Plus, Catherine's stories could go on forever.