Lost

Chapter 17

I walked into Statten for the first time and walked to my first class. Singled out by the pairs of eyes and labeled as the new girl. My nerves were calmed immediatly though when I spotted Erica. She smiled at me. And I had been right, she didn't fit in very well here. Everyone had their cotton blouses ironed to perfection and tucked in their red and blue plaid skirts. And for once, I looked the same as everyone else, all neat in my new uniform. And I smiled because this was my fresh start with no reminder of faces from my past. I sat down next to Erica and she half yelled "OMG, what are you doing here!!!???"

"Well you know how there was a lot of drama at my past school and how things were just getting stupid...?" I said to her knowing she would know what I was talking about. She nodded and I continued.

"I just couldn't take it anymore. Seeing all the faces that hated me and seeing the faces from my past and I just broke." I finished.

"Oh....!" She said smiling. "I'm sorry.... But I'm glad you're here now!!! This is my friend Bella" she said and Bella smiled at me with her almost too perfect smile. She had orange colored hair and a thin body frame. "Hi!" She said to me.

"Bella this is Tori!" She said to me and I said hi back to Bella. The class passed quickly and even at this new school, I couldn't really help but think about my old school. I thought about Oliver, Eliza, Dana, Estelle, and even Riley. And it's funny, because all of the people I thought about, were probably the people who had hurt me last. Except for Oliver. He had never ever done anything to hurt me. He never would. Because he protected me.

But this was a new life. The whole point of coming to Statten was to forget that. I walked to lunch and took my seat beside Erica. Lots of other girls say around me. I met them all. There was one called Laura, who was not as thin as Bella but had a pretty face and blonde hair. Then there was Gracie, who had black hair and blue eyes and this super pale skin. There were a few others but a girl called Talia caught my eye. She looked pretty enough to be a model, with Brown hair and high cheekbones. She was thinner then Bella, but she was a healthy skinny. We talked a lot during lunch in which I discussed why I had transferred and the whole story. She told me how she had gone to Sunderland for a year in fifth grade and I faintly remembered her. We hadn't talked much then. She told me she remembered me though, and I was glad because something about her made me want to be friends with her. I walked out of lunch very happy with this new school. And that whole time during lunch I hadn't even thought about Riley and the other backstabbers. Just my new life.

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I was driving when I found myself driving past Sunderland. They had just gotten out of school and everyone was walking out. And before I knew it I had parked and started making my way up the brick path to the front. Dana ruses up to me and hugged me and I realized no matter what, I could never forget her and I would always miss her and some others.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry" I repeated over and over again crying.

"Why!?" She said wiping away tears too. Just then Eliza ran up to me and hugged me.

"Oh my gosh, I can't live without you I miss you so much!!!" She said and she wouldn't let me out of the hug. And before I knew it more friends were coming up. Each noting the uniform and immediatly knowing that I had transferred to Statten. I saw Riley walk past and stare. Our eyes met and as they did a tear fell down my cheek. Yet he turned and kept walking. Then the biggest surprise of all was that Estelle came up to me.

"transfer huh?" She said and then she smiled a little. "I hate to say it.... But I'm gonna miss you Tor" and I smiled at Estelle for the first time in forever. Then I hugged her because even though this year had been rough, we had once been friends. And it felt good to be so close again to someone I had once told everything to. When the crowd started parting a little Oliver saw me and ran over.

He ran up and then kissed me. Right there in front of everyone in the front of the school. And I felt his lips on mine and instantly the memories of Sunderland came flooding back and I cried as we kissed. The kiss ended and I hugged him.

"I can't survive this place without you" he said and I smiled.

"I'm sorry" i said and my smile faded.

"As long as your happy" he said and he kissed me again. Then he pulled away and he left. And I watched him walk away.

By now everyone had left the school. Except Riley. And I watched as I saw him sitting on a bench all alone. I walked to the bench and say down.

"Hey stranger" I said looking at my feet.

"You really moved to Statten....?" He said judgingly.

"Yeah." I said still not daring to look up.

"But why?" He said his time confused.

"I thought it would be better. Because it's away from here. But I was wrong. U miss everyone. Even you..." I said trailing off. And I did look up into his eyes this time.

"I miss telling you everything. Laughing with you. Every single moment and no matter how hard I try to forget you I just can't..." I said. He still didn't say anything and I sat in silence. "I cried over you...." I said really quietly.

"You what?" He said.

"I cried.... About you. A lot." I said and I looked into his eyes.

"Y-You did??" And I noticed a tear slip down his cheek. The first time I had ever seen him cry.

"I'm horrible." He said and he turned away.

"I made you cry. I left you for Estelle. But most of all, I made the mistake of losing you. I lost the greatest person I could ever lose" and we looked into each other's and I knew that I belonged here. Not at Statten.

We walked home together talking about everything that had happened. Including that Estelle and Riley were done. For good. And I liked them better seperate. Not as an army against me. We got to my house and we hugged and u went to my room. I looked at the empty frames and thought of the pictures that had once been in them.

All pictures of me and Riley. And I realized why they had never changed. Because what me and Riley had was permanent. Nothing could erase it. And after all, everyone has days of darkness and Days of Clarity. And to be honest, today was the clearest day I've had in forever.