Safe With Me

|6|

•Nico•

I don't know what's wrong with me. All of these feelings that I've been able to shove deep down for years are all resurfacing.

I was set off by something as simple as Will telling me he was in archery club. I almost did the same thing when I met Frank, except I never had feelings for Frank. Maybe that's why it's different this time.

I don't know what's going to happen now, but I know that I have to apologize to Will. He probably won't ever want to speak to my crazy ass self again, which I'm not sure I can take, but it's not right to just leave him wondering what happened.

Sighing, I walked up the stairs to do the thing I rarely intend to do, hug someone.

I proceeded to walk up the other flight of stairs to Hazel's room and was about to knock on her door when I heard soft sobs on the other side of the door.

I quietly opened to door and saw Hazel on her bed, head in her hands. Closing the door, I walked over to her. "Hazel," I said. She looked up and wiped under her eyes. "H-hey Nico."

"Hazel what's the matter?" I asked her softly, taking a seat next to her.

"It's tomorrow."

"Oh."

The anniversary of her mom's death.

Hazel's mom died when she was thirteen, just a few short years after mine. She always had a layer of guilt because she was there when it happened. They lived in Alaska a while back and they were doing this cave exploration or some shit.

Hazel was in front with the tour guide and her mom had fallen behind. The tunnel started to collapse and a wall of rocks fell between to her mom and her. The last words Hazel's mom ever spoke to her daughter were through a ten foot pile of earth.

"Do you want to talk about it, or her?" I asked. She shook her head. I wrapped an arm around her and she leaned into me, her head on my shoulder.

I was comforting her, she was comforting me. Hazel and I had a lot more in common then most people thought. We both have tragic pasts that gave us a chance to start again.

I swore to myself in that moment that I was never going to think of her as Bianca's replacement. Bianca was and will always be amazing, but Hazel is incredible in her own way. She is not Bianca. And I don't want her to be.

I felt a tear make it's way down my face, yet I didn't stop it. It was okay. For once, it was okay.

We stayed like that until I heard Hazel's door creak open, revealing our dad, in uniform, with a worried look.

I let out a weak,"Hi."

Dad frowned and seemed to know exactly what was wrong. He walked over to the bed and touched Hazel's shoulder. She looked up and he brushed a tear from her cheek.

"Heard you're having a bit of a tough day kiddo," he said with a small smile.

"Hi dad," she said. "And yeah, you know..."

"C'mere," he said, opening his arms. I lifted my arm so she could go by dad. They hugged and I started to slip out of the room.