Every Moment ── TOM HOLLAND²

28. "too comfortable"

In the fourth grade, Luna expressed her love for caterpillars, admiring how they were able to change themselves into something beautiful. Amelia Lancaster loved Luna, so to express her love for the girl, she spent five hours at the park searching for a caterpillar to give to her best friend. She showed up to school with the caterpillar in a jar, a jar that now held no caterpillar, but was still kept in Luna's apartment as a memory.

Mia Lancaster was so unpredictable, and it was one of the many reasons Luna loved the girl. But with everything that was happening,the surprise factor that Mia loved so dearly had slipped from her mind. She didn't think he expected it either.

When she heard the click of her door, she didn't move, assuming it was Liz or Mia letting them self in for a random check-up on her. Typically when either of the two girls entered her house, she heard their purse being thrown onto her counter, followed by the "so anything new today?" When neither came, Luna looked away from the episode of Parks and Rec, her eyes widening as they landed on Harrison.

"What are you doing here?" She was instantly pausing the show, scrambling to get on her feet.

"Got a connecting flight from here, decided to visit." Luna rose an eyebrow, making him sigh in defeat. "Mia."

She frowned, "She called you?"

"Texted." He shrugged off his jacket, looking around the apartment like it was his first time. She could practically see the memories flashing by his eyes, a deep frown on his lips. "She said the only person who gets what you're going through is me; a sly jab on her behalf."

Only now did she notice how tired the boy looked; it was fairly obvious her large group of friends always seemed to rock bags beneath their eyes, but his bags had bags. "You look like shit," She admitted, walking past him and to the kitchen. "Want tea?"

"You're such a charmer Luna," He muttered sarcastically, leaning against the doorframe as her socked feet slid across the kitchen floor. "I don't think Mia understands that we aren't going through the same thing."

With her back turned to him, she stated, "Because you don't regret it like I do." Silence fell upon them, and she didn't need to look at Harrison to know she struck a nerve. But it was the truth, and she was sure Mia knew that too, which is why she wasn't so afraid to contact him.

"Do you think she hates me?"

She hesitated for a moment, thinking back to the heart to heart the two girls shared the previous night. "No," She finally answered, handing a mug to Harrison. "I think she wanted to, but she doesn't."

Harrison nodded slightly, unsure of what to say. He hated that she was right; he didn't regret his decision to end their relationship. They needed to break up, or else Mia would just stray further and further away from who she wanted to be. She should hate him, he would hate him, but he knew Mia was much like Luna; she took everything into consideration. It was no surprise that she found it in her to forgive him.

"He doesn't know I'm here," Harrison muttered, changing the subject from himself. He watched as Luna stiffened up, her fingers holding the handle tighter. She recomposed herself quickly, bringing the mug to her lips, even if the tea was still too hot to drink. "If you think I look like shit, you should see him." She held back a wince as she burned her tongue. "Do I need to guilt you any more, or are you gonna give me answers?"