Aces [#NANOWRIMO2017]

Seraphine Destroys The Multiverse

Fʀɪᴅᴀʏ, Fᴇʙʀᴜᴀʀʏ 23

———

The first thing that I did in the morning was wonder if I shouldn't have ditched Ace the day before.

Well, no. That's a lie. The first thing that I did in the morning was wake up, then I wondered if I shouldn't have ditched Ace the day before. But you know what I mean.

I'd left because I'd thought that he'd appreciate some space after going through such a difficult week, but it occurred to me now that he'd had no company the entire week except for his injured mother. Ace seemed to me like a person who thrives on social interaction; how lonely must he have gotten? He might have come to school hoping to have someone to talk to, but I'd just up and ran.

What had I been expecting after hearing Ace's story? For him to be instantly ready to share every thought of his with me? No, I ought to have given him the benefit of the doubt.

But I didn't, and that's what puzzled me. There had been plenty of times when other people hadn't told me absolutely everything, and normally, I didn't really care that much. So, then, why had it hurt me so much when it was Ace who'd pushed me away? Why had it hurt me so much when it was Ace who I'd assumed didn't want me around?

I could only think of one explanation for my actions.

Am I...

Am I falling for Ace Renshaw?

"Lynne?"

"What's up, Sera?" Lynne responded. "Wait, lemme guess. You're finally going to let me look inside your sketchbook." She beamed. "Am I right or am I right?"

"Um. Sorry, but no. Probably never."

"Pleeeeaaassseeee?" Lynne whined. "I promise I'll only judge you a little..."

"Lynne, come on. I'm serious."

She crossed her arms and pouted, sticking out her bottom lip. "Okay, fine. What do you need?"

"I... um..." I started playing with my hair, twirling it around my forefinger as I spoke. I was suddenly unsure of whether or not I wanted to say this. "I was just wondering... entirely hypothetically, of course..."

"Wondering what?" Lynne prompted me when I paused.

The words tumbled out of me, one after the other, all in one breath. "How would someone be able to tell whether or not they were in love? H-hypothetically speaking."

Lynne stopped in her tracks and studied me. "Hypothetically, huh?" I blushed furiously. "Well, honey, hypothetically speaking, if I always wanted to be around them... if they made me feel happy in a way that no one else could... if seeing them is the best part of your day, and if they're the first person you think about when you wake up in the mornings. If they make you feel like a completely new person — in a good way, of course." She cocked her head at me, breaking out into a wide smile. "Who's the lucky guy that you think you might be hypothetically falling for? Spill the beans, girl!"

"I — it's — he's..."

To tell or not to tell? I knew that if I told Lynne that I'd been willingly spending time with Ace even after she'd said time and time again to stay away from him, she'd be unbelievably hurt. But we were best friends, and best friends told each other everything. I didn't like keeping secrets from Lynne at all; it felt so wrong.

I looked at Lynne and made up my mind: I was going to tell her. Her face was so hopeful that it just killed me thinking about how disappointed in me she'd be, but I had to do this. She was sure to find out at one point, so better to hear it from me than from someone else. Yes, I was going to do it... I cleared my throat and spoke.

"It's Andre," I told her. "Andre Wilkinson."

I chickened out, okay!?

I lied. I told her that I was crushing on that jerkface rich snob who sits behind me in Science. I'm a terrible person and the worst best friend ever. I get it.

Come on, gimme a break. It's a heck of a lot easier said than done to destroy your best friend's hopes and dreams.

Okay, I may be exaggerating a little bit. It's just that... I discovered in class today that I had a bigger problem on my hands.

Actually. That was a bad choice of words, considering the problem stems from the fact that it isn't actually on my hands. My left wrist, to be precise.

The feeling that I was missing something had dogged me for the entire day, but I'd attributed that to the guilt of running away from Ace and then lying to the person who I shared everything with. Ha. Nope. Not even close.

It was more than just a feeling. I was missing something.

I had lost my silver bracelets.

My first thought was: I'm the worst daughter in the universe.

My second thought: I'm the worst everything in the universe.

Third: I'm probably the worst everything in the multiverse, too.

How the heck had I managed to misplace my bracelets? I wore them absolutely everywhere; even in the shower, or in bed. I never, ever took the things off, except... except when...

Frick.

I. Am. The. Worst.

The only time that I ever took off my bracelets was when I thought that keeping them on would make someone uncomfortable. Like if my arms were going to come into contact with someone else for an extended period of time (translation: when I gave someone a long hug).

I didn't need to be a genius to figure out exactly when and where I'd left my bracelets behind. I must have forgotten them in the forest when I'd left in such a hurry. I decided to head back to the forest ASAP (As Soon As PublicSchoolEnded) to see if I could find them.

I tried not to think about what would happen if I couldn't.

Driving to Windy Point Park after school had started to take on a sense of familiarity, and I took comfort from that.

I parked my car, got out, and walked into the forest. It didn't take long for me to reach the log.

At first glance, I couldn't see any sign of my bangles anywhere. Although I hadn't really been expecting to spot them right away, that still discouraged me an unreasonable amount. Still, I got down on my hands and knees and searched. I brushed away the branches and leaves cluttering the forest path all around the log. My bracelets didn't turn up.

But I refused to give up so easily. I continued to clear the ground until all of the dirt of the trail around the bench in a two-meter radius was exposed. Still nothing.

That was when I started to panic. I searched everywhere I could think to look, but I couldn't find my bracelets. What if someone stole them? I thought, stressing out. What'll I do then?

I spent almost an hour in the forest trying to find my bracelets.

I couldn't.

In the end, I headed home, crestfallen.

What will my father think?