Memory Lane

PART 02 » nefelibata

For Bree (beautifultragedies): one of the coolest writers I've had the chance to be on this website with. Her stories always leave me feeling some type of way and I hope to one day be as good and creative as her.

Author's Note | sorry about how weird and choppy the first chapter was, I'm still learning the ropes to this. Now, instead of in the present, we are four years back into the past where the story inside of this story will begin: the story of the things Sean has forgotten about her. This update should definitely be a lot better than the first one, so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! -Cal

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p a r t t w o

n e f e l i b a t a

(n) • a cloud walker; an individual who lives in the "clouds" of her own imagination or dreams

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HE WAS AN idiot.

I was in no position to talk, for I had my own vices I tended to gravitate towards, but mine were definitely not as dangerous as his were.

"I can't believe you did it," I said as I found his sprawled out body lying in the middle of the grass. "You really could've hurt yourself, Sean." Assessing his situation, I added, "more than you already did so far."

Sean grunted, clearly straining himself as he tried to sit up, and clearly ignoring the gravity of what had just happened to him. "Oh please, Livvie, I'm going to be alright. Nothing's broken, that I know of, which is all that counts."

I rolled my eyes, squatting down on the grass beside him, reaching over to push his hair from off of his forehead. Sure enough, there was a knot on his head, a shiny bruise that looked like it could use an ice pack. "You could've gotten a concussion. What in the world were you even doing up there anyway?"

Sean looked at me as if I were the crazy one in this situation. "It's a tree for Christ's sake, Olivia. You don't find yourself compelled every now and then to climb one?"

"Yeah," I said in an equally sarcastic tone. "Back in third grade when I was still listed on my mother's health insurance. But now, I'd rather have my head intact, y'know. Hard to study with a head injury."

Sean scoffed. "That's not at all what's going on here, but whatever floats your boat, I guess."

He seemed to still be playful with me, but something about this conversation had taken a turn, one that I hadn't anticipated.

When I found him lying on the ground out in front of the quad, I had assumed very little at first. While I didn't know him all too well in high school, I was easily able to gleam that he was a caution-be-damned kind of guy, so it made almost perfect sense that he was getting grass stains all over his white button-down in college. It wasn't until I saw his body visibly twitch that I noticed the state of pain he was in. I had to say, he did a pretty good job of hiding it.

Of course, that left me to wonder why in the world was he swinging from a tree when he knew very well that he could've hurt himself. But by the shadows that passed over his eyes, almost as if he were afraid for me to know the truth, I had a feeling I would need to find my answers elsewhere. He was a man, after all, he was above getting help unless it was a matter of life or death. Anything else was just an occupational hazard.