The Certainty (Book Four in The Illusion of Certainty Series)

Time of Our Lives

Two and a half months later...

"He told me he was coming back today," I said.

I stood outside the apartment building with Sophie and Sebastis. I bounced on the balls of my bare feet. My hands were clasped in front of me, fidgeting with the hem on my black spaghetti strapped shirt. They stood up against the cool brick of the building, both looking mildly bored and anxious. More anxious for me than anything else.

"Maybe he's running late," Sebastis suggested

"They already put off his return for two weeks, Bast. He said he was coming back today." I grabbed my brother's arm and looked at his watch. "Now. He promised."

He chuckled. "You know if you don't get upstairs and get ready for graduation, Mom is going to kick your ass. She's not going to care what reason you have. If you're late to graduation, you're dead."

I sighed and looked around one more time. "Fine. I'll go get dressed. If he shows up...beat him up for me."

I went to my room, bypassing my mother who gave me that dreadful mom look. I'd already taken my shower so my hair would be able to dry normally without a blow dryer. All I had to do was fix it up a tad. The heat from the sun had made certain pieces of hair poof. I got my hair situated and slipped into the black dress I'd picked out online. It had a draped neckline and a bit of a frill at the bottom. It stopped about mid-thigh, a little shorter than my father would like but still meeting both my parents' and the school's dress code.

I put in a set of dangle earrings. I started in on make-up, which I never really wore. All I really put on was eyeliner and lip gloss. Not that Michael would care. He could care less what I was wearing just as long as he saw me.

I was all set.

My eyes drifted to the framed picture that sat on the dresser behind me in the mirror. It was the same picture Mark gave me for my birthday and as usual, my eyes fell on only one person in the picture.

Aidan.

After our late night chat, he dropped off the map for about a week. He showed up for classes, he showed up for meals. But he didn't say anything to anyone. I knew he was there but I never saw him. He was like a ghost. Then, at the end of the week, a rumor surfaced that he was going back to New York, his parents deciding to put him in a private art school there.

He'd left without saying goodbye.

About a month ago, while Mark and I were studying, it spilled out. Aidan had a dissociative disorder. His therapist in New York had suggested he come back to school down here and that's why he'd come back. But once everyone realized it wasn't working, his parents decided he should just go back to the City.

I touched the charm bracelet on my wrist; a sad smile crept over my lips. I missed him. But from what Mark was saying, it was all looking to be permanent. He'd never get it back, he'd never really remember...us. So he was gone. Forever. Because once you lose that piece of yourself, you never get it back.

"Georgiana! Let's go!" my mother called from the other room.

The graduation ceremony wasn't much, more like a gathering if anything. Most of the parents came in the day before to help their child pack and the banquet was held last night. I got to meet Mark's parents for the third time since we've been friends.

"They seem nice," I said.

"Yeah. They're just like any other set of parents," Mark said. "So did you decide?"

"Yeah. I'm sticking with Sword and Arrow."

He nodded with a smile. "I thought you would."