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| lingering questions |

Rue and Avery sat side by side, on the grass in one of those elevated gardens, filled with a sweet fragrance of wildflowers and earth.

The wind rustled through their hair. It was pleasant and soothing. After everything that had happened, Rue was glad that she'd survived to live this moment.

Because she didn't want anything more.

She looked up at the boy next to her. She knew that he would never be the same. Neither would she. But they were content with who they were and that's all that mattered.

'Hey, Avery,' Rue began, causing him to raise an eyebrow at her.

'What?'

'Why blue? Why did you dye your hair blue out of all the colours?'

'I'm surprised it took you this long to ask me.'

She rolled her eyes, earning a smile from him.

'The truth is, there's no reason at all. It was just on a whim, and I guess that's what makes it even better.'

'Uh...'

'It's different. I don't want to be like every other human on this planet. I want to be different.'

He looked at her, grey eyes bubbling with an emotion she knew all too well.

He smiled that half smile.

She shook her head in disbelief.

She didn't admit it, but she understood what he meant by that. Her driving force had always been to be unique. Someone who could bring about a change, no matter how minor it seemed.

'Can I ask you a question now?'

'There's nothing much interesting about me.'

She heard the grass move under him as he pulled her towards himself. Her eyes widened, his face inches away from his. She didn't know whether she was amused, dumbstruck or somewhere in between.

'May I kiss you?'

Laughing in disbelief, Rue circled her arms around his waist.

'You don't have to be so polite when you're trying to confess your undying love for me, you know.'

Somewhere underneath all those layers of concealment, Rue had a feeling that they both knew how the other person felt. But people are dumb and so were they.

He laughed too, a grin plastered across his lips, freckles dancing like sunspots across his skin. And for a second, Rue could feel the shyness dripping from his cheeks. It was hilarious to see Avery nervous, the opposite of his usual carefree self.

It didn't take much longer until she could feel his lips against hers.

It was short, quick. But it was soft and left her feeling like a hundred butterflies had just burst out of their cocoons in her stomach. His lips tasted like chocolate, the faint smell of his cologne hanging in the air between them. He kept his face close to hers, barely a centimetre away.

She looked at him, her breathing matching his.

'Oh, what the hell,' she added before pulling him in for another one, which was much longer this time.

She couldn't help but smile.

After what felt like hours, Avery Black finally asked her what had been hanging on the tip of his tongue, this whole week.

'Rue Hawthorne, may I have the honour of being your boyfriend and taking you to the Year End Dance?'

Rue slammed her face with one palm, laughing at his stupid grin. (Although secretly, it was to conceal her own silly face.)

'Yes, Avery. I'll be your date.'

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