polaroids

| healing scars |

No student was found out of their dorms that following week. There were only seven days left to the first term examinations, and they were all desperate to prove themselves as the best.

Rue knew that she would have tough competition this year with her arch nemesis, Estelle Cosgrove also aiming for the top spot. Every time, Estelle would beat her to it. But this time, Rue was taking no chances.

In fact, this time there was a third.

Avery Black; who despite all the recent ongoings, had somehow managed to catch up with the rest of the class.

Rue felt a bit horrid to be thinking that way, but at the end of the day, she had to be as good as Avery, or even better. And she wasn't going to let silly feelings drag her down. 

June had been equally as busy, trying to get her grades up.

It was a tough week.

Rue stretched her arms over her head, looking out the window at the sunny afternoon sky. She had been studying chapters upon chapters the whole morning and if she did any more, her head was going to burst.

She looked at June who looked equally tired. 'Hey, wanna go grab some lunch from the town?'

June sprang up, flipping her textbooks shut. 'You had me at lunch.'

They laughed.

It didn't take them much time to get out of the suffocating dorm room and into town, where they arrived at their usual fish 'n' chips place. Nothing like refilling your energy after a long day of studying with some greasy food and soda.

Rue had carried her polaroid along and she couldn't help but take a picture of June when she wasn't looking, earning a cry of disapproval from the girl. Perfect. She thought. Another one for those string lights.

She knew that June secretly didn't mind. She was just too much of a drama queen to admit it.

Playing with the straw in her long fingers, June looked up at Rue. 'So, how's your blue boy doing?'

Rue choked on her carbonated drink.

Swallowing the bubbles, she asked 'My what?'

'Oh come on,' June replies, exasperated with the two of them. A few days back Rue had filled her in about his disappearance, although she wasn't sure if that had been the best move. June was her closest friend, nevertheless. 'Is he better now, or still cooped up with that Tom Wilkerson?'

'No, he's... he's been coming to classes. I haven't seen Tom in a while, but yeah, I think he's better.'

Rue looked at the battered fish.

'What do you think of him?'

'Well, I guess he's nice. And sweet. And definitely smart, he always comes up with creative things in class. In fact, I'm worried he's smarter than me,' Rue laughed to herself saying the last bit. June didn't interrupt her, biting back a smile. 'But... but after what happened he seems, I dunno, distant.'

'Give him time.' June grabbed a potato wedge of her plate. 'Time heals all wounds.'

'So they say,' Rue added with a sigh. She wished that the proverb was true. But something told her that the wound was never going to heal.

Not fully, at least.

He'd always carry the scars.

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A/N hey guys! it's me writing my first "at the end of the chapter" author's note. yayayayay. anyways, I came here to tell you that I'm sorry for my disappearance these past few days. summer vacations just started but I have a few extra classes coming up. but don't worry I'll be updating more than ever! (hopefully). have a good rest of your day/night.