Learn to accept yourself

»Chapter 13

Hanna POV

-Next day in school-

"Where's Lea?" I asked Finn as he sat beside an empty seat, looking a little lost without his companion.

Finn shrugged. "I called her this morning when she didn't meet me, but she didn't answer."

I nodded and moved away, I looked over at James as he shuffled awkwardly in his seat staring down at his hands desperately avoiding looking at me.

"James..." I said as I stood beside his desk. He looked up uncomfortably and smiled weakily. "What happened is as good as forgotten, I'd like to see you participate today. Understood?" James nodded and flicked his gaze over to Finn. "Go on..." I said knowing what he wanted without actually having to say it.

James picked his bag and book up and carried it over to Lea's seat, Finn looked at him for a moment and then at me, but James just sat down silently giving me a chance to teach.

I had gotten half way through the lesson when I noticed James struggling slightly, he groaned through frustration and that seemed to catch Finn's attention. James said something quietly and Finn slid his book over allowing James to copy the answers down. Usually I would have picked Finn up for it, but Finn helping James seemed to be sealing that previously difficult patch for them.

I heard the door open and looked to see the woman from reception moving quite quickly and sporting a very serious face. She came towards me.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this love but there is a young lady from your class missing, a Lea?" I nodded. "I'm afraid, she was hit by a car late last night..."

"Oh god, is she alright?"

The receptionist shook her head. "She's in a pretty bad way, they don't know if she'll make it."

I felt the world suddenly crash on me as I collapsed into my chair. "Do her friends know?"

The receptionist shook her head again. "They're being rounded up and taken to the sports hall at the end of class, that way they can all be told together."

I nodded. "I don't have a class next, I'll tell James and Finn."

"Are you sure, they're gunna let the counciller do it?"

"No, it's fine." The woman nodded and turned away, casting a look at Finn and James I wandered over to them. "You guys need to stay after class, I need to talk to you both."

James looked over at Finn. "What about?" He asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"Lea." I replied flatly, the boys nodded and carried on working up until the bell for dismissal where they stayed in their seats. "I need you both to come sit here, I'm afraid it's not something you are going to enjoy." The two boys sat at the table I told them to while I closed the door and sat between them. "Look, nowhere in my job description did it say breaking bad news but..." I paused as James looked up at me. "...Last night, Lea...she was hit by a car."

I watched Finn struggle to breathe properly. "Is...what...no!"

"I'm sorry, I don't know what kind of state she's in, but I know it's not good." James nodded and I could almost feel numbness pouring off of him, his eyes glazed over like he was envisioning it in his mind. Finn was near hysterics, his body was almost completely trembling he kept opening his mouth and then closing it again as if he had something he needed to say but couldn't.

"Can I go?" James asked quietly. I nodded and watched him get up and leave, then Finn stood.

"Not you, you aren't going anywhere." I said grabbing his shoulder, making him almost instantly break down.

"No..." He sobbed. "It's not fair..." I felt as if my throat had thickened and tightened, I had to almost physically beat down my emotions as I put my arms around him. From what I understood, bad things always happened to Finn. Three years ago both his parents died in a tragic and still unexplainable accident, he had to move in with his grandmother, who was diagnosed with cancer and died months later. Now living with two wonderful foster parents he had started building his life back together, just to have it shattered in a moment. A moment I had to have been part of.