Aiden took refuge in the library for the next two periods after lunch. There was no way he could focus in class after what happened. Tears still slowly dripping down his face. He buried his face into his left hand, elbow resting on the table. Music playing in the background from his earphones as he browsed through old pictures and texts with Kay. Nostalgia filling him to the brim. The things he could have told her, make her smile, the times he could have snatched the opportunity to kiss her, hold in his arms. Everything was lost. What the fuck did I do? He thought as he sighed and leaned back on the chair, his neck bent back against the wall as he stared at the ceiling. Kayley's favorite songs played in his ears. He remembered the times she'd persuade him to listen to all these songs, the way she'd describe what they meant to her. Her words so passionate, who knew she'd end up like this one day. She seemed so happy, but she really wasn't.
Hannah felt lost. The monotonous voice of her Pre-Calc teacher blared in her ears, she just couldn't focus. She tapped her pencil on the desk in a rhythmic pattern. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Her partner looked at her wondering what was wrong but didn't bother to ask.
The bell rang and everyone shuffled out of class. Chatter and laughter filled the hallway. Just one more hour. Hannah said to herself as she walked into her next class. This was the only class she had with Kay, and she just didn't want to be there without her. Time ticked by slowly, all she could focus on was Kay's voice in her head passing those comments that she always would in that class, how she'd gush about Aiden and show her pictures of things she bought, or jokes from social media. A tear fell onto her paper, spreading the ink on the page. It looked like little branches from growing tree, struggling to grow as the teardrop spread even more. Hannah felt exactly like that tree right now. The pain she felt slowly growing as her heart tried to contain it.
The day ended and Hannah left as soon as the bell rang. Everything was just so loud and overwhelming.
"Hannah!" A familiar voice called out in the crowd. She turned around and saw Aiden pusing through the pool of students eager to go home. Hannah stepped out of the wave on the side waiting for Aiden.
"Let me drive you home." Aiden said.
"You don't need to. I'm just going to take the bus home." Hannah replied.
"I know but I want to. We both need to mourn, maybe it'll be easier if there's two people." Aiden insisted.
"Okay." Hannah said with a subtle nod.
"I want to go to her house." Aiden said as he sat into his car. "I think we should go see her parents and Alex." The ride was awfully silent. Neither had anything to say. Hannah's thoughts drifted back to those days when Kay would ramble on about wanting to spend time with Aiden. Those days when Kay would just not eat anything for the whole day, those times when she spoke about mental issues and social anxiety. Maybe she really did go through something, she felt that pain. Hannah thought.
Aiden focused on driving but his mind couldn't stay on track. Even he couldn't help but think about Kayley. He felt so guilty for not being able to talk to her enough. He felt like even if he spent a little more time with her, he could have saved her. Maybe if he showed some sign of affection towards her, she would have been in his car right now. I'm such a fucking coward. He thought.
Hannah broke the silence, and said something that really hit right at the spot, "If only there was a way to know that you're in the good days before they actually leave you..."
