Pieces [Wattpad's Editor's Choice]

43: gRoWiNg pAiNs

Returning to campus felt like the first day of the semester all over again: new, fresh, clean, and rejuvenating. Except it was March 30th and our last day was May 15th. I didn't have a lot of time left to fix things.

I tried to not let the Before Break moments affect me: Luna's text, the locked-door moment in Isaac's room, the party (sub-moments: the DJ and I, mine and Arrow's kiss, Luna and whatever his name was, my argument with Isaac, frog dissection), and all the way back to Valentine's day. Right now I needed to focus on school and salvaging whatever I could.

Luna was asleep when my ride dropped me off back on campus. I threw my stuff next to my bed, kicked off my shoes, and passed out.

The following morning, I woke up early enough to stop by the library. Phil said Jayda's hours had changed and she worked mornings to save nights for studying. Sure enough, I found her sitting at the front desk flipping through a conspiracy book on Area 51.

"Hi." I planted my arms on the counter loudly and she jumped.

"Oh! Frannie, you scared me!" She put a hand to her heart and set her book face down. "How can I help you today? Looking for anyone in particular?"

Wow, my reputation was that I only came here in search for people? Yikes. "No one but you today. I wanted to let you know Phil doesn't hate you, he just sucks at communication and is spending a lot of time working on things to better his future, but he absolutely wants you to be a part of that."

She stared at me. I never saw Jayda so dumbstruck that her mouth hung half-open-and she read a lot of conspiracies. I noticed a glimmer of emerald on her neck: the necklace from Phil. My instincts were right for once: she still liked him. Go Frannie.

"I'm in full support of whatever happens, and this by no means is my way of telling you what you should do, but trust me when I say he's afraid of letting more people down in his life and he doesn't want you to be one of them. But you deserve to know that his plans...are good. And his distance has nothing to do with you. Hopefully he finds the balls to actually tell you that himself."

She looked a little afraid of me now, like I grew a third pair of eyes, but she also started smiling. That gave me hope.

I didn't wait for her response; I said what I needed to say and hoped for the best between them. Sure, Isaac hated me "screwing with his love life" but this was my brother's; if I could do anything for him, it'd be to support him when he finally found a positive person to let into his life.

Next, I grabbed coffee for me and a strawberry smoothie for Luna and headed to Psych. I only needed to scan the rows of seats for half a second before spotting her way in the back several steps up, her hair freshly dyed a newly vibrant plum-purple.

Over break, I didn't reply to her text (or anyone's, really; I had five missed calls from an unknown number, but my voicemail was too full for them to leave a message. I assumed it was Arrow or Tyrell, but this number called me before).

I marched up the steps with a smile on my face in hopes it would help these people lighten the hell up. I passed several undead on the way towards Luna.

"This is for you." I set the smoothie on Luna's desk and slipped into the seat on her right. She stopped mid-henna-art and stared at the smoothie several seconds before looking at me.

"Uh...why?"

"Just 'cause."

"I thought you were pissed. You left without saying goodbye and never replied to my text." She studied the smoothie only a moment before grabbing it.

"I needed some 'me' time. And I had to take care of some things this morning."

"With Arrow?"

"I actually have no clue what happened to him..." I paused. "I want you to know that I'm sorry for what I said at the party, especially in front of-what was his name? But that was the wrong time and none of his business. I have no right to judge you. Your first time story is yours, not mine. You didn't do anything to me. I was upset with Arrow and felt like everyone has love handed to them on a silver platter while I'm still in the kitchen trying to cook up my own. I took it out on you. But you're a good friend and thank you for looking out for me."