The Secrets of Cedar Creek

55 : A Strike Of Lightning

I wake up the next morning completely resolved on what to do. I'm going to find Sylv. I'm going to track him down – wherever the f*ck he's hiding – and I'm going to force him to listen to me. I'll beg on my knees if I have to. I'll tell him life's too short to waste our time together. I'll tell him that I need him and I'll tell him what I read in Paige's diary – if that's any consolation to him.

I had the most beautiful dream last night – I dreamt that Sylv and I were back in time, swimming in Butterfly Falls, which had transported to his back yard. I dreamed the Cheryl was swimming with us and she started talking and then we drove off and she could fly and we flew all the way to Las Vegas where we won a billion dollars and we spent all of it on Auntie Helen's new baby.

It was a good dream. I want it to be real, so much.

This whole time I've been stupid. I've let so many different things get in the way of me and Sylv. Maybe I'm still being stupid – maybe it's still f*cking wrong of me to want him like this.

But I had him first. I know in girl code that means something. It's not Paige's fault because she didn't know. We didn't tell her because we couldn't bear hurting her. Funny that the whole time we were worried about her finding out and being crushed, she already knew and was in love with someone else.

It's funny how I find this out now, instead of at the start of my journey back to Cedar Creek. I imagine how much simpler things could have been if that was the first diary entry I read and not the last.

I wish I had written a diary or something – something for people to read when I'm gone. For people to see my perspective and really see how I felt at different times. Maybe that would help some people, maybe that would hurt some people.

I take the moped to school and roughly park diagonally. It's overcast again today – this time, so dark that I think it might start storming.

I walk into the main hallway where the lockers deck the walls. I find Avalon first and I rush over to her and hug her – I don't know why but I'm feeling optimistic and retrospective.

"I like your hairband," I say to her with a big smile.

"I like your face," she grins. "Did you speak to Adrian?"

"Oh... yeah." I forgot about that for a bit. "Yeah – I figured everything out." A brief wave of anxiety rushes through me as I remember what Adrian and I uncovered yesterday. But I brush it away and try to focus on one thing at a time. "I need to tell you all about it, actually. I might need to write it all down. But not now, I need to find Sylv. Do you know where he is?"

"I think he's in the change rooms. Jackson and him had practice this morning."

I run away from her with big bounces in my steps, turning around quickly to pull a funny face, then rushing to the boys lockers.

The hallways are particularly slippery today, so I settle down and walk. By the time I get outside, I can hear the voices of all the guys inside. I'm not going to barge in and profess my feelings in front of the crowd. This isn't some teen flick. I'll wait till he comes out.

In the mean time, I'll check I don't have helmet hair.

I walk into the adjoining bathroom and brush my hair in the mirror. Then I quickly duck into the toilet so I don't p*ss myself from excitement.

As I sit down, I hear familiar voices enter the ladies room.

"Oh my God, tell me all about it," I hear May gaw. "How many guys is it now... thirty-four?"

"I wasn't expecting it at all, aye, he just pounced on me out of nowhere," Jess says with a laugh.

I flush and prepare to open the door.

"Who would've thought a burns victim would be such a good f*ck?"

My jaw hits the floor as reality sinks in.

Burns.

F*ck.

Jess.

And.

Sylv.

I want to ball my eyes out.

A strike of lightning makes the whole world rumble.

I wait for them to leave the bathroom before I move. I find myself sinking onto the bathroom floor. My heart breaks in two. Everything shatters around me.

This whole time, I've thought that Sylv... still wanted me. I thought that maybe – just maybe – he was waiting for me to sort my sh*t out.

I was wrong.

I storm out of the bathrooms. Not sad – no. Not today. Today is the last time I let myself be sad over a boy. Today, I'm angry.

As I walk out of the bathrooms, I see Sylv walking out of the boys locker room, hair dripping, fresh out of the shower. I want to slap him but I refrain – instead, I walk past him like he means nothing to me. I feel his eyes follow me but I ignore him.

As soon as I'm out of the front doors of the school building, I let my façade fade and I sprint to my moped.

Then I start driving and I don't know where I'm going. I just let my instincts guide me wherever they think is right.

And they take me to Shadow River Manor.

.

.

.

It's pouring heavily now. The sky is dark – black even. Rain soaks me, straight to my core. I don't bother wearing my helmet and let my hair completely be drenched. Lightning strikes all around me and the thunder rumbles through the wheels of my moped.

I knock heavily on Adrian's door. My knuckles are definitely bruised this time.

When Adrian answers the door – there's something different in the air. A tension. Both of us can feel it, I know it.

The rain pours onto me as I stand exposed a few steps in front of him. I just stand there, letting the rain soak me.

He's wearing a plain white sleeved shirt. The same that he wore when he threw himself into Shadow River. His caramel curly strands rest on his forehead.

"Adrian," I call over the rain. I don't know what I'm going to say, or what I'm expecting him to do. But I know what I want him to do.

He steps forward now, meeting me in the rain. Rain pours onto him, drenching his shirt so that it's see through and I openly gaze over his features and his revealed silhouette.

"Rain becomes you," Adrian says.

I step closer to him, eye level to his chin. I stare at his lips hard, then glance up at his eyes. "Is it too late to kiss you now?"

For the first time – not a sly or smart or smirky grin appears – but a genuinely happy one. He smiles down at me and closes the gap between us, reaching up both of his hands to cup my face.

Then his lips come crashing down on mine.

_____

oh my dog i've been waiting for this moment the whole BOOK. 

frickity frick shiz is about to hit the fan.

enjoy,

xx

aurora