Magic Love (A Cethany Fanfiction)

Chapter 13 - More Unraveling

Beth

I'm still wondering why Connor wants to come in when Brittany calls out to me.

"Beth? Where were you? We were about to--

She's cut short when she comes into view and sees that I'm not alone. She squints her eyes, as if she's not sure if she's seeing things right.

"Franta? Is that you?"

I look at Brittany incredulously. I shouldn't be surprised, I realize. Of course my best friend would know my sister. It's just hard to believe right now.

I hear Connor step forward and he appears beside me.

"Um, Brittany. Yeah. It's me." He smiles.

I continue to gape at my sister as she runs forward and hugs Connor.

"I never thought I would see you again!" she says as she lets go of him. "I didn't know you still lived here."

"Yeah, I'm still here," Connor says. He laughs. "I missed you too, Briddy."

She holds him by the shoulders. "I'm glad you're back!" She looks at me, and then at him. "You told her, didn't you?" Her eyes are glittering with tears.

He nods at the same time that I do. My sister sniffles.

"Oh!" she says, letting go of him once again. "Wait, what are you doing at our house?"

Connor chuckles. "Uh, just wanted to see how you guys were. Haven't been here in forever."

"Oooookaaaay," I say. I grab Connor's arm and pull him towards the stairs. "Briddy, see you later okay?"

"I'll be here!"

I lead Connor to my room and shut the door.

"Sorry about her--

"No, I'm used to it. Well, I mean that sounds weird. But I know her. It's not a big deal."

"Oh. Right."

I watch as he walks around my room, examining. "It looks different."

"Well, yeah, I guess I'm not fifteen anymore," I say jokingly.

He smiles as he stops at a picture of me and Brittany perched on my windowsill. "I took this picture."

My eyes widen. "Seriously? That pictures from--" My voice slows down. "Eighth grade..."

He nods. "Yeah. Eighth grade."

"I never wondered who took that picture..."

He continues to look at the things in my room. He picks up a bracelet from my desk. I can almost feel the light bulb above my head as I realize what that bracelet is. My mom said that an old friend gave it to me. I asked her who it was, and she said that I would find out when I was older.

"You gave me that, didn't you?" I breath. I look around with a new sight. "My room is full of memories of you. I just never figured it out on my own."

He looks at me and stays silent. I walk over to the closet and take out a shoebox that I kept under my dresser. I open it and dig through it to find a picture that I always wondered about.

A picture of me and a boy I didn't recognize until now. In front of a camera. I can feel Connor's presence as he lingers behind me. I turn around and his blue eyes are tranced onto the picture.

"That's me," he says quietly. "You had this picture of me. You never wondered who I was?"

"When I came back from the hospital, I was wandering around my room in search of memories. I found this picture on my desk. I stared at it for so long, trying to remember. But I guess pictures weren't enough. So I stored it in here," I explain, gesturing at the shoebox.

He smiles painfully and crouches down beside me. "I have this same picture. And it's still on my desk."