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“Yes, honey. I’m sorry. I heard about what happened with Jasper. You are so brave. You have always been so brave.”
I want to shout at her. I want to tell her to stop acting like she knows me when I’ve had to grow up and raise myself. All the while, she was fraternising with the very person who ruined my life. I don’t know how to say that in a way that requires minimal effort and conversation, so I just don’t say anything.
She clears her throat and looks as if she’s about to say something I know I won’t like. I hear footsteps and notice Jasper has just entered the room. I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing I am safe from whatever my mother was about to say. I give him a this-is-really-awkward-and-I-need-an-escape-right-now look; I don’t know if it worked, but with a small smile he says, “Sorry to break up the family party and all, but I was just wondering if I could speak to Emerson for a quick minute.”
I turn towards him, ready to run right out of there, when I see my mother’s tight expression. Something about the way she’s looking at him. Curiosity, pain and something else completely that I can’t quite read. But the expression is gone in a flash, and I can tell as she forces a smile and says, “of course, Jasper. Take her for as long as you want.”
“Thank you,” I whisper as soon as we exit the dining hall.
“Anytime, Waffles,” he says with a smirk. He looks down at my apple and frowns as if it’s some foreign object, “or should I call you Apples now?”
I laugh. “Waffles will do just fine. I took the apple only because I didn’t want to stay in the dining room longer than I needed to. Otherwise, you know I would have been in there all-day eating waffles.” It’s a light-hearted comment, but he seems to notice the pain behind it. In being in the same room as her.
“Still processing, huh?” he asks, his eyes full of understanding. If this is the confusion I feel, I can only imagine what he’s going through right now, knowing that his father’s the reason for all this.
I nod. He stops, takes my hand, and gives it a tight squeeze. I wish he would stop with this affection because it is getting harder and harder to resist. “Was there something that you wanted to tell me?” I ask, pulling my hand away.
“Oh yeah,” he says, clearing his throat. “I just wanted to say I’m going to go back to Black Opps.” He sees my confused expression and continues before I have the chance to butt in. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to come or anything. But there are so many questions I still have, and I know speaking to Annabelle is the only way that I’m going to get answers. I just need the truth.”
I can’t argue with that, so I just nod. “I’m going to head to the med wing.”
“What happened?” He asks, his brown eyes overflowing with concern.
“It’s just a headache.” When I notice his eyebrows are still scrunched together, I roll my eyes, “I’m fine. It’s nothing.”
“A headache isn’t nothing, Waffles. Let me take you there.”
“No seriously, I’m fine. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t actually need a bodyguard helping me wherever I go. I am fully capable of being able to look after myself.”
“I don’t doubt that,” he says with a smirk. “Well, let me at least take you to someone who can take you there.”
“Jasper, did you even hear what I just said?”
“Yes, yes. But this person isn’t so much like a bodyguard as they are a friend. Just trust me. I called her up here so she shouldn’t be too long.”
Friend? She? I am so confused. I don’t know any girls here who I would consider to be my friends, so there must be some mistake. I think this till the elevator door opens ahead of us, and I see my favourite person in the whole wide world step through.
I can’t believe my brain had decided to forget about her till this moment. It feels like a crime that I was made to forget the one person who helped me through my first time here. Now that I see her though, all of the memories are flooding back.
“LU!” I cry, running into her arms. Despite her being three years younger than me, she easily catches me as I jump into her arms. As she spins me around in excitement, the loudest squeal I’ve ever heard escapes her lips. “I thought I’d never see you-”
“Me neither, oh my goodness, I can’t believe that you are here.” She puts me down to brush her long caramel hair out of her face. As she stares at me, a frown falls across her pink lips, “I can’t believe that you’re here.” Her sour expression doesn’t last for long before she breaks out into another grin and squishes me again.
When I am finally released, she stands back as if inspecting me. “You look the same,” she says, “still short.” I hear Jasper snort and I shoot a glare his way, but nothing right now can spoil my happiness.
At my evil look, Jasper laughs again, “I guess that’s my queue to leave before I get murdered. Have fun.” He leaves and I turn back to Luna, barely able to contain my joy.
“Come on,” I say. “Let’s go to my room.”
When we arrive, my bed has been made, and there is a tray of waffles lying on the desk, completely untouched. I stare at the scribble of Jasper’s handwriting, ‘enjoy your surprise, Waffles! J.C’ I must have been staring at the note for too long because Lu comes over and snatches the note out of my hands.
“Ooh, someone’s got a boyfriend.” I send her a deadly glare, but that only makes her smile more. “So, it’s true. You’re not denying it?” She claps her hands together and jumps with excitement. “Jasper and Emerson sitting in a tree-”
“Don’t you dare,” I start and she just giggles, dancing across my room as if she’s at some grand ball. I run over to her and tackle her onto my bed, and her singing is replaced by laughter. We both lay on the bed for a long time till our laughter dies down.
“I’ve missed you so much,” Luna starts, and I can hear her voice starting to choke up. “You don’t even understand how lonely it’s been-” her voice cracks and I turn my face to see small tears falling down her soft cheeks. I wipe them away with the sleeve of my jumper.
“Hey now,” I say. “None of that. No tears, remember?” I speak. I don’t know why I say it, since I don’t even remember what I’m talking about. But I let the words come naturally and hope that they make sense to her. “No sad stories here.”
