Gen Three- Chapter Twenty Five

Much to my surprise, Arbor and I ended up deep into the city. My plan for hanging out with him naturally hadn't been thought out with great depth. Dancing and hanging out at the festival brought Arbor out of his shell in a way I hadn't expected, but keeping that shell open proved to be the challenging part. He closed back into his general apathetic attitude even though he remained receptive enough to my prods and encouragements. When I asked if there was somewhere he wanted to go, he went ahead and answered without hesitation. Arbor wanting to get ice cream from a particular shop was was took us into Berrybrook's heart, and it was where I learned that he had a strong preference for all things pistachio flavored. The weather was too nice to stay inside, so the two of us wandered here and there until we approached the Twilight North's branch campus. Arbor was willing to walk even long after our treats were devoured.

Not that he was willing to talk too much. The majority of that task fell upon my shoulders. Thankfully, it wasn't overly burdensome. Arbor and I really only spoke about our project when we met up, which meant most of the basics about our lives hadn't been covered in conversation. There were also plenty of stories to tell of the classes I took as my classmates and even some of my teachers on campus loved to do interesting things to shake up the day.

     "Hey, Dia?"

Arbor prompted after I finished my latest recounting of crazy antics.

     "Yeah?" I replied a smidge too eagerly, excited at any sign of my companions taking more initiative.
     "Why is it that you want to be a doctor?"
     "Hmm? Haven't I already said that before?"
     "You did, your grandmother dying early and all that. I'm just wondering why being a doctor is what you focused your life around. You said your dad wanted to be cop. Why not go down that route to catch the bad people who did stuff like manipulate your grandmother? Why not be a health teacher or health consultant so you could stop bad choices before they needed to be fixed at a hospital? Why not be a famous athlete so you could be an example and a goal of motivation for those who need it? There were many other paths you could have chosen."
     "I...suppose so. You know, I haven't thought about it like that in any great depth, if at all, really. I simply remember going into the hospital for a shot when I was a bit older, and the doctor I talked to then describing what it meant to have that career motivated me in a way I'd never been before. I never stopped to think of other paths to achieve my goal. However, I don't think they would have worked in the end. I'm not athletic, so I could never manage being a cop or athlete. Teaching is not my thing either. In any case though, the idea of being a doctor is still what motivates me the most. If it was a fleeting dream, surely the desire would have burned out at this point, especially after so many years of hard work."

Arbor nodded lightly, but said nothing further. He didn't speak even when I gave him a look.

     "Was there a reason for that question?"
     "Not really. We were just walking by here, so it made me curious."

That answer didn't sit well with me. More than shallow curiosity prompted his wondering.

     "If you don't mind, can I ask then why you don't like doctors?"
     "There was one who treated me terribly once, and it left a bad taste in my mouth. My parents have paid for a personal doctor for me ever since, and even then I only get looked at when absolutely necessary." Arbor spoke softly.
     "What did that doctor do?"
     "I don't want to talk about it."

Arbor turned away, and the hardening of his expression before it morphed back into his mask of apathy showed once again that it was better for me to let the issue drop.

     "That's fine." I smiled.

I slipped my hand into his comfortingly, not thinking much of the gesture as I did it so often for other people, but I remarked that Arbor didn't attempt to break free. He even tightened his fingers around mine too.

     "Why don't we go take a walk by the river? There might be some berry bushes in bloom still."
     "Sure." Arbor agreed quietly.

The hunt for berries didn't go so well. Mostly because walking alongside the relatively steep river edge with the kind of sandals I wore pressed my shoes uncomfortably into my feet. Red lines started to appear, and I kept slipping here and there. Arbor thankfully suggested we walk on the sidewalks instead so I didn't have to lose my pride by giving in. The ache diminished when back on flat ground.

     "It's always so weird to walk by here." I spoke nostalgically.
     "Yeah?"
     "This was where dad used to have his bookstore situated. He moved it after the hurricane. Looking at this lot now, I can't believe he had room to fit everything on this tiny corner."
     "How did he go from wanting to be a cop to owning a bookstore? Something to do with his eye, right?"
     "Yeah. It's actually quite a sad tale starting from way farther back. Obviously, my family had made enemies out of the Spreading Roots company when grandma and Uncle Eden escaped and helped bring their illegal dealings to light. Years later, for whatever reason, they abducted grandpa for a decade."
     "Shit," Arbor swore in disgusted awe, "Really? Why?"
     "That was never found out. I guess they thought he knew more than he did or that they simply wanted to screw with our family. Grandma got diagnosed with cancer days after he was returned, and a few months later dad was abducted much the same way for no conclusive reason. There was this man behind it all, Buckeye, who beat him all bloody and bruised. When Buckeye's higher-ups learned he'd been taking members of the famous Ethereal's family, they tried to quietly return dad so as to not constantly have people trying to uncover their operations. Buckeye apparently went nuts and attacked them and dad- hurting dad so badly one of his ribs punctured his lung and taking out his right eye with a knife. The eye you see dad with now is fake."
     "Damn. I had no idea."
     "Losing sight in his right eye meant he no longer fit the requirements necessary for being a cop, so dad decided to take over the bookstore where he'd been working part-time. The original owner was in failing health, and his kids had already been desperately trying to get dad to take on the store before everything happened."
     "It's good that things seem like they got better after that though."
     "Well...other stuff happened that kept dad stressed for months to come."
     "Like?"
     "I'll tell you another time. Dad doesn't like people talking about it casually."

When Gilly and I had turned sixteen, that was when dad had revealed to my sister and I the truth about what happened with him and Aunt Mimi. Well, he naturally only revealed it to Gilly. Mom and dad were shocked that I had known for years. I finally had to tell the full truth of all that Ember and I had gotten up to in Tinseltown. They agreed I definitely should have gotten grounded, but it was too far past the point to do anything about it. And speaking of doing things my parents didn't approve of...

     "Get down. Get down." I jolted a huge step back, madly flailing for whatever part of Arbor's arm I could grasp and dragging him down and backwards with me.
     "What?" Arbor questioned without the fluster of a normal person.
     "My mom and dad are over there." I explained quietly as I timidly peeked around the bush to confirm it was indeed them, "I guess they chose to take their date over here. It's quite a coincidence."
     "Why do we need to hide from them, or are you just that big on not interrupting their alone time?"
     "My dad doesn't like you even when you follow all of his rules. For him to find out you've been hanging out with me alone, which is the last thing he wants, he'll make such an annoying fuss even though grandpa gave his approval and it was my choice to leave the dance to invite you out. I mean, they'll find out eventually that I didn't go to homecoming, but I don't think they need to know more than that. Dad will ruin our evening for sure."

No response came, but that was a frequent happening given my companion. Arbor didn't care to speak if he had nothing to say, or perhaps he didn't care enough about whatever popped into his head to put forth the effort of talking. I tugged on his shirt sleeve, he followed me in crawling around the corner, and we hurriedly departed in the way opposite my parents' line of sight.

As soon as we reached the nearest turn we could take I took us in that direction. Our goal became unclear until my mind whirred through all the city landmarks until it stopped on one nearby. Nostalgia hit me as it did every time I returned to the little park when Rosemary had taken those pictures of us so long ago. One couldn't imagine Sage running away from his family now. Arbor and I stepped onto the gazebo when, after facing him with a smile, Arbor's serious expression led to something completely unexpected happening.

     "What's up? Is something wrong?" I asked, seeing that unblinking stare affixed firmly on me.
     "Why are you here?" he questioned back instantly.
     "Um, in what way? Is that a philosophical question or-"
     "Why are you standing here with me now? When you came to my house, you said you changed your mind about going to the dance and implied asking me to hang out was a spur of the moment decision since you knew I also didn't go. However, you just said that you left the dance specifically to be with me. Which is it?"
     "Oh, eh...I..."

There I had gone and messed up. Not that it was a big deal, or so I thought, but it was a little embarrassing. My intentions had to been to make sure Arbor didn't feel lonely or excluded, yet I don't think him finding out there was pity behind my actions would would be reassuring. He didn't come off as the kind to like that sort of sympathy.

     "It's okay. You don't have to answer. It's obvious why you asked me out. I just wanted to see if you would admit it or not."
     "I didn't mean-" I began with a strained smile to explain myself better.

My words faltered when Arbor slipped his hand back into mine. Well, that was a first.

And that was when the unexpected happened. What I anticipated going down was Arbor telling me off in some manner. He would say that he didn't need to be coddled or looked down on or something like that. Him then taking my hand was strange indeed. Him taking a step closer until he was right near me caught me completely off guard. The expression he wore, a mix of quiet determination, nerves, and softness, changed my companion into someone different as his hand slowly slid up until his warm palm pressed against my cheek. It was about the time when Arbor tentatively lured my face closer to his that I understood there'd been a miscommunication. The reason Arbor thought I asked him out clearly wasn't the real reason I had asked him out.

Yet, in that faint pause where he waited...waited for me to protest or pull away, I did no such thing. Kissing Arbor made no sense, but I permitted our lips to link together. Why I didn't refuse is something I can't explain. All I knew was that I didn't dislike the current situation. Arbor's palm against my cheek reminded me of how soft his hands were. His chest against mine, his arm around my waist- in a way they reminded me of the nights watching movies or staring out the window to see a rampant thunderstorm while cuddled in my dad's, grandpa's, or Blaze's hold. Those platonic feelings definitely weren't the same feelings flittering through me then, yet a similar kind of security, comfort, and warmth blossomed in my stomach. Something about Arbor's touch, his lips caressing mine proved enjoyable.

I could even say that I was beginning to like it and want more right as Arbor abruptly withdrew and took a step back, leaving me cold. He coughed timidly as he cleared his throat and tossed his gaze this way and that to avoid catching my gaze back.

     "I...I can't say I would have ever pegged you to be so bold." I broke the quiet with a little chuckle.
     "I wasn't planning on...you weren't saying anything about it even though...I..." Arbor fumbled over his words so badly I smiled wider, "I thought it might...help, or..."
     "I don't know what it's done. To tell the truth, Arbor, you've gotten an idea in your head that might not be true. Doing something like that with you, it wasn't on my mind before at all."

I had to admit it before the situation got worse. There was a huge misconception going on, and it wouldn't do either of us any good if I wasn't anything other than completely honest. That last bit proved especially important considering how Arbor shriveled up, froze into a statue due to mortification, and appeared to have stopped breathing.

Reaching out to him did nothing other than turn him rapidly away from me.

     "I did leave the dance specifically because I wanted to hang out with you. I didn't like the thought of you being left out of the fun simply because other people are assholes, so my idea was for the two of us to have fun together instead," I pressed onward, "The reason I didn't say that openly was because I didn't want to make you feel bad believing I was only acting out of pity. You can be rude, stubborn, and grating, but I do like you. Maybe not in the way you thought. But then, maybe the way I thought was wrong too. I haven't expected to be with anyone. At least not for a long while. Even with that having been my mindset, Arbor, I didn't push you away, did I? I let us kiss because there was something about it that intrigued me. I can't say one way or another what I feel for certain, but I know I'm now curious. That's the truth. Honestly, I wish you would have let the kiss linger a little longer."

Nothing. Arbor didn't react.

     "I mean, you wouldn't have kissed me if there wasn't some interest on your part as well, right?"
     "Let's...j-just go someplace else, okay?" Arbor whispered impossibly quiet.
     "Okay."

Naturally, the atmosphere wasn't the greatest after that. I kept talking even though Arbor might as well have become a mute, and we couldn't find a place that we could stand to be for long. I didn't count the last bit of our time together a disaster though. Arbor did stay with me despite being extremely embarrassed and unsure of how to deal with it all. My reassurances that what he thought about the two of us could turn into reality if we explored it definitely had to have gotten stuck in his head by the time he walked me home. Mom and dad thankfully weren't back yet. Mom I wasn't worried about, but dad didn't need to see Arbor bringing me to the house, especially not when he was in that state. Blaze, grandpa, and Merlot were back though, so I had a little chat with the older two while Merlot took his chance to monopolize the video games.

     "How did everything go?" Blaze wondered.
     "It went well. Things went in a different direction than I planned, but Arbor and I had fun."
     "How did things go different?"
     "Well..."

Pondering Arbor's stunned state and my fear of word getting out to, yup, good ol' dad about the kiss prompted me to keep my mouth shut for the moment. No one needed to know until Arbor and I could sort the matter out once he broke out of his stupor. My reply to Blaze was simply a smile and a shrug.

     "Okay then." he laughed.
     "In any case, like we were saying earlier about dad not approving of me going off with Arbor...as far as he needs to be concerned, I totally went to the movies with you three. Right?"

Blaze and grandpa gave each other a knowing look. I was being too obvious. It blessedly worked in my favor though.

     "Of course you did." grandpa nodded.

Thanks to them lying and us convincing Merlot with snacks to join in, mom and dad were simply curious at my presence when they returned home half an hour later. The only thing dad was upset about was him paying for my dress and the money being wasted, but I promised I'd wear it for prom instead. That appeased him. The six of us ordered a late pizza dinner to finish the night off, and I managed to catch Gilly first when she returned home to also have her keep quiet about where I'd really been that evening. My plan, however, to ease the tension in the air between Arbor and I went abysmally. He refused to answer my texts and calls, he happened to be out when I meandered my way down to his house on Sunday, and on Monday when classes resumed he avoided me with passion. My heavy pouting due to that and the clarity to everyone else that he was staying away from the one person who dealt with him meant my lips spilled the secret during the break time between classes.

     "I thought you said everything went well with you and Arbor that evening," Confetti asked, "Why does he want nothing to do with you?"
     "It's because he's embarrassed and doesn't know how to deal with it. Things will be fine if he would let me talk to him, but he won't because, again, he's embarrassed." I shrugged.
     "Why though? Did he do something stupid?" Gilly wondered.
     "I'm sure he thinks it was stupid even though I told him it was fine."
     "What was it then?"
     "...He kissed me." I admitted.

That prompted the anticipated reactions. Gilly was stunned, Confetti remarked that it wasn't surprising, and Pyre just laughed at those two proceeding to barrage me with endless questions. I explained the moment as best I could until the three of them understood the full predicament.

     "I agree it would be weird for him to kiss you if he didn't like you in some way even if he was under the impression you liked him. Arbor getting thrown off balance finding out he was wrong and not knowing what to do know despite you saying you'd be willing to explore options makes the most sense." Confetti surmised.
     "If I could just talk to him..." I pouted.
     "How about I call him out for you? Request that I'd like to talk with him, but it'll be you showing up?" Pyre offered.
     "Let's try that!" Gilly encouraged enthusiastically, overjoyed that I was finally exploring the realm of romance.
     "Might as well. Thanks, Pyre." I accepted as well.

And so the plan was put into motion. There was a slightly longer break after lunch, and Pyre rushed into the cafeteria at the beginning of lunch to explain that time was when Arbor and I would meet. The place would be the covered walkway between our section of the school, the administrative offices, and the auxiliary buildings like the gym and swimming pool. Despite being near so many places, it wasn't an area people typically were at this time of the day. And, true enough, Arbor stood alone against one of the large pillars when I scurried there.

     "Hey." I called cheerfully.

Arbor jolted like a mouse caught by a cat. I gotten too close to him without him realizing. Perhaps that was why he chose to freeze instead of flee. I walked right over without issue.

Placing my hands on my hips, I smiled wide. Arbor glanced at my sheepishly before taking a deep breath. Defeat spread quickly across his expression.

     "Thank you for not running away. I really do appreciate it since I've been trying to talk to you all weekend."
     "I know." Arbor mumbled.
     "I'm sure you do. Goodness knows I can be stubborn myself. If I have to use my friends to trick you here, then that's what I'll do."
     "I was wondering why Pyre wanted to talk."
     "He did it to help us. We obviously need to sort things out, and I have questions I demand be answered."
     "Like?" Arbor asked quietly.
     "Mostly I want you to answer what I asked after the kiss. You wouldn't have done it if you didn't have some interest in me, right?"
     "I-I don't know what I want," he withdrew into himself again, "I never expected to be with anyone either. Ever. I didn't want to deal with a relationship and the complications that came with it, nor did I think anyone would be able to stand me enough to get close. I-I..."

Arbor silenced as I grabbed his hands. It was the weirdest thing seeing him so vulnerable, nervous, and unsure when normally he couldn't be shaken. To me though, it only confirmed that there were deeper emotions he wasn't used to dealing with.

     "Arbor, you don't need to know," I reassured gently, "That's what I've been trying to tell you. It's fine for us to not be head over heels in love and prepped to marry the second we graduate. We're seventeen-year-old teenagers in high school. We sure as hell don't have all the answers."
     "I'm actually eighteen." Arbor revealed softly.
     "Really? Since when?"
     "A few days before those cops asked to talk to me."
     "Why didn't you say anything? We could have had a party," I spoke with mild indignance before shaking my head, "Anyway, the point still stands. We're young, stupid, and still figuring out life. Neither of us know for sure how we feel about the other, but I think Saturday night made it quite clear there's potential. Potential that I want to explore."
     "But I'm me." Arbor mumbled as he turned his head away.
     "Yes, you're you. You'e got your faults just like I do. However, I know there's so much more. I know you're kind, and I know you care. It doesn't bother me if you can't show me everything right away, but I'd love the chance to learn."

Finally, Arbor shakily met my stare. He stood straighter. His fingers curled around mine, and this time it was my turn to step closer. A total moment of hypocrisy, I reprimanded my classmates from time to time when they stood in the halls unable to keep their hands off of one another. There Arbor and I stood picking up right where we left off. The kiss, slow and tentative, gently dove deeper. Tongues slipped past lips, and the sensation of security and warmth grew until it dominated my thoughts. Gilly and Confetti not being able to stay off each other made a smidge more sense even if no feelings of sexual desire arose for me even then. They clearly most likely never would. However, I wouldn't have minded staying in that moment there with Arbor forever. That I enjoyed.

If only. Not matter how much it felt like Arbor and I were the only two in the world, the high elation wore off in an instant as footsteps approached. Other people were indeed free to be in the walkway, and who happened to approach morphed everything pleasant into something despicable.

     "Well, isn't this something out of a crappy daytime movie?" our classmate, I couldn't recall his name, mocked, "The squeaky-clean student council president of the most famous family in town falling for the troublesome bad boy that no one else can stand. Tell me Dia, does he have a heart of pure gold?"
     "Oh, shut up," I frowned, folding my arms and really wishing I knew who this idiot was so I could call him out properly, "Your jokes are only funny in your head. Leave us be."
     "This is too good though. People aren't going to believe that our president has willingly fallen so low," the dumbass continued before cocking his head in thought, "Although, if you need to be rescued, blink twice. I wouldn't put it past a guy of his type to use force to get what he wants."
     "Seriously, shut the hell up." I growled as Arbor's face tightened up with immense anger the instant the barb came.
     "Fine, fine. As the president commands. Just be sure not to get alone with him in any empty stairwells or quiet alleys. You never know what'll happen."

Thankfully for the idiot's sake, he walked off. While my self-control most likely would have prevented me from hitting him, that's not to say the strong, incredibly convincing temptation hadn't been there. Why did people have to be so terrible? There had been incidents of bullying in years past, but it felt like this year my classmates were going out of their way to turn into selfish, shallow pieces of shit. They were either spewing horrible nonsense or standing by letting others be awful, which was just as bad.

     "We're slowly creeping up to being halfway done with our senior year, and it looks like some people have a lot of growing up to do still," I sighed with a sad smile, "Hopefully it doesn't take them much longer."
     "I knew this was wrong." Arbor grumbled.

Blinking slowly, I stared at him. Anger etched deep lines on his face. His stare bored into the ground venomously, and the dread entering my chest demolished the elated pleasantness that had been there only a brief moment ago.

     "What's wrong?" I reluctantly questioned back.
     "What we just did," Arbor snapped with a scoff, "What we did on Saturday. I don't know what I was thinking. I never wanted that, and to get fooled into thinking I did...I'm a fucking idiot."
     "Now hold on a minute," I countered with as much of a smile as I could muster, "I know what he said was horrible and upsetting, but it doesn't mean anything. Nothing we've done is wrong, and you're certainly no idiot."

Sadly, the ice in Arbor's glare only intensified. An irate and unreasonable temper lurked within him, and he chose to let it out in the wrong way once more.

     "Yes, I am!" he challenged back loudly and with a snarl, "Nothing good was ever going to come out of this! Do you know what that ass is going to do now? I bet you even right this second he's spreading more rumors that're going to fuck me over!"
     "I wish I could deny that, but he probably is. We'll keep fighting against them though as we have been- you and me both together. They'll go away in time, and-"
     "Shut up! Don't act as if you know anything about what this is like! The rumors will go away? How many months has it been since I've moved here? How many days have I had to walk into this damn building and hear more slurs and whispers thrown in my direction? The rumors don't go away! They get worse! Now I'm going to made out to be some sort of abuser or rapist!"
     "I know, but-"
     "No, you don't! Don't you dare act as if you understand! Perfect-Little-Miss-President Dianthus of famous Vivid renown won't get a scratch from any of this! Everyone will lavish you with attention and treat you as this precious doll to be protected!"
     "There's no need to say stuff like that. I'm on your side."
     "You think you are, but you don't actually give a crap about me! I'm just a project you decided to pick up to make you feel better about yourself! You get to be all high and mighty because you can stomach the insufferable Arbor when no one else will! You come out here acting like you know what I want or what I feel! Guess what? There is no potential! I don't want to be with anyone, and even if I did I certainly wouldn't pick you!"

My voice wouldn't work. I couldn't say anything, and I couldn't do anything. My eyes stared wide at Arbor as he bore into me his rage and frustration of stress as if I laid such a burden on his shoulders. Glaring as if I was a piece of trash, he huffed loudly before stomping away. The air in the walkway settled painfully still after he slammed the door shut. There I remained alone until the warning bell rang and my feet slowly shuffled my dazed body to my classroom.

I might have gotten some strange looks in the hallway. I don't know. I wasn't paying attention to anything. Every muscle felt numb, and every corner I turned jolted me as much as I could be jolted in my current state as I had no memory of how I'd walked so far without running into someone. Auto-pilot got me to my locker, it took the appropriate books out, and it got me in my seat just in time. Somehow, it even managed a smile when Timber made a joke when I arrived. I think it was something about me being tardy even though I was on time. He, of course, knew me well enough to know there was something wrong, but the bell rang, the teacher walked into the room, and I pulled out my notebook as she started the lesson. However, there was no hope. Functioning like that wouldn't work for long. Halfway through the instruction it dawned on me that my second class with Arbor would be the very next period. He sat so close to me then too. I would have to stare at the back of his head for a whole hour.

I couldn't take it.

     "Mrs. Lavish?"
     "Yes, Timber?" our teacher stopped her explanation as he raised his hand in the air.
     "Dia isn't feeling very well. Is it okay if I take her to the nurse?"

My head had hung lower and lower. My muscles had begun to quiver, and my eyes absolutely burned with the threat of oncoming tears. Timber, my miracle, caught all of that, and he wasted no time in helping me out.

     "Of course. Go right on ahead." Mrs. Lavish allowed after taking a close look to see there was definitely something off.
     "Thank you." Timber replied, gathering both our things.

Tears lightly fell by the time we reached the nurse's office. She gave me an examination, but it was obvious I was upset instead of sick. Still, she took pity on me. I was given a spot on one of the beds, was told I could stay there for a while to see if I felt better, and Timber sat by my side as she momentarily excused herself from the room to take care of some other matter.

     "What's up?" Timber asked gently, reaching out and rubbing my back.
     "I was really, really stupid." I squeaked out as the tears burst forward much more heavily.
     "Yeah?"
     "I thought that...I thought that...Arbor..."
     "This has something to do with him, does it?" Timber sighed, instantly annoyed and protective.
     "When we were out on Saturday, he got mistaken. He believed I asked him out because I liked him, so he kissed me. I told him I didn't, but that maybe we could try because I was curious. I didn't mind the kiss. He avoided me until I managed to talk to him after lunch. Everything was going fine, and we kissed again. I actually really liked it. Then some idiot in our grade saw us and started making awful jokes. Arbor got incredibly upset. After the guy walked off, he started yelling. He said horrible things about me as if the guy being rude was my fault." I spilled out the mild secret in a quivering, quiet mumble.
     "I'm sorry. That's such an awful thing for him to do."
     "You know, most of what he said hardly bothers me. But...but I can't stop thinking about how he said he was an idiot for thinking we might be able to be something. That us kissing was wrong. How he never wanted to be with anyone, and how he wouldn't ever pick me," I sniffled miserably, "It hurts so bad, and I don't know why."
     "Dianthus," Timber smiled ever so slightly with a friendly and soft reproach, patting my arm, "If him saying that is what makes it hurt this bad, the truth is obvious. You clearly like him more than you thought even though you didn't think you liked him like that at all."
     "Maybe you were right then about me having a type. I dunno. It doesn't matter anymore, I guess." I frowned until my jaw hurt.

By the time the nurse returned, tears still flowed freely down my cheeks. She decided it was alright for me to go home if I truly needed to do so. I hesitated. Despite my miserable state, going home hadn't been on my mind. I'd never missed a day of school besides for medical reasons, and me being heartbroken didn't sound like a good enough excuse until Timber quietly reminded me after the nurse went to her office to give me a moment to choose that my mental health was as important as my physical health. I might not have been sick, but I was hurting. Stressing and forcing myself wouldn't do me any good when I already lived a stressful life due to the massive amounts of work and responsibilities I took on. With that convincing, I called the house and got grandpa to agree to pick me up. Timber promised to make sure all my homework came home with Gilly, and I hugged him as long as I possibly could before the nurse strongly suggested he get back to class. Grandpa arrived ten minutes later where he smartly let me just cry quietly in the car and didn't address the matter until we arrived home.

     "Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital or at least take some medicine?" he prodded tenderly, having no qualms about letting me wet his shoulder.
     "No, I'm not sick. I promise," I sniffled, grateful my eyes were at least running out of water to spew, "It's just stupid Arbor. Grandpa...we actually kissed that night we were out. It made things awkward, but I talked to him about it today after. We kissed again and someone saw us. He acted like a jerk, and Arbor got upset. He got so angry he took it out on me too. Stuff like I was only hanging out with him because it made me feel better about myself, and that he was stupid to think he could like me because he would never pick someone like me. And the thing is...I think I might have liked him. I didn't know it until he said that, but it just hurts so bad."
     "I'm sorry, baby. Someone said something like that to me once too. I know it hurts like hell. I'm so, so sorry." grandpa comforted, pulling me tighter and rubbing circles around and around on my back.

I simply cried some more. Gripping grandpa's sweater tighter, my eyes couldn't help but to be drawn to the snow globe on the night stand. My mind took me back to that day where I stood defiant against everyone who called Arbor a thief. I'd helped him because I believed in him.

I had believed in him.