Bruised

26.

Graduation approached quickly and before Natalie knew it, all of her work had been submitted and her locker had been cleared out.

"I can't believe we'll be officially graduated on Monday," Natalie said, her fingers intertwined with Leon's.

It had quickly become routine—walking Natalie home after school. Every now and then, they'd stop by Sierra Grammar and hang around the nurse's office, but more often than not, Leon had a fight scheduled and he'd walk her home before heading for the Golden Ring.

"I know," Leon said. "It's weird, isn't it?"

Natalie nodded. Weird was one way of putting it. She still felt like a scared twelve-year-old somewhere deep inside. How was she supposed to graduate? Become an adult all of a sudden?

"Leon," Natalie started carefully, "can we go to Sierra Grammar today? One last time?"

Leon smiled at her. "I was thinking the same thing."

His pace picked up speed as they turned left and took their usual back streets towards the school. There was something bittersweet about the walk. Knowing it was probably going to be their last time. Knowing that they'd never be Natalie and Leon again—not in the way they were now.

She watched him as they walked, trying to memorise the details—the way his school shirt fell over his shoulders, the way his pant leg brushed his ankles, the way he gripped her fingers, pulling her along.

She loved the way his dark hair turned a chestnut brown in the afternoon sun. The way his skin glowed tan. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair, over his skin.

They made it through the school gates and, instead of heading towards the building where the nurse's office was, he turned towards the main building.

"Where are you going?" Natalie asked, frowning.

He glanced over his shoulder, sending her a sly grin. "I think I owe you a tour."

He led her up a deserted staircase and Natalie was hit with the realisation of just how fancy Sierra Grammar really was. She thought Helena's was a fancy school, but this was a whole other level.

The whole school was made of ancient brick and stone. Towering statues were scattered throughout the campus, between archaic trees and grass fields. Just how many grass fields did one school need?

"That's my homeroom," Leon said as they passed one of the classrooms. "And this is my locker."

Natalie giggled. He was like an eager kid during show-and-tell, but she was just as eager. She rested a hand against the locker door, imagining Leon here every morning, getting his books for the day.

She pulled the door open, instantly laughing when she saw a photo of the two of them stuck to the inside of the locker.

"That's embarrassing," Leon said, though his expression seemed more like a smirk than embarrassment. "How did that get in there?"

"You are such a dork."

"I am," he replied, taking her hand. "Next stop."

He led her up another winding staircase. The stone walls were dotted with portraits that were probably bigger than she was. Here and there, the wall would part in an arch, revealing a statue tucked in an alcove.

Natalie's fingertips grazed one.

"Is this where you sneak around with girls during class?" she teased.

"Who am I supposed to sneak around with when you don't go here?" Leon asked.

Her eyes lingered on the statue for a moment longer. She imagined another life where she would have twisted her body behind it, hidden from prying eyes, Leon's body against hers.