𝐷𝐴𝑌𝐿𝐼𝐺𝐻𝑇 - 𝑇𝐻𝐼𝑅𝑇𝐸𝐸𝑁 𝑅𝐸𝐴𝑆𝑂𝑁𝑆 𝑊𝐻𝑌

17. ɪ'ʟʟ ᴡᴀɪᴛ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ

Approaching the entrance of the school, Mani threw her cigarette to the ground before walking in. She breathed out and started walking towards her locker but stopped abruptly when she saw Courtney talking to a woman next to Hannah's memorial.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she realized that it was the Baker's girl mother, Olivia. Wave of guilt washed over her as she took in the woman's appearance - eyes red from crying, dark circles beneath them. She wanted to turn around and hide, but she couldn't. With wide eyes, she made eye contact with Courtney who opened her mouth in surprise, causing Olivia to turn around and face Mani. The woman gave her a small smile and took a few steps forward.

„Hi. You're Mani, right? Hannah told me so much about you." Olivia smiled warmly and Mani tried to smile back, but she couldn't. She could feel dryness in her mouth and her palms felt sweaty.

„I..." her voice cracked as she gripped her backpack's straps. „I'm so sorry for your loss." she managed to say before turning around and speeding to the nearest bathroom. She ignored Courtney's calls after her as she shut the door and leaned against one of the sinks. She tried to calm her breathing down, but the air seemed to get thicker and the walls seemed to be closing down on her.

A quiet whimper left her mouth as she looked up at her reflection in the mirror, jumping back in fear. There, stood behind her, was Jeff. But it wasn't her Jeff, it was the image of him from the night of the accident - his face and hair covered in blood, eyes white and lifeless. She covered her mouth with her hand as she stared at him through the mirror, shaking her head. She turned around and saw nothing - the bathroom was empty.

„What the fuck..." Mani whispered, her whole body shaking as she wrapped her arms around herself and slowly slid down the wall. She rubbed her finger on her forearm subconsciously, the stinging pain doing a shitty job in distracting her. Only when a hand placed itself on her shoulder did she snap out of it.

„Mani?" soft female voice sounded through the bathroom and the latina rose her head, coming face to face with Sheri. She flinched back from her touch, making the black skinned girl rise her hands quickly. „It's just me."

„Leave." Mani whispered, looking anywhere but at her former best friend. Sheri looked at the floor, sorrow in her eyes before sitting down. Mani frowned. „Leave me alone, Sheri. Please." she snapped.

„Mani, I want to help..." Sheri pleaded but the smaller girl shook her head, shuffling away.

„Sheri." soft voice came from behind them and Zoya came into view, making Mani breathe out in relief. The redhead shook her head at the Holland girl, making her sigh and stand up before leaving. „Hey, can I join you?" she asked softly and Mani nodded.

Zoya smiled sadly and sat next to Mani, their knees touching. The latina put her head on Zoya's shoulder hesitantly, melting into her touch once she wrapped her arms around her. She sobbed quietly as Zoya held her close, letting her cry.

„I'm so sorry." Mani whimpered, making Zoya pull away slightly and look at her with a frown.

„What are you sorry for?" she asked quietly, softly turning Mani's head in her direction. They leaned their foreheads against each other and their fingers lacing together.

„That I've been distant. From you." Zoya shook her head and put her hands on Mani's cheeks, wiping the girl's tears with her thumbs.

„Mani, it's okay. You need time, and I understand." she whispered and kissed her forehead, Mani gripping her arms as she calmed her breathing. „I'll wait for you."

Mani sat on the hood of Monty's Jeep, the boy sitting behind her as she rested her back against his chest. Justin sat next to her, Alex and Zach stayed standing.