Shattered Appearances ✓

f o u r: Panic Attack

Credit to queen-ema for this beautiful blend. It actually fits the theme of the chapter. Before I begin babbling on, here is the newest chapter of Faking Happiness.

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The next few periods were fairly peaceful. I didn't see Stephanie around anywhere, and Lucy stopped taking me to my next classes. It was a bit difficult to get around, but I actually thought I could get through this day without something bad happening.

I was wrong.

Usually when someone puts their headphones on, it means they don't want to be bothered. Especially if you're sitting alone at a table. I didn't mind really, I didn't like to many people to be around me, except for my close friends. Stephanie as a couple of tables over, talking to her bitchy friends that she's known since pre-k. I met them once and knew to stay away when they insulted my choice in clothes.

In the span of a few seconds after I sat down, Lucy rushed to my table and sat down with me. I gave her another look but she seemed to ignore it.

"What do you want?"

"I want to apologize."

"Didn't you do that a couple of hours ago?"

"A real apology this time."

She turned and proceeded to take something out of her bag. I was annoyed yet a little curious on what she wanted to show me. Finally, she took out a shoebox. My eyes widened slightly when I saw it. It wasn't just any shoebox. On the top, in black sharpie marker, it read, Our Adventure.

Lucy, Bryson and I originally buried it over five years ago because we wanted to see how our life had changed in twenty years. I completely forgot about the box, but clearly Lucy still remembered.

"We have been friends for almost a decade. Since the summer before second grade started. So much has happened between them, some good, a lot of them bad. I know it seemed like a big betrayal when we cut off all communication with you, but we couldn't stop it."

"You couldn't or just didn't want too?"

"A little bit of both." She said sheepishly.

"I was so vain when I was fifteen. I only cared about appearances and how I looked in front of an audience. When I saw what happened to you, I didn't know how it would affect me. I was really selfish. I can't speak for Bryson but I really am sorry."

I knew she was sincere because it was really hard for her to speak about her faults. She grew up, knowing that she had to be perfect, and one little imperfection could cost her everything. Her parents never liked me, maybe because I was poorer than her, but also because of the way I acted. I wasn't a goody-two-shoes and I'll never be one. In a sense, she was risking it all by talking to me.

"What about now?"

"I changed. Over these past few months, I learned how my attitude really affects people. Ever since Bryson left-"

"Bryson left?" I could never imagine that the last person of the Big Three would leave as well. Lucy and Bryce were even greater friends than I am to them. Then again, everyone has to move on.

"He had a chance to study in France for a couple of semesters. He left in January of this year. He'll be back in a couple of months. He originally asked me if it was the right decision to leave and I said yes. I could never let my friend miss such an amazing opportunity, for my own benefit."

If we were fifteen and Lucy was in this position right now, she would say no in a heartbeat. She was always afraid of being alone. Her parents were always on business trips and she didn't get along with her brother. She knew that once Bryson left, she would be alone.