Hallie POV
"HIM?
"NO"
"THAT WASN'T POSSIBLE"
Tall, Brown-haired, Familiar, Too familiar.
Hallie stared at the closed door.
Confused.
"HALLIE?"
Ryan's voice snapped her back to reality.
"HUH?"
"YOU OKAY?"
"YEAH".
A lie.
A terrible lie.
The kind everyone could see through.
Apparently.
Eva frowned.
"YOU ARE BEING WEIRD".
"WHAT?"
Hallie asked.
"WEIRD"
Eva repeated.
"VERY WEIRD"
Sam nodded.
For once.
Ryan glanced at Hallie.
"HE IS RIGHT"
"SHE IS RIGHT". Sam corrected.
"I SAID IT FIRST".
"NO ONE CARES".
Eva deadpanned.
Sam looked offended.
Deeply offended.
Hallie rolled her eyes.
"I'M FINE".
Music echoed through the hall.
Students laughed.
Talked.
Danced.
The welcome party was in full swing.
Yet Hallie couldn't focus.
Not even a little.
Her gaze drifted toward the principal's office.
Again.
Closed.
Still.
A memory flickered.
Brief.
Faint.
Almost forgotten.
*FLASHBACK*
"HEY" Hallie frowned.
"GIMME MY CRAYON BACK"
The boy held the blue crayon above his head.
"WAIT, I'M NOT GONNA STEAL IT".
"YOU ALWAYS SAY THAT".
"BECAUSE I NEVER STEAL".
"LIAR".
"IM OFFENDED".
Hallie snatched the crayon back.
"MINE".
"SHARING IS CARING".
"NO".
"MEAN" "Mean."
"ANNOYING".
The boy gasped dramatically.
"YOU HURT MY FEELINGS"."You hurt my feelings."
"I DONT CARE". "I don't care."
A grin appeared on his face.
"YOU WILL WHEN I DON'T SAVE YOUR SEAT TOMORROW".
Hallie's eyes widened.
"YOU WOULDN'T".
The memory shattered.
*FLASHBACK END*
Gone.
Just like that.
Hallie blinked.
The party rushed back into focus.
Ryan noticed.
Of course he did.
Ryan noticed everything.
Especially when it came to Hallie.
"YOU SURE YOU ARE OKAY?"
"YEP"
"THAT'S SUPICIOUS".
Hallie frowned.
"BEING OKAY IS SUSPICIOUS?"
"WHEN IT'S YOU". Sam nodded.
"I AGREE"
"TRAITOR"
Hallie pointed at him.
"I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS".
"WE ARE".
Sam replied.
"WHICH IS EXACTLY WHY I KNOW SOMETHING'S WRONG".
Before Hallie could answer, Eva gasped.
"OH MY GOD".
Everyone looked at her.
"WHAT?".
Ryan asked.
Eva pointed at Hallie.
"SHE HAS A CRUSH".
"WHAT!?!" Ryan said as if he was her boyfriend.
Hallie's eyes widened
Sam looked horrified. "WITHOUT TELLING US?"
"THERE IS NO CRUSH".
Hallie exclaimed.
Eva narrowed her eyes.
"THEN EXPLAIN THE WIERDNESS".
"I DONT HAVE ANYTHING TO EXPLAIN".
"SUSPICIOUS".
Sam muttered.
"VERY SUAPICIOUS".
Ryan added.
Hallie groaned.
"I HATE Y'ALL".
"AWWW".
Eva smiled.
"WE LOVE YOU TOO".
A few moments passed. Then
"I'M BORED". Sam announced.
Eva stared.
" YOU HAVE BEEN HERE FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES".
"EXACTLY".
Sam crossed his arms.
"THATS FIFTEEN MINUTES TOO MANY".
Ryan sighed.
"YOU COMPLAIN MORE THAN MY LITTLE COUSIN".
" I TAKE AS A COMPLIMENT".
"YOU SHOULDN'T"
Ryan replied.
Sam ignored him.
As usual.
Then Ryan looked at the others.
"THE SPOT?".
Eva smiled.
"FINALLY".
Sam jumped to his feet.
"YES".
Hallie couldn't stop the small smile that appeared.
The spot.
Their spot.
Without another word, the four slipped out of the crowded hall.
The music grew quieter.
The laughter faded.
Soon they reached the rooftop.
A cool breeze greeted them.
Home.
At least, that's what it felt like.
Sam immediately sprawled across a bench.
Eva sat on the ledge.
Ryan leaned against the railing.
Hallie settled into her usual spot.
For a few moments, nobody spoke.
Just silence.
Comfortable silence.
The kind only old friends could share.
Then Sam broke it.
As always.
"DO YOU THINK WE WILL STILL BE FRIENDS AFTER GRADUATION?".
Eva blinked.
"THAT WAS RANDOM".
Hallie came back from her thoughts for just a minute and said " "CONDOM?".
"WHAT!?". Sam said
Complete silence
Ryan trying not to laugh yet still laughed....
Eva in a complete shock....
Sam laughed and said " I'M GONNA BRING IT UP FOR NEXT TEN YEARS HEHEHE"
"UHHH HEH I MEANT CONDO" Hallie said
"THAT'S A COMPLETE SIFFERENT WORD THOUGH". Sam said
Meanwhile ryan miserably laughing
(Btw something happened in between but ill tell y'all in next ch huhu)
They started to talk on what they were talking about
Ryan replied.
Sam sat up.
"I'M SERIOUS".
"OF COURSE WE WILL".
"WHAT IF HALLI BECOMES PRESIDENT?"
Ryan laughed.
"GOD HELP THE COUNTRY".
"EXCUSE ME".
Hallie stared at him.
Ryan grinned.
"YOU HEARD ME".
Hallie threw a bottle cap at him.
Ryan caught it.
Unfortunately.
Sam sighed dramatically.
"LOOK AT THEM".
"WHAT?".
Hallie and Ryan asked at the same time.
Sam pointed.
"THAT".
Eva groaned.
"OH NOO".
"WHAT NOW?".
Ryan asked.
"YOU TWO ARE BECOMING THE SAME PERSON".
Silence.
Then—
"NOO".
Hallie said.
"NO"!
Ryan agreed.
"SEE". Sam pointed again.
"EXACTLY MY POINT".
Laughter echoed across the rooftop.
For the first time all evening—
Hallie smiled.
A real smile.
Yet even then...
A small part of her mind wandered.
Back to the hallway. Back to the principal's office. Back to the boy.
Familiar.
Important.
Forgotten.
Or maybe...
Not forgotten at all.