"They burnt the bridge, then asked why I don't visit."

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Three months earlier...

I rolled over to the other side of the bed, taking up my covers and cocooning myself in their warmth begging for sleep to arrive to shut down my mind.

But it betrayed. Again.

I gave up on trying. Twisting, turning and rolling had kept their consistency through out the night and now, I no longer wanted to be a participant of it.

I ran hand through my hair, edging them away from my face. I blew a breath, rubbed my palms against one and other then again, pushed my hair away again that disobeyed at the very second.

What should I do? I asked myself. The room shrunk to the size where tolerance lost its level. Where breathing became shallow and obstacles hurdled the breathing.

I draped my feet down on the floor and hauled myself up. I ran my hand from the nape of my neck down to my shoulder-tracing the scar as I did so, feeling it and regretting it.

This is what kept me awake, haunting my sleeps and taunting me in my dreams.

I grabbed my hoodie hung lonesomely at the back of the chair. Inserting my both arms into the provided holes, I winded it over me and zipped it up. Locking away the warmth and so the cold.

The ground ate up my slippers which sound was gladly muffled by the carpeted floor as I opened the door and climbed down the stairs. I cranked up my neck at Ian's room who was gruesomely snoring.

I unlocked the main door and let my foot set onto the cold ground. The wind screamed at my face causing my hair to veil my lower half of face.

I disdained it as I trudge along the misty road leading me nowhere but somewhere at the same juncture. It helped me. It helped my breathing, the mazes in my mind to open up, the mysteries to-if not be solved--at least fall into the manner of being solved.

There was a park, alone and quite. It drew me to itself and the next thing I knew, that I was seated at a bench facing the half moon half hidden behind the clouds.

I should've gotten up, or run away, but I did not when someone else came up and sat beside me though keeping a considerable distance between us.

'Peaceful isn't it?' He said after a long silence.

'It's quiet and yes, it is.' I found myself answering his question. Perhaps he was also a wanderer but searching peace erstwhile.

'Ah, quietness. I was a fond of it until I found peace. It's rare.' He said. He possessed a voice the boys of my age would. The dark forbid me to see his face clearly but the moonlight helped a bit. As far as I could muster up, he had a sharp jawline and his eyes were fixed in front of him.

'It is rare cause it always lost in this blatant world. Peace and silence , both.' I murmured as I inhaled a deep breathe. The wind was not howling anymore rather it floated in the sea of the creatures. It swished and curled around my hair like it asked for my attention and nothing seemed more beautiful than that.

'If noise wouldn't be there, then no one would enjoy peace.' He stated.

I nodded. He was right. 'But sometimes this noise exceed limits.'

'Yes, but might I guess, you're talking about the noise in your mind. Yeah?' The words rolled out of his tongue so melodically-so easily. These were the words that took me two years to accept to myself.

'How did you know?' I asked him.

A speck of smile stretched across his lips. He faced me and leant in , not much though. Then I saw, the familiar face, those familiar eyes. The brown eyes that swirled around the pupil like they owned it. Those full lips that drawn into a beautiful smile.

'Because we both are on the same train, Âme.' I did not understand the word he used but I felt the same pain in his eyes that somehow transferred from me to him. I blinked and smiled.

'I don't think we're even at the same station.' I laughed and his lips stretched in the perfect smile possible. Somewhere in deep, it ignited a fire I had not intended to feel the warmth of.

He ran his hand through his hair as leant back on the bench. 'Oh I believe the opposite. Wanderers are always connected by one step.'

'Wanderers don't wander with someone.'

'They can,' he argued. 'only if they are lost because of same pain.'

'I doubt it.'

'I did too until I saw you.'

'You need to flirt at three in the morning?'

He shrugged. 'Three or four, when you see a beautiful girl, you flirt.'

'Remind me again why am I still talking to you?'

'Because you like me.' At this, my urge to roll my eyes came on display and he chuckled.

'You are giving me a serial killer vibes.' I told him as I checked my phone.

He laughed hard placing his hand on his stomach. 'Serial killers don't talk about peace and wandering.'

'Oh trust me, they do.'

'Now you seem to me a serial killer.' He stated. 'Are you going to follow me home or kill me here?'

'Probably kill you here and dump your body somewhere.' I couldn't believe myself I was talking to a stranger about murdering him at three in the morning.

'Or you can kill me at my home, warm and cozy.'

'You're giving me creeps now.' I shivered.

'Should I give you my number instead?' I narrowed my eyes and he laughed again.

'Smooth.'

'Was it really?'

'Nope.' I stood up and his eyes followed my every move. 'If you'll kill me now, I'll haunt you your entire life!' I yelled to him as I walked out of the garden.

'I'll won't mind!' He shouted. Panic gripped it's fingers on my neck. I shoud not have talked to him. What if he's following me? I looked over my shoulder but he wasn't there.

When I reached back home, strangely the sleep came quickly.

***

'Did you go somewhere at night?' Ian asked me as he drove me school the other morning.

'Yes, I couldn't sleep.' I told him.

'You could've woken me up, Jane.' He argued as he stopped at the signal and looked at me.

'You were sleeping so soundly. I didn't want to disturb your sleep.' Why would I ? Who else could know what it's like not being able to sleep?

'I'm your brother. If you needed me, you could've asked,' I felt warmth spread inside my body. A perfect doze I could have for breakfast. 'Next time, if it happens, you're gonna wake me up. Okay?'

I nodded childly. He did not know perhaps, that I , enjoyed last night the most.

The car skidded to a halt in front of the school where Ian waved me goodbye as I got out. I waved back and walked to Mia who was busy blabbering to Anastasia and Shania. She hugged as she saw me. 'Oh God!' She squealed and I tried to remover if I forgot her birthday.

'What happened?' I chuckled as she pulled back.

She chose to not reply rather pointed at a figure entering the school building. His back was turned to me but his leather jacket and faded jeans sent me a bad boy vibe. 'He's back!' Mia practically jumped up and down. 'Oh Jane, he's back.'

'Who?' I posed the question. I did not remember anyone coming back or even going. I would mostly part myself away from such things but Mia, on the other hand was like a journalist of this school.

'Ryan O'Neil!' She held my hand and jumped up and down as she informed me of such personality.

'Er ... who is he?' I directed my question to Anastasia as well as to Shania who were as perplexed as I appeared.

'My biggest crush, don't you remember?' My mind relapsed and faded parts of the old memory started connecting together. She had so many crushes that distinguishing among them was a lot of work but yeah, she had an insane one. I did not remember his name but I did remember that I spent whole night in Mia's house, wiping off her tears and telling her that he'll come back as he immediately left the school and , rumours had them, he went to another country.

'It's his first day, I'm totally gonna date him this time.' She was determined.

'What if he already has a girlfriend?' Anastasia pointed out causing Mia to have all the colours drained out of her face.

'No way.' Mia paused to add the melodramatic affect. 'Oh no no no no,' She began chewing her nails that I slapped her hand to forbid her. 'Someone has to ask him then.'

Anastasia, Shania and me looked at each other with wide eyes silently pointing at each other to fulfil the task that would probably be assigned be Mia soon. 'Shania, would you?'

Shania instantly raised up her hands in surrender. 'I gotta go revise my test.' She dashed away leaving Anastasia to urgently come up with another excuse as Mia asked her.

'Can you please?'

'Why don't you go?' Anastasia questioned.

'I-I can't.' Mia was already blushing.

Anastasia rolled her eyes. 'Girl, its twenty first century. Ain't no one's gonna write a whole damn speech just to ask someone's name.' And with this, she too, sprinted away.

'Jana? Please?' Mia showed me the puppy eyes. I shook my head before submitting myself to the assignment.

Mia followed me until I reached the end of the hallway where Ryan stood with a group of boys around him. His back was still turned to me so I had no idea how he looked like. I looked around but before I could go any further, Abigail, the queen (bitch) of the school swayed her hips towards me. 'Already thinking to take him Janelle?' She hissed.

'Cause you haven't till now.' I retorted.

She rolled her eyes. 'You'd fail at the very attempt Jane. I can assure you of that,' She said confidently.

I smirked. 'Telling me your experience?'

Her face fell as she scorned. 'I would have better one than him besides, he seem to have so many girlfriends.'

'Liam had too many, Zachary was famous for sleeping with every other one, Steven was basically the most famous playboy and yeah, who can forget, Logan, I bet whole school must be to his bed but you dated them all anyway.' I said in a dangerously calm voice. 'I have pictures.'

She gnashed her teeth. 'Don't you dare say anything about Logan. You know he'll smash your little scrapes of reputation that is left.' Just as the words left her mouth, I bit my bottom lip. 'Why? Are you worried? Worried that he'll tell the whole world what you just did to him you bitch.'

'I did nothing to him.' I growled but she only smirked and stepped towards me and so did her minions. I wanted to slap the heck out of her but I stood where I was. I won't backup but I won't attack either.

'Your little imagination always puts me on edge.' She looked at me from up and down and was was to say something but someone else spoke.

'May I talk to her please?' Hearing a boy's voice, my eyes snapped up to a face I just etched into my mind. He was the boy from the night.

'Why her?' She hissed.

He shrugged casually. 'Cause I want to.'

'Why?' She pressed against and the boy took a dangerous step forward that she almost tripped on her heels.

'Cause I want to.' He said so calmly that it actually came out as threatening. 'Now if you back off.'

Abigail gripped my arm and dug her nails into but I kept myself steady. 'See you soon.' Before she walked away. My hand shot up to my arm where she just hurt.

'You didn't need to do that.' I told the boy but he shrugged again. 'I was fine.'

'I never said you weren't. I really want to talk to you.' Before I could reply, the bell rang and I rushed to my first class. English.

I sat down on my seat in the middle of the class. Abigail entered and snarled at me. There was no other seat so she was to sit with me before someone yelled and I almost yelped.

'What?' Abigail yelled at the person who startled her.

'Nothing. I just wanted to sit here.' He was the same boy. He rounded Abigail and sat on the seat with me. 'Hello there.' He greeted with a smile so bright as if he knew me for decades.

'Hi.' I replied and tried to concentrate on my book I had yet to take out. Abigail rolled her eyes and found herself another seat that was the corner one.

I tapped my pen as the professor came in and began his lecture. Gladly, throughout the lecture, the boy remained silent but I snuck enough glances of his profile and his dimples that would pop out whenever he'd play with his inner cheek , his piercing on his ear and his chain whose locket was hidden under the shirt.

The lecture was over. I needed to get out but the boy had blocked my way as he was packing his bag at a rate too slow. 'Hey, I need to-'

Even the teacher left and that's when he turned around and smiled at me. I cocked my eyebrow. 'What?'

'Does she bother you a lot?'

'That's none of your business.'

'Well yeah, but I was just asking.' He zipped his bag. 'You should report her or something.'

I rolled my eyes. 'You don't know this school and you don't have to worry about me. I can handle things on my own.'

'But I can help you.'

'You don't need to. Look, thanks for what you did in the morning but I don't really need your help. I'm not that nerd who gets bullied every other hour and finally gets saved by a boy. You can't be my hero and I'll suggest you to don't try either.'

'What's wrong with you?' He furrowed as he wore his bag strap. 'I just wanted to help you. If you don't need help then fine, go to hell. I just saw you at night and thought we could be friends.'

'I don't need to go. I already am in hell and mister I can not be friends with a boy like you.' I argued. I didn't even know why I was being so rude to him. Apparently, he seemed a good guy.

'Boy like me? Excuse me but you are more judgemental that a jury. I don't give a fuck about you anyway. I really thought you were nice person when I met you. Guess people are not always how we assume they are.'

'What does it even mean?' I posed the question.

He leant in and spoke slowly. 'You being a bitch even when I'm being nice to you.'

I leant in too that our faces were just inches apart. 'And you being a asshole even when I've told you to leave me the fuck alone.'

He scoffed and bit his inner cheek as his eyes just landed on my bruise caused by Abigail. 'Like I care.' He gave me a cold look and walked out of the class.

'So don't I!' I yelled behind him.

He gave me a middle finger over his shoulder without turning around.

'Asshole!' I stomped my feet on the ground as I made my way out.

'Hey!' Mia called me from behind. 'So?'

'So what?'

'Does he have a girlfriend?'

'Who?' I almost forget who she was asking about.

'Ryan O'Neil! Does he have a girlfriend?' She almost jumped in frustration.

'I don't know. I haven't seen him yet.'

'But you were talking to him now.' Mia pointed out and I could feel all the colours of my face draining away.

'He was Ryan O'Neil?' No way.

'Yes. That boy was Ryan O'Neil. You were talking to him right?'

'Yes ... I was ... ' I scrunched my face. Did I just kill my best friend's chance of getting her to his crush? 'I was talking to him actually.'

'So? What did he say?' Her eyes lit up so lively that I didn't want to crush the happiness.

'He said he's single and he's looking for a date.' I lied and Mia jumped up and down as she hugged me.

Only if she knew.

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Love, huz