Stepping through the portal with luz gripping my hand just in case she looks around the empty courtyard, smiling reassuringly I walk down to the wide double doors and open them, the hallway crowded with loud preteens and teenagers. Luz grips my hand tighter as we navigate the hallway to the common room, opening the door I immediately see raven in bird form sobbing their eyes out as amber holds them and whispers

"Hey.. ven- it's alright.. please don't cry"

Raven's pitch gets higher as they start loudly squealing like one of those chicken squeaky toys, knocking on the door gently I softly say

"Knock knock I'm back"

Amber looks at me swiftly and since luz is practically hiding behind me she asks quietly

"Where's luz..??"

Then raven starts squeaking louder until luz peeks her head out from behind my shoulder and sees raven is crying because she thinks luz has passed, panicking luz rushes up to amber asking a quick 'can I?' And once she gets the ok she picks up raven and hugs them

"Hey dude it's alright- I'm not dead."

Slowly raven goes from harpy form to human form, their arms limply clutching the sleeves of luzes sweater as they rest their head on luzes shoulder still silently crying, standing next to amber I frown- though happy- at the friend reunion

"We'll never separate those two will we?? They're damn near like twin siblings"

Shaking her head no amber frowns then sighs, looking up at me she admits quietly

"We all skipped classes the days you two went missing... raven missed you two more than naomi... as soon as you guys didn't return after your evening run slash walk raven went in bird form and they just kept on crying... you two are like the family she's never had"

Swiftly I'm being tightly hugged by a giant bulky mass I only can say is raven, getting scared at the tightening hug raven asks shallowly their voice coarse and worried

"Where...the FUCK- were you"

Letting go of me their eyes look sadly into mine, tears fill my eyes as I realize how worried they were, hugging them tightly I say loud as my breaking voice will let me

"I'm so sorry guys... I just didn't have any time to think- I-I-I-"

Pulling away I impulsively hold out my arms exactly like when I was carrying luz to the hospital, her eyes desperately looking up at me to help her. Trying to spit out words I just stand there my mouth silently saying the words in chokes, looking up I go to say 'sorry' but I look down my head shaking 'no'. I finally look up and spit out

"T-the doctor said she was dead during the surgery... but he paused before saying "for twenty minutes". It never occurred to me that the expression she was giving me as I carried her.. running to the hospital that.. she wasn't looking at me. I thought I lost my only true reason to be something... to be happy"

Spinning around feeling like I'm two seconds from fainting I cover my face, every tear from that night returning in quiet sobs as I feel my knees shake. I hear something solid.. not as in wood but like someone's arm hitting against something soft then bulky- it took me to hear luz quietly exclaim in pain that raven had hit her

"Dude don't just STAND THERE and watch her cry as you think about what happened that night... comfort her! Give her some kisses- ANYTHING! Oh luz- please don't start crying too... she needs you to be strong"

I hear raven whisper very quietly but their almost inaudible voice still pops the words out like a Jack-in-the-box, gently a soft embrace wraps around my waist luzes head resting on my shoulder as her tears dampen my shirt, turning around I hug her neck tightly my back flinching every time I let a sob fall out of my lips. Ever so gently lifting me up to spin in a wobbly circle I wrap my legs around her waist and hug her closer, my face buried so much into her neck I only see black through closed eyes.

"Am... please- it's ok sunflower... please don't cry.."

Luz whispers softly into my ear her voice heartbroken over my crying, gently making me look at her I find that luz had found some way to sit on the hardwood floor. Trying to look into her eyes all I can see is a blur of all the beautiful browns making up MY luz..   shakily resting my hands on her cheeks I rest my forehead shakily on hers my vision slowly returning, using my fingertips to find my way to the edges of her lips I press a kiss to her lips my tears falling off her cheeks, hugging her close as I part I sigh heavily into the fabric of her sweater.

"I'm so glad you're okay... I-I'm so glad.."

Her hands run through the sides of my hair as her hands go to cradle the back of my neck, the common room door opens quietly then I hear a familiar fifth hour teacher's voice loudly ask

"What is going on in here??!"

Looking up at the teacher my eyes looking sadly at him I slowly go back to hug luz ignoring his very NON-PDA offensive gasping, I suddenly hear luzes voice snap- and I mean SNAP.

"YOU GO TRY AND DIE OF A FAILING HEART! she has the RIGHT to hug me and give me any attention she wishes! Because just seventy two hours ago I. WASN'T. ALIVE."

I feel luz pull me off and hand me to amber and raven, reaching desperately out to her my tears returning luz holds up her hand giving me a 'one moment' hand motion, walking up to him I have NEVER seen luz so angry at anyone.
I see luz slightly pull down the collar of her sweater to reveal the new but slightly pink gauze

"Yeah- see that mr. Ross. I cannot be POSSIBLY lying as there's medical grade gauze taped QUITE PAINFULLY to my chest... now Get. Out."

Gently closing the door she turns around a fake smile plastered on her face as she claps- then her expression drops to a saddened one, holding open her arms raven let's me go as luz says softly

"C'mere am..."

Hugging luz tightly I feel every muscle in her body relax

"I'm sorry for yelling... I just lost my cool when he expected us to stop.. you were crying and I couldn't leave that unattended to..."

I shake my head no as I look into her eyes, she looks at me sadly. Brushing a tear from her cheek I whisper softly

"It's alright luz.. though I am going to say this right now- I do not EVER want to see you yell that loud again.. you scared the SHIIITTT out of me"

Ending the last part with laughter luzes face brightens and out comes her ever so lovable smile, guiding her to the couch I sit down and wave amber and raven over

"C'mon guys.. let's talk about the practice we ever so fashionably missed"
______

The common room door opens again and luz looks up about ready to have bitches catch some hands until she sees the secretary

"You four... headmaster Thompson is requesting you to his office immediately"

All standing up at our own paces we follow the secretary to the headmaster's office, entering the room we sit down on the set up chairs mr. Ross looking at us with his arms crossed in a corner of the room.

"I was told you had lashed out unfairly and "flashed" mr. Ross around a half hour ago... and he mentions that before he was "attacked" there was a severe case of physical display of affection.. now I'm not going to immediately send you to detention luz- amity- because to every story... there's two sides and in our case five sides"

Luz shoots a glare at mr. Ross his expression staying the same, sighing irritated luz says intertwining her fingers on her lap,

"Headmaster... I just returned from the hospital- I had just got a heart transplant and I hadn't realized that while I was being taken to the hospital to get emergency surgery, I had died. So when we returned earlier this morning amity had gotten a panic attack and explained in full that the doctor had said that I was dead for twenty minutes before they got me on the machines, I impulsively and half being forced by raven to- because amity is and has been my girlfriend for two nearly three years- had hugged her to try and get her to stop crying and had sat on the floor, she had wrapped her legs around me before I had to hug me tighter but nothing in the action was sexual. This is when mr. Ross enters and yes.. I do admit that I did speak loudly to him but let's continue. I had went up to him and showed him my gauze"

Barely lowering her sweater to show the gauze hidden under the collar of her sweater, headmaster Thompson nods not even affected by the gesture

"Exactly like so- so I suppose that is where "flashed" came in. Then I GENTLY closed the door on him.. you can go and call in my mom, twin sister Vee, Naomi Smith, AND amity's guardian to confirm situations regarding my heart including my surgery."

He nods slowly then I swear he gives a doubt filled side glance at mr. Ross, clasping his hands together he looks at amber and raven who say

"That is exactly the story sir.. I remember raven telling luz to- I apologize for my French- basically... get off her shocked ass and go hug amity and do.. basically anything a worried girlfriend SHOULD do"

" I can confirm that statement in full since I made the comment.. I'm pretty sure EVERYONE was shocked when mr. Ross practically demanded with VERRRYYY offending gasps that luz and amity separated- when luz went to go confront mr. Ross, amity wanted to pull luz back because she didn't want luz to leave her side... the entire situation beginning to currently- middle because luz is still healing sir- it really scared her.."

Staring down at my hands my knee shaking my hand as raven finishes their statement I hear him clear his throat,

"Amity..?"

He says requesting a statement aswell but all I do is say quietly

"Why do you need a sentence from me..? My story is just as same as luz, amber and raven's- I'd Probably just cry like a puss anyways..."

He sighs understanding my body language that I don't really want to speak, I hear him stand the air in the room suddenly filling with tension.

"Now mr. Ross... I expect you understand that those are some very serious accusations... just because you are a teacher at my great-great grandfather's father's school does not mean you can go and try and get students expelled. As far as I can tell three connecting stories against one DIALED UP story- every action happened is reasonable including the pda which is acceptable in all private common rooms"

Looking up I see mr. Ross exit the room fuming, the headmaster then turns to me

"Oh and amity?.. I've reviewed your complaint on- Riley "dean" Patterson, and I would like to say gladly... that she has been fired and "expelled". The Saturday you submitted your complaint of 'sexual harassment' since I was still organizing my office I called in dean and the stench of whiskey on her breath blew me away- I do not tolerate my employees intoxicated on the job nor do I tolerate UNDERAGED intoxication."

We are then sent to return to the common room but halfway there luz hugs me tightly around the waist and spins in countless circles since my eyes were closed

"oh my GOD amity! YOU ARE A DREAM!"

setting me down we run down and into the now full common room

"HEY GUYS WONDERFUL NEWS GATHER ROUND"

everyone sits on the furniture and floor as amber yells out

"DEAN'S GONE!"

then the room erupts into cheers as me and luz reach her dorm door, pressing against the door luz wraps her arms around my waist and kisses me. Opening her door slowly we slip still encapsed in the kiss into the privacy of her room, the door.. slowly locking.

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I would like to say that when I started this chapter I immediately yelled in front of my 18 year old Sister "FINALLY a part without
conflict and crying"
then started doubting myself as I typed out bird raven sobbing
like a squeaker toy.

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