24

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

Silent.

Only ghosts had been roaming Flat 10 for the past few hours while everyone was occupied elsewhere. It was daunting at how silent it was within this area. Unusual for a university flat, while the neighbours raved around every hour around the clock.

Selena and Faith sat on a high desk in the library area, no one else around them due to it being late. A tortured 11:30 pm. It was how they liked it. They didn't have to battle a rival group on who will get the best seats on the first floor of their university building or wait in a queue for the coffee machine. It was entirely at their disposal.

"Is it too late to drop out and get a job at H&M? I am seriously done with this shit." Selena drops her head to the table, straight onto her pile of opened books. Tiredness was overlooking the determination to finish before the deadline. She groaned to herself while Faith began to feel the exact same feeling, only she was better at internal struggle.

Faith turned Selena's laptop to see her word count for the 2000 word essay that was due next week. 1649 words already typed and into place. It looked like a major breakthrough compared to her merely 852 words minus her references. She cursed to herself, thinking about how she was slacking in comparison, thanks to all the coffee breaks and the inability to stay off all forms of social media to exhaust the boredom. She also knew it was partly down to her lack of concentration, partly down to her starting a whole week later than Selena and partly down to Selena's ability to type as fast as she could and barely making any mistakes. "What are you talking about, you've nearly finished this essay? You have a conclusion to write up and that's it."

"But the effort to do it." She mumbles, still on the books. "My energy has just plummeted" she picks up her metal flask and drinks from it before pulling an expression of I knew it. "and my coffee is cold." Another groan slipped out, more forced this time.

"Honestly, same." Faith says, shutting her laptop screen down, knowing it would be back up in minus 5 minutes to continue her work, but she was making a valid point. "I need at least two more coffees in me if I want to carry on tonight."

"You know what, do you want to just call it a night?" Selena suggests. "We can do more in the morning."

"I thought you'd never ask." She was rather content that she wouldn't be lifting up her laptop screen for the remainder of her night. She lifted it and placed it into her laptop sleeve for safekeeping while Selena mirrored exactly.

But it wasn't until Selena was checking her phone instantly after with a sense of urgency when her phone signalled she had a notification. Social media was too confusing of the soul. "Liv hasn't messaged me all day," Selena states, checking her phone again, at least 20 times within the hour. She couldn't stop giving in to the urge to check every app every ten minutes in hopes Liv would finally find it in herself to have the decency to respond. "Normally she's always up for a study session, you know what she's like. Do you think something came up?"

"She was probably helping Lucy with packing her shit up and just fell asleep. She moved out today."

"How'd you know?"

"Olivia texted me about it, she thought I should know. She also wanted me to say goodbye to her or some shit but she must be out of her mind if she really thinks I'll speak to Lucy after all this, or at least so soon."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it. Liv just wants to be the peacemaker of the group. She isn't a big fan of confrontation and awkward silences." A second pause. "How are you holding up anyway?" Selena doesn't want to talk much about Lucy, but she wanted to talk about Faith's feelings more than anything. She couldn't give a slight fuck about Lucy.

To her surprise, Faith lifts her shoulders and just shrugs. "I'm not too fussed about it."

"Faith, don't lie to me."

"I'm dead serious." She confirms with a stern smile. "I thought it would hurt more knowing she won't be here but I'm just grateful that it doesn't disrupt the rest of my year now, I can have a clean slate, sort of."

Selena smiles. "How do you manage this all the time? You just have this unattainable strength when it comes to shit situations. If I was you, I'd be crying on her doorstep like a loser."

"A lifetime of being fucked over really does help you out in times like this. And the daddy issues help a little."

•••


THE NEXT DAY


"Liv." Selena knocks on her door repeatedly, however, there is no response. There hasn't been all morning and now as it's coming up to 5 in the afternoon, it continued. "Liv, I know you're in. Open up."

"Everything okay?" Jason comes out of his room so suddenly that it makes Selena jump slightly. She awkwardly laughs at him, while he stares at the beautiful girl in front of him. "All I can hear is someone banging."

"That's probably the guys upstairs, they are always at it."

"I meant you, Lena."

"Oh." She nervously chuckles. "Lack of caffeine, bad nights sleep, it's been a slow morning."

"You want to tell me what's wrong?" He hovers forests comfortably, enough for Selena to feel safe enough to open up a little.

"The last thing I need is Liv to do a disappearing act. She hasn't been answering my calls, my texts and now she isn't even opening the door." She knocks again but again, nothing. Not even a sound from the other side of the door. Her words were always protected with Jason somehow, she never hesitated to be open like a book to him. It was his eyes, the consoled her in a way that was indescribable. They sold her entirely.

"How'd you know she's in? Maybe she's on campus somewhere." Jason inserts his hands into his joggers. "Isn't she in lectures, societies?"

"Her keys are on the kitchen side. She wouldn't leave the flat without them or at least she'd message one of us so we could let her in."

"You never know." Jason puts his hand on Selena's exposed shoulder. "I thought I heard someone rushing this morning, perhaps she was running late and left them on the side by accident and she hasn't even noticed yet. Lena, just relax."

"I know, you're right. She's probably still helping Lucy or something. Maybe in line for a new limited edition Chanel handbag." Selena knew worrying about Liv was always going to end in her fangirling over the latest edition in a Versace collection or a new Gucci perfume that is coated with rich and powerful. It was a waiting game, figuring out when she would indeed set her heels back into the reality of education.

"Exactly. Don't stress yourself out about it, she'll be okay." He confirms with a proud grin, knowing that even the most simple words could make her body ease up from the tension she has experienced. It was magic.

She doesn't think twice before hugging him tightly, taking in his beautiful scent of cologne and body wash. He also doesn't think twice as his actions as he held her just as tight, never wanting to let her go. He became intoxicated by the mango shampoo she was using. It became longer. And longer. Not too long that you became afraid to pull away so you seemed like an asshole, but it was soothing, comforting in more ways than one.

"Do you want to hang out? You're usually good at keeping me from overthinking everything and keeping me calm."

He gently pulls away but keeps his hands firmly onto her shoulders. "Is that the only reason to hang out?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" He grins.

"Actually, no. I miss you, a lot." Another deep sigh has insight that her mind was in fact on a comedown from exhaustion. She was dehydrated from the good in her life that Jason was the centre of it all. "Everything has been so consuming lately that I haven't been the best person to chill with or even speak to."

He chuckles, finding her remark ridiculous, though it made perfect sense. "Do you want to go bowling? I got some vouchers for a few free games if you want to go. Or we could just go out for some brunch, whatever you'd like." Jason took pride in the fact that he was putting all her desires before her own. Bowling wasn't his forte, neither was brunch. Too loud and noisy on a good day, and always overpriced. Bowling, on the other hand, flew by so fast that it seemed like a wasted opportunity for something else, but the options were laid on the table.

"I haven't been bowling for years so that's a shout. Just give me 15 minutes to make myself look a little cuter and get changed." She manages to entire strip herself form his touch and walks away from him as he remains like a statue, still.

"Sounds good, babe."

Selena approaches her bedroom and Jason descends into his two seconds after she leaves his peripheral vision, biting his lip loosely. Selena just grabs her Nirvana hoodie and ripped mom jeans from her wardrobe and lays them down on the bed.

She turns on the hot tap but before she could have a quick wash, her phone buzzes. She runs to it in a flash, praying it was Liv finally responding. To her joy, it was.

Livvv💙
hey selena, sorry i didn't get back to you but i had a late train ride back home and i just charged my phone. i decided to see my cousin up north for a while, just need to clear my head from all this drama and just get some work done. please don't be mad. i'll see you soon. x

That's all it took to allow herself to calm down and be in a state of reassurance. Her body had managed to loosen its knots from the fear of something bad happening to her. She replied with a simple blue heart and an I love you, be safe and carried on with her routine almost like there was no issue to begin with.


•••


6 DAYS LATER

There still had been no physical sign of Liv, only the occasional text message. Only the longest was in a group chat with nearly all the girls that had been really dead since the dawn of time. But the thoughts of each girl has tamed, understanding that Liv, the spoilt girl who is afraid of fall outs, was trying to find some peace in it all, finding an inner strength only time away could assist.


BITCHES GC ☮️

Livvv💙
i miss you guys
i'm having a great time though
thought i'd give you an update

lena 💗
miss you lots it's insane !!
when are you coming home?

faith❤️
come home now bitch we miss you

luce left

faith❤️
not really surprised there

lena💗
awkward....

Livvv💙
i really needed this time away
soon
but what did you both expect
with everything?

faith❤️
would've expected at least an apology.
i wasn't the one who cheated.
she blocked me on everything.
fuck her

lena💗
and me.
not that she liked my insta photos
anyway.

Livvv💙
everything will work out in the end.
they always do.
shit happens for a reason.

lena💗
just hurry up and come home
we will have food ready
a few drinks maybe
we will even let you watch
confessions of a shopaholic in hd

faith❤️
once in a lifetime offer, Liv.
take it before it's too late

Livvv💙
i love you both

faith❤️
we love you.

lena💗
xxxx

Selena exhales softly to herself, her phone falls into her chest. She watches her LED lights in her room change on a continuous loop, letting in the mood of the colours. Although she had confirmation that everything was set into its place, her heart was disagreeing with her head. It was madness, a flaw in her system. She could feel her chest cavity aching for something more than a text, but it wouldn't be delivered any time now. She has known Liv for a while now, and she had begun to grow to understand the small imperfection of her personality. But reckless behaviour, leaving without even a word was not it. Spoilt? Yes. Unpredictable? Absolutely not.

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net