*Hey, guys. Sorry it's been a while. My panic attacks have been kinda relentless lately, so I've been extremely tired and without any ideas.
You may be confused by what is happening next, as there is a timeskip of a few months. But, things will be explained as they go along. I hope this doesn't bother you. Just something different I thought I'd try. Thank you all for reading and being patient. Again, I don't know if I said this before, but I like to give themes to people, and I think the only one I've not given a theme to is Kellam, which would be "Luna" from Final Fantasy 15. Henry's would more than likely have to be Gentle Hands, from Naruto.*
He stood by the trees where they had first taken their walk. He smiled as he recalled them racing, her showing him that she was a terrible runner. She had wanted to meet him here, the budding spring flowers on the trees and the leaves sprouting all around making him excited to see her there. He was certain that she would want to spend time at the tree they sat at. He looked there to see little, white flowers, all around the area that made it look like snow. There were fallen petals from the trees that covered the ground, and when the wind would blow, they would be lifted up and blown slightly. It was a beautiful day, which to him went without saying.
He glanced down at his watch, realizing she was late. He turned around and glanced around as people drove by, thinking maybe she had gone somewhere or and was perhaps caught in traffic.
"So... here you are."
Hearing her voice, he turned back around to see her there, her hair up in a ponytail, tied by one of the silken ribbons he had gotten her for Christmas. This one was white with blue wings, matching her outfit, of course. He smiled at her, but he could tell something was off.
"Cordelia," he called softly. "I was wondering when you would get here. It's beautiful today."
She smiled back and nodded. "Remember our race here? It was just starting to turn fall. The leaves had yet to fall."
Kellam laughed. "I was actually just thinking about that, you know? It was one of our first bonding moments, I believe." He motioned to the tree they sat at last fall. "Would you like to sit down?" Nothing. She simply stared at him, her eyes the same as always. "Take a walk?" Still nothing. "What did you want to do, then?"
She put her hands behind her back and walked forward two steps. "The stars at night shine and tell me... that we each have our own paths to follow."
This confused him. Where did that come from? "Well, of course. I changed my mind, right? And starting next fall, I begin that path."
Cordelia smiled at him again. "You will do great things, Kellam. That I am certain of."
Kellam's heart warmed at this. "And with you by my side, I know I can achieve anything."
At last, her eyes left his. "My path is different."
Ice. What was she talking about? For a moment, he just looked at her. Then, "Why should that matter?" He looked at the trees, their special place. "You'll be here with me... right?"
Her eyes met his, and she gave a saddened smile. The wind suddenly picked up strongly, blowing petals all around, constructing their views. When there was a break in the petals, Cordelia's hair was down, and she held the ribbon in her hand loosely, the wind making it whip around. Her blue dress that stopped at her knees was whipping with the wind as well as her hair, and for a moment, Kellam had to shield his eyes from petals. He lowered his hand, his gaze on her.
"Would if I could..." Her voice was forlorn, and it made Kellam's breath still. "However, this will... have to do."
Kellam tried to take a step forward, but it was as though his legs were stuck in place. "What do you mean?" He heard his voice quake. He knew, and he was giving it everything in him to not break. For a brief second, he pursed his lips together. "All I ever wanted was to be with you."
Cordelia glanced down at the ribbon in her hands and brought it up to her chest, bringing her other hand up to hold onto it dearly. She treasured it so, but... "When you are in danger, darkness overwhelming... When your fears have outgrown your happiness, and your heart knows little more than the troubles that chain you... Remember that I am with you, always." She held the ribbon out, opening her hands. "Goodbye, my love."
The ribbon was blown outward, and Kellam caught it along with some petals, but he was already running toward Cordelia... or so he thought. His legs wouldn't move. His mind, his body, was screaming at him to move or do something, but he just held a hand out, tears brimming his eyes.
"Cordelia!" he managed to cry out.
The wind died down, as did the petals.
And she was gone.
XXXXXX
Stahl and Robin, Henry and Olivia were sitting at the fountain together, all with saddened looks on their faces. For Henry to be sad, it was a first for them to see. Stahl's eyes directed to Robin, taking her hand into his.
"What did she make you take?"
"...Everything. She then made me give it to Olivia, who gave it to Henry to hide."
Stahl turned his head away, his eyes on the water. "So she knows then..."
"Yes," Olivia nodded, her voice nearly a whisper. "She told us about it, and..." She paused, and she felt Henry wrap his arm around her pulling her to his chest, where she started to cry. "Why would she want something like that? Who would do that to someone they love?"
"She didn't give a reason?"
"No," Henry answered, shaking his head. "She just told us what to do. We tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't hear of it."
"And the ribbons?"
"Gone," Henry replied. "They were part of the things she had us hide, and she... she gave the last one back to him yesterday."
Stahl ran a hand through his unkempt hair, exhaling in both sorrow and irritation. "Then it's already in motion. If there is nothing to tie her to him..."
Olivia was crying harder now, Henry running his fingers through her hair. Robin kept her head turned away from everyone, and Stahl gave a gentle tug on her arm.
"Hey, hey, hey," he soothed. He softly grabbed her chin and turned her face toward him, and it was just as he had expected. She had been crying all along. "Don't hide from me. It's okay to feel this way."
Robin then let out a sob and threw her arms around Stahl's neck, her hands clasping around his back. "Will it happen to us, too?" she sobbed. Stahl could feel her shaking. "I don't want it to. I don't!"
Henry let out a strained cough and sniffled. "D-Don't do that, Robin... you'll make me... uh..." He felt a tear fall down his cheek, and he quickly brushed it away by wiping his cheek on his shoulder.
"I don't know... but I'll try my best not to let it happen. It'll be harder for Olivia and Henry, but you will probably be fine, Robin, since you're with me. You'll more than likely get to see him."
Henry turned to Stahl. "You have to let us see him. I don't care what he says, or if he's scared to see us. She may want this to be, but we don't. I don't even care if she's with us."
"Henry, you have to respect her wishes, too," Stahl softly warned. "But I'll do what I can. Okay?"
"Do Donny and Maribelle know?" Robin's quivering voice questioned.
"Not yet. I'll let them know later."
"Will... will they...?"
"Nah. Donny won't let that happen," Stahl smiled. "We're too close, and Mari really likes Kellam. He'll be sure to not let it."
"What happened?" Henry asked, as Olivia was still crying. "I thought everything was goin' as smooth as a baby's bottom."
"It was," Robin answered. "But... there was an... interference."
"Interference?"
She nodded.
XXXXXX
Cordelia woke up, not wanting to get out of bed. Cramming for finals in addition to trying to stay in shape was wearing her down. Not to mention Robin was acting funny around her. She swung her feet around the side of the bed, stood up, and stretched. Summer was just around the corner, and she hoped she would get to make it to the beach this year. Then, she would finally relax. Lately, she had random spikes of sadness that would rear its ugly head for no reason. She had never really been a depressed person; bitter, perhaps, but those days were over. She was living the happy, single life.
After preparing for the day, she made her way outside of the dorm to see Robin walking up on her cellphone, talking to someone. The moment she saw Cordelia, she hung up and smiled at her.
"Stahl again?"
"No, Kellam, actually."
Cordelia's smile brightened. "You're so good at making new friends. Wish I was. When will I get to meet this 'Kellam'?"
Robin bit her lip. "He's, um... he's always busy. It's hard to say."
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. "Sounds fishy. You're not...?"
Robin clenched her free fist. "Of course not. I love Stahl more than anything."
The red-head exhaled a breath of relief. "Good. Stahl is way too good a person for that."
"Why would you even think that of me?" Robin asked, offended.
"Hmm? Well, I mean, you're always so cloak and dagger when it comes to this Kellam guy. And I like Stahl, so I was just..."
Robin sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. Kellam is just kinda different, ya know?"
"Oh. Is he the really shy type?"
"Well... he's got a mental illness that sometimes makes him stay at home."
"Wouldn't he get behind?"
"He's doing fine."
Cordelia smiled. "He must be smart, then, if he can keep up in his classes. I hate that hes got something wrong with him. What is it?"
"You're gonna be late for your class."
Cordelia gasped. "You're right! You can tell me more later! See ya!"
She ran off to her class, leaving Robin to watch her. The sadness Robin felt in her chest was so overwhelming, she fell to her knees.
"She'd forgotten him?"
Robin shook her head. She couldn't cry. Not again...
Cordelia nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. "It was really sad, but Kellam... he didn't really seem to think twice about it."
Robin stirred her blueberry oatmeal with her spoon, her gaze on it. "But, they dated for, what? A year? How do you just forget someone you date? Are you sure she just wasn't being stuck up?"
"I asked Kellam that. Miriel is a neurosurgeon, after all. I figured that might have been the case. But he said that wasn't it. Sometimes, people just... forget him." She took another sip. "Think it has something to do with him being on the streets for so long, trying to be invisible?"
Those words clicked in Robin's mind. "That's a very high possibility. Still, it wouldn't make sense for her to just completely forget someone she deeply cared for."
"I know. When he walked up to her just to say hi- you know, out of kindness- she said, 'Can I help you?' The look on his face..."
"Did you all tell Stahl when you visited him?"
"Yeah. Or, well, Kellam did. Stahl didn't say anything. He nodded, as though it was to be expected." She sighed. "I made the coffee too bitter this morning."
"I wasn't gonna say anything but..."
Cordelia giggled. "You should have. Ugh."
Robin decided to change the subject. "So, when is he going to meet your parents?"
"I don't know. Think he should? You know how they are."
"Robin? Robin, hey, whoa," she heard Stahl's voice calling out to her. He was still on crutches, and he was trying his best to kneel down to her. "Baby, what's wrong? Talk to me."
"He's gone..." she wept, standing up and clinging onto Stahl so he wouldn't have to struggle.
"Who's gone?"
"Kellam... she's forgotten everything..." She heard one of his crutches fall to the ground as he hugged her to him, and he have her a comforting kiss on her temple. "She's forgotten... everything..."
"Shh... it's okay. It's okay," Stahl tried to comfort, swallowing the lump in his throat. They just stood there, her crying on his chest, as the breeze and gentle sunlight betrayed the feelings within.
XXXXXX
"I don't want you with him. Do you understand me?"
Cordelia's eyes shot open as she felt someone shaking her. It was Henry, Olivia standing behind him. She was at the table to the left as soon as one would enter the library, books and notes strewn all around.
"Muh? Henry?"
"Look, I know the library is a snooze-fest, but you can't just fall asleep here," he joked. "Go to your dorm and get some rest. Take a break from studying so much."
"I'm okay."
"You look dead, Cordelia," Henry grunted.
"Henry!" Olivia fussed, coming out from behind. "What he means to say is that you look exhausted. Have you been sleeping enough?"
Cordelia's eyes focused on her papers. "No. I mean... I keep having these dreams."
"Ooo, are they scary?" Henry asked, a grin on his face.
"Stop that," Olivia chided, giving him a soft smack on his arm.
"I don't know. I don't know what to think about them," Cordelia answered. "In every one, he tells me I can be with someone, but I'm not with anyone. I haven't been since Stahl. You all know this."
At this statement, Olivia put her hands up to her mouth and turned around, confusing Cordelia. Even the look on Henry's face made her wonder what she had said wrong.
"He didn't find anything wrong with Stahl. He liked Stahl. Maybe it's a premonition or something?"
"Guess so," Henry quickly said. "Get some rest."
He took Olivia by the hand, and they abruptly left the library, leaving a baffled Cordelia behind.
XXXXXX
"What are you looking at?" she asked, looking over- static.
"You."
"You're supposed to be looking at the snow, not me," she smiled, blush creeping along her cheeks as she turned away from him, staring out the window.
"I'll look at it in a minute."
She felt his fingers gently trace up her bare back."You should look at it now instead of being a pervert and staring at me." She turned her head toward- static- to kiss- static.
Her eyes opened as her alarm went off. That was a new dream. What was the static? Who was she talking to? Her head hurt. But she only had two more finals left. Maybe the stress was getting to her and making her have all these weird dreams. She really could use the summer break coming up...
Today would be a lazy day for her. She was just so tired. No make-up. Sweats, a t-shirt, tennis shoes... she put her hair up in a ponytail and froze. Something about it just made her heart hurt, seeing her hair up like that. She hadn't worn her hair up in a ponytail in a long time. It was straight anyway, so she sighed and let it back down. It just didn't feel right, for whatever reason.
She drank hot tea that morning instead of coffee. Lately, she'd been making it bitter, and the coffee place in the library had jacked up their prices, so she'd stopped going there. As soon as it touched her lips-
"I don't want you with him."
Even the tea was bitter, and she sat down the cup. What in the world was wrong with her? She'd always been a great cook, but making tea and coffee wasn't necessarily a profound "cooking" skill. So why?
"He's chosen his path, and it'll only lead to heartache. You'll be left with nothing, and I forbid it."
Her father's voice rang through her head again. Who was he talking about? She heard the wind blow outside, grabbed the hair tie on her wrist again, and put her hair up. She didn't feel like constantly brushing her hair out of her face. Her last two finals, today. She'd aced all her other ones, and she hoped since these two were back-to-back, she'd be able to retain the knowledge and do fine.
But she was lonely.
Robin had stopped living in the dorm the day she had been asking her about this "Kellam" man she'd met. She couldn't blame her. She'd practically accused her of cheating on Stahl, and she knew Robin better than that. Robin was her best friend, after all. She was now staying with Stahl at his apartment. Olivia was even different around her, Henry having to be her voice at times. And Henry had changed. He was more serious, which was completely unlike him. He used to be full of smiles and horrible puns. Stahl, she rarely saw. She wasn't sure what she had done to hurt them, but she wanted to at least be able to talk to them and know what she could do to fix it.
With a sigh, she grabbed her backpack and headed to her finals. Thankfully, they were in the same building, just two floors apart from each other. No rushing like she had to the other ones. Most of the things in her dorm were gone, at her house. Next year, she'd be in a different location, hopefully a suite like she was supposed to have been in this past year. She was pretty sure Robin was permanently with Stahl now, and perhaps Olivia would move in with Henry as well. She'd have to search for a new roommate.
Her first final was mostly a written exam. She had stressed out over it so much, but when handed to her, she found it a piece of cake. Her next was multiple choice, and she struggled. She hoped later when she looked at the grades, she'd be fine. But the multiple choice one... her mind just wasn't with it, for whatever reason. She kept thinking about the dreams she'd been having, her father's voice that would echo in her head. Sluggishly, she made it down the stairs and outside the building. Maybe, just maybe, as celebration, she would reward herself with a caramel macchiato from the coffee place. In front of the library, it was bustling with students talking about finals- the grades they had made, the tests they'd bombed, or the ones they'd yet to take- and other things, such as saying their "see you laters" for the summer or just talking. Some would live on campus, after all, such as the ones that came from foreign places, such as China, Japan, etc. She walked up the steps to the library- something blue flashed in her eyes, and she turned with a gasp. Wrist, blue ribbon with white wings...
Static- "Merry Christmas!"
She blinked, her mouth slightly open with words on the tip of her tongue. What words, she didn't know.
"I know it's not much, but you said you didn't want us to-"
"No, -static-," she smiled, looking at the different colored ribbons with wings on them, "they're perfect. I love them!"
She watched it. Her heart started beating fast.
"I picked them out myself. If you don't like the colors-"
"No, they're exactly the colors I love. They're beautiful, -stat-am, they really are."
"I didn't screw up?"
"No, you didn't. What's more, these came from the heart." A face... She knew it. "Thank you, K-"
Through the crowd, there was no way she could reach him in time. And she didn't give a damn if the whole world heard her. She inhaled as deeply as she could-
"KELLAM!" she yelled as loudly as she could. The blue ribbon stopped, as did most of the talking and commotion in front of the library. He turned around, and sure enough, that was the face she knew. She knew it. She knew it. She took off running, not caring how ridiculous she looked as a poor runner, to him, and to her surprise, reached him in no time. She threw her arms around him, tears streaming down her face. "I remember! I remember!"
"Cordelia?" he gasped, not sure what to do. He didn't know whether to hug her or...
"The ribbon! It made me remember!" she sobbed, looking up at his face. "I never wanted to forget! Never! But now, I remember, and I've found you!"
"Cordelia, let go. If your father hears about this-"
"I don't care!" she interrupted, tightening her hold. "I know what he said, and if he wants to disown me, let him. I know everything now, and I also know that you've always been there for me. You've never hesitated, and I'm so sorry. I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry..."
He finally hugged her, their warmth igniting the unlit candle within each other at last.
"I found you... I found you... I love you..." she sobbed.
Unable to hold back his tears, she heard him grit hit teeth as she felt tears splash on top of her hair. "I love you, too."
"I won't let you go. I won't. You'll disappear again, I just know it..." she wept.
"Not anymore," he smiled. "You remembered me. The others, I'm sure they acted funny, but they weren't sure how to approach the situation. You seemed so adamant on this, so I told them to do whatever they thought was right. I think they were confused. Don't be mad at them."
"I'm not," she shook her head. "And I don't care about that right now. I'm sorry. My father was wrong. I should've been with you. For three months, I've felt off. Like something was out of place... or like you're missing a piece from your jigsaw puzzle. I could see the world was missing something, but... I didn't know what. I just kept having these dreams, but they were filled with static. It was like I wanted to remember, but at the same time, I couldn't let myself." She then touched the ribbon. "Then I saw this, and I knew... it was you."
He smiled as he held her tighter. "We'll face your father together, okay?"
She nodded against his chest. "Mm-hm. I'll get everything back that you gave me. I need you in my life. I can't..." She held him as tightly as she could. "I can't..."
"Then live with me."
At this, she looked up at him, stunned. "What?"
His cheeks were red, but he nodded. "Robin's already moving in, so... it can be a full house, ya know? You won't have to live in a dorm, and I won't have to worry so much."
"My father will die."
"He'll already be mad, anyway."
She nodded. "You're right." She smiled. "I can really live with you?"
"Just gotta talk to my landlord about it. She's really nice, so I'm sure she'll be fine with it."
Cordelia stood up on her tiptoes, and Kellam leaned down, finally kissing each other. When they pulled away, she put her head back on his chest, a smile and tears on her face.
"I'm so glad I found you..."
