Part III
The grim consequences of their misfortunate throw our star-crossed, sixth-sensed lovers through the wringer as they find themselves without each other for the first time, the world that only they know ceasing to rotate temporarily.
Part three introduces a whole new world, with new faces and trouble around every corner. How long can Luna and Lysander stand to be apart? And how much will they risk to be together again?
Chapter Twenty Eight: Stubborn and Persistent
St. Catherine's Academy was exactly what you'd imagine a Catholic boarding school to look like. Big and regal, red brick, pointy gables, trimmed topiary hedges, and an aesthetically pleasing welcome sign nestled under a cherry blossom tree, I absolutely hated it the minute we arrived. If there was an exact opposite to Sweet Amoris High School, this was it.
Father parked in the visitor's section and didn't hesitate to get my bags from the backseat. I silently refused to leave the car and he had to pull me to my feet as gently as he could while I fell back down several times as dead weight. Once he finally got me up he angrily muttered something under his breath about my ribs while I tried to plant my feet firmly on the ground.
It must've been embarrassing for father to have to drag his hysterical seventeen year-old daughter into the school by her wrist, but I didn't care. "You're being a brat, Luna..." He kept hissing on our way through the solid mahogany doors.
The main foyer smelled like burnt snickerdoodles and it probably would've made my eyes water if I hadn't already been crying. Fortunately for father it was practically empty; I didn't care at that point if anybody saw my breakdown. I didn't care what anyone thought about me here, and I certainly wasn't in the mood to keep up appearances.
Through blurry hot tears I blinked at two silhouettes that made their way to us. When I rubbed my eyes I almost pointed out the irony of the first people to greet us here at the all-girls boarding school being male, but kept the observation to myself. The older version of the two stuck out his hand to my father with a welcoming grin while the younger one who looked to be about my age hid behind his senior, gawking at me with wide brown eyes under tufts of thick brunet hair. I might have scowled at him, judging by the way his eyes hit the linoleum floor, but I didn't mean to be rude. My emotions were completely out of control and I didn't care in the least to read his thoughts to confirm how uncomfortable I was making him feel.
"Mr. Broderick and Luna, we've been expecting you! I'm Robert Nolan, headmaster of St. Catherine's and the Byron Academy for Boys across the street where my son Drew attends." He patted the timid brunette on the back and smiled down at him. "Drew here is shadowing me today, so he'll be joining us on our tour. Say hello, son."
I didn't care to know Drew so I shifted my eyes to the ground.
"Hello." He coughed, equally as eager to meet me.
I wiped my tears as father enthusiastically introduced himself to both of them with a strong handshake.
It didn't matter that I was shaking and sniffling, or that tears streamed down my cheeks in burning spurts. Headmaster Nolan ignored me like I wasn't even there, and father put untrue words in my mouth like, "Luna is so pleased to be here" and "I'm sure Luna will love her dorm room" as if he were interpreting for his poor, mute daughter. No one seemed to care that I was resisting and that my father had to pull me down the hallways like a toddler. No, it wasn't anyone's problem but my own.
Well actually, I take that back. Drew definitely cared, and he tried to hide his awkward staring ineffectively. He looked at me as if he'd never seen a girl so reckless before in his life and tried to avoid me like the plague, probably convinced that I may lash out at him if he wasn't careful.
I guess we took a quick tour of the school, but I didn't pay attention through my constant hysteria. The entire place was empty, and I think I heard something about how all of the students were in the dining hall for brunch which reminded me that I'd be living here and made me sick to my stomach.
Eventually we found our way back to the lobby after father blabbed to the Nolans that my ribs were broken and I couldn't overexert myself. He quickly dashed away to get my bags from the car, toting the headmaster with him and leaving me alone with Mr. Awkward himself, Drew.
Drew just stood there, his eyes fixed firmly on the ground as I curled my fists up in the sleeves of my sweater and used the soft cotton to wipe my itchy eyes, looking over at him surreptitiously. He was so plain…so painfully plain that it almost made him stand out. His plain brown eyes stole exactly three glances at me while I sized him up. Plain, flat, straight brown hair covered his plain eyes just slightly, and his plain navy and grey school uniform was wrinkled in a way that would've made Lysander cringe. I realized in that moment that I much preferred the vibrant alternative to Drew Nolan; mismatched eyes, ashy hair, and perfectly pressed Victorian clothes.
God…I miss Lysander so much.
When our fathers finally relieved the tension in the room with their loud voices they dropped my bags on the marble floor in the lobby with a sense of accomplishment. My father threw his arms around me instantly, pulling me in for a hug and giving me excuse after excuse in his head for why he was in such a rush to leave me. I stood there, just as silent as I'd been to him since Friday.
'I know you're mad at me Luna, but someday you may thank me. I'm only looking out for you. I love you so much.'
'I love you…but this isn't the right decision. You're making a big mistake. I'm going to be miserable here.'
He ignored my comment and patted my head, turning to Mr. Nolan and Drew with a smile before reaching down to grab my bags.
"That won't be necessary Mr. Broderick. I know you're a busy man. I'll see you out while Drew brings Miss Luna's things to the dorms." He walked over to escort my father out, who turned back and waved to me once more before disappearing out the doors.
Just like that, he was gone, and I was alone. With father out of the picture I watched the last fleck of my life be hacked away by the sharp knife of change.
Out of the corner of dewy eyes I caught Drew bending down to reach for my bags.
"I'll get them," I muttered, my voice cracking with my first spoken words since leaving Lysander as I grabbed for the handle in his hands. I didn't need his help or his pity.
He shook his head, his shifty eyes meeting mine with sincerity. "It's no problem…"
He hoisted one of the suitcases up and as he lunged to get the second one I snatched it up. "Yes, well I can still manage on my own, thank you."
"P-please…" He tugged my bag out of my hand and held it in his other hand, stepping out of the way when I tried to reach to take them back. "I'm just following orders. You're hurt, and these bags are heavy…"
I stomped my foot in protest and angrily chased after him as he started through the doors and across the courtyard. "I said I'd get them! I'm perfectly capable!"
He tried to ignore me, and every time I caught up with him it seemed as though his long legs would send him five strides ahead of me. We came to a large brick building and climbed the steps, me balling up my fists, watching Drew sweat bullets at my protests as he tried to ignore me.
"Drop the bags at once! You're only making me angry!" I finally caught up to him and instinctively grabbed onto his blazer. He turned around with a sigh and met my gaze again, his eyes widening.
"You are impossibly stubborn! Your room is just up these stairs, it's really not a problem!" His voice was louder now, as if looking into my eyes had suddenly made him more comfortable. Usually my dark eyes had the opposite effect on people.
"Well, it's a problem for me," I whined as Drew kept on walking. He turned to me again, huffing even louder this time.
"And what exactly is the problem? It's obvious you need help…you're just too proud to ask for it. Look at you. You're a mess!"
"I…I beg your pardon?" I clutched my chest, a little staggered by his sudden audacity, to say the least.
"What's the matter, no one's ever been honest with you before?"
I stopped for a moment, tears swimming in my eyes as I stood shocked and dismayed before shaking my head and jogging to catch up with him.
"Lots of people are honest with me." I crossed my arms and tossed my head, my hormones twisting me into a bolder, braver Luna than ever before.
If only he knew just how honest the world was with me! In fact, the only reason I wasn't in his head reading his secrets was because I didn't care in the least to know or see them.
"Well then, congratulations, because you just found another person to add to your list."
I sniffed, hating everything about this place even more now. "I…I just want to carry my bags"
"Yeah, well we can't always get what we want."
I started rubbing my eyes again with countless thoughts of how Lysander wouldn't stand for the way Drew was talking to me. He wasn't here to stand up for me and I'd have to be a big girl and defend myself. The problem was, I didn't know how. I felt isolated.
Drew sighed, coming to a door at the end of the long hallway and pushing it open, dropping my bags down at the middle and turning to me. "Listen, I don't know what you're going through, but…"
"No, you don't. You have no idea."
Drew's wide cheekbones fell as he watched me take a breath and look around what I presumed was my new jail cell.
"I…I'm sorry." He glanced to me from the sides of his eyes and shrugged, "D-do you want to talk about it?"
"What?"
"I um, asked if you needed to talk about it…isn't that what girls do? Talk?"
I tisked aloud, crossing my arms and put my head down. "I just don't want to be here."
Drew walked over to me, attempting to pass me a liberating smirk. "It's not that bad, you know."
"Oh but it is," I said, widening my eyes at him.
"You'll warm up to it…" He persisted.
"I'm quite certain I won't."
He crossed his arms, suddenly searching my eyes. "And what makes you so sure?"
"I'd be willing to bet my life on it. Can we just leave it at that, please?" I snapped, looking over to him with utmost solemnity.
Drew nodded, silent for a few fleeting moments before clearing his throat. "D-Do you need any help unpacking?"
"No. You can leave now." I didn't need any more of his pity or wisecracks.
He took a few steps through the room, pointing his finger as he talked. "Fine, suit yourself. Just to let you know the bathrooms and showers are down the hall this way, and there's a computer in the corner there. It's nothing fancy, just the standard issue Dell, but you can use it for your schoolwork and email."
"Email?"
"Um, yeah. You know, like virtual messaging?" He looked at me like I was dumb and I gritted my teeth at him.
"No, I know what email is. Wh-what would I need email for?"
"For staying in touch with family and friends…did you think we'd make you get a carrier pigeon or something?"
"So I can email anybody?" …Even Lysander?
"I mean, yeah…"
In that moment I wanted to wipe my tears away and jump up and down in continuous joy, but I was still crying, still paralyzed, and still heartbroken as I pulled arms in when a cold draft came dancing through the window of the room.
"Are you sure you don't need any help unpacking?" Drew offered once again.
"I've got it."
"Okay…well, before the day ends you'll have to go down to the office and get your schedule and uniform. I can go now and pick it up for you if you'd like…" Oh my god, he's relentless!
"I'll be fine going myself."
Drew nodded to himself, walking to the door and clutching the wooden frame before looking back at me with a playful smirk. "You're just about as stubborn as they come, you know."
"And you're just as persistent. It's a good thing we attend separate schools, hm?" I crossed my arms and shot him a serious glare.
"Yep. And on that note, I'm going to go. Try to smile once and a while, Luna." He shot me a strange glance before turning to close my door and exit, leaving me completely and utterly alone.
In a flash I was at the computer desk, clicking and clacking away until I managed to open up the web browser that took me to my email. Thoughtlessly I began to write to him and didn't want ever want to stop. The only thing that allowed me to tie off the first letter was the fact that the sooner I sent it, the sooner he'd reply.
From: Luna Broderick
To: Lysander Larkin
Sent: Sun, Jan 27, 2013 10:35am
Subject: Lysander3
Lysander! It's me! It's Lunabelle :) I hope this finds you well and soon.
I can email you whenever I please, isn't that wonderful? Well, 'wonderful' isn't quite sufficient in describing anything today, but it's certainly as wonderful as things could possibly be at this point.
Everything has happened so fast…I'm surprised I'm still wide awake, aware and standing. I never imagined I'd know the pain of a broken heart, but it's so painfully real and killing me already. How did I even get here? How did this happen? All I know is that I'm crying and heartbroken and hurting, wrapped up in a scarf that smells like you and shivering in the bitter cold that seeps through the cracks in the window of my new jail cell.
I think I'm just going to cry until they get tired of me and send me back home. I need you. I need the sunshine of our world and I need your eyes and your smile. I just don't see myself lasting very long here.
What I wouldn't do for just one more day with you, Lysander…
One more day to clamber through the brush and duck under the tree limbs, one more day to discover our world all over again and roll around in the grass, and one more day to kiss every inch of you and curl up in your strong arms…I'd do anything for just one more day.
I love you every second, Lysander. You're everything. There is nothing and no one on this earth that takes your place and there never will be.
Don't you dare forget that I love you.
-Luna
After sending the email and staring at the computer screen refreshing until my fingertips felt bruised I decided to give him a little more time. I felt better when I looked at the clock on the bottom of the computer screen and realized that only five minutes had pasted; they'd only seemed like hours. Every second slipped on like hours, and my head was pounding with the thought of the months ahead of me that I'd have to spend here.
My body pulled me to the creaky bed in the corner of the room and I fell down on top of it, shoes and all as the tears rolled out from behind my eyes uncontrollably. I was surprised I had any left to spare.
I curled up in a ball and felt the familiar slither of pain all around me. It was everywhere; in, out, under, over…suffocating me, sucking life and breath like leaches on every square inch of my body. Every nerve ending that made me up was a live wire; this pain was arguably worse than electrocution.
Grief and regret washed over me for a senior year tragically edited. My mind wasn't thinking of the future where Lysander and I could be together because I was so focused on now, and now Lysander and I weren't together. I wasn't used to being away from him…I hadn't been without him since we'd met, and I honestly didn't remember how to live without him.
A shrill little blip jolted me from my emotional reverie and I picked up my head, looking over my shoulder to the computer and reading the lit-up screen.
1 NEW MESSAGE
I fumbled over the bed, messing up the sheets as I threw myself to the hardwood and into the chair.
Lysander! He's written back!
From: Lysander Larkin
To: Luna Broderick
Sent: Sun, Jan 27, 2013 10:47am
Subject: Re: Lysander3
My love, you simply have no idea how happy hearing from you made me. Words will not suffice in exchange for your beautiful voice in my head or your kiss on my lips, but I'm fortunate for the ability to talk with you. That's all I could ever ask for in this situation.
Tell me everything about your new school! Is everyone being nice to you?
You said it's cold in your room? Please talk to someone about having it repaired at once, and remind them that you are currently trying to heal from an injury and cannot afford to catch a cold. And did you take your medicine yet? If not, please do so for me. I can't tell you how important it is to me that you get healthy again.
I want you to do something else for me, Luna. It will only take a moment.
Look around you.
What do you see?
Walls, a bed, a closet, maybe? The computer and desk.
All tangible things, I'm sure. Just like you and I. Really, we're only blood and water held together with skin.
Look in your heart. What do you feel?
When I look inside my heart, I feel you. The only thing that keeps me strong is the feelings that you've left in my heart.
You're all around me; when I look hard enough I can find you wherever I go. The faint warmth shining down on my skin is you; it reminds me of the way your hair catches the sunlight. The grass is you. Just the faintest smell of grass reminds me of lying with you for hours in our world. The wind, the moon, the goat-shaped clouds and strawberry Poptarts; it's all you, all around me. It's no substitute for holding your warm body in my arms. It's definitely not collateral for your kiss, or your heartbeat against mine...but it helps to know that I'm never really alone, and neither are you.
Luna, you will never be alone. We could be a million miles apart and you'd never be alone. I'll be with you wherever you are if only you'd just take a hard look around. I'll be the sunshine, the light of the moon, the pictures in your mind and the beat of your heart. I'll be the warmth of your blanket when you're wrapped up in your bed missing me...and I hope I can always be the smile on your face.
Lay your precious head down, my love. You should take a nap; you need your rest. Sing to yourself the lullabies that I would sing to you if I were there. Wrap yourself in your blanket, because I promise you that it's me, holding you tight as best as I can until we're together again.
I'll love you every day until forever- and every day after that.
Love,
Lysander
A/N: You guys ready for part three? It's going to be quite the ride, and I'm quite certain none of you have any idea what's to come, even if you think you dooooo. Muahaha.
A special thanks to binaryguppy for being my main squeeze and keeping my head on straight through this entire story. You're amazing and none of this would be possible without your support and help. A big thank you to IfYouLovedMe for being awesome this week, too!
And of course to ALL of you incredible readers for your reviews that seriously never fail to make me smile...I cannot tell you how much you all mean to me. If I could marry you all I would...except that's like, super illegal and stuff. :( Ah, I never miss a chance to be creepy, do I? LET ME LOVE YOU!
XOXO
Exactlyamanda
