New chapter!

She's Back:

I lean against a set of lockers, waiting for Daniel to finish getting what he needs. As he closes his locker, we both look at each other in alert because both of our phones start vibrating at the same time. Assuming it's from our group chat, we both check to see what has our friends so riled up that they can't wait five minutes to tell us in class.

Group Chat - Project: New Generation
Members: Daniel, Merida, Apollo, James, Angela, Xavier, Emily

Angela: IS SHE REALLY BACK?!

Merida: I thought the people around me were being bullshitters bUT HOLY SHIT I JUST SAW HER!

Apollo: yeah, she's back.

Merida: I SAW HER!

Xavier: YOU GUYS BETTER NOT BE FUCKING AROUND!

James: I hope you and your returned are ;)

Xavier: I'm not responding to that.

[Angela sends a zoomed-in photo of Britney Braun, walking in the hallways of the school with their other classmates in the background who stare at her as if they're seeing a ghost]

Angela: I just spoke to her and she said she was on some self-discovery thing.

Xavier: WHERE IS THAT?!

Angela: Freshman hallway but she's already gone somewhere else.

Xavier: WHERE?!

Angela: She just got here so maybe she's heading for her locker?

I look up from my phone, meet Daniel's eyes for a second, and we both turn to where Britney's locker is which is closeby to where we're currently standing. Her makeshift memorial is still there but not Britney herself.

"This can't be real, can it?" I ask Daniel, siding my phone back in my pocket.

"Weird," Daniel responds.

"No, it's fake, right? I mean, Xavier literally said this morning - even if I live to be 100, I will never ever find another girl like Britney - so someone started this as a rumour to fuck with him. Right?"

"Angela sent a photo," Daniel tells me, pulling it up on his phone to show me again.

"No," I state. "That's fake. It's so pixilated that you can barely tell if it's her."

Daniel turns me around and we're facing Britney's locker. This time, Britney is there. She stares at her own memorial for a few seconds and bows out of respect for her own dead self. What a boss move, if I may say so myself. She grins as she walks off and, suddenly, we're reenacting the photo: Britney's walking casually and I stare at her with my jaw on the floor. Other people look at her the same way and start whispering amongst themselves or texting this phenomenon, but I compose myself when Britney approaches us.

Instead of scowling at her, like I usually would, I give her a small smile. While she talks to Daniel, I take a few seconds to actually process that she's here and she's acting as if she only missed a day instead of a whole month.

"Hey, Stark," Britney greets, smiling happily at me. "Still hate me?"

"It's not that I don't like you, Britney, it's just that I sometimes forgot that you existed," I respond.

Britney leans forwards a little before pulling back. "I came back only for you."

"Awe, if someone was coming after me, I'm glad it's you."

"We should so hang out sometime."

I can smell the sarcasm in her voice and I love it. "My time is valuable and I'd rather not spend it with you."

Suddenly, Britney starts to fake cry. "I missed you so much."

I mimic her fake tears, exaggerating a bit more. "I missed you too."

Britney gives us one last smile and wave before continuing her walk along the school. Daniel and I watch her go and once she's turned the corner, I exhale. Then, Xavier zips by. He looks at us and we just point in the direction Britney went before he is off again. Just like Britney, he disappears in the blink of an eye.

"Fucking hell…" I mutter. I glance over at Daniel and he's smiling. "Why are you making that face?"

"That was entertaining," Daniel replies about mine and Britney's little banter.

"Well, they'll be coming back."

"Thank god."

I take a breath. "Holy shit she's actually back! Oh my god, at least she isn't dead."

Daniel laughs a little. "Told you so."

"Shut up."

Britney's Counterpart - Chapter 117: (Britney Braun) The New Britney Braun