"hey!" someone looked at her through the window and her cigar almost fell out of her perfectly shaped mouth, "let me in celine, i can't ride the bus today." she opened the door a little and in came crashing her best friend, taller by a few inches with long flowy hair. celine pulled a blunt from the other chair pocket and tossed it over to valery, who immediately took out her own lighter after pushing it between her lips.
"what's the problem today?" she asked warily, not making eye contact with the many pieces of jewelry her friend had on. the only ones she wore were around her neck, small necklaces with clasps that made people go insane. celine looked out the window at valery's house, exhaling the last bit of freedom before the car started rolling away, "don't tell me you're just there to get high, especially before school."
the girl tapped her shoes on the floor, ones she usually wore when she ran, "nothing, except that rachel said she'd leak my text messages." she rolled the window down and inhaled, "isn't it so great we're friends? we balance each other out." that was one thing celine could agree on, they weren't even halfway to school and valery was being herself, "can we chill in the parking lot once we get there? i don't want to go to the first period unless you have the spanish homework..?"
"i don't take spanish." celine said, pushing the band on her thigh higher so it was hidden by her skirt, "besides, i thought you already have someone who feeds you all the answers." she extinguished her cigarette and opened the car door, glancing at the driver, "let her stay until nine," she turned to valery and narrowed her eyes, "i expect you to be in class, on time." with that the door shut, the girl had pulled her backpack straps over her shoulders and began walking into the school.
————
it was what one would call a private school, she didn't want to transfer in the middle of something big, but her parents made the decisions. celine pulled her cell out and tapped on the screen, her schedule appeared in black font, directing her to the first class of the day. while she didn't expect anyone to go out of their way to greet her, plenty of teachers mentioned how they were excited to have her in their class.
she raised her eyebrows, unsure of how they even knew who she was. she brushed it off, sure they said the same thing to every new student. her, then gray, eyes flicked across the mass of students who sat in the courtyard. she stood there, watching as some of them argued, or hugged, as her backpack hung off one of her shoulders, accompanied by her hand at her waist, "making friends can wait until lunch." celine noted, opting to instead sit on the floor next to her class.
the hallway was empty, filled with lockers that opened when you kicked them. she stared at the automatic clock that hung from the ceiling. the small red hand whizzed around as the seconds passed. the sound of shoes came from the end of the tunnel and she looked up to meet another pair of eyes, her lips stayed shut as they passed her, then turned around, arms full of books, "have we met?"
celine tilted her head, her white hair tilting with it, "i don't suppose we have." she said lightly, letting go of her backpack strap and pushing herself to stand, "it's nice to meet you now though. i'm celine, pierce." he took her hand and shook it, a smile spreading across his face. her eyes widened and she looked down at her hand, the fabric of her sweater was pulled to her wrist.
"it's a pleasure, i assume you're taking this class then?" he shifted the books to sit across his folded arms, "i know the teacher, she's pretty nice." celine couldn't stop staring at his smile, she shook her head and looked at the door, the number was on a piece of paper that was tucked in between the window, "oh, i apologize, you were probably hoping for an introduction, eli,"
celine nodded, "i could care less what the teacher's like, or the other students," she said sharply, not sure if she wanted his opinion, "still, i am taking the class and the heads up is appreciated," being rude was almost second nature, but she decided to tone it down, "would you care to walk me through the rest of my classes? i have no idea where i'm going."
eli smiled wider, he took her phone as she handed it to him, skimming the list with his blue eyes, "this should be pretty easy to remember, i just have to run these over to the library first." celine blinked, taking her phone back and slipping it into the pocket of her sweater. it didn't seem like a problem, her chauffeur had dropped her off early anyway. the two turned the corner after she picked up her bag, "i usually do favors for the teachers, makes it easier for them to bump up my grade."
it was probably supposed to be a joke, celine had some trouble identifying it as she wasn't told them often. the girl pushed a strand of hair behind her ears and followed him down the stairs. the library doors were huge and made of glass, she pushed one open just enough for her to slip through, bookshelves to the ceiling held books from all topics. she stood around for a few seconds before noticing that eli was already ready to leave, she hurried towards the doors again to exit.
"so, where exactly is my class?" she bit her tongue, letting her boots squeak on the floor, he mentioned that it was just around the corner and she gripped the strap of her backpack even tighter, "thank you. that took longer than anticipated, so i won't keep you, i can find my way back to the other classroom." eli took a notepad out of his pocket, the pen behind his lightly colored brown hair was suddenly in his hand. he gave her a folded piece of paper to hold onto and then she waved him off, somewhat happy to have met someone who wasn't terrible.
the classroom was filled with a buzz, talking and laughing, so much that she thought the room would collapse. celine reminded herself to save enough time so she could get back to her actual first period, but then she noticed someone she recognized, the boy from before. her whole face went red as she remembered slipping into his living room. before she could slide out of the classroom, everyone's eyes were on her, she raised one of her hands before someone closed the door on her face, better than talking to people she didn't know.
a little disappointed, but still very red, celine started towards the stairs. her backpack had slipped off her shoulder, so she grabbed it by the pocket and grabbed a cigarette, digging around for a lighter. after a couple of minutes without the sleek metal in her hand, she gave up and dropped her backpack onto her leg, it probably wasn't a good idea to smoke in school anyway. she had to remind herself that making friends took time, it took being a good person.
she inhaled before starting up the stairs, soon the same door was sitting in front of her. a sticky note had been stuck to the window, reading that everyone would be meeting across campus in one of the portables, skipping class wasn't how she wanted to start her day, but if valery was still in the car, she could use someone to light her cigarette. celine exited the school through the front doors, noticing the car was still sitting in the back, she opened the door and practically fell on top of her friend.
"this is why we go in together, after the first period." valery said, pulling celine into the car so her legs weren't dangling into the road, "you wouldn't happen to have any animal crackers?" she took a cigarette from her friend's backpack and lit it before handing it to her, "that's fine, i didn't want a pack." the car smelled like weed, celine felt too sick to even take what had been offered to her, fresh air was probably better than laying down in the backseat of a limo.
"yeah, i think there's a gas station down the road, i'll be right back." she opened the door and extinguished the cigarette, tossing it into the car before the door closed behind her. it had been a bad idea, coming to school at all, her fingers pushed against the piece of paper when she went to grab her phone. a few numbers were scrawled on it as well as an encouraging note. celine resisted the urge to crumple it up and throw it into the street.
instead of going to the gas station, that was not down the road but a mile away, she sat against the wall of the school that faced the track. the bell had already rung and she was sure she could get off with just being late if she left for the portable right then, but feeling the breeze across her face was better any day. the sound of footsteps approached her hiding place, she assumed it was valery and prepared a scowl.
three more sets of thumping came from around the corner, which is when she realized a moment too late that her friend had not come looking for her. two hands dropped onto her shoulders, causing her to whip around while a bag was placed roughly over her head. no words were spoken, not that she could hear them, celine felt everything fade away, her consciousness as well as the feeling in her limbs.
it wasn't long before she was thrown in the back of a truck, for a moment she regained consciousness as the tires bounced up against road bumps. it wouldn't help, her breath started to begin thin again, her eyes closing once more… then her eyes opened once more. a bright light came hitting her gray pearls, a weak groan of irritation escaping her chapped lips. she couldn't see much, she was too weak to do much of anything, except turn her head to the left. her best friend had been in the same situation as her, strapped down against one of those experimentation tables the germans used back in wwii. while she was weak, she was still determined, her voice screamed out in anger, in pain, as sparkling tears dripped down her cheeks from her gray eyes. the sinister voice of one of the doctors that stood over her came to her ears.
"relax, child… it will all be over soon," her eyes opened again, she was back in the city. where was valery? it was the same day, hours later, however, scars riddled all over her neck, goosebumps visible on her arms. flashlights started to light the street to the left of her, her body crumbled up to hug her knees as she sat behind a dumpster. her captors were looking for her. who were they? why was this happening to her? many of those thoughts came rushing into her head, along with… was valery still alive? she had to keep moving, though, she was sure she was alive. someone like that? if you can handle being friends with celine pierce, you can get through anything.
they passed by the street she was watching, luckily, she was hidden by the shadows cast by the moon in the skies above. this was her chance to move, once they were far enough, she exited the alleyway moving into the street. she recognized it. this was near when she met that boy last night… august. if she was able to get there, maybe she could ask him to hide out for a while? but, asking a stranger for solitude? then again, he seemed nice enough. maybe it could work. all she knew was, she couldn't stay out here for long. she made up her mind.
"so, that's how i ended up here," who was she talking to? august, of course. she had been retelling him the events that led up to her once more breaking into his parent's house, sitting in his room, this time. you never know, his mother or father could head down the stairs and see this platinum-haired chick and be like, "are you fucking her?" yeah, too risky. celine's hands grasped around a mug, the rest of her body covered up by a blue blanket that matched the color of… someone's eye color in the future. steam flew out of the hot cocoa inside of the mug, her cheeks glowing the same colors as her eyes now, crimson red. "so, you were experimented on by some unknown people, you escaped, you came here, and you want to stay here?"
celine had no problem with being forward, her home obviously wasn't safe and while she understood the dangers she would be putting him in, she asked anyway, "that is what i said, isn't it?" the girl disliked repeating herself, she looked around, very sure that her contacts had been taken out. she had been trying to avoid eye contact, staring at the carpet or her lap, she squirmed, slightly uncomfortable, "i can always call my parents, they'd be more than delighted to pick me up on their way home."
the tone of her voice shifted as she motioned her parents, they had been abroad for the past couple of years, leaving her in an apartment while they were away. the girl then remembered her gun, she quickly set down the drink and rummaged through the blankets to see the band across her leg. it held no gun, but the skin underneath shone red against a pale background, that's when she realized what a bad idea it was, "if you'll excuse me then-"
there were zero reasons for him to believe her, or to even hear her out, but she was still sitting in his house. when celine got up to leave, august grabbed her arm, "if you're in trouble, there's no reason i shouldn't help." she bit the inside of her cheek, on the verge of tears as she remembered some of what happened, "okay there's some reasons, i mean you are the girl who almost led a group of thugs into my house."
another joke, kind of, she only wiped her eyes with her sleeve, muttering something under her breath, something like, "if your window locks were more advanced, nobody would be able to get in." celine sniffed, shoving her hands into her sweater pockets, pulling out a cigarette, "well if you are going to help, the first thing you can do is get me a lighter." she didn't ask if it was okay, but she did go to the window to exhale the smoke.
the girl got her lighter, and she lit the cigar, tapping her, now untied, boot against the floor, "it took a lot for me to admit that i need help. right now i can see that i do need it, but i don't need you making fun of me." celine angled her eyebrows downward, staring at him before leaning on the windowsill, "i'm a very independent young woman, who may or may not-"
"yeah, yeah, you're a feminist, shut the fuck up and lay down on the bed,"
celine pushed herself away from the window and accidentally raised her leg to kick august in the stomach, "reflexes are like bad habits, i always end up succumbing to them anyway." she made sure her boot did most of the work but didn't count on his hand grabbing her wrist and pushing it towards the wall, "let me go! i've decided that don't need your help anymore." she, of course, did still need it, but decided to tell him she didn't.
"listen, i don't want you to get the wrong idea or anything--" his tanned palm covered her scarred chapped lips, the girl muffling to get out her words. flashes of the past flew into her mind, this entire scenario reminded her of what happened at the school, how she was taken. her eyes rolled to the back of her head, her body falling limp in his arms, she was surprisingly light.
"i know you can't hear me, but i promise to help you through this, it's what my mother teaches me," she couldn't hear him, he knew that there had to be some way that she could be told that he does want to help. he may be an asshole, like her, but eventually, they'll grow on to love one another. he placed her body onto the mattress, sighing, he searched through his desk for some item, and he found it moments later. sticky notes. spinning a marker out of the drawer as well, he wrote down a note for her, sticking it on her forehead. all things considered, she was pretty cute.
celine stirred a couple of hours later, her body shivering. despite thinking there was a ghost haunting her, the goosebumps were purely temperature related. the girl blinked, her arm stretching out to grab the blanket that was supposed to be on top of her when she didn't find it, she shifted and raised her head to cover her eyes. needless to say, she never woke up that early.
a few seconds later, she realized that something was sticking to her head. sacrificing her eyes to the sun, she pulled it off and stared at the font, "bad handwriting-" celine mumbled to herself, patting the bed for a cigarette she hoped would be there. she set the sticky note down and rolled over, pulling her legs up so she could get a couple more minutes of sleep. the word school didn't even go through her head, it was irrelevant for the moment.
after a failed attempt at more sleep, she grabbed the note with her free hand and fixed her shirt with the other. celine was determined to find something she could smoke, her eyes dropped towards the bright yellow, something about him not being there, having to go to school. the girl groaned, she grabbed a blanket off the couch and took two corners in her fists, pulling them over her shoulders and onto her chest.
with the 'negligence of eating habit,' she often had, celine bypassed the kitchen and sat in front of the tv. most remotes were easy to figure out, but august's had so many buttons she didn't know what to do. with her phone missing and no change of clothes, she was trying her best not to be grumpy. after situating herself on the floor, she flipped through the channels, quickly finding one that streamed anime.
after a couple of minutes of searching for one she wanted to start and reminding herself not to get attached to the characters, she pressed play on the first episode. it was pretty easy to watch anime all day until her head hurt. celine stood up and left her blanket behind, navigating the kitchen. after trying all the cabinets, she found the cups and filled one up with water.
a couple of gulps and the water in the glass were gone, she shook her head before setting it down. celine turned to see the tv screen again, the cover for the anime and a timer were displayed, the next episode would be playing in a couple of seconds. instead of watching it, she slid down to sit on the floor, resting her head on the cabinets below the sink.
it was normal, just like when her parents weren't home. the girl stretched her legs out, hitting her boots together as she moved her legs, it gave her some sort of security to just sit there, the cold floor hitting her body. celine decided it was enough after a couple of minutes, she stood up and turned the tv off, not wanting to listen to the high voices of japanese voice actors. there was nothing else to do, not surprised, she headed towards one of the windows.
a glance at the clock showed that school would be out any minute. since she didn't know where her phone got off to, but she probably had time to look for her cigarettes. while it was an invasion of privacy to go through someone else's things, it did look like august had taken them. celine scrunched her face up, she took another look in the cabinets before searching the couch cushions.
while she held one of them up, the door handle rattled, celine froze for a couple of moments, her arms lowering to shove the cushion back where it belonged. it looked too late to make her escape, so she rolled over the couch and fell behind it, only rising to see who had opened the door after the pain in her leg stopped. someone she hadn't seen before entered the room, for that reason she dropped behind the couch and instinctively reached for her gun, it wasn't there.
"hello?" the voice echoed off the walls, celine held onto the wall to steady herself, "august?" the girl rounded the corner to peek into the bedroom, celine shrunk back, her shoulder bones hitting the edge of the couch. it was like playing hide and seek with a fucking serial killer except for the girl in front of her didn't know celine was there.
celine lowered her eyes, not wanting to be caught.
the girl had no reason to keep on looking, thankfully. a cheery-looking girl, maybe the same age as august skipped into the apartment her arms behind her back. she had been singing a song from a certain show, she had no types of reservations or questions, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. she followed her older sister up the stairs to their shared room.
"what the hell-?" she asked herself under her breath after they had finished going to their rooms, footsteps started getting closer. and closer. THEN CLOSER. before she almost screamed out in terror, her mouth is covered by his tanned palm. "are you stupid or something?"
"who the fuck are those girls that just entered?" her voice was soft, almost like a whisper in the wind, while he rolled his eyes at such a ridiculous statement. it should be obvious, shouldn't it? from their hair color to the way they walked and looked. "they're my sisters, dumbass!" she growled in irritation like she wouldn't deck him right in the face right then and there. "remember what i said about reflex?"
she was very light, but he couldn't take the chance of his sisters coming out of their room and seeing him carrying a flat white-haired girl. so, his fingers wrapped around her wrists. their beings traveled through another dimension beyond space and time, spitting them out onto the floor of his room across from his sister's.
"what-" celine cut herself off, obviously something else was going on. she glared at august, upset that she hadn't gotten a full explanation before he made her fall asleep. the girl held her hand out, her face blank like the expected something.
he blinked a couple of times, narrowing his eyes in confusion, "uh-i'm not going to hold your hand." august almost laughed out loud at how red her face got. celine curled her fingers so they hit her palm, prime position for a punch, instead, she spoke again.
"i don't want you to, give me my cigarettes back." she demanded, dropping her arm to her side, "it's been so boring just sitting here, believe it or not, i require attention." her pride prevented her from seeing that he had taken her in and kept her safe. it just wasn't exactly up to her standards. celine didn't mention how she wished to go get some things from her house, assuming it wasn't the best idea.
the boy in front of her opened his mouth in disbelief, "you want to ruin your lungs?" she stepped back, her face growing defensive, "people die from smoking those things, which is why i threw them away." celine dropped her arms, completely defeated, or so it seemed. it wasn't that easy to get someone off the hook of the addictive nicotine.
"fine. i'll get my supply then." she was as good at hiding things from people as the next person was, "where did you put my gun then, i don't think you can throw that kind of thing away." celine narrowed her eyes, rubbing her messy hair, "it's weird, not weighting it around my leg-"
the information he didn't need to know, but a truth nonetheless. august exhaled, "they probably took it, you did say the government kidnapped you." she shoved her hands into her sweater pockets, separating the layers of fabric to get to her secret stash. with the excess fabric everywhere, it was very easy to hide things.
"whatever, can i at least go for a walk?" celine acted like she didn't care about what happened, but she could still see flashes of things she didn't quite remember. it scared her, the girl snapped out of her trance, losing his answer in the mix of feelings. it was harder to get a gun back, she would settle for a knife if he had one.
she decided to assume that she was allowed to leave, "I'll just be on the sidewalk," celine but the inside of her cheek, a little worried to say the least. would he let her go out on her own, especially when they were looking for her? she needed not to worry any longer, though. as she started heading for the window, his fingers wrapped around her arm.
"hey! i said i'll go with you," her eyes widened for a split second, snatching her arm back out of his grip. "don't touch me, i don't even know you. why the fuck are you doing all of this anyway? you don't even know my name!"
"i told you to keep your voice down, don't you get it? if my mom or sisters find out i'm keeping a teenage girl inside of their house, i'm fucking done for. why am i helping you? because it's the right thing to do. i know that sounds stupid, but so does your name, celine," so it turned out he did know her name, after all, her eyes widening and her pupils glistening upon hearing it. he let out a nervous chuckle, and through it, a smile. it seemed real enough. it was better than eli's, that was for sure.
"we should go before it gets too late, come on, loser," she turned toward the windowsill, her fingers pulling the glass up and her right arm extending out to him. usually, she wouldn't give people such pleasures, but it seemed he did care for her. and through that cold and thick heart, celine did appreciate that. he took her hand in his, and they both snuck out for the evening.
if it was so bad to smoke, she could hold off for a couple of hours. after climbing out the window, celine sat in the yard and picked the leaves off of her sweater. it was notorious for being a surface for things to stick to, that being said, she had let go of his hand immediately after getting out.
the girl bit her tongue, refraining from bringing up how he did hold her hand in the end. celine picked at the grass, hoisting herself up, without saying a word, she started walking down the sidewalk, her hands behind her back as she took each step. she heard another set of footsteps pick up behind her and then a shoulder knocked into hers.
"oh, my bad, you just walk so slow." august stuck his tongue out, bumping her again before running backward, away from her. he soon turned around, leaving her to run after him, "maybe it's because your legs are so small," celine bit her lip, sure she could outrun him if she tried.
they made it to one of the lights, cars whizzed by when it flickered green. celine leaned against one of the trees that grew just off the sidewalk, her crimson eyes focused on the blur of colors, "my legs..." she took a breath, "aren't small-" she tended to make things into competitions, wanting desperately to gain praise, but her eyes wouldn't leave the flashing lights.
so many cars were driving past her, the wind from their tires blew her hair away from her neck, cold. celine tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, turning to see august was looking past the cars at the sky, she leaned forward and pushed his shoulder, "you're it." her face held a smile for a frame before she turned around and jogged down the sidewalk.
only a moment later, she felt a hand on her shoulder, celine turned around and pushed her bottom lip out, "you must've cheated," she said, exasperated, putting the stress on u in must've. august laughed a little, shaking his head, it had been pretty easy to catch up to her.
"i didn't cheat, but i'll let you tag me since you'll never be able to catch up to me." she rolled her eyes, sliding her shoulder away from his grasp and pushing one of her fingers into his chest, trying her best to get away, "i'll give you a head start too!" august called after her, watching as celine tucked herself behind a tree.
his feet made prints in the snow created by the chilly weather. in reality, it was springtime right now. however, it seemed that even with the sun showing itself often, the snow remained. his green eyes stuck behind the spectacles examined the world around him.
you might ask yourself why he was focusing on such menial things when there are others to look for? for example, celine, where was she. if you ask yourself this question, then there's a quick answer. his hand pushed her shoulder, her small figure hid behind a tree, yes, but he had seen where she had gone. "you're it!"
"how'd you-!" she couldn't waste time, he was already halfway across the park at this point, his laughs echoing throughout the city. she couldn't help but smile at his laughs, her feet pushing her forward after august. a hand reached out to tap his back, she was so close! she was so focused on what's in front of her, she never focused on the world below her.
her right foot tripped over a wooden log, the girl letting out a yelp as her face was about hit the snowy tundra. august's hand caught her right arm, flashes of the future came to her. she felt her entire life in front of her, his brown mop of hair, and his emerald-colored eyes were replaced. albeit for a split second, his hair had turned snowy like her own, and his right emerald eye had turned as crimson as hers. "are you okay?" his voice rang out to her.
oww, her head swam as a pile of snow dropped from her head back onto the ground, celine rubbed her head and looked up. things seemed to be back to normal, her breathing sped up as she stumbled back, trying to squirm away from him, "who... who are you?"
the question struck him as odd, the small girl splayed out in the snow in front of him had a right to know. august ruffled his hair, pulling his arm back and trying to smile, "you got me." he meant the game of tag, celine laid back, exhaling sharply.
all the running had made her more than tired, but a rush of happiness glided through her system. it was so easy to change moods, "that means i win." she whispered, feeling the snow next to her move. august had sat down beside her, not worrying about getting his pants wet from the melty white.
"yeah, i guess i can let you win this time." his eyes were drawn to her, except her eyes were closed. he noticed her legs were glowing red from the cold, so he reached out to keep them warm with his hands, pulling back after realizing how she had reacted before. still, the skin was soft and she didn't seem to realize.
"what do you mean, i won." celine sat up suddenly, a scowl on her face. she didn't seem to know that he had gone to touch her frozen skin. the girl pushed him into the snow, sitting on her knees and reaching over him to grab handfuls, "now, will you face me like a man in this game of war?"
he rolled backward, his brown hair turning as white as the snow they were sitting on. he caught on to what she had been doing, making balls with the snow over the grass, throwing it at her chest and arms. a subtle way to signal to her to avoid the face. celine sat herself up, slapping the snow out of the way before it could hit her.
with lots of ammo ready to attack him, it seemed like there were bullets, the way they were thrown, they were just as fast as them. laughing happily, he ran for a tree, his covered back getting bombarded. there had to be some way to get back at her, he thought, she seemed relentless, however. "you can run but you can't hide loser!"
an imaginary light bulb transfigured over his hair, a finger tapping her shoulder from behind, causing her to turn for a second, "huh?" she asked herself, maybe it was her imagination. upon spinning back around to the tree he had been hiding behind, she was tackled to the floor once more. he held the back of her white hair, making sure she wouldn't get hurt upon crashing to the ground.
"no fair! how can you do that anyway?" august shrugged at her question with a cheeky smirk, petting her head, he slid his phone out of his pocket and looked at the time. his back turned to her, of course. it was only 8.
"well, we still have some time before we should head back. are you hungry-" his eyes shot back down to his device, it reminded him of what she said earlier. her phone was taken. luckily, being the son of a ceo isn't all that bad. "don't you need a new phone?"
her palms stung, the powdery snow had gotten to her. she pushed her hair away from the snow, sure it was damp and would puff up when it dried, she wiped her hands in her skirt, inhaling and exhaling rapidly, "urm-"
celine wasn't sure how to answer the question, so she nodded, "i mean it's not that big of a deal." she had become more accustomed to losing her phone than actually having it. the problem came when her parents tried to contact her, she raised her fingers to her mouth, biting her nails.
the girl checked her pockets, realizing that her cigarettes were missing, her knees were shaking when she glared up at august. the boy tilted his head, she stuck her hand into his pocket but didn't get very far as he cut her off, "the first step is not having them-"
it might've been hard in the moment, her arms dropped to her sides as she bit her lip instead, "fine then," the metallic taste of blood swirled around, that's when she realized her lip was bleeding. august noticed it too, he put a hand on her back and helped her back onto the sidewalk.
"i guess we should go out to eat first." he mused, returning his arm to his side when she nodded in agreement. the two walked towards the intersection again, across the road was some fast-food restaurant she didn't recognize. the bell of the door and splash of warm air made her smile.
maybe it was a good idea, august stood in line while she picked out a table. the girl didn't see a lot of people in the restaurant, so she sat against the wall in one of the booths, leaning her head on her hand, he came over and set a tray down a couple of minutes later, a few fries poking out of his mouth.
"grossss, i've never once met a boy who can chew with his mouth closed." celine rubbed her hands together to keep warm, sliding one of the plastic soda cups towards her side of the table after, "honestly-" before she could continue her rant, august rolled his eyes and tossed a few fries towards her.
"at least i'm not a loser who drinks dr. pepper." he scoffed, tossing a few ice cubes from his drink into his mouth, "it's cherry coke." celine seemed offended as she drank half the cup in one gulp, but she was smiling.
once they were done eating, august held the door open to the apple store. celine slipped in, wowed by all the bright lights and tablets. she was busy playing trial games on some of the phones, and the boy who had arrived with her was trying to figure out which phone to get her, "hey-what phone did you have before?"
celine turned her head and shrugged, the straw from her drink still hanging out of her mouth. she swiped up on the screen and sighed, "it doesn't matter, i just need something that works." she walked towards the counter and put her elbows on the surface.
he nodded and they were soon back into the cold, she scooted closer to him to avoid the wind that swept past both of them. august held the sleek white bag from the store they had just left and tried his best to cover her while they walked home. the boy wasn't sure how he would explain being out all afternoon, it wasn't exactly his thing.
"i'm just saying, celi," the boy laughed, getting closer as their feet trudged them closer toward the apartment. his right wrist held a white bag from the apple store around it, humming to himself, she shook her head at the thought.
"I'm not trying anything other than cherry coke, and i'm not eating anything other than a burger..." some thoughts raced through her mind, her eyes shot down toward the cement below her. the pull of the fabric that covered his arm caused his movement to halt, his head turning to her and her snowy hair covering her face.
"is something wrong, celi?" he questioned, her grip on his arm starting to tighten, her voice stuttering as she struggled to get the words out. "uh, earth to off-brand female kaneki?"
"c-can we do this a-again tomorrow? i-i know i was kind of an asshole earlier... b-but you're my only real friend now. p-please?" he couldn't help but smile through everything she said, the air starting to give a chill down her spine, her arms shivering covering her chest. he observed this, his hoodie sliding off his chest and being handed to her, pushing it over her body. way too big for her.
"of course, celi," august reassured, goosebumps forming all over his neck, reaching his hand out to her. her blood-red eyes stared at it, could she do it without letting go? her pinky wrapped around his, using the dark hood of the sweater to cover her tomato-red face.
"yeah, well whatever." she quickly pulled her hand back into the sweatshirt pocket and turned her head, "i should say thank you." celine inhaled, trying not to say something rude instead, "i had fun today, that's all." the girl tried to stay quiet as they made their way back to the section of the road they had to cross. the yard they had laid in was covered with a new blanket of snow.
fun. after thinking more about it, august decided it had been pretty fun. he didn't mind her attitude towards him in the beginning, she was obviously a very wary person. celine exhaled, watching her breath turn into mist in the air, bumping into him every so often.
the house wasn't far in front of them, she easily hoisted herself onto the windowsill before slipping inside, remembering that it was better for both of them if she stayed quiet. august followed suit a couple moments later, pushing the window down and looking at he closed door, "i suppose i'll let everyone know i'm back."
what he didn't say was, 'i doubt they even noticed i was gone.' celine took the bag from him, dumping the contents out onto the floor. she tried her best to put together her new phone, muttering about how she wanted her old sim card. it was probably impossible, he had already left the room.
once she got signed into things, the girl slipped the phone into her pocket. celine hadn't gotten to wear someone else's clothes before, much less a sweatshirt. a boys sweatshirt, she bit the inside of her cheek, pulling the hood over her messy, platinum hair and pulling the strings.
august opened the door to see her pressed against the wall, the sleeves of his hoodie pushed against the bottom of the hood itself. the boy walked forward a couple of steps, unsure if she was even there, then he noticed her boots and the laces on the floor. he tapped her head and watched as her head moved back, her eyes peeking through the space between the fabric, "you're in the clear for now."
he held out a plate and set it on the counter when she didn't take it. they had just eaten, but his family was nice enough to save him a plate of what they had for dinner. celine watched as he sat on the bed, "are you alright?" she glowered at him, still unsure about why he was helping her.
if there was one thing you didn't ask someone, it was if they were okay. celine retracted from her hiding place, her hand on the wall so she didn't tip over, "yeah." her voice sounded smaller than she remembered, she just remembered her best friends eyes and how scared they had looked, "i'm fine."
he patted the space next to him, making sure his arm was stretched out enough so she wouldn't feel pressured to sit close, "it's not easy to trust someone you just met." august tried not to smile, "but you're the one who asked to stay with me." he watched as she leaned back, pressing her teeth together.
after a couple minutes, celine moved towards the bed, smoothing the sheets down before she sat. her hands were hidden by the dark fabric, as was her skirt, "i didn't know anyone." she admitted, "moving will do that, at least i knew your name." the girl looked over, propping her boots on the bed frame.
it didn't look like he had realized, "you mean-" she nodded, angling her eyebrows downward, it was like she was daring him to say something else. august raised one of his hands, "i don't suppose you'd want to get to know each other?" while her red eyes showed curiosity, she shook her head.
"id rather keep the past in the past." celine said under her breath, combing through her hair with her fingers afterwards, "you know my name, what else is there to know about me?" it was a serious question, but it was easier when they only knew what she looked like.
"maybe where you came from?" august tried, watching as her face formed a frown, "or who you are." his words struck her, celine looked at her legs, watching as her hands reached over to keep them warm, "who are you..."
her eyes filled with tears and she tried to wipe them away before they blew her cover, "maybe this was a mistake." celine stood up, one of the sleeves of his sweatshirt went limp and her arms were free. she soon pulled the thing off, dumping it onto the floor and dusting off the sweater she had under, "you don't want to know who i am."
"but-" celine moved the piece of clothing over to him with her foot, shaking her head, "it's not like you have anywhere else to go." the girl balled her hands into fists and she was suddenly right in front of him, her eyes shining with rage.
august blinked, he scooted back, "you don't know that." she said quietly, trying not to lose her temper, "you don't know anything about me." celine pointed to herself, "i'm just some girl you thought you could help." she laughed, rubbing the bridge of her nose to prevent a headache, "how are you supposed to help me."
he didn't want to answer the question, she seemed pretty livid, even if she was acting calm right then. august opened his mouth to speak, finding that no words fell out, she raised an eyebrow, "nobody can help me." her voice resonated, she was just feeling sorry for herself, "which is why it makes me so pissed off to see you try."
that part didn't make sense to him, he held his hand out to catch her fist, the punch was weak, like she wasn't actually trying, "why?" celine looked up, wrestling her hand back before throwing a few more punches. tears threatened to spill down her cheeks, she climbed into the bed, throwing her fists down onto his hands.
"how do you think i feel?" it was hard to understand her through all the tears, "i'm putting you in the same danger i'm in!" celines shoulders shook, she leaned on her forearms, above august. his eyes widened as tears fell onto his cheeks and rolled off, "i'm so fucking selfish."
it was easy to see where she was coming from, "it's so hard to trust you-" she sniffed, opening her eyes to stare at him, "but i wouldn't forgive myself if you got hurt." celine didn't even bother blushing, it was true.
august leaned back on his elbows, lowering his hands. she pulled back, swiping the sleeve of her sweater across her eyes, "there's no reason for me to be alive if i can't help people." he said bitterly, turning his head to see the girl who was kneeling on the bottom half of the bed.
"that doesn't change anything, you are currently breathing and alive!" celine exhaled angrily, "you're worth so much by just being here." she watched as the boy stared at her, it didn't look like he was really hearing her words.
"and here you are, helping me," he said, learning back so his head hit the pillow at the edge of his bed, "i cant even do that." celine blinked rapidly, using her palms to push herself up, she set her hands on his knees and peeked over to see his face, "you can leave if you want, i get it."
he wasn't even looking at her, she shook her head, "i don't want to leave anymore, you were right." as much as she didn't want to admit it, there was nowhere else she would be welcome, "youve helped more than you know-" her words were cut off when his arms wrapped around her small frame, she was suddenly breathless and her face went beet red.
celine breathed shakily, trying to regain what little composure she still had, "what're you doing-" he only held onto her tighter, bringing her closer to him, "i don't really like hugs." it seemed impossible to squeeze out of the situation.
"thank you." the whisper barely registered in her ears, august moved his hand towards her head, angling it down so her forehead hit his shoulder. celine decided it wasn't all bad, "not a lot of people tell me i should value my life." she finally put her arms around his shoulders, shaking her head.
while it was confusing and mildly embarrassing, she felt as if she had made a friend, "everyone should value the life they've been given." celine felt the bed frame against her fingers, "all life is precious."
as her words dipped between whispers, he pulled back and tried to snap out of the slump he had been in, august brushed some hair away from his eyes, realizing she was still holding her hands behind his head, celine looked up at him, "say it." he blinked back at her, flushing slightly, she just repeated herself, "say it!"
confused, he asked what he was supposed to say, "all life is precious." celine bit her lip, keeping her head up and eye contact, no matter how red her face was getting, "if you say it, it might help you believe it." august smiled, letting out a little laugh, he reached forward to fix her collar.
it had flared out in the commotion, but was an easy distraction so he didn't have to stare into her eyes. the red marbles swirled with so many emotions, so intense that he couldn't focus on anything, "all life is precious." august grabbed onto the white fabric, pulling forward and then yanking it back into place, before looking back up, "all life is precious."
a knock sounded at his door, "august?" the boy cleared his throat, glancing at celine. her eyes widened before she looked around the room, while there were plenty of hiding spots, she didn't exactly want to be uncomfortable. the girl decided to sit behind the dresser that was in the back of the room.
one of the girls from before entered the room, she flicked the lights on and glared at her brother, "stop talking to yourself and go to sleep, you've got school tomorrow, loser." it was nice to know she cared about his sleep schedule. before he could annoy her further, she left. august shot celine a smile, she gave him a half smile back, trying to fight the red covering her face.
"you have to go to school tomorrow?" she reminded him of a puppy, whining when their owner left the room. she stood up from behind the dresser and rubbed her eyes, "it's so boring when you're not here.." she bit her tongue, not wanting to embarrass herself further.
august hopped off the bed, "yeah, but the weekend is right around the corner." he pulled a couple things out of his drawer, walking over to her. when she didn't hold out her hands, he grabbed them and set the clothes inside, "the shower is in the bathroom." celine's grip on the clothes tightened as she started towards the bathroom.
"i will be locking the door." the girl tipped her head to the side before slamming it. the lock did click into place a few moments later, august leaned against the door, listening to the water as it turned on and hit the bathroom floor. he pulled back from the doorway, grabbing some things from the dresser and changing into them himself.
it was going to be a ride for sure, the short tempered girl in his bathroom was not only completely clueless, but she was getting cuter by the hour. he pressed his ear to the door, a light humming came from under the noise of the water, when he started to snicker it stopped abruptly and the water turned off, "you-"
before she got to finish her sentence he burst out laughing. august could almost see her standing on the other side, her face growing redder by the second as water dripped from her hair. celine huffed behind the door before drying off. she quickly opened the door, a short sleeved shirt over her body, it covered past her waist and the pair of shorts she had on was too big for her hips, "jerk."
he laughed again at the end of her sentence, water ran down her leg because of her rush to get out of the bathroom, "well you must be tired." celine scowled, she was used to being alone in her apartment, it was almost dizzying to have someone around again, "you took up the whole bed last time, so you can sleep on the floor-"
whether it was a joke or not, he was gone by the time she got up in the morning. celine combed through her platinum hair after searching through all the cabinets in the bathroom. the sum total of her search was an almost empty bottle of glass cleaner and an extra roll of toilet paper, apart from the comb and a half full thing of cologne that smelled like the inside of a suit store.
it was difficult to sit in front of a screen for the rest of the day, the girl glanced back at the door every couple of minutes, she couldn't help but turn off the tv and grab one of the fluffy pillows from the other side of the couch. celine rolled onto her back, holding up the feather filled bag before letting it fall onto her chest.
she was still wearing the comfortable clothes august had lent her, even if skirts were more refined, it wasn't all bad to have the smooth fabric covering her legs, celine must've fallen asleep because she woke up to someone shaking her, "what're you doing?!" it was the boy she had been thinking about, he seemed panicked and in a hurry to get her up.
"nnn… what are you talking about…" celine felt his left arm under her knees and his right under her arms, she opened her eyes and rubbed them with her hands, peering up at his green ones that were flicking from the door to his room and the front door, "i just took a little nap."
august closed the door with his foot, trying to be as quiet as possible, he set her down on the bed and watched as she cozied up to the pillow she had been holding, "yeah, taking a nap- in the living room." he sounded upset with her, but it wasn't exactly her intention, "anyone could've walked through that door, they could of seen you."
"but they didn't." celine interjected, raising a hand, "you did-" she pointed a finger at him, her eyelids drooped from the sleepiness and her arm dropped a couple inches, "just a couple more minutes." a second later, when her eyes opened again, the boy was sitting on the far side of the bed, head in his hands.
she sat up, poking his arm through the sweatshirt he was wearing, "what's wrong?" august shook his head, it was obviously more than he was letting her see, "you dealt with my whole fit yesterday, didn't you?" her voice filled the room, a sweet but sharp tone, with eyes to match.
"you were right." he let a bitter laugh escape his mouth, it wasn't what she was used to, "how did i ever fathom being able to help someone like you." celine drew back, her hand still in midair when he turned to face her, "because the truth is, things die eventually. no matter how hard you try, they always die."
the sudden change in his mood made her confused, he pushed back his hair with his right hand, exhaling through his nose and shaking his head. celine smelled the cologne, it made her scrunch her nose up, "still-" the edge of her voice held fear, an emotion he could easily grab onto. she took a deep breath, "isn't it valued while it's still alive?"
his answer scared her, "sometimes." august stood up, crossing his arms and turning to look at her, "why would you be here otherwise? do your parents not care enough?" celine exhaled, her shoulders falling, "do you not have any actual friends here?" another blow hit her directly, "or did you think you could help? the boy who has everything but still wants more."
maybe it was one of those reasons, it probably was, celine picked herself up, she lowered her head so she didn't have to look at him. there was no reason to put up a fight, she had already made peace with the fact that he was right, "i really thought you wanted to know who i was." august's emerald eyes widened when he heard her words, it didn't make him any less upset, but it made him realize that he wasn't upset with her.
by the time he realized that, the window was already open and the small girl had already left, as quickly as she had arrived. celine dropped onto the grass below the window, a cold wind hit her face as she bent down to sit in the dirt. her back was pressed against the wall and her knees were pulled to her chest. it wasn't easy for the tears to start flowing, but she thought it was an appropriate reaction.
a couple seconds later she heard a thump from inside and a concerned shout from somewhere else in the building. celine leaned her head against the concrete, surprised when she came face to face with the boy she had just left a second ago. his face softened when he saw hers, upside down, "i'm sorry-" she bit the inside of her cheek, wondering if he actually meant it, "i realized it's not you i'm mad at."
august pulled back, he held onto the railing before hoisting himself out the window to sit next to her, "then who are you mad at?" her question came as soon as he sat down. little flecks of snow were parading from the sky, dropping onto blades of grass and the leaves on trees. he saw her piercing red eyes following the tiny snowflakes.
it wasn't always easy to figure out the cause of one's anger, so he said the first thing that came to mind, "the world," celine picked a leaf off of one of the plants nearby, staying quiet so he could explain, "nothing about it is fair, it's random and spontaneous, of the world were a person i would happily punch it." that made her smile, the tears had been piling up, ready to be dropped, but she blinked them back.
"well i've never gotten an apology this fast before." she said quietly, taking a handful of newly formed snow in her hands. they stung instantly, remembering the freezing cold, "i have no reason not to forgive you, the world isn't exactly fair to me either." celine rounded the powdery snow into a ball and set it on the dirt, collecting more.
august watched her nimble fingers situate the snowballs on top of one another, a tiny snowman was born in a couple of seconds. once it was done, she looked at him, a smile elapsing over her entire face, "now, will you be a dear and grab me two sticks? small ones-" he didn't need to be told twice, the sudden order pushed him out of his trance and he turned to the bush next to him.
in a matter of time, the snowman had two small arms, courtesy of august and the bush filled with thorns adjacent to him. celine had found some red berries to set on top as eyes, "c'mere-" she pushed herself up, grabbing the snowman roughly and walking towards the street. the boy blinked, watching as she set the snow onto the sidewalk before kicking it across.
"what was that for?" he looked at the, now dead, snowman that was smeared against the road. the sticks had been buried by the slush on the sides of the road and the berries looked deflated, "that man had a family." august said dramatically, walking over to the curb, hands in his pockets, "and i didn't pique you for the type to murder."
she rolled her eyes before focusing them on the boy in front of her and then to the snowman, "honestly?" he awaited her response, "i made that snowman as a voodoo doll, guess it didn't work." august painted his face with mock concern, which made celine start to giggle, "oh! i forgot to get some blood off you, remind me next time."
just as it seemed like things were coming together, august had, seemingly, been forgiven and celine wasn't too upset about anything, a rapping sound came from the window. his face fell, emma was standing in his room, she didn't bother to pull the window up, she just glared at them from her spot. the white haired girl just stared back, raising one of her hands in response to the rapid knocking.
"god, you have our attention already-" august muttered, glaring back at the window. she started to talk, but didn't notice that they couldn't hear her, he shook his head, "let's just get out of here." celine assumed that emma was asking who she was, a random girl was standing in the yard outside their house, still. she quickly agreed, tipping her head to the side and giving the girl in the window her, 'sorry' eyes.
celine smushed more snow beneath her boots, watching as it covered the laces and chilled her, "see, you were outside and she still went crazy, imagine if we had still been inside." august shivered just thinking about it, while his sisters could be chill, they were almost the best at jumping to conclusions, "here, i forgot i grabbed this-"
she quickly found warmth in the sweatshirt he slipped over her head, it was the same as before and let the shorts she was wearing peek out. the girl nodded as thanks, placing her hands insimy row de the pocket, august tried to keep his eyes ahead, they had no destination, but it was still nice to just walk, "i am sorry. for saying all that stuff, it's none of my business anyway." he snuck a glance at celine, her eyes were on the cracked sidewalk.
"it's whatever." people didn't usually allude to her parents not caring, but it was something she already knew about, "things usually blow over anyway, i wasn't even that mad." celine didn't mention how mad he had been, instead she knocked her head against his shoulder, "plus, i forgive you. maybe i needed to hear it from someone else to accept it."
"i know that feel for sure," he muttered under his breath. that sentence held so much meaning to it, why did his apology matter to her? if it were someone else would she not have accepted it? what was she feeling under that nonchalant mask of hers? it doesn't matter, he thought, as long as she's here... i'm okay. his arm went over to cover her right rubbing it as she rested her head on his shoulder.
hah
their destination was one celine was unknown to, it seemed that august had an idea though. they had spent 10 minutes walking and talking with one another, it wasn't that chilly outside so he just stuck his hands into his pockets walking in the road while she was on the sidewalk. while they had made up after the whole weird debacle situation, she still did have some questions. for example, "remember that thing you did when you... 'teleported' us to your room when i was sleeping in the living room?" august nodded, his emerald eyes staring at the road that had piles of snow on the side, watching as the cars passed by his face. "how'd you do that?"
"it runs in my family, it's this power we all have, and my other friends have it too. they're superhuman abilities that our mothers and fathers passed through our genetics. i don't know much about my powers but my younger sister can stop time, use super speed, control light... and teleport. my older sister can control ice, water, teleport and she has superhuman strength. for some reason, they've had no trouble controlling their abilities. me on the other hand, i can control sound to an extent and teleport. that's about it," it was a reasonable explanation, one that she didn't seem to believe at first once she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. her face held the look of contemplation, and a tiny bit of confusion. that did answer how his father got so rich, though.
her lips parted like she was about to say something, but no words exited her throat, only astonishment at the landmark in front of her. the eiffel tower, her silver hair, his brown locks, they flowed in the wind in sync as they stared up at it together. even beyond death, they would admire the sight of this beautiful place. but that's for the future, the dark grim future that lies ahead. now was not the time for such debates, though, now... was the time to have fun.
she couldn't stop looking at the structure that stood in front of her, so tall it made her skin prickle, "it doesn't get any less pretty, no matter how many times i look at it." celine shook her head, watching as she last bits of sun shone across the top before fading away completely. she was almost embarrassed that such a thing could grasp her attention so much. august looked over at her, surprised at how bright her eyes looked. it took a couple seconds, but she finally looked away.
"totally. i think it almost gets prettier." the boy flushed slightly, then he walked further down the sidewalk, only stopping when he didn't hear her behind him, "how about we get something to eat, i bet you're starved." celine blinked, then she nodded, it didn't sound like such a bad idea. it wasn't too late, some of the restaurants were probably still open. she pushed her eyebrows together before walking towards him.
she wasn't about to ask if she could hold his hand, it was stupid. they were approaching the circle of restaurants anyway, most of them had their lights off, except for the twenty four hour institutions. august rubbed the back of his head, his eyes were focused on surveying the area. celine folded her arms, they were friends, she was just thinking things she shouldn't.
a couple steps and they would be in the center of everything, a tall lamppost stood inches away from the girl, she reached forward as the light spread across her arm. august had chosen somewhere for them to go, so he tapped her on the shoulder and motioned over to the building, "it's basically the only thing open." celine pushed her eyebrows together in a disapproving way, but still went inside when he opened the door.
people were scattered across the place, more than enough tables were open. august went ahead to order something while she sat down. the plush, red colored seat was next to one of the windows. celine watched the lights that were strung across the air, as it got darker, the lights shone brighter. the boy came back a couple minutes later, he slid a plastic cup towards her, the straw came after, "thanks."
she mumbled, tearing off the paper that kept the straw inside the wrapper. once the red and white straw was free, she pushed it through the lid and shook the cup around, "wow, well you're welcome." celine bit the inside of her cheek, fully aware that he was making fun of her. she shoved the straw into her mouth so she didn't have to talk, the girl sunk down in her seat, scowling at him with her eyes.
the silence didn't last long, august tore his straw open, flicking the wrapper across the table, celine was working on folding hers up, they both got bored after a while. she looked up, her cup on the table so she could still drink her cherry coke, "maybe we should get back now. i wasn't even that hungry."
he didn't say anything, all he did was nod. celine held her phone in her hand, staring at her reflection. the screen lit up and she almost dropped it, the phone started buzzing rapidly, her parents. the girl felt her stomach drop, all they did was worry over the phone. they complained that the apartment looked like she had been gone for awhile, so she explained why she had to leave, "im staying at a friends house."
"and how long did you think that would keep you safe?��� their tone bit through her skin. she turned her head upward, stealing a look at the boy as he rolled over. he was fast asleep so she crept towards the bathroom, inching inside before she gave an answer.
"not very long. it's only been like three days- i didn't know what to do!" her words came out fast, "you were gone and i didn't want them to hurt you either." a wave of tears crashed against her crimson eyes, falling onto the shirt she was wearing, "can you just pick me up already?"
it took a couple of hours, but she was shaking august's shoulders, "what- what? what's wrong?" he sat up, leaning against the wall so he didn't fall, "are you okay?" her phone buzzed and she wiped her tears.
"i'm fine. my parents secured the house so i can go back." celine forced a smile, they weren't supposed to be back from their trip yet. she inhaled shakily, "thanks, i'm sure they'll make me bake you some cookies or something." she seemed slightly dejected as she grabbed her things.
the girl lifted his hand with hers and helped it over her head, he still seemed a little sleepy, "head pat." she said quietly before stepping towards his bedroom door. it was still pretty early, she watched him narrow his eyes, unsure if it was real.
she gave him a wave and exited the room, hurrying out into the black car that held her parents. celine cringed when she heard about going back to school, it was quite possibly the last thing she wanted to do, "you need to further your education. we're going to take a break so we can look after you."
of course they meant from far away, using other people. she looked out the window, watching as large raindrops hit the roofs of cars before sliding onto the sidewalk, she gave a mandatory, "okay." and waited until they were home.
her parents lived above her, making sure they knew who came in and out of the building. celine didn't have a lot of friends over anyway, it seemed like a waste of her time. the girl dropped onto her bed, it was larger than she needed and always seemed to swallow her up.
a couple new sets of clothes were packed into her wardrobe, probably gifts from when they went abroad. she didn't think she'd wear any of them. three large windows sat on the opposite side of her bed, and two small couches were pressed between them. she squinted at the light that filtered through the blinds, she would have school tomorrow.
"i was sick." celine flushed, watching as some of the students stared at her, "i'll happily complete the work i missed." her schedule was still a mystery and she wanted to cry every time she thought about valery, which made her think about smoking.
she sat in one of the bathroom stalls, pushing the end of one to her mouth. the small room was quickly filled up with smoke, it was gray and stuck to the walls. celine pushed herself up and hurried to open a window, bits of the cigarette fell off before she dumped it in the trash. it made her feel so much better.
the girl sat with a group of people she barely knew at lunch, they talked about people she didn't care about. celine pushed the lollipop out of her mouth as she continued to survey the lunch room like a hawk. everything moving came into her sights, especially when she saw someone she knew, someone she wanted to see.
he was holding the strap of his backpack, looking worried. before celine tried to wave him down, someone put a hand on her shoulder, "hey-" the girl turned around and came face to face with someone's blue eyes, "i heard you were totally sick, i'm glad you're feeling better."
she opened her mouth and then closed it, unsure of what to say, "thanks eli. i felt like shit for the days i was gone, but it's the start of the year, i don't think i missed that much." celine managed a laugh, watching as he continued to make eye contact with her, "is something wrong?"
eli quickly shook his head before backing away. some of the other girls had made room for him, they started whispering to each other, "your eyes just look different." she blinked, then she remembered her contacts, it explained a lot, celine brought her fingers up to cover one of them, "they're really red..."
"fuck- i usually wear contacts." she lowered her head, sure she had some in her bag, "my parents insisted when i entered middle school, but now i get it." she smiled slightly, then began digging through her backpack.
"well i don't think you need them." she stopped and looked up, "you're really pretty without them." celine grabbed her plastic water bottle and took a drink, it helped the redness go down, "i feel like you're different, more animated. i'd love to hang out some more."
she nodded, then lowered the bottle. celine secured the cap around the top and watched as he gave her a couple more pieces of paper, "for the days you were gone." his eyes seemed to smile at her as he got up and walked away. the girl couldn't say anything, even when the girls around her asked.
it was difficult, putting in contacts. celine decided that her red eyes made her look funny, so she made sure to put them on. it explained why people had been staring, the girl dumped the notes onto the bathroom counter, making sure it was clear.
'i hope you made it to all your classes, here's my schedule if you ever wanna meet up at school!'
'i didn't see you in school yesterday, i hope nothing bad happened. i hope you didn't just disappear on us.'
'maybe something's happening, i just hope i get to see you again. this is probably stupid, but if someone did this for me i'd feel better.'
'i heard the rumors from some freshmen, it's so great that you're feeling better. we can catch. up when you're free.'
they made her nervous, his schedule was attached to the first one and she couldn't help but take the scraps of paper and place them into her pocket. celine stopped by her locker next, surprised to see that the hallway was clear of basically anyone. she banged on the green metal twice before sliding the lock up.
the girl set the papers on magnets, making sure they stuck to her locker door. celine admired his handwriting before hurrying off to her next class. since she had only seen two of them, but hadn't attended any the first day, it was a little tricky.
they probably wouldn't take the, i got lost, excuse. the short girl stopped in front of one of the doors, she hurried inside and pulled on her sweater before sitting down. with her contacts in, nobody she didn't know really paid her any mind.
"pst-" a harsh sound came from the other side of the wall. in her computer class they were usually separated by a wall so they could concentrate. celine pushed the headphone away from her right ear, listening harder, "you're there right?"
she didn't know who was speaking, or if it was directed to her, "me?" the girl blinked, the blinking lights on her screen diverting her attention slightly. she placed her hands on the desk and propped herself up, almost running into someone in the process, "august?"
he shot her a smile, returning to his seat after he had been noticed, "i didn't know you took this class until you walked in." her eyes flickered towards the door, "why're your eyes all gray?" celine narrowed her eyes, not sure she wanted to explain things again. august didn't seem to fazed by it, so he leaned his head on his hand, "it doesn't matter."
"do you need something?" she found that she sounded slightly irritated. maybe uninterested, the girl grasped her mouse and peered over to see his computer, "you're screwing stuff up-"
before he could say anything, she hopped out of her seat and walked around to his side of the table. august watched as she used the mouse to correct some things, "i mean i just wanted to talk, but thanks." celine nodded, it seemed odd that he just wanted a conversation.
"i'm kind of busy, but there's always after class." her time turned professional, usually people asked her for things in those cases, she watched as his mouth formed an o, then curved upwards.
it was strange to see him smile, celine realized she hadn't really paid much attention. the girl sat back down in her seat, her head buzzing as she continued to work. when the bell rang she watched as the flood of students picked themselves up and exited the classroom, she grabbed her bag and headed towards the door as well.
"did something happen?" august asked, speeding up so he could catch her on the way out, "i kinda feel like you're avoiding me." celine blinked, she wasn't sure what he meant. the boy stopped in the hallway and she stopped too, "what i meant was, why'd you leave so abruptly?"
the girl exhaled, not really sure what to say. her parents had been insistent about her coming home, "i couldn't be more of a bother when i could go back." her eyebrows jutted downwards, then she noticed someone walking across the back hallway and her hand automatically raised into a wave.
her face softened into a smile when he turned towards her, waving back, "who's that-" august opened his mouth slightly as she explained, then he noticed that the figure was approaching them, "i don't know, celi."
celine bit her lip, almost ignoring him, "hey, i wanted to thank you. you know what for, they really made my day." august tilted his head, sort of confused, "oh, right, this is august, i met him on the first day of school."
"we're friends." the green eyed boy said instinctively, "still, it's uh-nice to meet you." celine clicked her tongue as she noticed the clock, her hands reached out to grab eli's arms, she looked unbearably carefree.
her red eyes flicked across the two, then she tightened her grip, "we should get going." somehow she had included eli, he felt like he had been pushed to the side, "your class is right next to mine if i'm not mistaken." celine tilted her head, smiling when the other boy nodded, "you should send me your schedule, august,"
he nodded, grabbing onto the strap of his backpack, "yeah. if i have time," had he been cast aside like some sort of fucking animal? after all he had tried to do to make her happy again, make her feel welcome, and she just threw it away like the bitch she was. it was so clear that she had favorited him more than he, and yet he had believes that what they had been through over the course of these days meant something. though what could he expect? it wasn't like she knew him longer and this parasite only one day, no, no. makes perfect fucking sense. "see you later." he whispered, and walked away without another sound exiting his mouth. except his own breathing making its way out of his nostrils. what else could he have expected?
the school day came and went as fast as a girl's hormones, switching between good and bad at every single chime of the clock. make sense? august rivera had some plans with his friends, his cousin, his best friend and his younger sister. who, on a side note, was really cute. but i digress. his eyes spotted a familiar whore- i mean white-haired female teenager leaning against a blue convertible sky blue mustang. she was indeed beautiful, of course, this girl was celine pierce. "hey!" he yelled out to her with the wave of a hand, to which the girl perked up her head and waved back at him. no sign of a smile on her lips. but then again, who cared? he had other plans.
"uh- hi!" august took this as a form of inviting him over to the car, to which he jogged on over. his friends, a red-eyed teenager in the driver's seat squinted upon seeing his friend go to the azure mustang. green eyes staring into her gray ones, he examined the car for a quick moment. it was pretty. though his was prettier. celine felt pretty awkward about the situation, confused on why he had come over to her. had he needed something that she took from his home on accident? turns out, he came to offer her an invitation,
"so, uh, i'm heading to beauce with some of my friends to get check out the countryside. we're gonna catch some food along the way, wanna come?"
celine exhaled, she continued to chew her gum before replying, "sure, sounds like fun." they weren't in elementary school anymore, but she still felt like she had been pity invited to his extravagant birthday party. The girl raised one of her eyebrows, blowing a bubble with the blue gum.
she grabbed her backpack from the back of the car and fixed the black shorts she was wearing, "when are you guys leaving?" the sun was wavering across the sky, an explosion of orange and yellow. her gray eyes flickered across the colors before resting on green. eli, who was behind her in the driver's seat, blinked expectedly.
"i thought we were gonna do something-" he said suddenly, rubbing the back of his head. celine turned to look at the wheat haired boy, her mouth slightly ajar, "but i have been taking up most of your time. forget i said anything." he laughed and she pushed her lip out, the girl had forgotten about their plans.
she leaned on the car again, her backpack hanging from her right hand, "no! i mean they're probably not leaving this minute, besides, you seemed really excited." celine started biting the nail of her pointer finger, she was a little nervous.
"if you don't want to come and go with this walking cliché then that's fine," august commented, in actuality, of course he hadn't minded if she chose to go with him or not. it was just a suggestion considering how much time they had spent over the past three days. he thought she'd want to spend more, considering how she seemed to like him more, "so what do you wanna do? i'm fine either way, celi,"
"i already said i'd go." she said awkwardly, the girl crossed her arms she felt like she was having two different conversations. something about the whole situation was pissing her off, "also, it's not even a choice. if you'd answer my question then i'd know if there was a conflict."
her red eyes narrowed, for someone who acted like he didn't care, he was being pretty stuck up. celine bit her tongue, trying to choose her words carefully, "what's the problem with me having other friends anyway? it doesn't mean i like you any less."
"don't assume there's a problem because i asked you to come with me. you can have other friends, and i know that doesn't mean you like me any less. you can even bring him if you want, we're leaving to go get some snacks and food then we're gonna head there. we're going in five minutes," august gave her a quick pat on the head and backed away toward his car before she could hit his hand away. all things considered, that went pretty well. unless she was just lying or something, but he doubted it.
"alright, alright, what'd she say?" the red-eyed teen that had once been seated in the driver's seat had now moved his ass over to the shotgun one. his name was beau edmund, and to the question that he had just asked, all that august could give was a shaking of his hand. though she said yes, he was still curious if she was actually going to come or not. all he had to do was wait.
pain hit her right in the head, the conversation had been giving her a headache, celine turned towards eli, giving him a sympathetic smile, "you get it, don't you?" she asked, anger bubbling through her system, it faded away in a matter of seconds and left her tired.
"i think he's nice, maybe you should give him three benefit of the doubt." she exhaled and grabbed her contact case from her backpack. he watched as she took out the murky gray lenses, "there we go, super pretty." his smile made her feel better in a couple of seconds.
celine dropped into the seat next to him and started to rant for the time she had left, "he basically avoids you- like the plague. maybe you should come." she paused, "it would be really nice to have you there." she had her backpack in her lap, he turned to face her, still smiling.
"if that's what you really want, i don't think he dislikes me..." eli bit his lip, she took a shaky breath in, "we just don't know each other yet." he set a hand on her head and rubbed her hair into her face, "either way, id be happy to join you."
back across the parking lot, a certain purple-eyed girl in the seat behind august's winced as she and the rest of the group witnessed the entire thing. it had been a convertible, remember? her name was mei rivera, his adopted cousin and a degenerate like him. her hands rubbed his shoulders and she stated, "that's rough buddy."
though even if it was obvious who she liked more, august kept his composure. eli and celine didn't seem to be heading over their way, so he assumed they would be following them in the car. so the green-eyed boy put the pedal to the metal and drove out of the school's parking lot, and a hand extended out of the backseat window. as a way to signal to them, follow us.
as august had told celine, he and his friends would be getting some snacks and food before they were to drive to beauce. luckily, the deli and the mcdonald's were very close to one another. beau, mei, and his sister were to get the snacks while him, eli and celi got out of their cars and ordered their food. though the emerald-eyed boy had assigned them to come here together, he wasn't even speaking, his headphones had been neatly situated over his ears as he waited for his turn in line. "i have an idea."
eli's feet skid across the floor toward the brown-haired boy, sweat dripping down his face like it was 100° outside and he was about to explode. august's head turned toward him, they were about the same height, though he had been taller than rivera by a few more inches. the duo together were both taller than celine individually, now was their time to get to know one another and become friends. and not hate each other over some girl. hopefully it would go well.
the wheat haired boy glanced back at the girl who was keeping their spot in line. she pulled her phone out and let them be, adding herself to the equation didn't seem like a good idea, "we've been introduced, but i don't think i've actually talked to you."
he pushed a hand through his hair, waiting for the air conditioning to hit him. eli blinked, he had already figured things out, "so," while he was usually good at talking to people, august seemed sort of closed off, "celine huh? i don't think she's really mad at you, she can be really prideful, especially when she thinks she's right."
august read his lips, and sighed just knowing he had said something about the girl that was behind him. though he hadn't heard him because he hadn't shed the headphones off from shooting music into his eardrums, he did that once he read eli's lips. "listen, man, i'm going to be honest, i don't not like you. okay? it's not your fault, you didn't do anything wrong. it's just really frustrating seeing the girl you like choose some guy over you when you haven't done anything wrong. i don't mean to be emotional about it, i won't get in your way if you like her, just leave me alone until after i eat,"
it was a lot to take in at the moment, eli hadn't anticipated something that… sweet? was that sweet? it seemed so oddly considerate, he hadn't expected that of him considering the way he was acting earlier at school. how to word his thoughts, how to do it.. "uh- thanks, i think…? that's surprisingly sweet coming from you. but, it's totally cool. i know how annoying girls can be at times, trust me, dude, she'll get over whatever she's feeling about you. and you'll get here. trust me, girls like rich guys more than they like… me. it's just a fact," august gave eli a firm nod of understanding, giving him a handshake seemed too weird or something. they weren't there yet, so he just patted the wheat-haired boy on the shoulder. and moments later, they were all back in their cars and on their way to beauce.
the blue colored car stopped moving eventually, celine was grumpy from driving and she had sunken into her seat. eli shook her shoulder lightly, "hey, would you apologize to him? for me-" she scowled at him through her hair, "c'mon pierce, he let me come didn't he?"
she exhaled haughtily, turning her eyes away from his, "why should i apologize?" celine rested her head on the window, it had been rolled down, "fine," she pulled the cigarette from her mouth and extinguished it, "i'll be back, after-uh-talking."
her red eyes blurred over the scene. the other car was parked near theirs, she felt beyond awkward just standing there, then she noticed august and tried to wave him over. celine pulled on her uniform sweater, "can we talk? i was just bitching earlier and-" the girl tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "and i don't want you to think i am a bitch."
august's eyes flickered towards the car, then back towards the white haired girl, "uhhh.." he quickly pushed his headphones onto his neck, "i mean sure, we can-" he stopped talking and started looking around, "walk."
she felt kind of embarrassed, her words kept zipping through her mind. celine inhaled, then she started raking her fingers through her tangled hair, "i realize that i jump to conclusions, a lot." a forced laugh made its way out of her mouth, "i'm just sorry."
"it's.. fine, i'm over it," august watched as the remainder of his friends exited the car, finding a good spot to lay so they can make s'mores. they had brought some logs of firewood out of the trunk that beau was carrying, celine admiring them as they had tried to find a legitimate way to light the flame. they soon had gone down and the moonlight shone on their heads.
"can i… can i tell you something?" his mind flashed with visions of the past, he had remembered what his father had told him like never to do. don't chase the girls, let them chase you. because that always works, but then aagi, celine was clearly unlike any other girl he had met. the blood-eyed teenage girl gave her friend a stern sure nod, whatever it was, it would surely be something good, right?
"i… really like you."
celine blinked, then she tilted her head to the side, "i like you too." a large smile spread across her face, "i should tell you that more often-i appreciate you august." it made her feel better, his nonchalant response from before made her feel guilty.
he felt her arms around his torso in a matter of seconds, "ah, yeah." he stopped for a couple moments, then shook his head. it was funny. august slowly hugged her back, laughing quietly, "thanks, i appreciate you too."
august didn't want to let go of her, mostly because she felt really soft and he felt warm in her arms. and she smelt really good but that's creepy so nevermind that part, but there was something he had been wanting to do since she had come out of the shower in his room. slap! his hand went once it tapped her behind. her face was engulfed by a bright red glow that covered her whole face, like a beet, she felt like she was going to explode.
"why'd you do thattt!" as she spoke, celine slapped him on the arm and over the head repeatedly to make sure he understood the point being made. but august had no regrets, if she hadn't reacted the way she did then it would've all but confirmed she didn't like him. he ruffled her white hair and stopped her hands before they could deal serious damage.
"hey dumbasses! we got the fire goin'! wanna make some s'mores or are you gonna fuck?" beau was his usual self, loud and obnoxious. both celine and august turned toward the origin of the voice then back at one another. had she really liked him? there had to be some sort of way to confirm it, no? and so he did, by holding her by her arms and pressing his lips upon her own. did she really like him?
celine scowled, s'mores would be fine, she craned her neck to look over at the blue convertible. eli was sitting inside still, the radio turned low. he had his legs propped up and his hair over his eyes, then her head turned to meet someone else's lips-the girl pulled back instinctively, feeling as her cheeks started to heat up.
"i-" anxiety bubbled below her facade, then it all came crumbling down, "what the hell-" she tried to keep her voice at a stable tone, but it wavered. his smile only widened when he realized something. celine balled her fists up, ready to attack again, but she was totally done for when he spoke again.
"that wasn't your first kiss, was it?" august's mouth curved into a half smile as he watched his future counterpart bite her lip. her eyes were zipping around, then she finally exhaled, not even realizing she had been holding her breath.
eli leaned his head out of the car to watch them and he raised his eyebrows when she shook her head, "no! what gave you that impression," her perfect white eyebrows angled downward, "but- but you can't just do that!"
he inhaled slowly, already trying to figure out who had taken another thing he had wanted. celine blinked, her eyes practically unreadable, the girl looked over at the fire, her appetite was gone. august watched as she walked towards the car, muttering something to eli before climbing in.
at first he was pissed, but then he watched as the light haired boy exited the blue convertible. august turned his head so he could see the fire, it engulfed his entire view, "she just had to think." eli said lightly, almost like he was smug about knowing something august didn't.
the blue eyed boy had walked in front of the fire, he sat on one of the logs and leaned forward. august couldn't help but worry that he had messed up, so he slid to sit down next to the other boy, taking a hand through his brown hair, "that's definitely code for i screwed up."
"maybe, maybe not." little sparks danced in eli's eyes, his face softened, "she's really something," he paused, "but i really think you still have a chance." that made august angry, the way eli had put an emphasis on still. it was almost as if the wheat haired boy was hinting that he had a leg up.
august clenched his fists, then he set them in his lap and turned towards the car, "well at least i kissed her." it was only for a fraction of a second, but it seemed like eli had started laughing. august quickly turned back, his eyes catching a blur of white hair, "what the fuck are you laughing about?"
"nothing- i think it would be better for celine to tell you herself." his lips pushed up into a smile, which only made august more upset, "i'll go check on her." before he could refuse, the tall boy stood up and walked towards his car where the red eyed girl was sitting.
the song from the radio spilled into the air, one of her favorite songs. august could hear the sounds of her humming as he slid off the log to sit on the floor. his friends looked over at him, seemingly confused, he shook his head. the boy couldn't focus on answering their questions.
slowly the humming was drowned out by other music that they had started playing up front. eli used his right hand to move the hair away from her forehead, "mnnn.." the girl turned her head, her eyes fluttered slightly. the boy smiled softly, she looked even cuter when she was sleeping.
"i don't wanna wake you up... but i should." eli's eyes glanced over her closed eyelids, then towards her lips that were slightly open, and finally the top of her shirt. celine cracked a smile, then her eyes opened completely. he opened his mouth, then frowned, "you weren't actually asleep?"
the girl dissolved into giggles, "i just-" he grabbed her face gently and rubbed his thumbs over her cheeks, "like when you do that." eli flushed, taking his hands back slowly. celine sat up in the seat and leaned forward, her eyes tinged with anxiousness.
he felt a shock go through his body when she reached out to touch his arm, "we should get back." eli didn't seem very convincing and he watched as her face pushed down into a frown. then she shook her head, "no, we are gonna go back."
celine's face dropped, she unlocked the door to the car and pushed the radio off. her eyes darkened as she stepped out onto the grass, "whatever." she seemed moodier than usual, so eli decided to let her be. he watched as she approached one of the benches that was further away from the rest. whilst he walked towards the group.
it was like he had been pushed away, though he hadn't known the girl for less than a week, he was thrown away. like some sort of pathetic doll you'd discard of seconds after you get a new superior one. though he couldn't let his emotions get the better of him, he couldn't let her actions seep into his mind and control him. like some sort of toy for her sadistic satisfaction. august heard crunches on the sand, his teeth seeping into the hard surface on top of the marshmallow and chocolate.
eli was coming toward the group, to no one's greeting, no one even said 'hi' to him. maybe it was some sort of bias, the way his younger sister glared at the taller boy, it was some sort of bias. though august had been focused on another thing, the girl that had been seated lonesomely at the bench. she seemed to shiver in the chill of the night, this was his chance to talk to her again. it was clear she had no feelings for him, but this was his chance to just speak with her.
rivera seated himself up from the grass in front of the logs of fire, hands wiped on his sweatpants. the azure-eyed eli reached out to pull the younger boy down, but his hand was slapped away by his cousin, mei. his efforts were useless. august reached the bench the silver-haired girl was seated on, she seemed so emotionless, so cold, so uninterested in anything around her. the more he looked, he saw the ugly inside of her.
"i don't know what i did, i hardly know if you're fucking listening to me, to be frank. but i'm sorry for whatever i did to you that made you dislike me so much, sorry for welcoming you into my home when you had no other one, and i'm sorry for making sure you had a bed to sleep on. i won't bother you anymore," celine had heard him loud and clear, at the time he said this, she couldn't care less. or so it seemed, her fingers reached to rub her eyes, his bottom stretching back from the bench and his feet pressing against the green floor. his work had been done, he needed to focus on more important things than a girl... she was unimportant.
celine looked down at her legs, then down to the boots she was wearing. they were covered with dirt from the walk over. the girl blinked, then she raised her head at that point she was done. she turned her head the other way and waited for him to walk off.
not everything was about him. sure she'd stayed at his house, caused trouble for him. celine thought they were friends, so it didn't make sense. why was he so pissed at her, why he seemingly hated whenever she got close to anyone else. she didn't make him kiss her, the girl felt tears welling up in her red eyes.
she sunk into her seat, not wanting to be there anymore. she was just so confused, between eli nudging her to be someone she wasn't and august pushing his feelings onto her. she just wanted someone who wanted to be her friend for a little longer, everyone seemed to leave sooner or later.
her face hardened, she pushed her forearm across her eyes and looked over at the fire. it's line of light only reached so far, she could see their faces, slightly illuminated. celine pulled her knees to her chest and frowned, she had to remember that not everything revolved around her either.