NINAThat night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. My phone buzzed on my night stand, and I picked it up to see Gracie's name flashing on the screen."Hey," I answered, my voice tired. You sound awful, Gracie said bluntly."Thanks, I said dryly, though I couldn't help but smile a little. What's going on? Gracie asked. "And don't say nothing."I hesitated before opening up about the fight with my mom. That sucks, Gracie said sympathetically. "But you have got your brother, right? And now you you've got me, too. You're not alone, Nina."Thanks, Gracie. I said softly. Anytime, Gracie replied. Now go to sleep, or you'll be a zombie tomorrow. And trust me, you don't want that look. I felt a small laugh escape me. "Goodnight, Gracie.""Night bestie.".......................................Another full week has passed since school started, and Zane hadn't shown up. I hated how much it occupied my thoughts. Every time I stepped into the hallways or entered a classroom, my eyes involuntarily scanned for him, only to find no trace.I shouldn't care. After all, he'd been nothing but cruel to me. But the more I tried to push him from my mind, the more questions arose. Where was he? Why wasn't he in school? Was it something serious? Not to mention, I needed him for our project. I'll have to ask the teacher if I could work on my own; since Zane wasn't fort coming.Gracie plopped down beside me at lunch, startling me out of my thoughts. "Hey, you okay? You're zoning out again.""Yeah, I'm fine," I replied quickly, poking at my sandwich.You've been weirdly quiet all week, Gracie observed, giving me a playful nudge. "Umm, this about Zane?"No!!!" I said too fast, my cheeks flushing. Gracie raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh, sure. Well, If you're wondering where he is, don't bother asking Malik. He's annoyingly tight-lipped about it.Malik, sitting across from us, looked up from his tray. "Because it's none of your business baby," he said with a shrug. "Oh, come on," Gracie whined, leaning towards him. "You can tell me.""Babe," Malik said firmly, "It's Zane's matter, and I'm not talking about it."Gracie huffed, folding her arms. "You're no fun." I tried to focus on their banter, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Zane. I didn't understand why I couldn't just let it go..........................................By the second week of school, I had started to settle into a routine. Without Zane's looming thoughts and presence, I found myself feeling less tense. Lisa, had packed up and returned to college that weekend, leaving me with a bittersweet ache. The house felt quieter without Lisa's chatter, but I tried to focus on the small victories, like surviving school without any major incidents.At lunch that day, I found myself laughing more than I had in weeks. I sat with Gracie, Malik, Luke, and a few of their other friends under the large oak tree in the school courtyard.Luke leaned back on his elbows, flashing me a smile. "So, how are you liking school so far?"It's... better, I admitted, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "I guess I'm starting to get the hang of things." Gracie smirked. Of course you are. You've got me, after all."And me," Luke added quickly, his grin widening.Malik shook his head. "And me too, apparently, even though no one ever acknowledges my contributions."Gracie rolled her eyes smiling, "You're literally just here to eat my fries."Everyone laughed, and I couldn't help but feel a warm sense of belonging. I wasn't used to this- a group of people who seemed to genuinely enjoy my company.As the lunch period ended, Luke walked with me back toward my next class."I'm glad you're settling in," He said glancing at me. "You are way to cool to be stuck feeling like the new kid forever." I smiled shyly. "Thanks, Luke. That means a lot.".......................................Saturday morning came too quickly, and with it, the dreaded goodbye. Reid's bags were already packed and loaded into the car, and I stood by the door, trying to hold back tears."You're going to be fine, you know," Reid said, ruffling my hair like he always did. "I won't be," I said, my voice trembling. "You're the only one who...who gets it. Who gets me."Reid sighed, pulling me into a hug. I know things aren't easy at home, he said softly. "But you're stronger than you think, Nina. And I'm just a call away, okay?"It's not the same, I whispered, clutching his shirt.Hey, Reid said, pulling back to look at me. "I'm proud of you. I know you've been through a lot, but you're still standing. That's something, alright?I nodded, wiping my eyes. "I'm going to miss you.""I'll miss you too, kiddo," Reid said, giving me one last squeeze before stepping into the car. As the car pulled away, I stood on the driveway, feeling the weight of his absence settle over me.That night, I curled up in bed, staring at my phone. I needed to talk to someone, and I knew exactly who to call. Gracie picked up on the third ring. "Hey, girl! What's up?"Nothing much, I said my voice quiet. "Liar," Gracie said immediately. "Spill"I smiled faintly, grateful for Gracie's bluntness. "It's Reid. He left for college today."Oh, Nina, Gracie said, her tone softening. That sucks. Are you okay?I don't know, I admitted. He's always been the one I could talk to when things got bad at home. Now it's just... me."Well, you've got me now," Gracie said firmly. And Luke, and Malik, and the rest of us. We're your family too, you know. "Thanks, Gracie," I said, my chest feeling a little lighter.Anytime, bestie, Gracie replied. Now, do you want to talk about it more or should I distract you with the latest gossip about Malik and his obsession with sneakers?I laughed, the sound feeling good after such a heavy day. "Tell me about the sneakers." And Gracie launched into the story.