Chapter 10: Shattered
I walked through the school hallways, my eyes scanning the crowds for Nia's familiar smile. We had plans to meet up during lunch, and I couldn't wait to see her.
As I turned a corner, I spotted Nia standing by her locker, chatting with a group of friends. My heart skipped a beat as I quickened my pace, eager to join her.
But as I approached, I noticed something off. Nia's smile seemed forced, and her eyes looked... haunted.
"Nia, hey," I said, trying to sound casual.
She turned to me, her expression faltering for a moment before she regained her composure.
"Hey, Johann," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
I frowned, sensing something was wrong. "What's going on?" I asked, my voice low.
Nia hesitated before speaking. "I... I need some space, Johann. I'm sorry."
My heart sank as I processed her words. Space? What did she mean?
"Nia, what's going on?" I asked again, feeling a sense of desperation creeping in.
But she just shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears. "I'm sorry, Johann. I need some time."
And with that, she turned and walked away, leaving me standing alone in the hallway.
I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. What had I done wrong?
The rest of the day passed in a blur as I struggled to focus on my classes. All I could think about was Nia, and why she needed space.
As I walked home, I felt a sense of emptiness wash over me. It was like I'd lost my anchor, my sense of security.
Little did I know, things were about to get a lot worse.
That evening, as I sat in my room, staring blankly at the wall, I heard a knock at the door.
It was Lude, his expression somber.
"Johann, we need to talk," he said, his voice low.
I shrugged, feeling a sense of apathy wash over me. "What's up?"
Lude hesitated before speaking. "Dad's here."
My heart skipped a beat as I processed his words. Dad? Lune Longstern? I hadn't seen him in years.
But before I could react, Lude continued. "We're going to have a family meeting. Mom, Dad, and I are all going to be there."
I felt a sense of trepidation wash over me. A family meeting? What did that even mean?
But as I looked at Lude, I saw the determination in his eyes. He was doing this for me, for our family.
I nodded, feeling a sense of resignation wash over me. "Okay."
The meeting took place in the living room, with Mom, Dad, Lude, and I all seated in a circle.
The tension was palpable as we all avoided eye contact. It was like we were all waiting for someone else to make the first move.
But then Dad spoke up, his voice low and soothing.
"Johann, I know things have been tough lately. But I want you to know that I'm here for you. We all are."
I felt a lump form in my throat as I looked at my family. They were all looking at me, their eyes filled with concern and love.
And in that moment, something shifted inside me. I felt a sense of vulnerability wash over me, a sense of openness.
"Johann, we know you've been struggling," Mom said, her voice soft. "But we're here to support you. We love you, no matter what."
I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I looked at my mom. She was trying, really trying, to reach out to me.
And then Lude spoke up, his voice filled with emotion.
"Johann, I know I haven't always been there for you. But I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere."
I felt a sense of gratitude wash over me as I looked at my brother. He was trying, really trying, to make things right.
As we all sat there, looking at each other, something shifted inside me. I felt a sense of connection, of belonging.
And for the first time in weeks, I felt like I wasn't alone.
The meeting slowly came to a close, with promises to work together and support each other. As we all hugged and said our goodbyes, I felt a sense of hope that I hadn't felt in a long time.
As the evening drew to a close, I retreated to my room, feeling emotionally drained but also strangely lighter. I lay down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling as my mind began to wander.
At first, I thought about the meeting and how it had made me feel. I thought about my family and how we were all in this together.
But as the minutes ticked by, my mind began to drift back to Nia. Why had she needed space? What had I done wrong?
I felt a pang of sadness wash over me as I thought about her. I missed her, I realized. I missed her smile, her laugh, her presence.
And as I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd lost something precious.