4.

When I looked at my phone I was no longer saddened by my lack of friends. I didn't have to think about why people didn't text me, or why everyone in my life before the accident decided to ghost me. When I looked at my phone I was excited that even one person wanted to text me. Wanted to socialize with me. Wanted to be my friend.

Lunch had yet to be over when my phone buzzed from the inside of my backpack. Unzipping it, I expected to see a notification of some kind, or maybe even a text from Sebastian. But he seemed to have a loss for words over messages when it came to me. He noticeably favored calls to texts. Before moving in with him, I hadn't spoken to him since the day he introduced himself. When my phone switched itself on, I saw a message from a number I didn't recognize. I squinted my eyes in suspicion.

The message was a meme. There was a picture of a young cherry blossom tree, blooming for it's first time. The sun cast a warm glow over the umber stem. A shadow of the baby laid on the freshly cut grass to the side of it. The pedals were barely open, but pollen's dew visibly rested on the pedals' stomachs. The moment couldn't have been captured any better. The flower looked like the embodiment of hope. I stared at the seedling in awe and confusion. At the bottom of the frame was the quote, "The start of something new." As I read that I was flooded with nostalgia. I didn't want to start over at a new school, having to trudge through a day of pure torture. It was too soon for me to be in a prison like setting anyway. I didn't want to face a new life with a new guardian whom I barely knew anything about. I didn't want to have to deal with anything, the only upside to being in this school was the looks. Nobody here knew anything about… what happened to me and why I'm here, so I didn't have to sit through falsified sympathetic looks, that somehow the entire human race could master within the moment of hearing anything remotely pitiful. When nobody really cares, but wants their conscience to be free of guilt, so they act as if they do. Its as if it were in our DNA to lie about our true feelings. Point being, I yearned for the time before this all became my reality. I yearned for my parents.

I heard snickering beside me.

"Do you like it?" Bex poked my left temple, basically bouncing up and down on the bench.

I mustered up my most believable smile, "This is very inspirational, thank you."

"Why does your face look like that?" Well i guess i failed then.

"I don't know," I chuckled, "I guess I just didn't expect you to text me, um… about five seconds after having obtained my number."

"Oh, hehe." She threw me a sheepish grin and shrugged. "Well hurry up and add my number into your contacts."

"And what if i don't want to, Ms. Suzuki?" I playfully raised an eyebrow, dramatically pirching my hands on my hips.

"You wound me, Arya. As a result, I might just have to kidnap your phone, and do it myself. Hmm…" She began rubbing her chin, as, I imagine, a man with a beard would do if he had been thinking very seriously about something. "Maybe I should make my contact have a super embarrassing name, and, or, picture."

"Uh, wouldn't that only be embarrassing for you, Bex?" I giggled.

"Touche, but hey, I have to reserve my spot as best friend now don't i?"

"No reservations needed. My restaurant has only a few tables, and it looks like after you entered, it became full."

"Huh?" She tilted her head in sheer amusement, laced with confusion. "Can you please speak in a metaphor that makes sense?"

"I'm trying to say that I only have room for one bestfriend, so there is absolutely nothing you need to worry about."

"Aw, that is so sweet." A deep voice erupted from behind us.

I rolled my eyes and stood up to leave, dragging Bex along with me. "C'mon, lunch is over." I didn't give her time to process.

"Where are you going?" He spoke.

"Away." I told him over my shoulder.

Bex looked at me as if I was crazy. She must have also noticed the looks that guy had. "With a face like that, and a body like his, how could I possibly be running away from him?" She was probably thinking. Well that's easy, by putting one leg in front of the other.

He jogged up, and stopped directly in front of me, pausing my movements abruptly. "Can you just, at least, tell me your name?"

"No, leave me al…" I was interrupted by Bex.

"Her name is Arya. Why? Is there a problem here?" Her voice was aggressive, yet defensive. She took a step forward, using an arm to move me slightly behind her, almost as if, even though our friendship had just begun, she was trying to protect me. It was touching, but she told him my name, which had defeated the purpose.

I face palmed from behind her. Unable to see him, I still heard his victorious smirk form.

"Nope. No problem." He smiled.

"Why did you want to know her name? What are you tryna do?"

He threw his hands up in defense, "Hey, I was just curious, I wasn't trying to do anything."

I stared at him through narrow eyes,but he seemed to enjoy that more. The fact that he was getting a kick out of my anger only fueled it.

"And what's your name anyway, random tall guy?" I asked pointing a finger at him, still behind Bex.

"Who wants to know?" He said stuffing his hands if his pockets raising an eyebrow.

Bex and I looked at each other, dumb founded.

"Uh… me… I literally just asked..."

"Oh right...hehe," He scratched the back of his neck with his right hand. "My name's Caleb Gray."

"Well, Gray, we're gonna be going now, k?" I pushed Bex, with both arms, toward the school's door.

"Wait, I…"

"Bye, now."

When we got far enough from him, Bex turned to me with a sheepish grin. I moved past her, and opened my locker. While I put some of my books away she stared at me. I'm not sure what she expected out of me. That little transaction, with that "Gray" character, was just as confusing and awkward for me as, I assume, it was for her. I stuck my head in the locker for a few minutes to avoid eye contact with her, when I resurfaced her eyes were still wrinkled at its corners and her lips were still spread across her face from ear to ear.

"What?" I asked her impatiently.

"Nothing, you know, just a bit suspicious." She crossed her arms at me.

"What would you have to be suspicious about?" I scoffed.

"I mean, here we are having a nice meal, enjoying the fresh air, listening peacefully to the songs of the birds bouncing from the trees, and then some random attractive guy, who you have clearly seen before by the way you were talking to him, is desperate to know your name. Don't you think that's a little suspicious?"

"No, I don't know him. I saw him for like two seconds before first period." I sighed.

"So then what was all that?"

"I don't know why he wanted to know my name so badly. I don't really care either, I just hope nothing weird and awkward like that ever happens again."

"Then it shall be so," She said twisting her arm around mine, leading me down the hallway.

"Are you trying to jinx me??" I shot her a playful glare.

"No, I'm just letting you know."

"And how would you know? Are you a psychic? Is that what gives you your extreme intellect?"

"Shut up," Bex giggled. "It's Murphy's Law."

"Huh?"

"Murphy's Law."

"No, I heard you, I just don't know what 'Murphy's Law' is."

"Are you serious?!" She shouted. She looked hurt that I didn't already have knowledge of the topic she had mentioned.

"Um...yeah."

"Wow...I have nothing to say, but wow. I mean have you been living under a rock?"

"Can you just tell me what it is? Jeez."

"Sorry, I'm just a little bit shocked."

"Understandable… I guess."

"Bamboozled."

"Sure, why not."

"Dumbfounded."

"Okay."

"Astonished."

"Bex."

"Some might even say flabbergasted."

"BEX!"

She threw her head back, and gave a throaty laugh. "Okay, okay. I'm done."

"Are you su…"

"Amazed."

"Alright that's it," I yanked my arm away from hers and started to walk down the hall in the opposite direction.

"See you later, Arya!" She hollered at me.

I shook my head, laughing quietly in response.

When the last bell of the day rang I heaved a breath of relief. I couldn't be any more grateful that the day had come to an end. Sure, my lunch was... interesting, but other than that, school sucked.

No matter how happy my school persona was, I knew I never would be. Catching my own reflection, I could see how miserable I was, under the makeup that is. I recognized the crescents right under my eyes that dug deep and bruised my face in the morning. I knew that unless I put a few drops of water in my eyes before I felt the house they would be red from yesterday's tears. My body often sunk into itself as well. When nobody was watching my shoulders hung over my body; I could feel the weight of the overwhelming realization worsen each day.

"Who am I to try to ignore the accident with my parents?"

"What kind of daughter wouldn't acknowledge the death of her own parents?"

"God. What's wrong with me?"

Tears threatened to force themselves out, and the unbearable lump in my throat was back. I had barely cried after the accident, but something about being trapped in a building full of judgemental people made me feel unnecessarily vulnerable. I was stripped of my barriers, and each person to look my way knew. They knew how much pain I was in. They knew. How could they not? It was painfully obvious, if you cared to look a little closer. But, knowingly, or not, their stares made me feel naked.

"Hey, Arya!" Bex called from behind my locker door. The girl done near scared me half to death.

"Give me a warning next time?" My voice was weak. The words sounded as if they were scared to leave my mouth. Laughing it off seemed futile, but it was my only card to play.

"Hey," She said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Your eyes are watering. Are you okay?"

I winced at her touch. My lungs tightened and my heart rate sped up. I tried to keep the walls up, but they were wavering.

"It was just a yawn." I snapped my head to the right to see Caleb. I looked at him through hooded eyes, trying to get my breathing under control. "Right?"

"Uh, yeah. Just a yawn. I'm okay." I nodded profusely.

Bex took a second to narrow her eyes at Caleb, looking suspiciously between us. I prayed to any Gods that might have been real that she wouldn't pry. Then I thanked those same Gods when she didn't.

"You know what, that makes a whole lot of sense. Every time I yawn, my eyes water too."

"Of course it makes sense. That is what happens to everyone." Caleb says, words dripped in sarcasm.

"Huh… is it really? I never really thought that much about it, until now."

When my breathing calmed, I turned back to my locker and finished putting the useless fifty pound book in there.

Two minutes after, when I had my items coordinated, and i was ready to leave, the two of them had moved the conversation to "why we can't seem to die in our dreams."

Caleb believed it was because that the death, or the way you died in your dreams, aren't traumatic enough to bring into the real world.

Bex simply told him that he was an idiot, and the reason we can't die in our dreams is because our brains haven't mapped out what happens after death. As a result of that, the death you experience in your sleep only wakes you up.

In all honesty, Bex was probably right, but the whole topic was dumb. So I left. Silently, I walked toward the double doors that would lead me straight out of hell.

Too distracted by their conversation, they didn't notice I had slipped past them until my hand was pushing the door open.

"Hey! Wait up!" They shouted in unison.

"Oh hey… what's up guys?" I gave them both a sweet grin as they approached me. Bex laughed it off, and Caleb shook his head holding a smirk on his face.

"Where are you going?" Bex asked.

"Uh… Home." I answered.

"What? That's so lame." Caleb groaned.

"Hey, you…" Bex pointed at him.

"Who me?"

"Yeah. Shut up." She said.

"No, you."

"Wow," I chuckled. "That was wildly childish."

"Yeah, you tell 'em," Bex spoke.

"Psh. Whatever. What do you wanna go do at your 'home' on a nice day like this anyway?" He airquoted the word home.

I shot Bex a confused, yet amused expression and she returned the look. "I don't know why you are quoting the word home, but I'm going home so I can maybe watch a movie and take a nap. Not completely sure yet."

"Ooooh, really? That sounds nice," Bex beamed.

"I guess," I said, nodding my head in agreement.

"Can i join you? Please?" Bex dragged out the please in a high pitch, any longer and a few glasses and windows would've broken.

"I mean are you sure you want to? We only met like… today. What if i was a serial killer or something?"

"Girl please, I feel like I've known you my whole life. Plus it was gonna happen sooner or later. Guaranteed. And just imagine how it would make your parents feel if they saw that you came home from school, having already made a friend. And on the first day nonetheless."

"My parents..."

"I, uh, don't live with my parents… I live with my uncle." I was scared to tell her the truth. I wasn't looking for pity, and I definitely didn't want to scare her away.

"Where are your parents?" Caleb pushed.

Bex punched him in the arm, and shot me a sympathetic look. "You don't ask those kinds of questions, you idiot."

"Thank you." I mouthed at her.

"Anyway… let's go." Caleb said stepping off the sidewalk and onto the pavement of the school's parking lot.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"Oh that's cute, haha. He thought he was invited," Bex snorted.

"The way I see it is: 1. Walk the," He looked at his watch, "fifteen minutes it takes to get to your house, and get caught in the rain, just the two of you, or..."

"What rain?" I crossed my arms over my chest. Just as I said that, thunder erupted from all around us. The floor was starting to spin. I hadn't noticed the daunting clouds, or the damp smell.

"It's rude to interrupt, you know." He said.

"Yeah, yeah." Bex rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, 2 is, you guys could get a ride with me and let me join."

I was losing my footing. I had no other choice.

"That's a really messed up ultima…" Bex started.

"I call shotgun." I mumbled, walking over to the passenger side of Caleb's car carefully. Reaching for the handle caused me to stumble a little bit.

"Woah… Arya… Are you good?" Caleb asked.

"Yeah, uh, I just don't like the rain. Or thunder. Or lightning. This whole situation is just an overall problem for me. So, if the cost is you joining us, then so be it." He unlocked his black Toyota, and we all got in.

"What did you have to do to get a car this nice?" Bex rubbed her hands on the car's black leather seats in the back.

"Grand theft auto."

"You got this car from a game?!"

"Sure, let's go with that." He chuckled.

"Calm down, Bex. This car isn't even that great." I shrugged from the passenger seat. I damned myself when I heard what came out of my mouth.

"Woah. Hold on now. You don't know enough about cars to be saying stuff like that." He shot me a sideways glance, then turned his focus back to starting his car.

"You may be right, but I do know that of all the Toyotas to choose from, you chose this one. Not something better, like a Corolla or a Supra. The Corolla being safer the choice. And the Supra is just better overall with its higher horsepower and gorgeously sculpted body shape."

The car had been turned on in the middle of my monologue, but by the end the car was off again, and Bex was staring at me with an utter look of surprise present on her face. Her mouth was hung, and she was blinking at me.

I turned my head to Caleb and he had this strange look of approval. He sat easily in his chair with one hand on the wheel, and his right eyebrow raised. A slight grin had sat itself on his lips.

"How… no, why do you know so much about cars?" Bex said.

"I don't know, to be honest." I slumped in my seat turning my head toward the window.

The car started, and I gave Gray directions to my house. The journey wasn't silent. When a song we all really liked came on we would blast the music, and silently bob our heads in unison. Laughter flooded the car afterward. When the volume was low, Bex would say something random to start a conversation, but it was less of a conversation and more of a lecture. Caleb would make comments on every now and then. The atmosphere in the car was light. Calming. It was clear that we weren't completely comfortable with each other yet, but that didn't stop the energy from flowing fluently.

"This is it," I said, as we rolled up to my new "home". It was my first time actually seeing it. I think it has something to do with me being unconscious the last time I arrived there. It was a grey cobblestone with a two car garage on the left side. I hadn't noticed how deceiving it was. The house looked small on the outside, but the inside was spacious. I was surprised I could pinpoint which house it was too. All of the houses in the neighborhood looked exactly the same, color and everything.

"Are you sure?" Caleb asked, peering at the neighboring houses, and scratching the top of his head in confusion.

"The one thing these houses don't have in common are the cars." I told him.

"Everything is either grey, black, or white… it feels like we stepped into an alternate universe that has no colors." Bex gawked.

"You're not wrong." I looked down the street and noticed the blandness of the area. "Can we go in? I'm ready for that nap."

We all exited the car in haste.

"Looks like we all wanna take that nap," I thought.