Remaining Days Part 2

The insistent pounding on the front door jolted me from a deep slumber. Groggily, I glanced at the clock: 11:18 AM. Who could be so persistent at this hour? The knocking continued, growing more urgent with each passing second.



"I'm coming, I'm coming! Geez, can't a guy even relax?" I grumbled, stumbling down the stairs. The house felt eerily empty, most of our belongings already packed away in anticipation of my impending departure.



As I reached for the doorknob, a particularly loud knock startled me. "I get it already!" I yanked the door open, ready to unleash my irritation on whoever was on the other side. To my surprise, I found myself face to face with Alex, my best friend—actually, my only friend.



"Rin, what are you still doing in your pajamas?" Alex's eyes widened in disbelief.



I blinked, still trying to shake off the fog of sleep. "Uh... I was sleeping until you rudely woke me up with your incessant knocking."



"You completely forgot, didn't you?" Alex's tone was a mixture of exasperation and amusement.I wracked my brain, trying to recall any plans I might have made. Coming up empty, I shrugged. "Okay, I give. What exactly did I forget?"



Alex sighed dramatically. "Seriously? Today is our class get-together before everyone goes their separate ways. We're supposed to meet at 11:30."



"Ah, okay. Have fun. Goodbye." I started to close the door, but Alex wedged his foot in the gap."You're coming too, now go and get dressed," he insisted, pushing against the door."I don't remember agreeing to that," I protested weakly.



"Just get ready."



"Give me one good reason."



A mischievous glint appeared in Alex's eyes. "Samantha will be there."



I felt a familiar twinge in my chest at the mention of her name, but I kept my face impassive.



"And?"

"And maybe you can finally tell her how you feel."

I rolled my eyes. "In case you forgot, she's been dating Nelson Carter for the past year. You're going to need a better reason for me to come."



"I heard they're breaking up because they're going separate ways," Alex countered, his voice lowered conspiratorially.



"Really now?" I couldn't keep the skepticism out of my voice.



Alex studied my face. "You don't look surprised."



I shrugged. "It was expected. Samantha always wanted to become a traveling journalist, and Nelson... well, Nelson just wanted to graduate and take over his father's garage."



"How did you know those things?"



"We did it in Vocational Guidance, remember? Future plans and career days."



Alex's face scrunched up in concentration. "I completely forgot... But see, that's your chance!"



I was about to agree when a sudden realization hit me like a bucket of cold water. I was moving to New York in less than a day, and if the rumors I'd heard were correct, Samantha would be heading to L.A.



"So, what's it gonna be? Will you confess?" Alex pressed, his eyes shining with excitement.I shook my head, feeling a mix of resignation and regret. "No, there's no point. I'm moving to New York, and she's going to L.A."



"Yeah, but you could still... you know," Alex wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.



"If something like that was possible, she would keep her relationship with Nelson," I pointed out. "But since they're breaking up, it means she can't handle a long-distance relationship. Honestly, I don't think I can either."



Alex's face fell. "You have a point..." He glanced at his watch. "Well, I better get going. I don't want to be late for the meeting."



I watched as he turned to leave, feeling a pang of guilt. Alex had been my best friend since elementary school, one of the few people who actually knew the shit that went down in our house. He'd helped me through so much, been there for me when I needed someone most. I owed him, and I wanted to be there for him too. This meeting was clearly important to him for some reason, even if I couldn't fathom why.



"You're not going to wait for me to change?" I called out, surprising myself as much as Alex.His eyes lit up. "You mean you're coming?"



"Well, yeah. Unless you don't want me to."



"You know I do! Hurry up and change. I'll wait for you in the living room."



I winced, remembering the state of the house. "Actually, it would be better if you waited on the bench outside. We packed everything yesterday and covered all the furniture."



"Oh, okay then. Don't be late!"



As I watched Alex settle onto the bench, I couldn't help but smile. Despite everything, despite the gossip and the rumors that had plagued me throughout high school, despite the pain and the scars both visible and invisible, I had at least one true friend. And for that, I was grateful.I hurried through my morning routine, my mind wandering to the get-together ahead. Part of me dreaded facing my classmates one last time, knowing the whispers and stares that would inevitably follow me. But another part—a part I was trying hard to nurture—looked forward to closing this chapter of my life on a somewhat positive note.



As I pulled on a clean shirt, my eyes caught the faint scars on my arms. They were barely visible now, but I knew they were there. Each one a reminder of the battles I'd fought, the pain I'd endured. But they were also a testament to my survival, my resilience. I was more than the sum of my scars, more than the rumors that had defined me for so long.



Today, I decided, I would face my classmates not as the "delinquent" they thought they knew, but as Rin Winterman—soon-to-be pre-med student, survivor, and friend. With a deep breath, I grabbed my keys and headed out to join Alex.



The small cafeteria in the center of town was buzzing with activity when we arrived. It was a modern, trendy spot that had become the go-to hangout for the town's youth. As soon as we walked in, I felt the weight of dozens of eyes on me.



"Hey, look, it's Winterman," a girl whispered none too quietly to her friend. "Do you think he came here to pick a fight?"



I gritted my teeth, reminding myself that their opinions didn't matter. Not anymore.



"I can't believe Cooper actually hangs out with him," a guy muttered nearby. "Do you think he uses him as protection against bullies or something?"



"Well, that would explain this weird combination—the delinquent and the nerd," his friend replied with a snicker.



I shot them an annoyed look, hating how they dragged Alex into their petty gossip. To his credit, Alex seemed unfazed, scanning the room for an open table.



"Hey, do you think he's here for the class get-together?" Another group of girls was openly staring at me.



"I don't know, maybe. I'm sure Alex told him."



"Well, he was in our class, so it makes sense."



I sighed heavily. "I give up. They'll never stop gossiping."



"Hey, Rin! Over here!" Alex called out, having found a table. Unfortunately, it was right next to the gossiping girls. I looked around desperately for another option, but the place was packed.As we settled into our seats, the whispers around us intensified.



"You know, for the last few months, he didn't have any new scars. Do you think he stopped fighting?"



"Maybe. I mean, his dad died, right? Maybe that's why he stopped."



"Actually, I heard my father saying that his dad abused him and that he was the reason he was always covered in bruises."



I tensed at their words, memories I'd rather forget threatening to surface. Alex must have noticed because he leaned in close.



"Rin, you're blushing," he whispered.



I scoffed. "That's because I'm getting flustered. They're talking about me as if I'm not here."Alex smirked. "Yeah, I'm sure that's the reason. Not the fact that they called you handsome earlier."



"This and that are completely different," I muttered, but I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.The gossip continued, growing more outlandish with each passing minute. They speculated about my future—joining the military like my father, ending up in jail, or worse. It was as if they were writing the script for some tragic movie, with me as the unwilling star.



Finally, I'd had enough. "You know I can hear you, right?" I said loudly, turning to face the girls.Their eyes widened in shock and fear. "We... we're really s-sorry," one stammered.



"Yeah, we di-didn't mean to," another added, her voice trembling.



I sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hit you. I'm against violence, after all."



"But you went kickboxing," Alex pointed out, unhelpfully.



"Self-defense," I corrected him. Then, turning back to the girls, I added, "Your dad was right, by the way."



Alex looked at me sharply. "Rin..."



"It doesn't matter if they know," I said, feeling a strange sense of liberation. "Besides, I already said it. Can't take it back now."



The girls exchanged glances, clearly unsure how to proceed. Finally, one of them spoke up. "So... all the rumors are just rumors? The only time you fought someone was in practice?"



I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. There was a long, awkward silence before another girl tentatively asked, "Then your father...?"



"Yeah," I cut her off. "I'm not going to open that conversation. I only said that her dad was right. Nothing more, nothing less."



The atmosphere shifted, the earlier tension giving way to a strange mix of curiosity and embarrassment. One of the girls, the one who had speculated about me ending up in jail, suddenly brightened. "Okay, but since we're all staying here, maybe we should get to know each other better and start hanging out."



I couldn't help but laugh at the irony. "Actually, I'm moving to New York. Alex is staying though.""Yeah, my university is close by, so I don't need to move," Alex added.



The girls looked stunned. "You're kidding, right?" one of them asked me.



"No, seriously. It's pretty close. Just fifteen minutes by car," Alex replied, misunderstanding.



"I meant Rin," she clarified. "Are you really moving to New York?"



I nodded. "Yeah. Why are you so surprised?"



"Didn't you have like the worst grades? How did you manage to get into a university in New York, no less?"



I blinked, taken aback. "A delinquent and an awful student... what kind of rumors have you guys been spreading about me? What's next, did I rob someone?"



Alex jumped in, his voice filled with pride. "He actually got a scholarship."



"To be honest, I didn't know that straight A's were the worst grades someone could get," I said sarcastically. "I've been living a lie."



"That's right, he's the top nerd, not me," Alex grinned. "I still can't believe that no one noticed how good your grades were."



"Why are you filled with pride instead of me?" I asked, amused despite myself."Because I can taste success through you!"



"That's disgusting, man. Go away, you're creeping me out."



As Alex and I bantered, I noticed the girls watching us with a mix of confusion and fascination. It was as if they were seeing us—seeing me—for the first time.



"So, um... we really did have the wrong idea about you," one of them said hesitantly.



I shrugged. "Yeah... but it doesn't matter anymore, since I'm never coming back to this place."



"Except when you visit me, right?" Alex interjected.



"You'll be the one visiting me," I countered.



Before Alex could respond, a familiar and unwelcome voice cut through our conversation. "What do we have here? The classic duo of nerd and delinquent, plus Trina, Suzan, and Kathrin? Those two I understand, but you three? It's odd..."



I turned to see Nelson Carter swaggering towards our table, a sneer twisting his once-handsome features. I couldn't help but marvel at how much he'd changed—or perhaps, how much my perception of him had changed. We used to be friends, but now I couldn't fathom why I'd ever hung out with someone with such a crappy personality.



"Do you need something from us?" I asked coolly, meeting his gaze.



Nelson's eyes narrowed. "Yeah... I want you two to disappear, just like your mother."



I felt a surge of anger, my hands clenching into fists under the table. But I forced myself to remain calm, reminding myself that Nelson wasn't worth it.



"Nelson, what the hell, man?" Alex exclaimed, his face flushed with anger. It was rare to see Alex truly mad, but even he had his limits.



"Shut it, four-eyes," Nelson spat.



"Alex, it's okay," I said, placing a hand on his arm. "There's no point in talking with idiots. Just ignore him, like most people do."



Nelson's face contorted with rage. "No one ignores me, but everyone is avoiding you."



"And I should care because...?" I let the question hang in the air.



"Because you're a failure that only knows how to use his fists," Nelson snarled.I leaned back in my chair, affecting an air of nonchalance I didn't quite feel. "Sure, if that makes you feel better. Just remember, it's not me who's staying in this forgotten town and working for the rest of his life in his dad's garage."



"At least I'm not going to be behind bars," Nelson shot back.



I studied him for a moment, noting the barely concealed pain in his eyes. "You can believe whatever you want, but I've been wondering for a while... You're trash-talking me because you and Samantha broke up, right?"



Nelson's face went pale, then flushed with anger. "Why, you—"



"So like you," Alex interrupted, his voice eerily calm. "When you're mad, you always come and find Rin to vent your anger. But somehow you're even madder afterward. Is it because you always lose?"



Nelson turned on Alex, his fists clenched. "You, four-eyes—"



"Just give it a rest, will ya?" I cut in, suddenly tired of the whole charade. "You need to grow up already, Nelson. This is the last time we're together as a class. Do you really want this last memory we have together to be ruined because you're not in a good mood?"



Nelson looked taken aback. "What are you talking about? Even if this is our last get-together, we're all still staying here."



"Not all of us," Trina, one of the girls at our table, spoke up.



"No one is moving away, except for Sam," Nelson insisted.



"Kaitlin is," Kathrin chimed in. "She's going to L.A. with Sam to pursue her acting career.""And Logan too," Marcus, another classmate I'd barely spoken to in six years, added. "He's going to England to work in his father's company."



"Rin is also going to New York to study," Suzan said, surprising me with her support.Nelson's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, Rin is? What kind of school could possibly accept a delinquent like him?"



I stood up slowly, meeting Nelson's gaze. "Albert Einstein College of Medicine," I said, my voice steady. "Sorry to disappoint you, Nelson, but I'm not going behind bars. I'm going to study and become a doctor. You have to accept that people move on, not everyone is staying still like you."A hush fell over our corner of the cafeteria. Nelson's face cycled through a range of emotions—disbelief, anger, and finally, a flicker of something that might have been respect.



"You're... you're lying," he stammered, but there was no conviction in his voice.I shook my head. "No lies, Nelson. Just the truth. Something this town seems to have forgotten how to recognize."



As I spoke, I felt a weight lifting from my shoulders. The whispers around us had changed, tinged now with surprise and a grudging admiration. For the first time in years, I felt seen—truly seen—by my classmates.



Nelson stood there, mouth agape, struggling to process this new information. The silence stretched on, growing more uncomfortable by the second. Finally, a familiar voice broke through the tension.



"Is everything okay here?"



I turned to see Samantha approaching our table, her brow furrowed with concern. Her eyes darted between Nelson and me, clearly sensing the charged atmosphere.



"Everything's fine, Sam," I said, offering her a small smile. "Nelson and I were just... clearing the air."



Samantha's gaze lingered on me for a moment, a mix of curiosity and something else I couldn't quite decipher in her eyes. "I see," she said slowly. "Well, since we're all here, why don't we sit down and catch up? It's our last chance before we all go our separate ways."



Her suggestion seemed to break the spell. The tension in the air dissipated, replaced by a nervous energy as people shuffled to find seats. To my surprise, Samantha chose to sit next to me, with Alex on my other side.



As conversations started up around us, Samantha leaned in close. "New York, huh?" she said softly. "I had no idea."



I shrugged, trying to ignore the flutter in my chest at her proximity. "Yeah, well, it never really came up."



She laughed, a sound that still made my heart skip a beat. "I guess we all had our secrets."



As we talked, I found myself opening up more than I had in years. We discussed our plans for the future, our hopes and fears. Samantha shared her excitement about studying journalism in L.A., her eyes lighting up as she described her dreams of becoming a foreign correspondent."What about you, Rin?" she asked. "Why medicine?"



I hesitated, aware of the curious glances from our classmates. "I... I want to help people," I said finally. "To make a difference, you know? After everything that's happened, I just... I want to do something good."



Samantha's hand found mine under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I think that's amazing, Rin," she said softly. "I always knew there was more to you than meets the eye."



As the afternoon wore on, I found myself relaxing, even enjoying the company of my classmates. The gossip and rumors that had defined me for so long seemed to fade away, replaced by genuine conversations and shared laughter.



When it was time to leave, I felt a pang of regret. Despite everything, there was a part of me that would miss this place, these people. As we said our goodbyes, Samantha pulled me aside."I'm glad you came today," she said, her eyes searching mine. "I... I wish we had more time."I nodded, unable to trust my voice. There was so much I wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come.



"Promise me something?" she continued. "Don't be a stranger, okay? Keep in touch."



"I promise," I managed to say.



As I watched her walk away, I felt a mix of emotions I couldn't quite name. Regret for what might have been, hope for what could be, and a strange sense of peace. This chapter of my life was ending, but another was just beginning.



Alex appeared at my side, a knowing smile on his face. "Ready to go home and finish packing?"I took one last look around the cafeteria, at the faces of the classmates I'd known for years but was only now starting to understand. "Yeah," I said finally. "Let's go."



As we stepped out into the warm afternoon sun, I felt lighter than I had in years. The future stretched out before me, full of possibilities. For the first time in a long time, I was looking forward to what came next.



"Hey, Rin?" Alex said as we walked.



"Yeah?"



"I'm proud of you, man."I smiled, throwing an arm around my best friend's shoulders. "Thanks, Alex. For everything."And with that, we headed home, ready to face whatever came next—together.