In Lakewood, a small town with a reputation of crime, gangs, outcasts and violence, Lana Takumi is an orphan and a gang member disguised in ripped jeans of her late mother and old flannels of her late father. She feels stuck in an endless cycle of b...
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E V E R E T T
Admittedly, I was surprised when Lana said I could stay over at her place. I was even more surprised when she, after lending me some of her dad's old sweatpants and t-shirt to sleep in, insisted that I slept next to her on her double-sized.
As the dusk fell, we lay on each of our sides of the bed, and Lana who was in gray sweatpants and a light pink sweater, was watching me with her cheek resting on her pillow and her onyx eyes tired.
"Carlos doesn't sound like anyone I'd like to meet," I admitted, quietly. The sight of Isha's bruised face and arms and the blood on her clothes made me feel sick and nauseous all over again.
As if old and bad memories had awakened, Lana winced and squeezed her eyes shut. She curled her hand resting on the space between us into a fist that trembled briefly. I hesitated before I reached my hand out and gently covered my palm over her fist, causing Lana to freeze. Her eyes jerked up and she blinked at me before lowering her gaze at my hand.
"Hey. Are you okay?" I asked, softly.
I expected her to pull her hand back but instead, she unclenched it before turning it so that our palms were against each other, fingers slowly interlacing. Gradually, Lana's breath turned ragged and shortened and she didn't answer my question.
"Maybe this isn't the right time but I want to tell you that I'm really sorry for what happened between us in the student council room. I shouldn't have crossed the line especially knowing...," I trailed off, feeling guilt brood over my chest.
Her expression changed but I wasn't so sure how to describe it. It seemed like terrible sadness combined with hopelessness.
"Everett?" She whispered.
"Yeah?"
Before she could say anything, her heavy eyelids slipped close and she started snoring lightly and cutely that I quietly chuckled.
Before closing my own eyes, I smiled. "Goodnight, Lee."
~
The next morning, I woke up to the smell of something burning. I sat up and rubbed my eyes before I noticed that Lana was missing. I followed the smell out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. Still in her pajamas, Lana was sliding fried eggs from a pan onto two plates and placing them next to the burnt toast on the table before opening the fridge and retrieving two cartoons, one of milk and one of juice.
I couldn't help but smile when I noticed that her cheeks were flushed, her black silky hair tousled and she was rushing back and forth, stressed out of her mind. When her eyes coincidentally met mine, she froze as if horrified.
