Carolina [h.s]

chapter thirteen

south carolina
june 1990
***

Vada
//

"Juliet called again."

The morning sun shines through the glass windows, lighting up the whole house. Grams pours tea for herself, while I mix two spoonfuls of sugar in my black coffee. Birds chirp from outside and through the opened windows, and I'm completely surrounded by the feeling of warmth.

I haven't been up this early all summer to enjoy mornings like this that remind me of earlier days in my life. I watch the sugar melt in the black liquid, blowing on it before bringing the mug to my lips.

"What did you tell her?" I question, sipping slowly.

Grams holds her mug of tea in her hands, leaned back on the kitchen chair across from me. Toast and bacon are between us, but I haven't had an appetite for days.

"That you haven't been feeling good," she keeps her voice calm. "which isn't a lie."

It's been a day since Zayn showed up unexpectedly, looking for the missing trouble.

After what happened at the club, after his explanation for his bruises, the possibilities of where he is could be endless at this point. My stomach practically turned at the thought, and I would never admit it to him, but I was worried.

"She probably knows what it means anyways," I admit "I just don't want to deal with her questions at the moment."

Juliet has always been the person I told everything to, ever since fourth grade. From boy crushes, to childhood trauma, she's always been my secret keeper. So it was weird I wasn't telling her how I've really been feeling, but I've been doing so well recently and I didn't want her to worry about a small slip up. Because that's all it was.

"She cares about you, sweetheart. You two have practically been attached at the hip since the second you met." Grams smiles "Especially this summer, she and those friends of hers really have gotten you out of your comfort zone lately. You really seem more..." She takes a look at me searching for something.

My eyebrows furrow at her words, confused on what she means. "I seem more, what?" I ask carefully.

Grams smiles, her grey eyes sparkle and remind me of someone a little too much. "Happy." she then says.

I look back down into my coffee. "I don't know, I guess she and the band, they're..." I shrug. "I just haven't been around people that are so full of life before, and I guess it's kind of contagious." I smile at the memories of the last month.

"You got back pretty late that night," She then says looking at me through gray-blue. "Did something happen? I noticed Harry's car there early in the morning, but he hasn't been back." her eyes are questioning.