𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 & 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 ϟ 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐞

chapter thirteen

"better off"

ϟ

It had been two days since Paul disappeared, just like the others. Now, there should've been an uproar, worries about some sort of conspiracy theory as Native kids were going missing in the forest without any notice or reason, only to come out bigger and angrier and shut out to the world around them. But, the general population didn't give a fuck about Native kids. Lucky for Paul Lahote though, he wasn't just a Native kid, he was a kid who brought attention to their shitty little town with his above average athletic abilities so he was deemed important enough to warrant a large search party for him. Still, despite everyone's best efforts, no one seemed to find him and Tama found herself worried for the boy; it was like he didn't want to be found.

She thought about him as she swept the cafe from back to front, just nearing the doors as the sun was beginning to set. Her first track meet was later today and despite the circumstances, she was quite excited and unable to hide it. She found it a bit silly, being happy about participating in a sports event, something she never thought she'd ever agree to do willingly but, here she was, trying to finish up her last hour as quickly as she could so that she could leave and join her other teammates; the girl was more than happy to turn over the 'open' sign to a bright red 'closed', ensuring no one would come in and cause her to be even a moment late. Despite this, the door bell rang, signaling that someone had entered, much to her dismay. Tama cast an annoyed glance over at the entrance before it fell at the sight of a familiar face.

"You thought I'd miss my best friend's first track meet?" Leah asked as she let her friend envelop her into a tight hug. The two laughed at the words being said aloud with Leah commenting, "I never thought I'd say those words out loud, wow this year is full of surprises." They separated before holding one another at an arm's length away, slowly and silently inspecting the other for any abnormalities. Leah caught something before Tama did and the younger girl cursed before returning to her final chores while Leah smirked. "Spill it."

Without even a second passing, Tama did easily, "I broke up with Mason and, he took it surprisingly well. Turns out you can like someone and not have to date them, even though I do miss it...but, his dad is letting me sell my art in the gallery at the end of the month, says I can bring in a lot of money from it. You should come, it's supposed to be some grand unveiling." She watched as her best friend processed all the new information with a smile, though behind it, she was internally sulking as she so desperately wished she could tell her everything.

She wanted to tell her that Tallulah had shifted and her attitude wasn't a true reflection of her feelings towards her. She wanted to tell her that Sam had imprinted on Emily and despite his attempts and declarations to stay away from her, she knew it would eventually lead into a possible romance that neither of them could avoid; she hated that she had to spend time around him, knowing how much pain and hurt he had caused her best friend, how much she still hurt over him. She wanted to tell her that Paul would be next to shift and that despite what he did to her, she was worried about him and even went to his house to check on him. God, she wanted to tell her about Quinn, and the fact that Paul's dad was going to marry a girl who looked like she could pass as his son's girlfriend. It was eating away at her insides and she tried to tell herself that Leah would be better off not knowing, even though she knew deep down, that it wasn't true. She wanted to defy the elders and what they had ordered, something she had done before and wouldn't have minded doing again but, she couldn't. The words couldn't bubble up and out of her like she wanted them to. Instead, she listened as Leah rambled on; the usual nature of their relationship.