HELLo

CHAPTER TWELVE

 5 YEARS LATER

Bria Smolder:

So. Tomorrow Levi and I are released. Yeah, I'm really excited! Not. Honestly, the peace and quiet of the cell has given me a ton of time to think about how my return will be. My ma will host a massive party for me, my brother will never stop talking. It'll be wild. I just wish that Rieces and my old friends would be there with me.

"Hey. Bria. We're being released now." someone gently rubs my back and shakes my shoulder.

"Ten minutes." I mumble, pulling the thin blankets over my head. The person near me chuckles and takes the blankets off,

"Nope. Now."

I groan and roll over to see Levi sitting on my bunk next to me. I reach up and playfully smack him in the shoulder. He laughs and takes away my blankets. I sit up.

"Why are you so mean?" I ask him. Stretching my arms and legs for the day ahead.

"Why do you sleep for so long?" I glare at Levi and look over at the clock mounted on the wall.

"Eleven thirty? Why didn't you wake me sooner!" I screech. I run over to the corner where some new clothes for our release awaited. I search for my jeans and new top and throw them on top of my pyjamas. I slide my pyjamas off from under my clothes. The sneaky way of changing. Every girl who has ever been in the same room as someone changing knows this trick. I grab my hairbrush from my nightstand and go over to the mirror where I quickly brush my hair. I tie it up into a messy bun. Emily style, and stand by the door.

It felt like forever until Levi was ready. When he was, we had ten minutes until noon. When we were planned to be released. I waited. The minutes slowly ticked by. At eleven fifty nine I was bouncing on my toes. I watched the seconds go down. Five seconds. As soon as the clock struck noon, Officer Hunt was by the door with his key ring. He unlocked the cell door and I bounded out of prison. My brother wasn't working today, so he would be waiting with my mom outside. Then I stopped running.

I spun around and saw Levi walking slowly towards me.

"Your parents are dead." I tell him. It wasn't a question when it was obvious.

"Yeah."

"Where are you staying?"

"With Mason and his sisters."

"Oh." I hesitate for a minute. Levi smiles.

"Go on. Our friends and family are waiting for you."

"No," I grin back at him and grab his hand, "they're waiting for us."

I drag Levi down the hall, and together we push open the big prison doors. There stood a massive group of people, news reporters, parents, friends, siblings, all trying to get to us first. I was delighted when Levi grabbed what was left of our remaining group, me, Mason, Leah, Teah, and Cooper. He pulled us all close together, and we smiled for the cameras, and at last, our family.

THREE DAYS LATER

A massive party just so happened to be thrown by my mom because Levi and I got out of jail, and she just so happened to be throwing it at our house, and she invited the entire neighbourhood, friends, and family. So yeah, I am being pestered by little kids and adults, and I can't get even a bit of privacy.

I walk out into our backyard. The house is jam packed, but outside, there are only a couple little kids who are more interested in the mini sandpit than me. I lay on my back in the grass.

"So. Are you getting away from the noise too?" I hear. I sit up slightly to look behind me. Levi stands looking down at me, grinning.

"Yep. Come sit." I pat the ground next to me with my right hand and lay back down again. I rest my hands behind my head and cross my legs. Levi lays down next to me and stares at the sky.

"You know, your mom is really nice." he tells me.

"I do know, actually."

"She asked me if we were dating," he tells me. I look over at him. His face was calmly staring at the sky. I gawk at him.

"What did you tell her?" I ask, looking back up at the clear sky.

"I said we aren't-"

"I hear a but coming." I mumble.

"Yes there is a but coming."