LUCIFER » SIMON MINTER

Chapter 41

I met up with Will at Hyde Park. Neither of us went outside very often, so this was like a whole new experience for the both of us. When I first saw him in the distance walking towards me, I broke out into a probably-not-so-elegant run into his arms.

'I haven't seen you in ages,' He laughed as he rocked me from side to side.

'I know!' I didn't know why I was this happy to see him. I hadn't seen him since the beginning of the year. I cringed as I tried to push the memories to the back of my mind: where they belong.

Together, we walked towards a bench and sat down, watching the ducks swim in the river as we caught up. 'So how are things going at school?' He asked. His green eyes looked dull as he talked about uni and ran his fingers through his unkept brown hair.

I frowned. 'I mean, things are going. But how come I haven't seen you around?'

He sighed deeply and let his hand fall from his head to in his lap. The other was resting on the bench behind me. He was bouncing one leg off the ground as he thought, staring directly out in front of him. His mint green hoodie blended in with the fresh green colours of spring, but his jeans were as black as the bark of winter trees mourning the death of its leaves.

'I quit.' He stated simply.

I couldn't do anything but gasp. 'What?' I said in disbelief.

He nodded slowly. 'I dropped out,' He explained.

'So what are you doing now?' I asked. I knew he and Gee lived together, so maybe he was just relying on Gee and his parents to pay rent.

Suddenly, a small smirk formed on his lips as he looked back at my eyes, and his green ones seemed to get lighter. 'I'm going to try to do YouTube full-time. I can pay rent with it right now, and I hope I won't be barely scraping along by the end of the year like I used to when I was in uni.'

I raised my eyebrows at him. 'Since when? At first I thought you were just sick for a really long time.' I laughed. 'Are you sure you shouldn't have stayed in school?'

As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted it. I must sound like a terrible friend. If he still considers me as a friend, that is. I shouldn't doubt him like that. If he wants to do YouTube, then he can and I should support him. But just looking at Simon and Sarah and all the other boys, I know how much hard work it is and Will is only just getting started.

I could never think of leaving uni. Not in a million years. Not until I get a bachelor's and then a master's degree, at the very least.

'I think I dropped out around the beginning of February? Something like that.' He nodded in thought. Suddenly I thought back to what was happening at my place, and how much he missed out on what was happening in my life. There were some drastic changes he probably didn't have a clue about.

I sat up straight, feeling a sudden burst of excitement at all the news I had to tell him.

'Did you hear–' I started to say, but was interrupted by some tall figure looming over us.

'Hi,' I looked up to see a teenaged boy dressed in different shades of black and grey standing in front of us with his phone out. 'You're WillNE, right?' He asked Will. Apparently I didn't exist; the boy wouldn't even look at me when I smiled up at him.

'Hi, yeah, that's me alright! How're you doing?' Will asked and stood up, posing to take a selfie with the viewer. I looked away awkwardly as they took a couple of pictures.

'Wait, how about we ask my friend to take pictures? She's a photographer,' Will explained and handed the boy's phone to me. He looked terrified, probably because he doesn't know me and because a content creator just took his phone and handed it to somebody else without his permission. I'd be shitting myself, too.

I stood up with his phone in my hand and smiled at him shyly, then took a couple pictures of them from different angles until the 'no storage' sign came up.

When the boy finally left, Will and I sat back down again. 'By the way, if you were going to tell me about Freya and you and Simon and that, I already know.' He told me.

That wasn't what I was going to tell you, I screamed at him in my head. I was apparently staring at him whilst I thinking, which he took for me asking for an explanation. 'Simon told me everything.'

So now you and Simon are close? It's a shame that you didn't let me speak, I would've invited you on holiday to Croatia with the rest of us. If you just wouldn't have been so bloody rude. I guess I'm just a personal photographer that follows you around.

He continued to stare at me as I didn't reply, his eyes searching my face for a clue of what I may be thinking of. I looked off into the distance, seeing joggers and their dogs running along with them. I pretended I recognised one of them.

'Oh! That's um– oh my gosh, I have to go say hi!' I stood up. 'It was nice to see you again, bye!' I said quickly and waved at Will as I ran off in the direction of the person I randomly chose to pretend to know.

To my own horror, as I got closer, it turns out I did actually recognise them. But it wasn't exactly a person I fancied seeing or dealing with right now. No wonder Will gave me a strange, almost disgusted look when I ran off in their direction.

'Lu? Oh, Lu, we haven't seen each other in so long!' Ed smiled brightly at me as he walked over, a camera hanging from around his neck. I could tell by the way he was holding it that it was one of his cheaper ones.

But right on time, as if someone knew I needed saving, my phone buzzed because I had received a text. I opened it quickly, still standing next to Ed without having said anything yet.

Simon: the people are moving out of our old apartment..

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I am literally over the moon at the fact that so many of you are still enjoying this book so much :) I love writing it and reading all your comments after I upload honestly makes my day you have no idea :))))

I'm also starting uni soon (which I've explained at least 43874298 times) and I want to stay in touch with my friends and family so I'm going to be starting a youtube channel next summer I think, who would subscribe?

I love you all so much

Mel xx

Twitter: overworkdwriter