The Halo Effect | ✓

32 | friends

E P I G R A P H

❝After all this time the answer is still
you.❞

☾ thirty two | friends ☽

Today is Thursday. Just a bland, boring and uneventful day, like how almost all of my Thursday's are.

It consisted of boring classes of which I was unable to pay attention in. I had art, which is usually my favorite class, but it felt depressing sitting by myself, considering Holt has occupied that seat ever since he first sat there back when I left my sketchbook behind.

I didn't let Holt's lack of presence down my learning abilities though, instead I pushed through and continued with my work, but due to my kind and caring nature, I was growing progressively more worried about him.

Dad also informed me that Aubrey has been wanting to meet me, especially considering she is moving in, in time for Christmas and I haven't had a single decent conversation with her and I am still yet to meet her daughter, whom still remains nameless.

If he dropped that on me two months ago, I'd have done anything to get out of it, but now my dad and I's relationship has been rekindled, I'm more than ready to meet the woman that has bought my dad back to Maxen and I.

Old me would hold a grudge for him always being gone and straight-up being completely gone from my life other than the weekly visit to supply his children with living resources, but now, I'm just happy he's here again, he could have bolted like mother did, but he stayed though he wasn't always physically with me.

It's only a matter of months before I go off to college, which speaking of, I have no idea where I am going. Art has always been definite for me, but I haven't taken the time to research any art schools, I have heard great things about the California Institution of Arts, but I don't think I can afford California, and there is no way I am good enough to gain a scholarship.

I'm just average, there are hundreds of thousands of other people that'd have a better chance than myself.

But I'd rather not think about college right now, the point is; Holt is still elsewhere and I am meeting my soon to be step-mother tonight for dinner.

After retrieving my small lunch consisting of fries, soda and a small chicken salad of which I probably won't eat, I began heading towards the table I usually sit at, Esme by my side, but in that exact moment, my eyes caught sight of something.

Mason was sitting there, like he always is. Ace was there too, nodding along to whatever nonsense Mason was speaking about, but across from Mason and Ace was the guy I am falling speedily for, his leather jacket clad back to me as he rested his jaw on his hand.

I could only see the back of him, but after going the past few days without seeing him at all, it was enough to give me intense butterflies.

"Holt's here." I gasped, stating the obvious. I wasn't meant to say my thoughts out loud, but it came out without my permission.

Esme nudged me, "This is your chance!" she squealed, "Go tell him!"

I snorted, staring at her as though she had just grown a second head, "We haven't even been speaking, there is no way I am telling him about. . .that."

"Your choice, H."

As we neared the table, the butterflies grew wilder and I wasn't sure why. It could rather be because this is the first time seeing Holt since admitting (to myself) my feelings towards him, or it could be because it's been four days since I saw him last and I'm not used to it, so seeing him is making me nervous, but an excited nervous.