Pictures Of You

Chapter 22

Amy was finally going back to school today. She couldn't believe it but she'd missed it. She was getting sick of being in bed all day and having no one to talk to. So when the doctor told her she was okay to go back, she jumped on the opportunity.

Most of the day had been a blur. Lauren had tried to be with Amy, as much as could and she'd met Shane a couple of times but that was pretty much all Amy had registered up until lunch. She hadn't seen Karma since Karma confessed her love for Amy and as much as Amy missed Karma, she had no idea what she was going to say to Karma when she saw her; so she was happy to be able to buy some time.

Amy went and sat at her usual lunch table, in the midst of everything Amy had ever known changing, at least something's had remained the same. Amy absent-mindedly looked around the room, until her eyes fell on Karma.

Karma was standing at the entrance of the cafeteria, talking to some girl, she and Amy had English with. Amy couldn't take her eyes off Karma, the way her auburn hair framed her face, how her perfect teeth twinkled under the dim light of the room. Amy wondered how she'd never looked at Karma this way, how she hadn't noticed how breath takingly beautiful she looked, when she was just being her.

Amy was snapped out of her Karma driven thoughts when, Shane came and sat in front of her.

"Hey." Shane said, taking a seat next to Amy.

"Hey." Amy said, still trying to catch a glimpse of Karma.

"What are you looking at?" Shane asked, trying to follow Amy's gaze.

"Nothing. How have you been?" Amy asked, trying to divert Shane's attention.

"I've been good, you tell me, you're the one who just had her first back. How does it feel?" Shane asked.

"It's been a blur, everything feels different." Amy said.

"I get what you mean, I think you just need to ease back into it." Shane said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Amy said.

"So, how are things with you and Regan?" Shane asked.

Amy flashbacked to last week. She was sitting on her bed, thinking when Regan came to see her.

"Hey." Regan said, walking into Amy's room.

"Hey, did we have plans? I'm sorry, I completely spaced." Amy said, apologetically.

"No no. We didn't, I just came by to see you." Regan said.

"Oh. Okay." Amy said, with a small smile.

"There's actually something I want to talk to you about." Regan said.

"Okay, what's up?" Amy asked.

"I.. I can't help but feel like something's changed." Regan said.

"What do you mean?" Amy asked.

"I know that everything with the accident has been really hard on you and I know it's going to take a long time for you to feel completely okay. But I feel like, something's changed between us." Regan said.

"If this is about you thinking that I think that the accident was your fault, I don't think that. At all." Amy said, reaching for Regan's hand.

"It's not." Regan said.

"Then?" Amy asked.

"I feel like, you're pushing me away." Regan said.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel like that, but I'm just trying to deal with everything." Amy said.

"I tried telling myself that this was just you dealing with the aftermath of all that has happened over the past couple of months, but its more than that." Regan said.

"It's not. It's not, Regan." Amy said, a lump forming in her throat.

"But it is. And look you don't know how much I wish it wasn't but that feeling, that feeling that no matter what, you and I will get through whatever life throws at us, is gone." Regan said.

"We can get it back." Amy said, crying.

"We can't." Regan said.

"Why not?" Amy asked, raising her voice a little.

"Because you're still in love with Karma." Regan said, as tears spilt down her cheeks.

"I'm not." Amy said, shaking her head.

"But you are, whether you want to admit it or not. It's always Karma, it always has been." Regan said.

"I don't know what makes you think all this but Regan believe me, I'm not." Amy said.

"You are, even if you don't know it. And its okay, you were pretty clear about how you felt about Karma, when we met." Regan said.

"Regan.." Amy said, crying.

"It's okay, Amy." Regan said, walking toward the door.

"Hey Regan?" Amy said.

"Yeah." Regan said, turning back.

Amy looked at Regan, tears streaming down her face.

"Yeah, me too." Regan said, as if understanding everything Amy had said, without her even saying it.

And with that, Regan was gone, leaving Amy to deal with her real feelings for Karma.

"Amy?" Shane said, snapping Amy out of her thoughts.

"Yeah?" Amy said.

"I asked you, how things were with you and Regan." Shane said.

"We broke up." Amy said, another lump forming in her throat.

"Why?" Shane asked, shocked.

"Because she thinks I'm still in love with Karma." Amy said, looking away from Shane.

"Are you?" Shane asked.

Before Amy could answer, the bell rang for the next period and Amy got up.

"I have to go." Amy said, as she left.

Amy was walking toward her next class, when she saw Karma taking some books out of her locker. Amy took a deep breath and decided to finally talk to Karma.

"Hey." Karma said.

"Hey." Amy said.

Before Karma could say anything else, Amy pulled her in for a passionate kiss. Karma didn't really know how to react at first but she kissed Amy back and it was even better than her best fantasies.

"What was that for?" Karma asked, as they pulled away.

"That was for waiting too long." Amy said.

"Waiting too long for what?" Karma asked.

"For telling you I love you." Amy said.

"You do?" Karma asked.

"Of course I do. The other day, I had this dream about you being in this accident and it was hell for me and all I could think about in that dream was how if I got just one more chance, I'd never ever let you go. And when I saw you, it was if all those feelings came rushing back. I didn't want to wait anymore." Amy said.

"But what about Regan?" Karma asked, a little afraid to hear the answer.

"We broke up because she could tell how madly in love with you I am." Amy said.

Karma smiled and pulled Amy in for another kiss.

"I love you." Karma said.

"I love you too." Amy said.

And just like that, both of them were whole again, finally finding that one missing piece.