The Day They Left | Ongoing

18

Noah and Selena ^

Selena (memory: age 8)

    "You have to wear blue, because I'm red." Noah says. Noah and I always argued over the smallest things.

"But I like red." I give him my puppy eyes.

This was an everyday discussion. We argue over the color flag. We were rulers, I was a queen and he was a king. We reigned separately, but we were allies.

"Okay, only for today. Can I please be red tomorrow?" According to him, red was more powerful.

We run around our backyard playing swords with brown wet sticks that was soaked with the rain last night. Noah looks for new ones to replace the broken ones.

         "We must attack or they will take over!" he puts his guard up.

We run up to each other and start fighting with our sticks. He surrenders.

"Okay, okay. You win again." He's defeated with his knees on the ground.

"Lunch is ready!" my mom yells from the back porch.

We both look at each other. "Bet you won't make it before I do!" he calls me out.

He gets a head start before I start running. I start catching up to him. I am pushing all my effort and giving the best I got to win the race. We jump over logs and tree roots.

I trip over the last log, "Ow!" Noah slows down and looks back. He rushes over to help me get back up. I laugh while I pull him down with me and continue running again.

"Cheater!" he quickly picks himself up. He's a couple steps behind me but I made it to the kitchen first. I'm out of my breath.

"So- so not fair Lena!" he's trying to catch his breath. We both walk over to grab a bottle of water.

"Did she win again?" My dad comes in smiling. He was overhearing us from the living room.

"Yes, I demand another race." Noah argues.

"Noah, face it. Lena won, but she could win the other one." He messes up his hair.

"Yeah, at least he believes in me." I say.

"That's my girl." My dad walks over to me and kisses my forehead. He exits the room leaving us to eat our lunch in the kitchen.

I zone back into reality sitting next to Carter in the living room. It's been a week since Noah and my parents left me alone.

"So, how'd you like the movie?" Carter turns to ask me.

I didn't pay attention at all to the movie. I was in my own world.

"It was great. I loved it." I gave him a fake smile.

Overtime we all decided to move into Jacob's camp. I've met new people, made new friends. I wish Noah was here to see this. He would be happy to make new friends. He loved meeting new people.

"Alright, lets go outside and take a walk." He stands up and reaches out for my hand. I put my hand in his, he walks with me through the campground.

We see Via and Dylan playing around with Zoey. Jacob is on the other side shooting cans with his other friends.

"Hi Lena." A guy waves at me while I walk with Carter. I quickly turn back, grab him by the collar, and raise him off the chair.

"Nobody calls me that, don't call me it again." I spit in his face. In the corner of my eye I see that Carter is scared.

"Selena, let it go. He didn't know." Carter slowly starts walking towards me. I can sense the fear in him. I'm still looking eye to eye with the shirt boy.

"I'm sorry, Selena." his eyes are tearing up with fear. I let go of his shirt and walk away from everyone. I start running towards my secret spot. Tears start to drop behind my footsteps while I'm running pass all the trees.

"You are okay. You will be okay. I promise." I hear Noah's voice.

"Lena, give yourself some peace and you will give me more." I start crying more and more.

"I love you, Selena." Noah's voice starts to leave my head.

I stop running. I'm leaning over a tree balling my eyes out. I start to run out of tears. My heart is racing fast. I look around me and notice I am in the middle of no where. I'm surrounded by tall trees.

"Shit."

I try to replace my footsteps. After walking which felt like miles, I finally made it to my secret spot.

It was a huge rock that was on the edge of the river. The view was great. It's my thinking spot. I found it while I was looking for berries.

Carter is waiting for me at my rock. I slowly move towards him.

"So this is your spot?" He notices that I'm standing behind him.

"How'd you know?" I sit beside him.

"You're Selena, my Selena." he looks at me and continues. "Of course I would know."

He knows me better than I know myself.

"I'm sorry. It's just been so hard." I say. The breeze start to make the leaves dance in the air, the water waves starts to rise a bit.

"I know. I can't even imagine the pain you're going through." He holds me tight.

"Thank you Carter." He hasn't given up on me.

"Why are you thanking me?" He sweeps a tear off of my cheek with his thumb.

"You haven't left me yet."

Everyone leaves me eventually.

"I'm not going anywhere. I promise that I'll stay and go through it all with you." He kisses my forehead.

I'm not going anywhere.

I promise that I'll stay and go through it all with you.

I pray that he keeps his promise through the end.

"I hope so. I don't know what I would do without you." His grey eyes give me warmth in my soul that I never felt before.

I'm going to stay strong for myself, Noah, and everyone else. I need to give him peace.