Epilogue

Gavin

"I once met a boy when I was little," I spoke through the microphone.

I was at the spring formal with my friends.

Lester, Casper, Noah, and even Kent Sinclair managed to join us. Everyone was happy.

Everyone save for me.

"I was a little kid in a park,"

The gymnasium was decorated beautifully. Silver and black as the theme was 'Robots'.

There was a stage with a microphone and a sign that read "Say something nice"

I didn't have an elaborate speech like the one Noah delivered and I didn't apologise for bullying Kent Sinclair like Casper did. But I did have a story to share.

"And I was always an outcast. Every other kid I met hated me. No one played with me and I was just miserable,"

A few people were listening to me while the others went on with their life. But the more I spoke, the more attention I got, and the more anxious I've become.

"I knew loneliness at a very young age. As I'm sure some of you probably did too," I smiled empathetically. "It sucks and it shaped me up to be someone who couldn't stand being alone."

My mind was with Zane, who was my date tonight. The date that stood me up, that is.

Was he in his room all alone? It sure felt like I was without him here.

"I met this boy when I was six. He became my friend, if only for a really short amount of time," I felt my body welling up.

Would he wear a black suite?

part of my life, I felt like I was looking for my soulmate. I asked about him a lot, and I dreamt of him even more," I laid out my heart bare, but he wasn't even here to see it.

Would he hold my hand or would he grab my waist?

"It wasn't going to work, you know? The idea of finding one person who I didn't even know his name," I laughed bitterly. "he was lost in a sea of people I'd never encounter again," I paused to take a breath. "Until I found him,"

Almost everyone was listening intently to my story. I wasn't as fazed by them as I were at first. Though one pair of eyes caught mine.

Madeline.

She really thought she did something other than showing me that she was despicable.

"And I went on chasing him. Who wouldn't chase a person who they firmly believed was their soulmate?"

Noah told me that Ruby and Sawyer had found out that Madeline fabricated the whole thing.

But they didn't even have to tell me anything because when I arrived there, everything was clear as day for me.

"The guy wasn't Zane Murad, and it made me realise that I didn't want a soulmate who was someone other than him,"

Murmurs and whispers started, but tonight, I didn't care about anything but him. He didn't need to be here for my night to be about him.

"The moment I saw the person I thought I was chasing, I knew I was in love with Zane, only Zane," I wiped my eye which was staring to sting a little. "He isn't here tonight, but I believe he had a good reason not to be,"

Was he thinking about me? Did he hate me?

"Which makes the night all the more lonelier. Some of you came with your roommates, some with your home economics' husbands,"

"But not!" Noah screamed from within the crowd.

"friends, partners, siblings, stepbrothers, everyone is here. And some like me came here lonely despite not being a lone. Cheers to you guys, the people who'll never let go of who they believe in."

The mic was back in its place with a thud and squeak, and I was out of the gym within seconds after the massive applause that erupted through the music.

I knew were I was going, and I didn't wanna be any more late.

"Zane is not feeling well, sweety," his mom had told me when I went to pick him up. "he's a little tired and won't be able to go anywhere, I'm sorry," she gave me a sad smile. I wasn't dumb enough to fall for it. I knew Zane was avoiding me and I knew he thought I left him to chase after another guy after leading him on.

His mom closed the door, but his sister threw a "pst" at me from the side of the house.

"He's sad and it's because of you and you need to fix it,"

"I will," I said, heading towards the tree I used to climb to his bedroom.

"Not now you idiot. Mom will literally kill you. Come back later when things had died down a bit."

The lights were all out when I arrived the second time to his house. I hoped he wasn't asleep as I climbed the familiar tree.

I landed swiftly on his balcony. He was there alright, sitting in his bed, reading an e-book.

I tapped on the glass pane. When he saw me, anger washed over his face. I thought he was going to throw the e-reader at my head.

But Zane didn't do anything. He didn't even open the door. He stayed in his bed, unaffected.

I tapped again, more fervently this time. I saw the way he rolled his yes from the light of his e-book shining at his face.

He took the few steps he needed to reach the door, and opened it.

"What do you want?" he whispered. "And you seriously need to stop showing up at times where I can't yell," he said in dismay.

"I want to tell you the truth,"

"I know the truth," He countered. "You went after someone else. Simple,"

"You don't know anything," I spoke through gritted teeth. "I went after no one. I was going to, but what use is it to find the person I'm looking for if the person I'm looking for isn't you?"

He seemed at loss for words, but I continued anyway.

"I bullied you throughout the few school years we shared together, and I regret every time I ever caused you harm, and I regret every second you spent recovering from whatever damage I've done. But I want to make it up to you, and I want to do it starting now if you let me,"

He studied my face: sullen, pouting, and my hair probably had leaves in it from the tree.

"How can I say no when you're out here looking like a wounded pup,"

I lost my tongue in that moment.

"What did you call me?" I said harsher than I intended to because he took a step back.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "in my family we use pup to call someone who looked like a puppy,"

Shock took over me as I leapt into his arms and hugged him. "I want you to tell me something,"

"Anything,"

"Did your family move into Rivertown from Rip-"

"From Ripplemills, yeah," Zane looked confused. "How did you know?"

"Because we moved from there too a few years back,"

"So? You moved here recently, I moved here when I was-"

"Six?" I asked impatiently.

"You're creeping me out," He said but hell if I were listening. Suddenly Madeline's actions made more sense to me.

"And you didn't want me to see the binder because you were afraid you'd lose the Zuperman drawing,"

His eyes widened, and I could tell he had caught on. "No way," he said.

"No fucking way," he repeated. "I'm the fucker you were looking for,"

I replied with a kiss. "You are the fucker indeed,"

"I'm going to kill Madeline on Monday," He threatened, "but for now, I wanna know the full story from the beginning because you seem to remember more of it."

"It would've made my life a lot easier if you had remembered this," I showed him the clover necklace.

"I was six and my memory is shit," he smacked my shoulder, "But there's one thing I know for sure,"

"Anything,"

"You owe me a dance, a kiss, and a bedtime story,"

"I owe you a little bit of love too,"

He got me the blanket that I used as a mattress, made me put my shoes aside, and we danced until I was falling asleep behind his bed, his hand in mine, a burning field between us, save for one four leafed clover with our names on it.

And that's a wrap up on Finally Found You.

I hope you enjoyed this fairly short story, and I'll see you guys in future works.

Thank you for reading.

Aiden Summers.