3

A few weeks have passed since that incident, and Aly had not been coming to school. Everyone in our grade was practically talking about Edward, but I shut them out.

Raphy was not here either; no one was able to reach him directly. However, when his father finally explained that he didn't want to talk to us, we decided to leave him be. Let's hope he's doing well too...

And so, there were only Lynn, Seb and I in our usual spots during the lunch hours, munching our food without a word or two. Without Edward to cheer us up with his sunny grins, gloominess quickly surrounded not just our group, but the other classes as well. After all of this... is he gonna be okay?

His voice from the past answered, "Don't worry. If anything happens to me, I'll get through it!"

Opening the door to my math class, Samantha and I immediately stopped at the sight of my best friend way back in the corner of the room, and that place... wasn't where she typically sat. She blankly studied the paper in front of other; perhaps the quiz from what felt like decades ago. I didn't realize I actually ran towards her until I found myself plopping to the seat next to her. Samantha followed and sat behind her.

"Hey Rena, Sam..." She greeted weakly, waving her hand before either of us could ask. "I'm okay now. Sorry, I didn't tell you guys. I just need..." She paused, folding her trembling hands together. "... a little break."

"I-It's fine," I said. I'm glad she came, but she's definitely not okay.

"Yeah. None of us would expect something like this to happen." Samantha joined in. "At least Christopher's being treated we—"

"Alright, back to your seats. We got some news before we start!"

All conversations, including ours, ceased when Ms. Jones clapped her hands, walking to the front of the class. While everyone scrambled back to assume their seats and pull out their textbooks, she breathed from her lips before she smiled sadly.

"Christopher was just discharged from the hospital. He'll be coming in today, so let's give him a warm welcome and congratulate on his recovery," she announced, and almost immediately, Samantha and I exchanged glances at each other, before turning to Aly. She had snapped out of her trance as she straightened her posture, her hands were balled into fists.

My chest ached. I really couldn't blame her reaction. While he was hospitalized, it turned out no visitations were allowed, whether it was short or not. It was not because his parents prohibited us, but it was Edward. He was the one forbidding anyone—including all his friends and teachers, even Aly herself—from seeing him. At least that was what his mother told us, but... why though?

Maybe he doesn't want us to worry about him? That seems like something he will do.

"Make him feel comfortable too, alright?" was Ms. Jones' last words regarding this matter before she continued on with the topics. Surprisingly, instead of breaking into whispers and gossip like they always did, my classmates quietly reverted to their books and said nothing.

I couldn't focus on the lesson. Now that Edward had returned, my mind was basically piling up with plans on how to address him properly without stuttering like an idiot. My fingers fiddled with my pencil while my heart hammered against my ribs.

You'll be fine.

Just talk to him like you always have.

***

Classes simply went without problems, and before I knew it, lunch time flew into the scene. However, this was the moment I was waiting for, but at the same time I dreaded it. It's time to see how Ed's doing.

Aly waited while I was tidying up all of my stuff and pushed them into my bag. She smiled at me, but it definitely was forced, especially when her face and green eyes were paler than normally. Perhaps, she should have stayed back home and rested.

"Let's go and meet Chrissy. I need to talk to him," she breathed and I nodded.

When we left the class, neither of us tried initiating a conversation. I didn't even dare to say something; I kept looking at her while she maintained her gaze at the floor. While we walked down the hallway, the screams and footsteps of the other students made up for our silence.

Then, in the middle of the crowd, there he was... barely a few feet away.

Edward stood still by the lockers, with his back facing both of us. Despite being covered by the beanie, his bright blond hair was so noticeable even with all the people here and there. He shrugged his shoulders as though he was adjusting the straps of his bag, with the lightsaber keychain swinging with might. That took me by surprise... but he still looks the same.

Aly's pace quickened as she headed straight for Edward, and I also followed her speed, ignoring the pleas of my mind to slow down. Meanwhile, Lynn and Seb were already there, forming some sort of a barricade, as if they were shielding him from the others. They were all trying to gather around Edward, expressing their relief at his return.

However, the more he became closer to my reach, the more my heart started to flip the heck out, while my hands trembled.

Come on Rena. You don't have to be this nervous, seriously... I kept on encouraging myself, until I was ultimately close to him. Pushing all hesitation away, I reached out, and uttered my first word.

"Hey Ed..."

I thought he might not catch my voice, since it was way too quiet; it could be drowned out by the noises springing all around us. Nevertheless, I didn't expect Edward to acknowledge my response and slowly revealed his expression to me.

But instead of hearing his jolly voice that often had Aly hushing at him, I was confronted with a frown.

And the thing was, it wasn't just a small frown, like when he got upset with his grades or when he lost a game. It was the deepest one I have ever seen coming from him. He didn't bother to utter a 'hello' or anything; he leered at me as if I was a random stranger who never once interacted with him.

This was the Edward I have been friends with for 2 years, but it was like he was someone else. Who is he?

One of his eyes was covered by an eyepatch tied around his head; it made him look like a pirate from those TV shows. The healthy one coldly gazed at me and made my back crawl, but then, there was a flash of pain and bitterness behind it. He suddenly blinked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"How—"

"Hey Chrissy!!" exclaimed Aly out of the blue as she stomped straight at him. "What the hell, why didn't you let us visit you at the hospital?! What's up wit—"

"Edward." He retorted, cutting her off and furrowed his brow. "It's Edward."

"Fine, fine, whatever you like! But..." She blinked repeatedly and curled her lips. "We all just wanted to check up on you... but then you don't want us to?!" She raised her shaky voice and it made me flinch a bit. "What the hell is going on?!"

The awkwardness took over our group in an instant when Edward didn't respond, although everyone was all staring at him, searching for answers. He chose to keep his gaze down to the ground as his bangs covered his eyes. Clenching his jaw, he thrusted his hands into his hoodie pockets. Why is he not telling us anything...?

And then, just like that, Edward ambled towards us without further remarks. It was not to get closer, but to try shoving past all of us and striding away. However, Seb blocked his path, and never budged.

"Move."

"Can't. Alyssa's question is way too important not to be answered," said Seb as he folded his arms. "VIP, y'know."

At times like these, Seb actually backed Aly up. Good for him.

Edward kissed his teeth and turned away.

"What's up with your attitude, huh?" Aly, again, marched towards him and pushed his shoulder. "Why are you acting like a jerk? What the hell did we do to you?"

"I just... wanna be alone," Edward grumbled. "You get my answer, so move."

"What the, what do you mean alone?!"

"Go get a dictionary and find out what it means," he snapped.

"How about I shove that dictionary down your throat?!"

No, no! This is NOT how we're supposed to approach him! Let's calm down, please! I wanted to open my mouth and shout. Yell out something or anything... and end this hot but pointless argument. I have seen Aly and Edward quarrel, but it was never this bad, and they looked like they were about to rip each other out.

However, nothing ever came out of my mouth. Not only all the words I wanted to say were pulled back by some unknown entity, but it seemed like my voice was lost somewhere. I was just there... witnessing the entire storm striking both of my friends.

What was worse, Aly's screams have attracted almost every attention in the vicinity, and all kinds of goosebumps crept all over my body. But still... I have to do at least—

"Guys, this is not time to make a scene!" Lynn stepped into the scene and shook her hands. "Let's not get into tr—"

Aly completely ignored Lynn. "We were ALL worried about you, Chrissy! You just lost one of your eyes!!"

"Edward." He barked as his expression darkened. "I never asked you to be worried about me. I don't need you or anyone's pity. You talk like you know anything."

"Of course, we're YOUR friends!!" She pointed to herself. "I'm YOUR friend!!"

"I don't care."

Those three simple words pierced my eardrums. The fact that it had to come out of Edward, the same boy who has always shown he cared, turned my stomach into knots. No, this is getting worse and worse...

Gulping, I took a step back, moving behind Aly. On the other hand, Seb stared at me, but he was also helpless to do anything as well. Lynn was already on the verge of stepping between them, when Aly...

"Oh yeah, so that's how it is!!" She forcefully rubbed her cloudy eyes, but tears kept welling up in them. "Fine, we are NOT friends, like never ever!!" She sniffed. "Asshole, jerk, dickhead, I shouldn't have cared!!!"

"Fine with me."

Without warning, Aly used all of her strength to slam herself  into Edward, causing him to grunt and nearly lose his balance. Both Lynn and Seb's eyes were perfect circles as they gasped, but Seb was quick to pull Edward from falling down.

And that was when I finally found my voice.

"Aly, p-please... this is not th—"

"Let's go, Rena. Don't need a stupid jerk like him." Aly cut me off, snatching my wrist and pulling me alongside her, striding away from him and the others. I tried wriggling my hand out, but her iron grip secured me in place.

Glancing over my shoulder, Edward had disappeared into the sea of people. Lynn covered her face with her hands while Seb... gave me a concerned glance before he bolted right at the direction where his friend once was.

How and why did it end up like this?

We were supposed to comfort each other, not go on our ways.

We were supposed to support Edward after the accident, but... he was no longer the cheerful boy I once knew and adored. It was as if it sucked all of his positive energy, causing his energetic personality to vanish into thin air. What was left of him was... a cold, quiet man.

He was absent from all the activities he used to participate in and the crowds he used to be in. Now when I got lucky, I managed to see him walking home alone. I wanted to run and talk to him about Aly and everything else, but an invisible barrier stood between us.

Without Edward, our childhood group... dissolved. There were no more games on the weekends, no more plans of hanging out, no more visiting each other's homes, no more fun and laughter. The lunch table that we used to gather was already taken over by the football team.

And as for the old Christopher... he surely had become someone out of fantasy.