Page 84 of Firefly
“My mom abandoned me and Justin when we were six. Didn’t even say goodbye. One day she was just… gone.”
Pain twists in my chest instantly. “I’m sorry,” I say, and she shrugs like it doesn’t matter.
It clearly still does.
“Then my dad drank himself to death after allowing his friends to touch me. I was almost trafficked because of him,” she spits as silence settles between us.
“What? This whole time I thought your parents were good people,” I say, and she laughs.
“The Banks are. They saved us from foster care. But Banks ain’t our real last names. We changed them once they officially adopted us. I’m not sure if Justin ever told Hayden about our past, and please don’t be mad that I’m just telling you now. It’s just that—”
“I get it. I don’t tell many people about my life either. I understand,” I tell her, and she grabs my hand, giving it a squeeze.
“Thank you for always being a good friend to me. I fucking love you, O,” she says, and I laugh.
“Bitch! You don’t need to thank me. Besties for life,” I say, and she laughs.
“Alright, enough about me,” she says, nudging my shoulder with hers until I groan dramatically. “You still love Hayden like crazy, huh?” The question settles heavily between us. I stare down into my drink for a long moment before taking a shaky breath.
“Sometimes I think he’s stitched into my bones.”
“That bad?” she asks, and I nod slowly while tears sting unexpectedly behind my eyes.
“He was my first everything.” My voice cracks quietly. “And no matter how hard I try… nobody else feels right.”
Not Brayden. Not anyone.
Because nobody kisses me like Hayden is trying to survive it.
Nobody looks at me like I’m the only light left in the world.
Nobody ever will.
Bianca reaches over, squeezing my hand roughly before stealing my drink.
“Maybe because nobody else is him,” she says, and fuck. That sinks in a little too hard.
After leaving the roof, we go back inside and I fall onto the couch. I barely sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see Hayden.
So, by the time morning arrives, I’m exhausted before the day even starts. Unfortunately, Brimstone High doesn’t care about emotional damage.
Walking into school, it is Chaos immediately. Again.
Because, apparently, I physically cannot exist peacefully anymore.
I’m grabbing books from my locker when Tracy appears beside me, smelling like cheap perfume and bad intentions.
“You know,” she says loudly, “Hayden stayed at my place last night.”
My entire body goes still.
Tracy smirks wider instantly. “He's a lot rougher than I expected.”
Rage fills my veins and rushes through me so fast I don’t even think.
I slam my locker shut hard enough to rattle the hallway. “Shut your mouth.”
“Why?” She laughs cruelly. “You jealous?”
