Destiny and I were sitting at our usual table during the lunch break, waiting for Ashton. 

They're both the most popular people in the school but what makes them special to me is that out of everyone, they still decide to hangout with me. I don't see them with their own set of friends most of the time. However Ashton does bring his football friends once in a few days at the lunch table but I don't really mind.

"Why didn't you come to school yesterday?" Was Destiny's first question as soon as I began stuffing my mouth with food.

I smacked my lips and shrugged. "I was at the precinct." 

After my mom's words yesterday, I decided to be more open instead of being surreptitious. I wouldn't say that it's easy but I was trying. I was on the road to think about everyone concerning me.

Like promised, I'd relayed Caleb's exact words to my mom during breakfast before coming to school. To say that she was scared beyond belief would be an understatement.

Destiny's face fell instantly and I could tell that she was perturbed. "You went there after… months, I see," she said solemnly and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, squeezing it gently.

A truck load of realization hit me at that moment. I never knew that I needed this blanket of comfort until now. "Yeah. Caleb said that they might have gotten a lead but nothing's too sure for now."

"How are you feeling about it?" She asked me cautiously, gauging my reaction.

I shrugged again, avoiding her worried gaze. "I don't know. Maybe… like air? Like it's there, you can feel it but you don't see it," I answered honestly. I really did feel like air. I don't know what to feel about my situation anymore.

"I can always see you, Ser," Destiny assured me. She was trying to lighten up the mood but I knew that she was serious. "Plus, you're a warrior. The strongest one at that," she stimulated me further.

Scoffing, I rolled my eyes and distracted myself by eating my lunch. "Yeah, right," I muttered.

"Don't scoff! It's true!" She exclaimed, catching everyone's attention but they went back to doing their stuff once they noticed it was us.

"Okay, okay. I get it, I'm a warrior, cool?" I grinned but she gave me a dry look. "Where's Ash though? He's not coming?"

"I know what you're doing there. Trying to change the subject but whatever. You're a warrior, believe it or not because I do. And he has told me that his coach wanted to see him. He'll be here," she told me. A smile lit up her whole face when she spoke about Ashton.

I bumped her shoulder with mine teasingly and a slight blush coated her cheeks.

"Shut up."

"Didn't say anything." I raised my arms in surrender.

"Ooh, which reminds me that I saw Chang and you staring at each other the other day. Like he looked at you, girl! Oh, my gosh, I'm fangirling." Squealing, she giggled.

"You saw that?" Now I was shocked.

"Duh. Of course, I did. And that's not even the real tea, girl. You know what? Yesterday, he'd literally asked where you were," she gushed, cupping her cheeks and bouncing with effervescence in her seat.

I stilled, hearing that and gave her a puzzled look. "You're not messing with me, are you?"

"Oh, puh-lease. Why can't you accept the fact that brooding Chang asked for you and maybe he too has a crush on you?" She sounded enthused and completely ignored my expression.

I should've been happy but for some reason, I didn't feel so good. Every time a guy has ever initiated to talk to me, it's their mission to soften the badass girl. It's their mission to let them call me Serenity. They don't want to date me for who I am but rather for who I used to be. Not that my old self was bad but it was more of a people pleaser. A happy girl.

After going through this, a guy like Chang who never even looks at anyone, let alone talk, had asked for my whereabouts made me wary. I don't know what to expect but his sudden interest in me made all my defense mechanisms stand on end.

"What's wrong?" Destiny asked once she noticed my silence.

I shook my head sadly. "No one likes a broken girl like me. Especially once they know how damaged I really am," I replied.

"Ser… you're not broken," she contradicted my statement.

"Actually, you're right. I am a broken girl patched back with flimsy bandages," I said, playing with the ends of my hair.

She was about to say something, probably to chastise me with the way she was giving me a reproachful look but she was interrupted by her phone ringing.

Picking up the call, she continued narrowing her eyes at me. "This isn't over yet," she mouthed and I grinned at her.

I quickly finished my fries while Destiny talked with Ashton on the phone. I zoned out from her side of the conversation by paying my entire attention to gorb down the food left in my tray.

Once she hung up, she looked at me. "Remember those flimsy bandages give you the confidence that no one could touch you plus they're keeping you together too," she said, wanting to have the last word.

Her statement stumped me and I silently agreed with her. I didn't voice it out loud but she's the strength that I need to keep me going on in my life just like my mom.

"Glad to render you speechless." She beamed proudly. "Oh, and Ash asked us to join him on the football grounds."

I nodded my head as we both stood up and made our way outside the cafeteria. "Why did he ask us to meet there?" I asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Don't know," she answered, furrowing her brows.

We reached the football grounds in no time since it's closer to the cafeteria.

Destiny sprinted when she saw Ashton and lunged onto him to pull him in a hug. I could see his other friends as well, including Chang. He was busy on his phone, not sparing us a single glance.

Blake, one of the jocks smiled and waved at me. He does that whenever he sees me. I returned the gesture and realized guiltily that I had still saved his name as 'Who Dat' in my contacts. However, it isn't my fault that I didn't have anyone's number saved in my phone before the Coachella group except for my two best friends.

Destiny and Ashton were talking in a hushed tone and excused themselves pulling Blake, Jordan, Brandon and Derek along with them. 

I looked at their departing figures with a scowl because I knew what they were doing. Chang finally glanced up from his phone, his face pasted with his usual blank look.

Slowly turning his head, his gaze flickered towards me and I was mesmerized by his slanted, soft brown eyes and his straight, jet black hair falling on his forehead effortlessly. We stared at each other and I was pretty sure that our expressions were mirroring each other which was basically nothing.

"Calamity," he spoke in a monotone and I almost thought that Destiny had lied about him asking where I was yesterday. He looked at me with calculative eyes. "What a childish thing. Wanting to be called Calamity and stuff. What are we? Elementary school kids?" He snorted incredulously.

My jaw clenched and I could feel my face burning with rage. Not only was I vexed at his words but hurt too because I thought that he's the person who wouldn't judge me for who I've chosen to be for a reason.

I thought that he ignored everyone because people are always silently scrutinizing the others. But boy, was I wrong. He's just like them too.

"It may seem childish to you but some people don't have the privilege to enjoy their innocent childhood. And maybe that's the exact reason they search for it while growing up. Or maybe, they just don't wish to grow up." With that said, I turned on my heels and left him standing there alone. Albeit I didn't miss the abashed expression dominating his face before I left. The first emotion I ever witnessed on his face.

~♡☆~♡☆~♡☆~♡☆~♡☆~♡☆~♡☆~

Word count: 1411
Total count: 9009