Page 8 of Never Forget You
I sigh heavily, not wanting any of that. But I can’t show Matthew how miserable I really am or he will think of me as a fool. I’m sure he already sees how much of an idiot I am when I was babbling on about love and marriage. But in my defense, I did think that Georgia was in as much as I was. I didn’t know I meant nothing to her.
“Yeah, should be good.” I force a weak smile on my face. “I’m looking forward to having fun with you.”
Matthew looks visibly relieved as I show promise of being happy. Instantly, he goes off on a tangent about all the things we’re going to do to make sure that we have a memorable time. I nod along and make agreeable noises where necessary, which thankfully is enough to keep my best friend talking. I need this at the moment, someone to keep me going without requiring much from me, and I’m pretty sure that Matthew will be that. He hasn’t even said ‘I told you so’ yet, which is an absolute miracle. I guess he can tell from my face that I know I was wrong.
Sadly, I still find myself checking my phone all day long. I can’t help it. Even though I’ve worked out by now that I’m not going to get anything back, and without a surname, I can’t find her online, but I can’t stop myself.
I’m hopeless. I really do feel hopeless as well. I know how bad this is for me, how unhealthy it is. My mother has warned me on more than one occasion, but I’m still addicted to what I once had, to what Georgia brought into my life. All of that meant the world to me, and I don’t know if I will ever be able to let it go.
If only we didn’t get caught kissing, if only I didn’t fall asleep, if only she felt the same way as me. If only, if only, if only. Truth be told, I don’t know what’s going on in her life now, how things are with her father, or even where she is in the world. We talked a lot about fate and destiny bringing us together, but we didn’t discuss anything real. Perhaps that’s a sign of our youth, or maybe her unwillingness to take this on any longer than her vacation, despite whatever she said to me in person and in her letter as well. The letter that I have with me right now, that I might always have with me for the rest of my life, just because it’s my prized possession, the one thing that I have left.
Well, that and the memories, of course. They will never go anywhere, and they can’t even be tainted by what has happened now. I will never forget laughing with her in the ocean or taking her to the carnival. Every second that we were together was magical, and absolutely nothing can take that away from us. Nothing at all.
“Harry,Harry!” Matthew comes to find me, all excited at the end of the school day, not seeming to care that just pretending to be happy all day long has me too exhausted for conversation. “You will never guess what happened today,” He continues, not giving me a chance to answer. “Marcie, you know her, the cheerleader. Well, turns out she’s finally noticed you and she wants to ask you on a date… well, I think she would rather you ask her on a date. I guess she isn’t the sort of girl who asks herself.”
“Oh.” I can’t act excited. My monotone voice speaks volumes. “I see.”
“I thought that you would be over the moon, buddy. You know what they say? The best way to get over one girl is to go on a date with a cheerleader…” He stops laughing once he realizes that I’mnot joining in. “Oh, come on, this is great news. Why aren’t you looking at me like this is the best news you have ever heard?”
“Because I don’t know Marcie, the cheerleader.” I shrug one shoulder. “I don’t want to go out with her.”
“She’s smoking hot. You should at least give her a try.”
“I don’t want to, though.” Shit, I’m dangerously close to crying. That isn’t what I want. Not here.
“Why not? I don’t understand,” Matthew whines. “I really thought that this would be good for you.”
“But she isn’t Georgia.” I might as well be honest. “She just isn’t.”
“I know.” He nods understandingly. “But no one else will ever be Georgia, will they?”
God, isn’t that the truth? That’s a fact I will now have to live with forever. How depressing is that?
“Not yet,” I tell my friend, as if I will ever be ready. “Just… not yet…”
“Sure, okay. Not Marcie. Not yet. I understand.”
But for how long?
7
GEORGIA
Ihate it here. I will always hate it here. There is no way in hell that I will ‘one day see this as a good thing’. My father couldn’t be more wrong. I don’t care which way he tries to spin this. Shipping me off to a science-focused course in a boarding school somewhere, God knows where, in the middle of Switzerland, is always going to be awful.
Yes, maybe one of my teachers did recommend it because I ‘have a flair for science’, and perhaps it does give me a good future in that sort of career, but if I’d chosen it then that would be fine. This was forced upon me. When my father talked about sending me off to some kind of military school, I thought it was just a threat. I didn’t know he meant it. This might as well be a military school since it’s so strict and weird, very unlike my old school. It isn’t for my future. It’s because my dad caught me kissing Harry and he wants me to suffer.
That’s why he took my cell phone away the moment he caught me sneaking back into the hotel in the morning… yep, I didn’t get away with my midnight escapade after all, and it’s why I don’t have any form of communication now. This school isagainst screens. It doesn’t like the distraction that cell phones can bring, which Iknowis why my father chose it, and it also only allows people to use the Internet for work. To train us to bethe best minds in the worldor whatever. It’s stupid, it’s a punishment, and honestly, I’m the most upset that I’ve ever been in my life.
He has taken Harry away from me in every way possible, the best thing to ever happen to me. I hate what he’s done. I hate that I’m here. It’s going to be the worst time of my life. I could have finished my education at school,myschool, where I had friends and a good life. It’s far too late for me to make any friends here.
“This will be your room.” I suddenly realize that the head of the school has been talking to me the entire time. “You will be rooming with Sienna Knight. She will help you find your way around the school.”
Great. A girl who’s used to living on her own will now have me with her. What a wonderful way to make her hate me. I can already feel the scathing look that she’s absolutely bound to give me when she comes in. How can I make her understand that I don’t want to be here either? I’m sure that no one will understand my shitty situation. They all want to be at this exclusive, expensive school, and they probably appreciate the eco-friendly, no-tech approach.
“Thank you,” I mumble quietly, trying to at least sound a little bit grateful. It isn’t her fault. “That’s great.”
“Now, my office is in the main building, by the reception area, so come to me if you need anything at all.”