"We're all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness - and call it love - true love." (Robert Fulghum)
Moving...
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I'm watching with amusement as Harlyn struggles to cram some clothes into her suitcase, beads of sweat forming on her forehead, ruining the makeup she won't have time to touch up if she continues to wrestle with her luggage. Meanwhile, Raine and I are already done, having zipped up our suitcase yesterday. The only items we added today were the toothbrush, toothpaste, and comb. This reminds me of how Luke finished packing a week ago and has managed with three shirts and two pairs of pants for the last seven days, as he doesn't have many clothes at the boarding school.
"Harlyn, we're going to the mountains for four days; you don't need that many clothes," Raine tells her.
"I need at least three outfits per day. Especially if we're hiking or something; I'll sweat, and I'll need to change," Harlyn responds.
I roll my eyes playfully, earning a reproachful look from the blonde. Only she could think of all these possibilities. Sometimes I wonder why she chose us as friends, considering we're clueless about fashion concepts and new trends, and how she didn't integrate into the popular girls' group like Valencia, Lexi, and Natalia, who seem to be only interested in clothes, just like Harlyn.
The past few weeks have flown by like lightning. Nevin has been somewhat distant, spending most of his time at committee meetings, of which I never had any idea how frequent they were. Obviously, Nevin isn't obligated to attend every meeting, but he confided in me that he enjoys contributing ideas and helping with event planning, although I wouldn't have thought he'd put effort into something like that. Many afternoons were spent with Raine and me at the café doing homework, bringing us closer. Harlyn is as absent as Nevin. I haven't been able to spend much time with Zayden, but about once a week, Raine has invited him to help us with physics and math, which didn't bother me, but at the same time, it feels strange to know that they are so close that they don't hesitate to ask him for help. In addition to that, we've seen each other a few times in the park or mall, but we haven't allowed ourselves to stay for more than an hour.
I receive a message from Hale, with whom I started talking after the revelation that both of us were afraid to approach each other because of misunderstandings. Mostly, he sends me songs, which most of the time are not to my liking, but I listen to them all the way through and give him my honest opinion. He has never been offended so far that we don't have the same musical tastes, which surprises me. Before we aligned our perspectives, he would have accused me of not knowing what is beautiful.
The door opens, though I thought it was closed. All three of us instantly turn toward it, seeing with astonishment that Lance and Zayden have entered our humble room, recently seeming inseparable. Granted, both of them are in the eleventh grade, so they have more in common.
"I wanted to ask how things are going, but it seems not too well," Lance admits.
He confidently steps into our room, inspecting Harlyn's overflowing suitcase, but Zayden remains in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his hands, blocking access for anyone who might want to enter or leave.
