Phoenix's Lies

Somebody I Used To Know?

(The song is for playing when Phoenix and Ari are talking)

Phoenix

After the girl runs out of the room I sit. Staring at her back with a stunned expression that I can't change. I'd wanted to brush it off as a crazy coincidence, That this couldn't - can't - possibly be the same person. Wanted to brush off the appearance as a coincidence to the girl who broke my heart five years ago. Same with the snarky rule-breaking attitude. But the scar? I know that scar intimately since I'd been there when she'd had the accident that caused it. The surgery to fix it and when she was told it would be something she would see for the rest of her life.

She. Her. River South. The girl from five years ago who I'd loved before even knowing what that was. How destructive such emotion was, before I......

Glancing at her old best friend I catch Ari's eye across the room but before I can ask her what's going on in my mind I blink and she's gone. Like a disappearing act, she vanished right before my eyes and left me with questions. Scowling I catch Hunter's eye across the room and see him watching the door where both his sister and the girl I'm now convinced is River vanished. Both are about two minutes apart, a worried expression in his green eyes he shares with his sister. Frowning at him I shoot him a look but he just sighs and walks over, seeing the impossibility of ignoring my look. A different response to his sister who had fixed me with a shift half-apologetic look, vanishing before I have a chance to ask what the fuck has just happened.

"You ok Nix?" Hunt's concerned voice pulls my eyes from the empty classroom door to where he's standing by the empty seat next to me. "Christ, you look like you've seen a ghost, are you ok?"

I'm half tempted to laugh at his joke, had it not been such an apt description of how I was feeling. I feel like I've just seen one as well. I don't answer him straight away, thinking those words over to myself. Not ready to either be called crazy or have more of the shifty looks that I'd not only caught Ari giving me but also pass between the twins in response to whoever left in such a hurry to avoid me. Sighing I run a hand through my hair for a second before gathering my stuff to leave my mind on the mystery girl.

Was it her? River?

Shaking myself out of it I notice that Hunt's still looking at me, waiting for me to respond, now looking more worried than ever as to if I was ok. Something I'd been sure of until I was faced with the possibility that the elusive girl from class was my ex. The one girl that I did and didn't want to see, despite knowing that I would eventually see her since Ayrith isn't exactly a large town so our paths were bound to cross, eventually. But so soon? I hadn't anticipated I'd see her so soon, be so close to her so soon after being back. Or how I'd feel when we locked eyes. At having her so close, not knowing what to do with the reckless, restless feeling she's always brought out in me as kids. A feeling that now seems more radioactive, more dangerous for some reason. The admittance of it caused a tug-of-war sensation inside. Half of me wants to run the other way, warning of danger. Hurt. Fire. But the other part? That part wanted me to run at her and see how close I could get before we both combusted and destroyed each other the way our no doubt competitive and now twisted pairing would do.

But which half to follow?

"Nix, are you sure you're ok? You don't look too good." Hunt looks over at me where I still haven't moved. The bracelet and key I wear at all times in remembrance of what I'd had before it fell apart hot against my skin. The memory of how good it felt to be with her, how right, burned into my memory as brightly as if it were yesterday. "Nix?"

I snapped out of it, facing my worried friend and trying to reassure him I wasn't going mad. "Yeah, I'm ok Hunt. Don't worry, I just thought I..." I'm about to carry on before I cut myself off, not ready to hear the possible judging if I'm wrong. Or just crazy. I sigh. "Just had a weird feeling about being back I guess. Never thought I'd see this place again after I left."