Yes we're starting another role-play - Shades Vs. Maple

[Maple ♥]

The title speaks for itself lol. I would make this fancy but I am wayyy too lazy ^.^ 

[shades]

Ezra ; ;
Being twenty-one led to many responsibilities, especially in college; going to a small town college where the college itself is the largest thing in town. Ezra Logan chose Atkin University because it was far away from Wisconsin and specialized in his field of study, one of the best forensic science schools in the country.
He had to get away from Appleton, and Atkin was one of the best colleges to get away to. Sure, he went home, but Ezra preferred staying and hanging out with friends , and saving the gas money by staying at Atkin.
Currently, he had a break in-between classes, just wandering into the library and picking up a book. Smiling to himself as he flicked through it, Ezra’s mind was somewhere else. At school, there are always cliques and groups, passed down from senior to junior, sophomore to freshman; some surpass the social status, some don’t. For Ezra Logan, he was simply in the crowd, not a part of it. Students may classify him in a clique, but if you were to ask the lost young man who uses schoolwork as his excuse to pass socializing with others; you would simply get a thoughtful “hmm” from Ezra, as he has no idea himself where he fits. There have never been many friends, and any intentions to be bossed around, or doing such bossing (unless it is a school project, then Ezra may take charge). He was always off on his own, huddled over a book in the corner of a room.
With a bowed head, and pushing up his glasses, Ezra tends to avoid being seen. He wasn’t wholly unattractive, but Ezra never flaunted his good looks and figure; instead he hid behind too-large baggy hand-me-down hoodies, slightly-skinny jeans, and tattered, dirty, converse. His brown hair is ruffled at the bangs but kept neat, strands falling into his eyes as he looks around, and bobs his head. There are over a million stars in the universe; many of which reside in his eyes. Hidden behind the clouded fog of the light condensation clinging to the frames of his large lenses is a treasure trove waiting to be discovered. Like the ocean in the distant, Ezra’s eyes sparkle like a pale ocean green, waiting to drag another out to sea and get lost in; for his dark depths are like a looking-glass, reflective, and having a glassy look about them as he finds his gaze wandering in the distant; lost in thought.
When Ezra Logan speaks (and that in which is a rare thing in itself), he’s soft-spoken, shy, but there is wisdom and sophistication in every word. Each syllable is carefully thought out and drawn out, with a lick of his lips and flicker of his eyes. Ezra would hum and tap as he thought, thinking of his sentences with delicacy of a ballet dancer. His smile is infectious, living by the proverb of a glad heart makes a cheerful face, Ezra always seems fortunate enough to have many happy days to smile and brighten another’s.
Generally, Ezra is a jittery person, being put in the spotlight makes him anxious; whether it is being called on in class, or making a speech. Particularly, if he feels someone is unhappy or disappointed with him; it makes Ezra Logan much more jumpy than normal. He’s a guy who is hard to get to know, who has a barrier of seclusion around him a mile wide and the rumor that’s he’s a bit ‘off’; but really Ezra is a dithering intellect. He’s cheerful, light-hearted, charming, charismatic, witty, cheeky, and sometimes sarcastic when the time is right. Overall, Ezra is resourceful and quick-thinking, able to spin things to his point-of-view and find positive outlooks on negative situations; and generally finds himself overlooking when he says something that might be rude or uncouth. Ezra Logan is someone who compliments intellect, a person who loves being a thinker and tuning others out. Being aloof, Ezra is awkward, fumbling, bumbling, clumsy, and lazy; he trips over his own feet quite often, particularly when running through the hallways to class.
When excited, Ezra will motion, and use wild hand gestures when talking about the topics which engross Ezra. From thus, he can also get distracted easily into his own babbling and rambling of topics and theories.; moving onto diverging topics in a pinch of second.
As a young, disinterested young man Ezra tends to stay away from others besides his mother. Leaving him with himself and his own thoughtful thinking and imagination, Ezra tends to devise theories about possibilities of “what if’s” and solving many mysteries and theorizing such prospects.
It was his previous friendship and fight that led to a change in personality; he was feisty as a teenager, but now Ezra Logan has mellowed down a lot.

[Maple ♥]

If not for her head, Astrid wouldn't even be in this town. But because it was hit a certain way and because the car who had made impact had hit her's at just the right angle, her mind was now broken, possibly forever. It was now that Astrid didn't remember any day since the last she was in high school, with her best friend, and at her seventeenth birthday party. Now, she was twenty one, and she couldn't remember the last four years of her life. 

She was messed up pretty bad.

Because she wasn't able to remember, she decided to escape from her 'life', which she felt foreign to now. It was all a blur, one she couldn't even fathom without her head hurting in the back, like a severe migraine headache. It throbbed where her scar was, where she would constantly be reminded of the gap of time she didn't remember.

Astrid had always been the dork, the over weight girl, the one who only had one friend and never got attention from other boys. She would kill to have been popular, and had been so happy when she'd invited the most popular people to her party and they'd come. But, her memory ended with her waling out of her room, ready to step into her own front room to let the people in. Her best friend of many years, Ezra, right at her side. Now her life was completely different.

People had tried to help her of course, but she'd gone a bit crazy when they tried to tell her how her life had gone between the last thing she remembered and when she woke up from her coma. They'd tried to tell her she'd let her dirty blond hair grow long and had lost almost forty pounds. They tried to tell her she was now the most popular girl in school and her best friend was gone. They tried to tell her all these things, but she couldn't handle it. She had to find out for herself. But she still hadn't done that.

She'd moved colleges out of pure want. She wanted, no, needed to get out of the place she was surrounded with unfamiliarity and people who knew her, yet she didn't even know herself. Now she was at Atkin University, praying to start over and start a new life for herself. 

Astrid Marks has long, dirty blond hair that frizzes instead of stays sleek and straight. It curves like the waves of the ocean down to her rib cage, and she has layers in that she used to care about, according to other people. Slim fingers and square nails, slim figure. It was interesting, and kind of a relief to see herself so in shape compared to when she'd been in high school. She even looked...pretty. Which shocked her. Now that her bruises from the car crash she'd been in were healed and her scar was covered by hair, she seemed a bit normal. Unfamiliar, but normal somewhat. 

Her eyes are as light as blue ice, strikingly more dark blue towards the pupil but still startling in color. Her nose is small and petite, but fit her face, and her teeth are white and straight. It was also weird waking up without braces. Her arms were still long, but they were thin, along with her waist. Her chest was a good size, along with her rear. She has a nose piercing she didn't remember getting and freckles she'd never seen before.

But she guessed she had to get used to seeing this girl in the mirror.

Today, Astrid was wearing a light yellow sun dress and white Keds, her hair down in natural beach waves and her contacts in. She'd ditched the glasses a long time ago, apparently, though she'd never had them in high school. Her arms were full with the books she had read for her classes, that she needed to return to the library. She shuffled along, her side bag hitting her hip as she walked, barely seeing over the stack in her hands. She stumbled a little, almost loosing her grip completely, before fixing her hold and moving quickly to the front counter area.  

[shades]

Ezra ; ;
Like Astrid, Ezra grew up. In high school he wasn’t overweight, in fact he was underweight and wearing large hand-me-downs or clothes from the thrift shop and never fit properly. His face was slightly pimply, though maturity has been good on him. At one point in life, he ditched the glasses and went with contacts; that idea never went far when Ezra kept poking his eyes to redness and forgetting about them.
He was slightly taller, not short, but not gangly in height. His clothing was still baggy around his figure, but that was manly his preference. Muscle shirts and anything other men wear seem unappealing and just awkward to move around in. Ezra continued wearing large shirts and hoodies over them, just for his own security.
But still he wore his jeans and converse, Ezra could never get rid of those. Well, maybe in the summer.
His green eyes sparked with mischief as he greeted Ms. Lovell. Ezra, a fan of reading, always found it amusing how she was always making woes and mes about the latest men and reading romance novels. She was like an odd romance character herself, never able to find love except in her books—it was irony, actually.
“Afternoon Ms. Lovell, how’s Chad?” Ezra asked, moving his hand to hide a smile he would eventually be shameful of. Ms. Lovell’s face dropped and her eyes welled with light tears.
Turning away, she continued checking in books. “I’m over him,” She spoke with false confidence, placing a book one-by-one onto the cart. “I really am, Ezra.” She assured, smiling at him. “What can I do for you?”
Resisting the slight urge to roll his eyes, knowing full well she wasn’t over him, Ezra shifted slightly to lean on the counter. “Looking for a specific book, Nanotechnology for Forensics? It wasn’t in last week so I stopped by, also I think we might use one of the large group areas this Saturday if you don’t mind.” He spoke politely, pushing his glasses up his nose. Ezra still showing a shy smile at the librarian, who reminded him much of Astrid.
“I’ll check in the back, no promises, libraries have fussy times sending us books across the country.” Ms. Lovell bustled towards the back, leaving Ezra Logan in his thoughts at the counter. They weren’t wholly peaceful, in fact, the thought of Astrid brought the rain.
She was his best friend through high school. They had actually met at the dentist, both of them being fitted for braces they had to receive. Together they were metal mouths, reading review and book buddies, played videogames, and obviously were the but of everyone’s jokes until their junior year.
Unlike Ezra, who never liked being labeled and ignored calling himself a part of a clique—Astrid was much more in-tune with the forces of popularity and worshipped them. She wanted to be their friends, and at the time Ezra had rudely pulled the ‘wanting to get into Robert Paisley’s pants’. That was when he was seventeen, mind you, and he was very feisty and defensive over the possibility of losing a friend. His only friend.
After Astrid’s birthday, which hadn’t gone as planned FYI. She had invited the popular crowd to a small friendly get-together which her parents had left them knowing Ezra and Astrid to be ‘responsible young adults’ AKA they trusted him not to have sex with their daughter, or suspected him of being gay.
The popular crowd came, brought some alcohol, it was small but obviously with alcohol someone got drunk and things went wrong. Ezra could point out many wrong anonymities she couldn’t see and they fought. It was stupid, Ezra would think back and wished he had let Astrid do her thing and live her dream, but hope she would stay with him. Yet, he had to throw out problems, try to tell her what would ‘eventually come’ if she ditched him for the crowd. How he knew they wanted to use and abuse her, like at the party.
He was right, Ezra noticed how sometimes she looked depressed with them. It wasn’t the ‘dream’ she dreamed, it was different than the movies. Since the fight, Ezra became even more aloof and never bothered to look up and see if Astrid was alone to apologize, or just smile.

[Maple ♥]

Astrid still didn't know what happened at that party, the one she didn't remember. There was no one who would just tell her the truth at home. They all sugar coated things, trying to make the blow more tolerable. But she didn't want to hear it from them. She only wanted to talk to one person.

Her best friend. Ezra.

He was there for her every step of the way going through high school, even some of middle school. Braces bonded them, as well as the 'nerdy' things like books and school and everything else like that. For Astrid, her mind was set to the last time they'd talked, right before her party. Ezra had seemed unenthusiastic about the party, the one she'd been waiting her whole life to have. The populars, boys and girls, were coming to her birthday party. Finally. She'd been so excited, putting on make-up while Ezra sat on her bed and watched with a slightly disapproving smile. But she ignored him. She was too excited about it to let him ruin her mood. And then she turned to him, grabbed his arm, and they began to walk down the stairs in her new heels and outfit she'd bought just for the occasion.

The memory ended there.

Astrid pushed some hair behind her ear, making her way towards the front counter, huffing out air at carrying so many books. She made it to the desk, plopping the books onto it heavily and letting out a hefty breath. She didn't look over at the guy, just peeked at the lady over her books. "Hi," she smiled, panting slightly. Her collar bones stuck out beneath the small straps of her flawy sun dress. Her eyes trailed over the contents of the desk, taking it all in, and taking her bottom lip between her fingers. A nervous habit. Not once did she pay much attention to the boy next to her, but just focused on the books and the lady working the desk. "I need to turn these in to check out a few more." She smiled kindly before playing with her lip again, black painted nails in deep contrast with her pale skin.

[shades]

Ezra ; ;
There was a husky sound to her voice, but it hadn’t changed much. His body stiffened beside the girl, mentally pleading for Ms. Lovell to return without the book so he could run away. Flee from the life he left behind, again, and never looked back. Sure, now was the perfect time to apologize and confess his feelings; but that was four years ago, roughly. Since then Ezra has moved on, his job at the Downey Restaurant to pay for college, roommates which are the closest to friends he’ll ever get, a female who is a psychology major who shows actual interest in him. Yet, his past comes to haunt him.
If Ezra wasn’t a religious guy, he would be blaming karma and voodoo or whatever.
Mrs. Lovell looked up from the book she had grabbed for Ezra (surprise, it came), smiling at the lovely girl. “Of course, just let me check him out first.” She stamped the inside of the book, holding her hand out, “Ezra, your Student ID please.”
The young man handed the laminated card to the librarian, deliberately turning his back towards Astrid and rubbing his nonexistent stubble on his chin. Cough, Ezra thanked Ms. Lovell who was quickly attending Astrid.
“Are you new, sweetie? I haven’t seen you around before, I know Ezra might be willing to give you a tour and help you towards your classes, he’s very sweet like that. What every girl looks for in a man, if you get him in a nice shirt and tie, that is.” The librarian jabbered, motioning for Ezra to stay.
He tried to worm his way out, avoiding any form of contact with Astrid, “I really should be going—”
“Nonsense! You have half a day before your next class.” Ms. Lovell knew his time and schedule for classes and his work schedule, they chatted often when Ezra would come to the library. She was his favorite of the whole college, she didn’t give homework, and provided him with books. Looking away shyly, Ezra mumbled a “I guess so,” under his breath.
Today was just one of those days.
From what he caught glimpses of, Astrid had grown up. Her hair was different, and figure, but she was still his Astrid. Had that posture and nervous smile, hoping to not anger anyone; yet so confused as to why if she happens to. The way she curls her fingers and how she absently tries not to bite them, a habit she attempted to break when they first met; she breaks her nail biting, and Ezra breaks his stutter he suffered through most of middle school and the first two years of high school with.
Even though he wanted to run away from the past again, Ezra took a deep breath in and out, and prepared for the haunting to begin.
God, he hated irony and horror movies.

[Maple ♥]

Astrid had never been one to make a scene, from what she can remember anyways. So when she say Ezra finally, her ice blue eyes pinned to him like glue and her heart rate sky rocketed. The gears in her broken mind began to shift until finally her mouth opened in a slight shock. "Ezra?" She asked, leaning to see him though he turned away. Her hand shakily went out to touch his shoulder, her eyes welling with tears. "Is that really you?" 

After a second, Astrid realized the lady was talking to her and she turned back to her, wiping her eyes. "I-I know him already," she swallowed and felt herself turning back to him. "I can't believe I finally found you," she smiled bitter sweetly and have into the urge she was having of throwing her arms around his neck happily. "I've missed you so much!" She said next to his ear, relief filling every part of her. She was so happy at that moment, like the missing piece of her puzzle had been out into place again. All she could do was hold into him, shaking and crying like a little kid but she knew he'd understand (or not), she knew he'd feel the same way. They'd been separated for far too long.

[shades]

Ezra ; ;
He hadn’t gotten wind of what had happened to Astrid, his mother wasn’t in tune with the gossip of the town and preferred to work at home. Ezra was completely in the dark, thinking this was some sick joke of Astrid’s part. Giving a small smile to Ms. Lovell, “No worries, she’ll be fine.” It was fake, it was hiding the torment of what had happened before.
Watching as Ms. Lovell had to attend to another student and help him find a book. Ezra quickly began walking away, shrugging his once-friend off him. “Hello Astrid.” He said simply, barely sparing her a glance with his green eyes.
“Look, I don’t know what silly stunt you are trying to pull, but please, don’t.” Ezra said rather coldly, but keeping his tone soft and even.
He was remembering back then, the party, the fight, and knowing she probably wouldn't willingly want him as her friend. Not after not only did she abandon him, but he left her.

[Maple ♥]

Astrid was taken aback, naturally. She felt him leave her and the confusion wrapped around her blanket like in the middle of winter. "What are you talking about?" She asked him, wiping the tears from her face. You see, unknowingly to Astrid, after the party that had ended Ezra's and her friendship, she'd slipped right in with the popular kids. She's grown an attitude, was rude to people, especially Ezra. In the halls, she'd avoid him or make it her mission to stare him down and sneer. The group of 'friends' she'd obtained over the whole ordeal didn't like Ezra, and therefore Astrid couldn't either. To make her prove herself to them, Astrid was forced to make a scene, embarrass him in front of the whole school during lunch. And because she craved being cool so badly, she didn't think it'd be hard to do. Except, when she'd tripped him enough to fall with his food in front of everyone, guilt hadn't even been the word for how she felt. But her options had been to go back after him, staring up at her from his position on the floor and watching eyes, or move along with the other girls and boys who were snickering.

And Astrid chose the latter.

If she could remember anything, she'd see the hurt in Ezra's eyes now that he had had during that time, in the cafeteria. Hurt, distrust. Astrid didn't understand. He looked nothing like the loving Ezra she could remember.

Quickly, she dashed to grabbed a hold of his bicep, her skin feeling like fire just by touching him. She loved him, why was he being so stand offish?

"Ezra, wait," she pleaded with him. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy to see me? I have so much to tell you..." She looked down shyly. Also unknowing to Astrid, she used to be a completely different person after the party. Sweet, caring. The person she'd become, though, was planning a cold hearted bitch. But now she was practically her old self in a new form, one who thought she was still a virgin and had a best friend named Ezra.

[shades]

Ezra ; ;
There was a snort that came from Ezra, his eyebrow quirking, green eyes narrowed. “Happy to see you? The last time I felt happy to see you and your friends was four years ago before being promptly abandoned by my friend.” He turned away, “It was a nice chat.” He pushed his glasses up his nose, repositioned his book in his arm, looked at Astrid one last time; noting the change and the similarities, but knowing she was manipulative like her friends back then.

“Astrid, why exactly are we throwing this party? I was hoping for, you know, just some friends and videogames. I wasn’t expecting…well, Amanda Longbarrow and Robert Paisley. In fact, I’d prefer if they weren’t coming.” Seventeen year-old Ezra asked his best friend as she applied make-up, him laying on her bed with his feet dangling over the side, playing with a Rubix Cube she had been working on, accordingly, for years. Little did she know he beat it every time and just remixed it back up for Astrid to continue.
“Ezra, it’s the popular kids coming to my party, and my house, why wouldn’t you be excited?”
“Particularly the fact that they’ll know which house to egg and where I live.” Ezra retorted, rolling his eyes. “Are you sure they aren’t conning you, steal your food, get you to do their homework? I can totally attempt to take them on from a distance if they are.” He joked, receiving a non-amused glance from Astrid.
“Fine fine. I’ll be good, stay out of the way.”
“Oh Ezra, come on, you’ll be great friends with Robert and the others!” Astrid spoke with confidence and hope, smiling back as she applied the mascara, finally. Even Ezra couldn’t doubt she was beautiful.
A timid boy who couldn’t say the words, though, merely smiled as she turned around and asked, “how do I look?” leaving Ezra speechless and unable to choke out the word he was hoping for.
“Stunning.” He said simply after a minute, standing up and offering his arm. “Come on, you have a party to host. It’s at your house, not mine.” Ezra teased, leading Astrid down the stairs as the doorbell began to ring at 6:03 PM.

[Maple ♥]

Astrid moved to grab onto him again, eyebrows pitched down in confusion. "You're not making any sen-" she stopped, her brain catching up with her and explaining things to her. Maybe...something had happened between when she last remembered and now, after the crash. Her mind was trying to fill the emptiness, but sadly it began to throb and she stopped trying. Confusion took over instead and she shook her head as if to free the thoughts from her mind. 

"Ezra, please," she begged him, her fingers running down his arm affectionately as she stared into his eyes. "Something happened, a-and I don't remember-" she closed her eyes together, taking in a deep breath. The throbbing in the back of her head was getting worse and she knew if she didn't sit down she might black out like she had a few times in the past. Her grip got more firm on him as she swayed, her eyes lolling a little. "If you'd just listen-" she spoke forcefully through gritted teeth before having to drop her hold on him and grab her head. "I need to sit down," she said, but her eyes watched him, pleading with him to not leave her, let her speak. There was too much happening all at once, things she couldn't put into place fast enough, which frustrated her on top of made the pain worse in her head. 

There were comfy library seats that she backed up to, sitting down daintily in one of them before holding her head in her hands. In and out, deep breaths helped to ease the pain and dizziness. These chronic headaches had gotten worse since she woke up. They pulled at the edges of her mind like taunting demons, searching for prey. Along with them, the master Devil himself; forgetfulness. A black hole, sucking away her memories and leaving her dry and empty.

After she'd calmed down, she looked up to see if Ezra had bothered to stay. Knowing him, and the way he was treating her, he liked to get away from situations. But she prayed that for some unspoken reason, he might stay for her, let her explain. It didn't matter if she was her, Ezra liked to leave. Apparently so, if they hadn't talked in four years. What had happened? There was a barrier between them that she didn't know had formed. Her mind set was that they were best friends still, talking about Hogwarts (how Astrid hated the idea of Harry Potter and Ezra loved it), sports (which Astrid loved, and Ezra did not), and anything and everything else. But Ezra's mind was somewhere else, and for the first time since she could think back on, Astrid couldn't read him.

[shades]

Ezra; ;
He may have been bruised, battered, and beaten by the girl; but Ezra was not a cruel person, his eyes showing some concern as he turned to look down on Astrid. Blinking once or twice, he sat down across from Astrid. Ezra didn’t know if she was playing into his pity and then will pull a whole charade on him, or even if she was telling the truth. After a year, Ezra began not listening to anything Astrid was all about.
She was manipulative, horrible, popular. While Ezra remained in his virginity and innocence, Astrid grew up within a week and suddenly was doing everything they had joked against.

“Okay, I think we should play a game.” Astrid announced as everyone arrived to her party, so far everyone seemingly mellow, nodding their heads and munching on the snacks. Ezra was impressed, but still he half-heartedly stood in the corner.
“It’s called Seven Minutes in Heaven,” Amanda announced, taking over the attention of the crowd. “Obviously, the birthday girl will be participating, does anyone not remember the rules of the game?”
To his embarrassment, Ezra raised his hand. Some people hid a snicker behind their hands, Astrid looked worried and motioned for him to lower his hand. Amanda, she bluntly ignored him. “Now, we will sit in a circle and send one lucky lady or gentleman into the closet, where another boy or girl will be sent to do whatever they please for seven minutes.” She winked at Astrid, a sly smirk forming on her lips.
Ezra coughed, turning to leave the room, not wishing to play this game while the parents were gone for the evening.
“Ezra, are you playing?” Astrid’s innocent voice chorused over the room, her own blue eyes pleading for him to stay.
A silent nod, Ezra turned back and wandered towards the rough circle as Amanda was motioning to the other popular girls and boys, “I think the birthday girl should go in the closet first.” She pushed Ezra’s friend into the closet, smiling as she closed the door. “Now to choose who goes in,” the people began to huddle, whispering and muttering quietly, pointing. Finally Amanda nodded.
“Ezra, why don’t you go in? Two virgins in a closet, what could go wrong?” There was sneer in Amanda’s voice as she motioned for the closet Astrid occupied. Eyes flickering with insecurity, Ezra was about to argue when someone shoved him towards the closet.
“Go on, she’ll love it.” They told him.
Ezra turned the knob, and entered the dark closet, his breath hitching as his arms reached out to find his best friend. Catching her by her shoulders, Astrid let out a small startled squeak; he could hear the smile in it, though, how excited she was.
“I was promised it would be you.” She spoke softly, Ezra blinking in the darkness; his mind tumbling through words he wanted to say. “Well? Robert?” Astrid spoke after he didn’t say anything, making Ezra the startled one.
“Robert?” Ezra felt like he was struck by lightning, the hurt rushing in at full force.
“Ezra?” Astrid’s hands wandered on his torso, creeping to his neck and face and glasses; if it wasn’t for the darkness, she would see him flushing red from the torrents of emotions. “What are you doing here?” She sounded mad, and hurt, shoving him slightly.
“No no no no no, it’s not supposed to be you.”
“I’m sorry but—”
“Get out, get out, get out!” Astrid was practically sobbing, shoving him towards the faint light of the crack between the door and the floor. “This is my day. I was told, Robert, he had a crush on me—”
“But I—”
“Leave Ezra!”
He opened the door and quickly exited, the group of populars holding their laughs behind their hands. Quickly composing as a sobbing Astrid exited and dashed up the stairs to her room. Robert Paisley slipped by with a sly smirk on his face, following.
“What’d you do, freak?” Amanda said, her impish features showing on her face and sly smile. “Don’t know how to have sex and hurt her?”
If Ezra wasn’t a pacifist, and Amanda wasn’t a girl; he would tackle her. Yet, his face just showed pain, and his speechlessness. Ezra turned away quietly, knowing Astrid had hid in her room and needed to apologize.

“Astrid, we’re not friends anymore. I-I really can’t, we didn’t leave on good…terms.” Ezra shook his head apologetically.

[Maple ♥]

Astrid's face contorted a bit, obviously hurt by his words even though he wasn't being mean. She didn't know if Ezra could ever be blatantly hurtful, though the feeling of being unwanted was coming off of him I'm waves and doing just that to Astrid. Her head was beginning to feel better so she ran her hands through her matted, but clean, blond hairs bent over, she crossed her ankles like a lady she thought she was now. "We're...not friends anymore?" She swallowed, biting her lip to hold back her emotions as best she could. "I just... I remember getting ready for the party and then... Waking up in the hospital," she said to him, a shy, sad puppy dog look on her face as she watched him through see eyelashes, rubbing her hands together nervously. 

"I was in an accident I guess..." She shook her head. "Someone rammed my car, according to my mother. They never found out who did it. I hit my head and..." Her eyes met his sadly. "I can't remember anything."

That was a lie, Astrid could remember, just not the passed four years. Beyond that, though, the memories were somewhat crisp and clear to her. The long nights, Ezra sneaking into her bed room window, crying in his arms when the boys at school rejected her. Holding his hand when his car died and they buried her in his back hard. The time Ezra choked on a baby grape and she stayed with him over night at the hospital so his mom could sleep. Or when Astrid went with Ezra's family to Mount Rushmore in an RV and they got poison oak from messing around outside the campsite. All memories she cherished, just because she's been with her best friend. 

To to know that now, they might not be best friends, made Astrid's chest feel tight and her pulse quicken In panic. 

"What happened between us, E?" She asked him, breath getting heavier.

[shades]

Ezra ; ;
Swallowing hard, Ezra shook his head. “You-you wanted the life of popularity, being friends with Amanda and dating Robert Paisley. You invited them to your birthday party and…played a game. It didn’t end up you and Robert Paisley kissing in a closet, they tricked you and sent me in and…you didn’t take it kindly. You ran off and…well.” Ezra bowed his head. The day was hard enough then.

Ezra walked up the stairs, he knew the way; they were best friends. He snuck into her room and was there and nobody else was. “Astrid?” He called through the hallway. His mind the stumbling over words.
“Look, I know Robert Paisley is your dream guy,” Ezra recited quietly as he approached her door. “But, I-I really do like you. The way you laugh, how we both have braces, the way you hold my hand casually though we are not a couple, the hugs, the smiles. I just—”
He opened the door, stopping in his tracks as he witnessed Astrid and Robert Paisley kissing, mouth-to-mouth. The words hitched in his throat, Ezra couldn’t even say anything, just watching as they kissed and how her arms were linked around his neck and his hands were crawling on her waist, creeping up her shirt.
Turning away, Ezra walked out of Astrid’s house for the last time. Ignoring the jovial calls of her new ‘friends’ and those who didn’t want him. His feelings were hurt and Ezra could never accept how she wanted to be popular, to drink alcohol, to have sex. He didn’t understand it, didn’t want to be like it.
Hands in his pockets, Ezra walked the three blocks home.

“You and Robert Paisley hooked up. The next day you sought me out, but I wanted nothing to do with you. I told you, you had your popularity, you know they didn’t like me. In fact, they even initiated you through embarrassing and tormenting me mentally. You joined in, and when they did it, you didn’t help.” Ezra shook his head. “You have your other friends now, more, half the school. You didn’t need me.”
He didn’t want to tell her she broke his heart also.

[Maple ♥]

Astrid was at a loss for words, her brain pieces clicking together to fathom everything she was being told. Why hadn't she known these things sooner? Her mother had told her Ezra had left for college, leaving no contact behind. Not that Astrid had asked specifically what had happened, because even her mother hadn't known why their friendship had ended, and didn't tell Astrid that it had in the first place. Now she was feeling all sorts of emotions all at once: anger, sadness, confusion. Astrid felt almost betrayed in some way, but she couldn't pin point exactly why.

When he told her that she'd hooked up with Robert Paisley, she blushed heavily, brushing her cheek with her hand to cover it up. She bit her lip. "I-I didn't know..." She let out a shaky breathe and realized people were staring at them a little in the library. Her fingers went to play with her lower lip like it always did. "I was popular?" She couldn't believe it. Then he spoke about her teasing him, liking it. She frowned. "Are you... Sure I did those things?" She questioned. It didn't sound anything like what she would do and she was shocked, in all honesty with herself.