Summary: Vanessa (ILITW MC) returns to school and tries to go back to her usual routine. Although she was traumatized by the events of homecoming night, her relationship with Connor gives her hope.
Author’s note: This was written for Round 51 of #ChoicesCreates: Finding Hope Again
After that awful night, Vanessa tried to be strong, but it wasn’t easy. The woods were right behind her house, and when she saw them, she thought of Mr. Red, Jane, and now Noah. The monster was still out there. When Noah had taken over, Jane had been freed, but everyone else could still be in danger.
It’s just another school day, she told herself as she walked into Westchester High for the first time since homecoming. As she approached her locker, she spotted Ava.
“Hey, how you holding up?” Vanessa asked.
Ava shrugged. “Just another day in this hellhole.”
Vanessa was keenly aware of Jocelyn’s absence. Normally that would be a relief, but she actually felt bad for Jocelyn. Who would have expected Jocelyn to sacrifice herself so that the others could escape? It was a miracle that she was still alive after being attacked by all those moss and vine creatures.
Lily and Britney walked in their direction, holding hands. As they got closer, Ava shook her head and walked off. Vanessa waved to them, and Lily headed over. Britney smiled slightly, but kept walking.
“Ava thinks I made a mistake, doesn’t she?” Lily frowned.
“Probably,” Vanessa admitted. “But you can’t help how you feel.”
“She’s trying to change. She wants to be a better person. I remember how she used to be, so I know she has it in her. I just had to give her one more chance. You understand, don’t you?”
Vanessa recalled how angry Connor had been with her for not telling him about the shadow monster. She was so relieved that he had forgiven her and given her another chance. How could she fault Lily for doing the same? “Yeah, I do.”
She made her way to homeroom, and then to her first class, history. Of course Andy wasn’t there. He had been taken to the hospital after the search party found them, and would probably be out for a while. Still, he had managed to survive, even though he was badly wounded before they had been taken to the ruins.
Although she found it hard to focus, she got through the rest of the morning. But then it was time for gym class. Oh hell no. No way was she going in there. She could still see Cora dying in front of her, and those creatures biting Andy and dragging him off. She didn’t care if she got detention. She just couldn’t deal with that today. She walked out of the school, sat down on a bench outside, and called Connor.
He picked up the phone. “Vanessa? Aren’t you in school?”
“I cut gym class. I just couldn’t go in there. Can you come get me? I need to get out of here for a little while.” She thought about his wounded side. Maybe she shouldn’t have called him. He probably should be resting. “If you’re up to it, I mean. I know you’re hurt.”
“I’ll be right there,” he told her.
While she waited, she thought about her parents. They would be home in a few days. What would she tell them? Would they believe her if she told them the truth? Maybe it would be better to keep it to herself. Still, it would be good to see them. She hoped they wouldn’t mind that she had brought Onyx home. No way was she giving up her precious kitten. Onyx was such a comfort to her. They were lucky to have found each other.
Before long, she saw Connor’s car approaching. She stood up and rushed over to him as he stepped out, then wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply. Being with him made her feel so good. No matter how bad things got, the thought of him kept her going. If she didn’t have him, maybe she wouldn’t have made it out of the ruins alive. Even after Noah had betrayed them all and put their lives at risk, she still felt guilty letting him take Jane’s place. She had let him die. But she had promised Connor that she would come back. She wasn’t about to give up their future together.
Finally they broke apart, and she smiled at him. “Thanks for coming. Can we go to that diner you told me about?”
“Sure. I did say I’d take you there, and now’s as good a time as any.” He opened the car door for her. In a couple of minutes, they were on their way.