"It can be better." 

Those words replayed themselves in Sol's mind all night. They snuck into her dreams, they wrapped themselves around until she thought she was going to pass out, and then they let go long enough for her to hope they were real. 

Now, she lay awake as light drifted in through the small cracks between her blinds. Sometimes, she thinks of all the things that have ever made her sad; usually she'll do this when it's been too long since the last time she had a good cry, she thinks it helps that numb feeling go away quicker. Right now, though, she thinks of all the times she felt irrevocable anger. The one that used to stand out the most, was that day that Oh Sehun messaged her saying he was staying late at his school to finish an art assignment. She'd been mad at him because he'd been completely ignoring her since that night on the playground. But, despite that, supposed, irrevocable anger--hurt, really--she'd been feeling, she took the message as an invitation to a conversation that she felt needed to be had. 

She wanted to believe everything that followed was just terrible timing, but a part of her has always known it wasn't, and yesterday Sehun had confirmed it. So now, she looks back on that day and truly feels nothing but hurt, all the anger was gone. 

Four Years Ago...

Sol blew air out of to get her bangs out of her face. Summer break hadn't started yet, but the heat was already foretelling it, causing her bangs to stick to her forehead. It made her contemplate growing them out every year. Finally, she used her hand to tuck them back as much as she could, and then she shrunk into herself. Sehun almost never sent her messages on when he'd been at school late anymore, afterall he now went to the high school, while she was still stuck in middle school; meaning walking home together wasn't something they did anymore. But, he did tell her today. She knew it was an invitation to come join him, because it was the first message he's sent her in a week. 
She couldn't be positive what caused his sudden cold shoulder, but she had narrowed it down to two possible things. First aboutis home life had gotten messy again and he didn't want her to figure it out, she figured this one was less likely since his home life was never good to begin with. Second thing: he was scared she was abandoning him. It felt conceited to think, to assume her presence had such a big effect on his life, and that he was already feeling the effects of her being gone. That one would be silly too, seeing as how she hadn't even made up her mind on if she was going...on if she wanted to leave everything she had going for her here. 
Whatever the reason is, he was finally ready to talk about it. So ready that he wasn't warning her away from coming to the high school. He did still tell her to watch out for any of their friends that might be loitering around, he didn't want to ask questions on why she was there, who she was there for, because they all knew she wouldn't be here to meet up with Baekhyun. So, Sol tried to make herself less noticeable as she followed the map of the school she'd found online. 

As she walked, she practiced keeping her expression even, she had a tendency to smile too wide when Sehun was around, but she wasn't going to act like his week of radio silence was okay. If he wanted her forgiveness he'd have to beg for it. 

Or so she tried to tell herself. But,