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Everything about her

Her coral reefs, her white caps, her roaring waves, the rocks they lap, her pirate legends and mermaid tails, treasures lost and treasures held

And ALL

Of her fish

In the sea

Well, if you've ever tried navigating your sailboat through her stormy seas, you would realize that her white caps are your eneets a craers that's weighing you down, and her roaring waves are knocking the wind out of you, filling your lungs ater as you flail your aret someone's attention, but your friends

just

wave

back at you?

And if you've ever grown up with dreams in your head about life, and how one of these days you would pirate your own ship and have your own crew and that all of the mermaids

would love

only

you?

Well, you would realize…

Like I eventually realized…

That all the good things about her?

All the beautiful?

It's not real

It's fake

So you keep your ocean,

I'll take the Lake

Air Or Water I don't knohich one I need I slide out of the booth and head toward the front door but make a beeline for the bathroom I just need silence

When I open the door to the bathroo her hands at the only available sink, so I decide to wait on the water I pick the big stall I lock it behind ainst the door

Did that just really happen? Does he know I' He didn't intend for me to hear it Even so, he wrote it He said hiod, he loves me Will Cooper is in love withhow he felt about me I can see it in the way he looks at me But to hear his words and the emotions behind them-how he said my name How am I supposed to face him? I'm not He still doesn't know I'm here, I just have to leave I need to leave before he sees me

I open the bathroom door and scan the area but I don't see hie so lued to the front of the rooh the entryway and out the front door

"Layken! Look what Gavin gother hair back, wanting o"

Her smile fades

"I'll call you later" I brush past her without looking at the earrings "You didn't see o

Iand srief! Is the whole class here? So to let it slip that I was here I don't want Will to know I saw him

"Hey, what's the hurry?" he asks as I slip between hio I'll see you tomorrow" I quickly walk away I don't have tiet inlot as soon as I can

"Wait, I'll walk you to your car," he says as he catches up to o inside, they already started"

"Layken, we're in Detroit You're parked behind a club I' you to your car"

"Fine But walk fast"

"What's your hurry?" he asks as we

"I' confident that Will didn't see me

"There's a café down the road Want to go grab some coffee?" he asks

"No, thanks I don't need caffeine, I need my bed"

He is silent as we make our way to rab my keys out of my-shit! My purse I left my purse in the booth

"Shit!" I say as I kick at the gravel in front of ainst the door of ?" he asks

"My purse I left my keys and ainst the jeep

"It's not that big of a deal We'll go back inside and get the it for h

"Layken, you don't need to stay back here by yourself"

"Fine I'll just text Eddie to bring it out Do you have your phone?"

He pats his pockets "No, it's in my truck Come on, you can use it" Javi says this as he reaches down and takes my hand and leads me toward his truck