Chapter 39: Chapter 41: Broken beyond Repair, Part 1

Nolan could sense that something was wrong. He didn't accuse me of lying, but he knew something was deeply off. I tried to explain about my dreams of traveling, but they must have sounded as far-fetched as a librarian who strips. We began fighting more and more, and more than once we thought we might break up. But I held on. I didn't want to let him go, because if I did, it would be like letting a part of myself go. The girl I thought I was. I wanted to still be Ariel, not Rose.

I tried talking to Nick about how I felt. I knocked on the door, which was already half open, hearing the sounds of League of Legends.

"Nick, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Yeah, sure." He opened the door a little wider, so I could step in. Candy bar wrappers and Mountain Dew bottles littered the room. The familiar smell of sweet hay and sweat mingled in the cold AC.

"Aren't you supposed to be doing homework?" I asked.

Nick leaned back in his chair. "Have you done yours?" he rejoined.