25 Touched

The door opened suddenly, exalting a skittish Sebastian, who was searching for a few papers on his corresponding desk. Even knowing that he wasn't doing anything out of line, he was scared that someone would walk in out of nowhere without even knocking on the door a couple of times to report that they would come in and start questioning him about anything in particular. However, his heartbeat eased when he saw the girl standing under the door frame.

When lunch started, the boy went directly to the conference room, without informing anyone about his decision to go to the meeting area. After he had returned to his leadership role, he intended to begin taking charge of graduation preparations. That was the reason why he moved various documents from one side to the other in search of the little guide of the organization that the newcomer made for him. Sebastian felt bad that he had lost those papers that the girl had done with too much dedication exclusively for him.

Jade again had her hair tied up in a high ponytail, she wore a black skirt and a white long-sleeved blouse along with stockings and boots of the same color as the skirt. In her arms she had an emerald green book, standing out from the gray scale in which she was dressed.

"You weren't in the dining room when we arrived," the girl commented, entering and standing on the other side of the desk, leaving the book she was carrying on top. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just looking for a couple of papers that I remember leaving here." His voice was too shaky and his hands had that same characteristic, barely being able to take the white sheets without wrinkling them.

Jade placed her hand on top of his, stroking his wrist with her thumb. The older boy looked up, meeting the dark orbs of the girl. He could appreciate how long her lashes were and wondered if that was why she had quite attractive eyes.

The girl in front of him was really beautiful, with quite large eyes, thin eyebrows, too symmetrical nose, heart-shaped lips, and porcelain skin. Since she was little it had been noted that she would become a beauty when she grew up, as Jack used to mention it constantly, several times highlighting the perfect features of the girl and drawing her whenever he had the opportunity.

Her face was one of the many things that other girls envied her.

"Sebas, is there anything you want to talk about?"

The aforementioned dropped into the leather chair, feeling that his legs ached from being held rigid by his nervousness. Jade didn't let go, she took another chair and placed it next to him and then took a seat. He could feel the girl's gaze waiting for an answer. But who could he kid? The girl knew him better than he did himself.

However, no words were spoken. Only a sigh was the one that emanated from his thick lips before they became a straight line. The young woman immediately knew what was happening.

"It's tomorrow, right?" The boy attended, again without saying anything. "Hey... you know I don't like to see you so discouraged by that." With her other hand she caressed his cheek, hoping that it would be comforting for her friend. She gave him a warm smile before speaking again. "I know it's painful, but sometimes you have to put things in the past so they stop hurting us."

He swallowed, staring at the ground with expressionless eyes. She was right, but Sebastian was already used to the pain that day brought with him. So used that it was very difficult to stop being hurt by his thoughts. While his heart was his vulnerable point, his mind was his worst enemy.

"I know I'm not the one to say this," she continued. "I know it wasn't as painful for me as it was for you, but you know you are not alone in this. Both Jack and I share your pain. So, if you want to cry or scream, you are free to do so."

"I know," he raised his crystalline gaze, observing Jade's concerned face, "it's selfish knowing that the three of us suffered the same, but, at the same time, it's so different." He leaned his back on the seat, this time looking at the ceiling. "You weren't the one who cried for days to the point of ending up physically hurting that you ended up in the hospital. It was not you who had to spend years alone despite being surrounded by so many people. It was not you who received hypocritical words from others as if you really mattered to them. It wasn't you who wanted to disappear too."

The girl's sob made him realize the path of tears that the minor had on his cheeks. Her lips were trembling and he realized something: he had been too harsh with his words.

He approached Jade, wrapping his arms around her small body, feeling the girl hugging him around his neck, accepting his hug. He stroked her back to calm her, but what he did was make her hold on to him more. At the same time, he could feel a lump form in his throat. He closed his eyes tightly, shaking off the tears that threatened to come out. He had to be strong at the moment, at least for the girl who couldn't reconcile her crying.

He couldn't remember the last time the two of them had cried together. In recent years it had been Hirsch who accompanied him in the sadness that that day brought him. They both stayed holding each other until the raven was so tired that he ended up asleep on the redhead's shoulder.

Now it was different. Jade had always been stronger than him, being the one who hugged him when Sebastian was little, he fell and ended up with a scrape on his knee. Perhaps the last time he had such a moment with the girl was in the hospital, both at the age of eight. He remembered it perfectly. Jade had thrown herself into his arms as soon as she saw him, being almost on top of his delicate body. His face was in tears and that had broken the older boy's heart much more. The raven didn't take long in joining in tears along with his friend.

Not out of sadness, but because he felt empty. So empty it hurts.

"I'm sorry, I didn't have to say that" the girl didn't say anything, she just leaned her head on the boy's big shoulder, letting her breath calm down and she could formulate words in a common way again.

He stroked the girl's head, falling silent, letting Jade's slight sobs being the only thing that could be heard at that moment.