River Island

Nine

Thalia

Sometimes we think we can do stuff we can't. We give ourselves so much confidence we refuse to accept reality. I thought if I was able to pretend Peyton didn't exist for a whole week I could manage an hour with Jasper. What I forgot was that Peyton was also mutually ignoring my existence. Jasper was in my face reminding me that he is indeed alive and well. So you must be wondering. Did I win said bet? Shockingly yes, yes I did. I was surprised. Jasper was more surprised.

I was on the verge of cracking five minutes into the bet. But I had to prove him wrong. I just had to. So after a long excruciating hour we decided to go grocery shopping. Well I decided. Jasper had no choice but to agree. I was going to spend my money somewhere. I was pushing the trolley through the candy section when he vanished. Not that I minded. I was getting used to it. I was deciding whether or not to fill the trolley with skittles when another trolley hit mine.

"Sorry." A male voice said as I turned my attention away from the multi colored heaven.

"No problem." I responded to the very cute hazel eyed guy in front of me.

He flashed me a smile and I smiled back. I felt like I knew him but I couldn't place my finger on it. He shifted his trolley away but didn't move. He was starring at me. There was a mix of sadness and disbelief in his eyes.

"What?" I asked softly.

"Nothing." He said shaking his head. "You just look like someone I knew."

"Who knows? I could be her." I said smiling. Only half kidding. I really wanted to know if he knew me.

"I highly doubt it." He said scratching the back of his neck. "She uhm...she died in a plane crash about five years ago."

I froze. My eyes widening. He knew me. He did know me. Meaning I knew him. Maybe someone else died in a crash five years ago. But then someone that looked like me?

"What was her name?" I whispered.

"Thalia." He said with a sad smile. "We were supposed to go to Vermont the summer they went missing."

Oh my god. Mason! Mason Riley. I used to have the biggest crush on this guy. Damn he got hot. His family had invited me to go with them to Vermont. I had accepted but then I was dragged off to go visit grandma Rose. Except I never made it.

"Look at me telling you my sob story." He said laughing lightly. "I'm Mason by the way."

"Thea." I said.

Why did I lie? Why didn't I just tell him who I was? How would you explain it? I also didn't want my face all over the news. 'Lost girl found in supermarket'. I mean my parents were pretty well known people. I was going to be all over the news if they knew i was alive. There were people trying to kill me. I couldn't risk it. And how would you tell someone that their long lost best friend wasn't dead?

"You just look so much like her." He said.

"I read somewhere that there are at least nine people on the planet that look like you." I said. "Maybe I'm one of her nine look alikes."

"Yeah maybe."

"Ugh Amelia keeps asking me where you are." Jasper said behind me. He paused when he saw I wasn't alone. He looked at Mason then me raising an eyebrow.

"Well it was nice meeting you Thea." Mason said. "And sorry about earlier."

"Don't worry about it." I said forcing a smile. He smiled back and backed out of the aisle.

"Thea?" Jasper asked clearly amused.

"You said Amelia was asking where I was." I said changing the subject turning back to the skittles. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her I didn't know." He said after a moment of silence. "Then she said something about how even Ares didn't want to tell her."

"My dad knows I'm with you?"

"Of course he does. The man watches you like a freaking hawk." He smirked "He warned me not to defile his daughter."

"Really?" I scoffed.

"You are his favourite."

I nodded my head then walked towards the counters. I could feel Jasper's gaze on me but I ignored it. I wasn't in the mood to talk. Especially with him. After paying, he paid, we made our way to the parking lot.

"Are you gonna tell me who that guy was or will I have to find out myself?" He finally asked as we put the bags in his Jeep.

"He's just some guy I bumped into in the store. Why do you care?" I said.

"Well mostly because he's still staring at you." I followed Jasper's line of sight and Mason was indeed staring at me. When he saw me looking at him he climbed into his car and started the engine.

"Well he wouldn't be the first person to stare at me." I said climbing into the car. Jasper got into the drivers side and shook his head.

"Find out myself it is." He said. Starting the engine.

"Just don't injure or accidentally kill him Jasper. Don't pull any crazy stunts."

"He's just some guy you bumped into in the store. Why do you care?" He asked using my words against me with a smug smile.

5 years earlier

"Why are you upset?" Mason asked me as we sat in his tree house.

We always came up here whenever I was at his house. Mason and I had been friends since forever. Our parents have been friends since high school so that meant joint vacations were common. Mason was going to be a senior once summer ended and school opened. I still had to survive junior year before that happened.

"I can't go to Vermont with you."

"Why not?"

"Because I have to go visit my stupid grandma in stupid London." I said frustrated. Mason laughed.

"She's not that bad." He said. "You're just used to getting what you want."

"And?" I asked smiling.

"She won't give it to you." He said. "Besides, we have a lot of time together. We can plan other trips."

"When I get back I want us to go do something fun."

"As your best friend I will ensure you do something fun." He said.

It was a known fact that Mason liked me beyond friendship. I'm not oblivious or anything. I just pretend to be for our sake. He wasn't exactly my type. He was sweet, understanding, a real peacekeeper. An A+ student with a heart of gold. He was boring. Nothing excited me about Mason. Except maybe his eyes.

"Thalia! Time to go." We heard Peyton shout from the ground.

"Ugh." I said getting up. "Well don't miss me too much Mason."

"It's just three months Thalia." He said laughing.

"I know. You must be dying already." I said climbing down. I got to the ground then walked towards the main house.

I looked back at the tree house and saw Mason who was now on the balcony. He smiled at me and I smiled back. Waving at him. He waved back. Neither of us knowing it was going to be more than three months.