Let Me Save You Then

WHAT A SMALL WORLD

LOUISE's POV // Past.

After what happened at the mall, Louise walked away and went straight home. Booking a cab, and left her family there.

Both her parents were calling her phone nonstop after she hasn't returned in the theater. But she only messaged them telling she went home because she suddenly wasn't feeling well. Her mum and dad took turns knocking on her room, but she didn't respond to neither of them.

Louise hid in her room for the rest of the day. But when Monday arrives, she doesn't have any strength left on her to get up and go to school. She fell asleep around two in the morning crying. Yet she had no other choice but to suck it all up and pretend like everything is okay

Louise went to her daily routine and when she's finished getting ready, she went downstairs because she was feeling kind of hungry. When she arrived at the dining room, she saw her mum and Ashton sitting at the table and eating breakfast. As soon as her mother saw her, delight and worry washed over her face

“How are you, love? Are you feeling okay? You don't have to go to school if you're still feeling ill, you know?”

Her mum caressed her as soon as she saw her, Louise stared at her. She feels sorry for her mum for what her dad did, and she felt sorry for her and Ash too. As wave of emotion flooded her chest, she hugged her mother tightly. Tears started flowing from her eyes

“I love you, mummy. I am so sorry” Louise kept on chanting this as she cried endlessly on her mum's shoulder. Not knowing what is happening, Janine, Louise's mom, hugged her with the same tightness while keep on saying, “It's okay, baby. Mummy's here”

Wiping her tears away, Louise felt another set of arms wrapping around her, followed by the voice of her brother hushing her. Louise made a watery laugh as she lets go and stared at the two most important people of her life

“I love you both very very much”

“We love you too, bunny” Janine said lovingly to her eldest, as she wipes away her tears

“I love you, Vee”

After that, the trio went back to the table to eat their breakfast. Although a bit hesitant, Louise cleared out her throat and asked her mother where his father at.

“Daddy had left early for work, love. He'll be back in two weeks”

That made Louise scoffed and lost her appetite. I didn't know work has another different meaning

“But he said he'll drive us to school?” Ashton asked sadly, Louise felt bad for her brother and angry towards her father for lying and hurting them

“Don't worry, bubba. He promised us he'll stay for the whole month next month, didn't he?”

Louise's mood became sour, she knows her father will break his promise again. Nothing's new

Now she knows why her father was always gone for so long. Thinking about the days her father would always reason out that he's going on a business trip for a week or two, and even can't attend special events, Louise despises her father even more. He'd been lying to them for a very long time, and he's still doing it now.

After they were done eating– Louise forcing herself to eat to not worry her mum, and cleaned the dishes, they got up and went to the car.

Louise doesn't need to live in their school dormitory nor an apartment since their house is only twenty minutes away. And she's not used to not seeing her family, especially her brother Ashton.

Their mum dropped Ashton first in his school before she drove off Louise's university.

“Take care, baby and do well in school!” Janine exclaimed as they bid their good byes to Ashton

“We'll make apple pancakes when you get home!” Louise and her mum chuckled when Ashton jumped in glee upon hearing his favorite dessert.

On the way to Louise's university, she hit the radio on the car and they started singing along with the tune. Louise felt at ease as she was singing with her mom as this was one of their favorite bonding.

When they reached the gate to her school, she unbuckled her seatbelt, grab her things before she kissed her mum on the cheeks

“Be home early, Nans and Pops are coming tonight”

Louise's eyes widened at the mention of her grandparents. She missed them so much! It had been months since they last saw them

“I will! I'll go ahead now. Drive safely, mum”

“Love you, boo. Take care”

“Love you too, mum”

She watched as her mum drove off. And with a light heart, she walk off towards the university, humming a tune as she did.

Even though she started her day a little down and awful, she was still feeling positive; she ate breakfast with Ashton and her mum, Janine drove them off to school and her Nans and Pops are visiting. There's still a handful of things I'm looking forward to today.

As Louise was walking towards her building, she was busy looking for her phone in her bag that she didn't noticed she bumped into someone

“Woah, I'm so sorry” Louise said as kneels down to pick all their stuffs

“No no, I'm sorry. I wasn't looking” A girl's voice then said. When Louise got all their things, the girl helped her out

“Thanks. Here, I'm sorry again”

“No, I should be sorry. I got caught out looking at my schedule that I wasn't looking where I was going” The girl explained as she puts all her stuff inside her bag

“Oh, you're new here. I'm Louise” she stretch her arms for a handshake

“I’m Florence. Nice to meet you, Louise”

“Like wise. Welcome to our University. When do you start?” Louise ask as they both started walking, making conversation

“Today. That's why I bumped into you because I was trying to look for my lecture room”

“Yeah? Let me see your schedule so I could help you” When Louise saw room AB-390 written on her pamphlet, she beamed.

“Oh, we're on the same lecture. Come on, class is gonna start in fifteen”

“Really? Nice”

Both girls hurried their pace and in less than ten minutes, they both reached their hall before their professor. When they entered, all of the students started greeting Louise before their eyes fell on Florence.

But before Louise could introduce her, a man in his late-thirties wearing a black suit entered the class and everyone immediately fell silent and fixed themselves

Louise smiled at her and patted her shoulder before she too went to her assigned seat, leaving Florence standing in front of the whole class.

When the professor noticed her, he approached Florence and greeted her with a smile.

“Oh, you must be the new student? I am Professor Stephen. But everyone likes to call me Mister Aoki”

Florence felt shy but she still managed to introduce herself in front of them

“I am Florence Yves Grayfort, but you can call me Florence. It's a pleasant to meet you, mister Aoki”

Mister Aoki nodded at her before he faced the whole class

“Everyone, starting today, miss Grayfort will be joining us so be kind to her and help her catch up. Are we clear?”

“Yes, mister Aoki!” everyone chimed

“Alright, Florence please take your sit next to miss Austin.”

Florence was about to ask who mister Aoki was talking about when she saw Louise waving her hand at her. And with a grin, she approached her and sit next to her

“Welcome to our University, miss Grayfort” Louise said with a cheeky smile making Florence giggle before she went for a "handshake"

“Thank you for the warm welcome, miss Austin” both girls giggles before they heard someone cleared their throat, making Florence and Louise look at the front to see their professor

They both apologize while still giggling from time to time. Florence felt at ease already, knowing that she'll like her stay in her new school, and of course, with her new friends.

Once their lectures were done, and Louise had toured her around campus, they packed their things up and went to their lockers. On their way to the parking lot, Louise and Florence were talking with their classmates when they heard a woman's voice called Florence's name

“Mom!”

They all turned to look when the woman whom Florence called her 'mom' approached her and hugged her.

“How's school, baby? I see you made friends already”

When the woman looked at her daughter's new friends, she caught sight of someone familiar

“Hey, it's you” Florence's mom chimed when she saw Louise

“She's your mom?” Louise asked Florence, her eyes not leaving Florence's mom's

Florence looked at them a little confused but a smile was still plastered on her face.

“You know each other?” She asked eyeing them both

It was her mother who answered her confusion.

“Yeah, she was the girl I told you about yesterday. The one who found your sister”

“Oh wow, thank you so much Louise!”

Both Florence and her mum was feeling glad and happy; Florence being friends with Louise who was a kind person and her mum feeling thankful that her eldest was friends with her

“Anyway, Mommy, this is Louise Austin, my new friend”

“Nice to meet you, Louise. Thank you again for comforting my baby when she got lost at the mall”

Florence and her mom gave Louise a dashing and sweet smile. But contrary to what they were feeling, Louise didn't feel the same way.

She look at Florence before she look at her mother to her mother's stretched hand in front of her, and she felt her blood boiling. And as she clenched her hands into a fist, she felt her tears wanting to fall down. But she didn't let her emotions get the best of her. Not now

So she subtly took a deep breath to calm herself, before she force a smile and grab Florence's mom's hand for a hand shake

“It was nothing. Pleasant to meet you too” Louise wanted to pat herself on the back for not breaking

“And Louise, this is my mother, Amirah"

“What a small world huh?” Florence added, still smiling at them both

Louise lets go of Amirah's hand before she too smiled at them, maintaining an eye contact while responding a small

“What a small world indeed.”