"You hear? Y/n's coming back to the valley for this year. Air is tense in the city with the bomb threats so determining the length of this war, she might stay for longer."

Sebastian's interest was piqued. Only for a moment, did his focus from his desk stray.

It was early morning and class hasn't even started yet. The teacher was still absent, about ten more minutes of idle chatting with one another until the class would have to settle down.

The town playboy glanced past his trio to where Haley whispered rumours of the heart of the town to Alex, a hand covering the gap between the two. Though it did little help with concealing their hushed conversation.

Sebastian thought for a moment.

It wouldn't be too bad to have her back. Especially since he felt so comfortable around her when they were kids. He wondered if she was the same ball of sunshine as she was back then. The one that wasn't only warm and bright, but angry with emotion and a menace to those who defied her.

A ghost of a smile appeared on his cheeks. Surely, the girls in class would swarm around her considering how much they adored the farmer's granddaughter. She had always gotten along with them as children, even Haley.

Glancing curiously, Sebastian eyed Abigail who had heard the whispers across the room.

Excitement reached her shoulders as they raised, now fidgeting with a string that had fallen from her shirt. She became antsy, each time someone had entered, her eyes would stray in the direction of it, hoping for someone she missed to have her eyes lay on.

Locking eyes with Sam and Sebastian, she realized how similar their thoughts had been. "I wonder what she's like now," Abby mutters sheepishly, scratching the back of her neck.

Sam sighs in return, smiling with cheeks that burnt pink. He felt relieved he wasn't the only one thinking about her.

"Probably the same. Innocent. Polite. Short. Approachable-"

"Or confident, easy-going, taller than most of the girls in class and hot as shit- holy shit cute farm girl is so attractive!" Leah's voice consumes the room as the classroom door slams shut.

She was rushing to her seat, collecting herself as she ran into the town's favourite menace.

Though she was still taller than Y/n, there was no doubt the returning beauty was a second to the tallest girls in class.

"Huh? Leah, you saw her?" Emily stands in her seat when the door suddenly opens. A familiar, less child-like-looking face walks in. Her eyes are half-lidded and she yawns, not caring to conceal her exhaustion and voice.

Once she opens her tired eyes, they scan the room as attention is on her. She remains in her spot, the corners of her lips raising just a little before she lets them form a smile. "Been a while," Y/n says casually with a shrug. As if he's been expecting it, Sebastian glanced over at Abby, tensing up as tears reach her eyes.

"Y/n!" She bursts out all of a sudden, standing from her chair, the legs of it scraping against the floor.

"I missed you so much!" Abigail wailed out. She runs through the maze of desks to wrap her arms around her. Y/n snickers softly and gently pat her head.

Eventually, the girls have begun to crowd around her just like Sebastian predicted would happen. Surrounding her with hugs so tender and surging with love.

They truly missed her presence.

____

During the time Y/n spent in Pelican town, Sebastian paid little to no attention to her.

They weren't that close, and neither did they see a reason for getting close. Only small gestures like nodding to one another when locking eyes, exchanging notes during group lessons where they were paired up, and brief greetings when they'd bump into each other outside of school.

They had a mutual agreement, one made with a silence that they didn't have to get along as well as they did when they were children. Whether or not they were mere acquaintances, there was a comfortable air between them that never lifted.

Still, their situation didn't stop either of them from noting the differences in their childhood to who they were now.

Sebastian often wondered what life was like in the city to make her sweet seem more like sultry. Sure Y/n was still as kind and open-minded as ever... but the vibe had switched from someone innocent and sheepish to someone experienced and confident.

She was loud, her laughter often reaching the halls of the school and her voice bouncing off the walls in the room so stunningly. Her demeanour was laid back, but even there were times when she'd fool off in the middle of class. Of course, some things had never changed... simply put, Y/n remained as clumsy and reckless as ever.

Besides Sebastian's occasional thoughts of her, Y/n too couldn't help but study her childhood friend.

His differences were much bigger than hers. He seemed more confident in himself than he was back then. Smug, almost disgustingly. He had a bored look on his face constantly, only ever forming a smirk when he found interest in a girl he wanted in his bed.

Y/n couldn't say he changed for the better, but at least he wasn't as self-deprecating as she remembered him to be as a child. At least he knew his worth. Right?

"Hey Y/n, if you see Sebastian, tell him me and Sam are gonna use his motorcycle for a little joyride to the liquor shop at the edge of the countryside. We'll be back in a jiffy!" Sam gave Y/n a head pat.

It was Leah's birthday party and the whole high school was invited to an Airbnb she saved up for.

The party consisted of other small-town teenagers who went to the same school, so everyone pretty much knew everyone.

"You sure he's gonna like that?" Y/n scoffed with a snicker as she watched Abby and Sam skip off happily. Abigail reply's back, cheerfully. "Nope!"

Shaking her head, Y/n brushes off the encounter and noted the favour mentally. Keep a look out for Sebastian, if she bumps into him that is. Passing by the sea of bodies, her nose scrunched with displease as it reeked of alcohol.

Sure, she had a few shots herself... but it simply wasn't her thing.

Playing with the lighter in the pocket of her zip-up, Y/n smirks lightly to herself as she's relieved to feel the small container of weed still in her grasp, and the packaging of flavoured rolling paper.

If she had one thing in common with Sebastian, it'd be the fact they were both stoners.

He just didn't know she was too.

Sneaking off into an empty bedroom, Y/n searched for a bathroom to open a window and light a joint in. She was feeling sober and things were never as exciting when she was making good choices at a party. Besides, Emily and Haley promised they'd be the designated drivers for when they leave in the morning so what's the use of keeping stable when Y/n didn't have to?

Pausing for a moment, Y/n felt her fingers tingle with restlessness and decided she needed the weed.

Who's gonna walk in anyways, she locked the door behind her and the only other place there was had been the bathroom door which Leah specifically told people not to puke in. Maybe this was the place she planned to pass out in at the end of the night.

Sighing to herself, Y/n pulls out the rolling paper and weed, kneeling on the floor beside the bedside table as she rolls a joint as quick as she could before anyone can bother her.

Biting her lip, she's frustrated she can't do it properly before fixing the paper again.

Finally, she successfully rolls a joint and doesn't waste any time in lighting it, the fragile thing in between the roughness and calloused skin of her fingers.

She took a long drag, letting the smoke travel down her throat before exhaling with a cough. Too much for her first hit in a while. Shoulda watched herself a little.

After her coughing fit, Y/n stands with weak knees, stripping off her zip-up so she was left in a black cropped tank top and black low-rise cargo pants.

Around her hips was a black thong peaking from the band of her pants, hugging her features perfectly. She admired herself in the mirror for a moment, proud of being able to call herself self-obsessed at times when she looked good. Until a stifled moan came from the bathroom.

Taking another hit, Y/n no longer coughed. But she smirked against the taste of marijuana as she began slowly walking towards the bathroom door.

She wasn't so surprised somebody had been banging in there. More like she was in disbelief that she hadn't known any sooner.

Y/n swayed with each step, listening to the moans and mutters until she turned away from the door, leaning till her back slammed against the wood, letting the people inside know that she was there.

Her arms crossed, one used as a rest for the other so she could take another drag.

The silence on the opposite side said all that she needed to know and a hand snuck behind her back to reach for the knob, twisting it, the struggled whimpers of a girl become a form of Y/n's amusement as she opens the door separating herself from the other two.

Now receiving an eyeful, Y/n stares at Sebastian and a random girl from their school, half undressed. There's a bored look on the farm girl's face, a smile on Sebastian's. He looked far too relieved for this to be a regular hookup.

Glancing down at the girl, now angry. Y/n watches as her skin turns red with embarrassment.

"You-" she begins but Y/n's relaxed gaze catches her off guard.

"I..?" Y/n tries to continue for her. Sebastian's smile widens at this, shuffling back into his black tee and leaning against the sink, he ruffles his hair, messy and fluffy from a forced make-out session. He wonders just how Y/n could've known he was in there.

The girl stammers in return, glaring at Y/n before finally running away from the situation.

How movie-like it felt.

"My bad, did I interrupt something?"

Sebastian scoffs as the farmers' granddaughter is spacing out at the bathtub, discarded heels inside of them. She takes a hit, her eyes turning to Sebastian with genuine guilt.

He seems amused. Just a second ago, Y/n had barged in impulsively and with no care. And now there she was, staring up at Sebastian with doe eyes. He wondered if she was actually looking to take something from him. His body maybe. But studying her eyes and the way her hands lightly shook from the weed; he couldn't help but remember how kind she was. She wasn't that kind of girl. And if she was, she'd long retired from male manipulation.

Sebastian could tell she'd had enough of hookups and one-night stands, based on her reactions to such questions about her life in the city.

There was no doubt she'd gone through her fair share of sex-life issues since Y/n was reluctant to shake off how things usually went during those nights she participated in such activities.

"Yeah... but I'm glad you did. She sorta came onto me and I really wasn't looking to be regretting anything tonight."

Sebastian shrugged, pure honestly slipping past his lips as he leans against the sink with his arms crossed. "Can I take a hit?" He asks, brows raising with a sincere look of politeness Y/n's never seen before. Last she could remember him looking like such a saint, he did some chores for her grandfather when they were children.

Nodding, Y/n exhaled with relief as she hadn't been a bother to anyone. Maybe to the girl, but at least she was someone worth bothering if she truly forced Sebastian into a corner as he said.

Y/n passed him the joint, their fingers grazing just barely as she leans on the wall opposite of him.

"Be honest with me," he began, taking a hit between sentences as Y/n's calm features suddenly tensed beneath his gaze.

He was gonna ask her something about the city, wasn't he? "What was your life like? You know, back in the city, city girl." A smirk appeared on his lips as the nickname slipped out. He knew she was constantly asked about city-related topics. But he wanted to know if she was telling the truth.

"Why should I be honest? You don't believe that people are the same as they are here?" Y/n raises a brow, slightly irritated.

Who was he to ask her to be honest? She didn't have to be. Y/n had owed him nothing.

"Mmm, it's a leap. But I mean, I'm just curious. You don't have to answer. Just seems like sometimes you have a lot on your mind."

Silence solidifies the air in the room and suddenly the house feels quiet and blurry.

The laughter, music and cheering outside of the room seemed to die down, even the crickets outside were more prominent than the party.

Caught off guard, Y/n analyzes Sebastian for any mockery. But she breathes out in a laugh when she finds none, disbelieving of such a genuine look on his face.

Now it was Sebastian's turn for confusion. Had he said something funny?

"Oh, how- HAHAHAAA. Sebastian! You- you are so funny! Oh- awwwww! Awwwwwwe!" Y/n lightly punches his arm, her eyes smiling as she laughed and teased him. Sebastian in return, raises a brow at her, arms still crossed and a smirk still on his face.

What a dork she truly was.

And how amazing her laughter sounded. Lucky he got to be someone who caused such a sound.

"You are so weird- I'm not allowed to be at least a little concerned? Come on L/n, I've known you since I was practically a baby- and sure we haven't been that close recently but like... I can still tell when something is wrong with you. I'm just curious is all. What's bothering you? Muds."

Once again, Y/n is out into silence. It was hard to shut her up. Surprising Sebastian still had the ability to do so.

The nickname was so foreign yet so nostalgic. Something he used to call her when she'd come over after a day worth of helping her grandfather out at the farm, covered almost head to toe in mud stains and green-painted knees and hands.

Muddy shoes and clothes, hence the nickname; muds.

Pausing for a moment, Y/n gestured for the joint but let Sebastian hold it up for her.

She neared him, a hand holding his to stabilize the tingling feeling in his fingers. Sebastian merely watched as she wrapped her lips gently around the joint and took a long drag. Her eyelashes fluttered, pulling away again to inhale the smoke, exhaling when satisfied with the burn.

Amidst the quiet room, a slower song played downstairs where the party had been.

Y/n sighed out and sat against the ledge of the bathtub, gesturing for Sebastian to do the same. He follows suit, putting out the joint.

Sitting next to her, he stares, waiting for an explanation he didn't necessarily expect.

If he was being honest, he didn't mean to pry. But maybe his curiosity would be put to rest once she tells him.

"I guess... people are much crueller than they are here. Sure, the valley has some assholes... but in the city... uh. I guess you could say they don't know when to stop. The word 'no,' can easily anger some people. To others, it's not even one in their vocabulary. Yeah, I've met a few friends here and there that'll always have my back in those moments where someone is so persistent- but the feeling will never go away. You know?"

Y/n is smiling softly, staring at her shoes. She avoided Sebastian's piercing stare, starting to burn at the skull of her head as he watched her body begin to fidget and lean away from him.

"Yeah, I get what you mean."

There was silence once again. But this time, it was less tense. Y/n seemed to let herself sway with the love song playing downstairs, the dim yellow lights of the bathroom almost golden against the beige walls. With a sigh, she leaned back and let herself fall into the tub. Her head hits the wall but she doesn't care. Somehow her talk with Sebastian seemed to drain her energy, so she rests her eyes, listening to the rustling of Sebastian's long limbs struggling to sit in the tub next to her.

They're comfortable, at a point in time where it feels as if everything had stopped for a moment,

Y/n leans her head on his. He cooperates, finding her touch just a little comforting.

"So why do you let these girls do the same to you as the people in Zuzu did me?"

The question hangs thickly in the air above them and Sebastian breathes out, chuckling. "I think at the end of the day, even if I don't want it at first... I'll be satisfied with feeling wanted, even if it was just my body."

Y/n hums in response, seeming to understand what he meant. Still, she knew what was really happening. So did Sebastian, he just refused to believe it in hopes that he was truly being 'loved,'

His body was wanted, but not himself. Sebastian was never wanted, but more like he was used.

Y/n knew what that felt like. And she's come to terms that it had happened in the past. She did not intend to bring it back. Seeing Sebastian go through a miserable cycle of craving attention, even when it was toxic; felt almost shitty to her.

"Y/n?" Sebastian's voice is raspy with dehydration and he wishes he had drank more water before letting himself be dragged away by some girl.

"Mm?" Y/n hums, she rolls her head and cracks an eye open to check up on him. A smile reaches her face as he's also doing the same. They snicker at the faces they were making and pull away before Y/n turns the water on, the tub filling with water.

"After this. The party I mean... do... you wanna be friends again?"

Sitting there, Y/n thought as the water drew higher and Sebastian leaned in on his knees to shut the water off before sitting back down.

"Not really. If I'm being honest, I like the shit we have now."

"Drifted but still close?" Sebastian smirks, his tongue poking the side of his cheek as he stares playfully at his acquaintance. "Exactly." Y/n snickers. Her eyes have been closed, and they'll remain closed.

They rest there for a while, the warmth of the water acting as a blanket for the damp coldness of their clothes.

How stupid.

"We're gonna get sick like this." Y/n sighs as she suddenly feels her sober meter rise the tiniest bit. "You're right..." Sebastian sighs.

Sure he wasn't one to get cold easy, but he surely hated the feeling of being sick. The stuffy nose, pounding headache to add to his migraine. And he surely didn't wanna have to deal with that in the morning.

"I left my zip-up in the room. I'm just gonna strip and crash in the bed." Y/n exhales. For a second, Sebastian agrees but then clicks into reality when he hears the sound of her pants dropping to the floor. Alarmed, his head darts up just in time to catch Y/n stripping down till she was in her underwear, staggering off into the room to search for her discarded hoodie.