Videos on Golden Rule were technically called diary entries, and Luna’s always kept her face in frame-the app wouldn’t record otherwise-but she never spoke. She had half a mind to make a new video for Golden Rule and title it something like Resurrection in Green in honor of not choking to death and Jewel’s return. The wind fluttered softly through her hair. Sunlight streamed through the leaves, making shadows on her hands. The crisp fading-winter air smelled like pine needles and felt just as sharp in her lungs. She took a moment to relish the feeling of breathing.

Jewel Van Hanen had finally returned to Golden Rule.Įveryone had speculated and wondered, but Luna believed. But in her defense? The gaspworthy news was probably worth dying for. The girl simply was not built for that kind of multitasking. Really, eating and reading were two activities that Luna had no business doing at the same time. She spit the food out into a napkin and collapsed on the grass next to her phone. She took a final breath, clenched her core muscles, pushed on her diaphragm, and coughed like her life depended on it. Air could get in, whistling past the lump of mush bulging in her throat, and luckily, it was just enough to keep her alive. She blinked in disbelief, eyes watering as she pulled at her collar.

Her mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping on land. “When the world burns, at least I’ll die in comfort.”Īfter school, Luna sat alone under her favorite tree on the front lawn, eating the rest of her lunch while waiting for her ride home.

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann