💫Around the corner✨

The water tower.

Ace's Pov

Our favorite place to be. The portland water tower. It sounds cheesy and super cliche but the water tower is where my fear and peace meet. I'm at ease but also in fear. When I sit on top of the water tower all my thoughts fade but also cloud my mind.  

"Are you climbing up or what?" Jaelynn texts me from the top. 

She's more adventurous and risk-taking than me so obviously she would already be up there before me. 

"I'm coming up would you chill? at least you don't have a crippling fear of heights smh" I text back.

As I was saying they're more adventurous than me. I like trying new things and also testing my limits which the water tower is one of them. I've been up and down the water tower for years but sometimes my mind gets the best of me and overthinks situations it doesn't need to like well right now. 

"Are you just gonna stand there LITERALLY I'M GONNA GRADUATE COLLEGE BY THE TIME YOU GET UP HERE.!" I stare at the screen and don't respond. Instead, I begin to climb up.

*minutes later*

"Are you happy I'm up here now?" I jokingly frown.

"Took you long enough, come sit with me" Jaelynn pats the seat next to him. 

I sit there now like I said the water tower both puts me in my state of mind and gives me crippling anxiety. Sitting at the top is nice because you can see a lot of the town from where you are. The climbing up is really what gives me my anxiety. My overthinking goes wild telling me I'm gonna fall from such a high height and die or break something etc. Now you're probably thinking Ace get into more of the story or what's your relationship like with Jaelynn does she treat you right or are there even any feelings between you two? Yes, we're great friends and no there are absolutely no feelings. Unfortunately, I like someone I cannot have. No, it's not Jaelynn. His name is Jordan. Ironic right both J names. He's everything that I could never measure up to. DAMN IT I'M THINKING TOO MUCH AGAIN I'M SUPPOSE TO BE IN PEACE NOT let's THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING BUT BEING CALM AND PEACE RIGHT NOW. 

"Hey, you okay?" I finally came back to reality and Jaelynn is looking at me with the face again. The face that makes it look like I've gone crazy and she's worried.

"uh yeah, I'm fine just thinking you know" I don't make eye contact and I look out at the town. For some people, lights like this aren't soothing but for me they are. It tells me I'm home.  

"thinking about what?" they ask.

"stuff-"I smile at how wonderful that description is.

"wow that told me so much, thank you" he rolls his eyes. 

"my bad you should know I never tell you what I'm thinking" I get up to climb down. 

"that's such a lie you tell me so much" she gets up and follows suit. 

As I climb down my mind goes to the same place it always does when I'm on the ladder. You're going to fall off and die. OR YOU COULD BECOME PARALYZED FROM A FALL LIKE THIS. like FFS yes I get it I could die or fall or become paralyzed LIKE WE GET IT. As soon as Jaelynn and I both get down we walk towards my car. My sweet blue honda civic sports car and yes I just described her in detail because she is my baby. When I get in the car and start the engine, my phone automatically connects and starts playing stargazing by the neighbourhood. My phone really knew what song I wanted to hear. 

As we drive, I imagine I'm in one of those indie teen movies because those are the best. Unfortunately, I never got to live out many of the things like driving through the town blasting music and singing late at night with your friends. The reason being I barely have any.

 Jaelynn and Sid being my only two friends.

You're probably wondering Ace what about Jordan? technically have not talked to him in months so I wouldn't count him as a friend. Wish I could still talk to him but I feel if I do his "friends" will continue to think that he's "not a normal guy". In other words, meaning his friends are homophobes who participate in so much toxic masculinity just to be around them, you'd need a gas mask.  Jordan is different though. He's not but I continue to question why he still hangs out with them from time to time. 

Everything changed when he got popular for dating Noel. In whatever world people live in at our college, they still act like kids so we have the popular, lame, and averages. I stand in the average part of the pyramid. Jordan use to but then out of nowhere, Noel decided to say she had feelings for him and they started dating. It didn't last long though. Obviously, Noel doesn't keep a guy for too long so she ended up dumping him after just a short three months. Ever since then, he's been hanging out with a different group. 

As you can probably tell Jordan and I's relationship is a whole mess which is why I use the water tower to clear my thoughts or to let them all out so often. No one else knows about the way I feel for him which makes it even more difficult to really be able to clear my head at times. 

Then again I can't control him so why do I care so much?

Finally, we arrive at our apartment. Jaelynn and I can't afford two separate apartments so we just share one. it's actually pretty nice to just have a friend there whenever you need them. 

Jaelynn suggests going to get around the corner. and because I am absolutely starving I agree. 

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author's note: It has been such a long time since I have updated and I apologize for that. I'm probably only going to be updating at most once a month or maybe twice as my time is more limited. thank you for all the continued support over the years and please continue to give my stories some love. also as for song choice this song holds a place in my heart for various reasons I can't explain but I love it so much. 

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