Better Hollow {Finished}

We Always Fall

We Always Fall:

Ramona woke up first, James was still holding her tightly. She laid still, letting him continue his slumber as she thought about yesterday's events. She ran through everything in her mind, she even seemed to remember James saying he loved her. Ramona scanned her mind, trying to figure out if it was a dream or if he really did love her. James stirred, releasing Ramona from his grasp. He sat up, looking down at her illuminated face. The sun shone through the curtains and onto her face, casting a glow upon her. "Are we still on for the carnival?" he asked, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"Of course," Ramona said, smiling as she stretched out her hand, so he could pull her into a sitting position. As he pulled her upright, she decided his love had been a dream. It was better to think that her subconscious was taunting her than to realize he did love her. "It doesn't start until six, though, so we have some time to spare."

"Do you have any idea of how we could pass the time?" James said, almost flirting. He tilted his head, looking down upon her as he waited for a response.

"Well, I am going to head back to my place and grab a change of clothes," Ramona said, moving her hair out of her face. She swung her feet over the edge of the bed and stood up. "Don't worry, I'll be back over," she said before leaving his room and heading downstairs.

She walked into her house to find her dad sitting on the stairs. "So, I guess you and James made up," he said, sighing. She cocked her head, confused as to why he didn't seem happy.

"Yeah, we did. I actually just came back over to change my clothes, and then I was going to head back to his place. We're going to the carnival later today," Ramona said, watching her dad's face.

"Just remember what I said, Ramona. I don't want to see you get hurt," he said, reminding her of his wise words. You'll end up hurt and in love with him. He had said it as if it were a prophecy that James would hurt her.

"Dad, I'll be okay. James won't hurt me," Ramona reassured her father as she walked past him and up the stairs. Her dad heaved another sigh, he wasn't worried about James hurting Ramona, he was worried about Ramona hurting herself. He didn't say anymore, sometimes parents have to let their kids make mistakes, and that's okay.

Ramona rummaged through her dresser in her room, digging out one of James' shirts that she had stolen and a pair of shorts. It was a yellow band shirt, she'd never heard of the band and honestly doubted that James had either. It was baggy and very much too big for her, but she liked wearing his clothes. The shirt still smelled like him, that was her favorite thing about them. No matter how many washes they got, they still smelled like James. She sectioned her hair into two loose braids, deciding she didn't want it down.

She walked downstairs to find Mabel, standing by the door. "Mabel, when did you get here," Ramona asked, surprised by Mabel's unexpected appearance.

"Just now, I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out today," she said. "We haven't talked a lot over the past couple of weeks, so I wanted to see if we could maybe do something together." Mabel was staring at James' shirt, realizing it was James.

"Yeah, that sounds good. I was actually just about to head over to James' place, do you want to come over? You can meet Kayla, James' little sister. You'll love her," Ramona said, pushing her braids back.

"Sure, sounds good," Mabel said. Ramona could tell that Mabel wasn't keen on spending time with James, but friendship is about sacrifices. Is it not?

Mabel and Ramona's friendship had changed over the past year. They seemed to hang out less even before James had come along. They were an interesting dynamic, Mabel was outspoken and brutal whereas Ramona was quiet with her opinions. Ramona was the doormat and Mabel was the one stomping her muddy shoes down onto the mat.