Remind Me I'm Alive (Bechloe)

1 Night Stands

As a child, Aubrey was often alone. Her father left when she was she was 7. Her mother worked two jobs to make it buy. During the day, Aubrey could hang out with Chloe and Cora, but at night, the blonde would often be home all alone.

Ten

It wasn't unusual for 10-year-old Aubrey to go a week straight without seeing her mother at night.

Nine

The little apartment that Aubrey and her mother shared had paper-thin walls.

Eight

Aubrey was scared to be home alone at night with the noises.

Seven

The neighbors were very loud and scary.

Six

Some night she could hear loud banging and moaning on the other side of her bedroom wall.

Five

Other nights there was fighting.

Four

And crying.

Three

Sometimes the police would come.

Two

They would take away the husband for beating the wife.

One

Aubrey took a deep breath before submerging herself entirely in her bathwater.

After kissing Emily, Aubrey went straight home and got into a nice hot bubble bath where she planned to stay for as long as possible She had tried so hard to outrun her past, but no matter what she did, she always ended up alone. And while she was mostly numb to the feeling, tonight sucked worse than normal. Tonight she was supposed to be different.

As Aubrey came back up for air, there was a soft knock on her bathroom door. The blonde looked and was petrified to see the door starting to open slowly.

"Hey," Stacie said as she slowly popped her head through the door way.

"Dude, What are you doing?" Aubrey said frantically, trying to hide herself within the tub and its bubbles.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," Stacie said. She proceeded to walk into the bathroom without waiting for an invitation. "We need to talk about why you ditched me."

"Excuse me. You're the one who ditched me," Aubrey snapped.

"Look, I'm sorry that I spent so much time with Anthony. I haven't seen him in years, and I just lost track of time. I didn't mean to upset you or leave you alone."

"Really? Because you seemed to like the way he pulled you away from everyone else."

"Aubrey, he just wanted to talk," Stacie said, sitting down next to the tub.

"Dude, what are you doing? I'm naked," Aubrey said. She couldn't believe this was happening now.

"Obviously, most people bathe naked," Stacie said with a wink.

"And most people do it alone."

"Well, then you should've locked the door," Stacie said. Her soft green Eyes stared into Aubrey's. "Now tell me what this is all about."

"It's just when you were with him you looked so alive.... more alive than when you are with me," Aubrey said sheepishly, looking away.

"Hey, how could you say that?"