I Love You to the Moon and Back

Chapter 1 (Now)

"Ashley! Ashley wait!" I said shouting the words across the field behind the unlit school. 

I was running, my body moving towards the ghostly shape of girl. Ashley wasn't looking at me, instead she was getting into a car parked on the side of the road. I approached quickly, my legs aching in pain. I was only ten feet away when I felt an invisible force holding me back. I struggled while I saw the car speed away into the darkness. I felt the force holding me back disappear and I stubbled forward staring into the darkness looming ahead of me. I ran straight into the black mist. The dark fog entwined around me quickly sucking the air away. My vision grew fuzzy but I caught a glimpse of the Ashley's silhouette sitting in the back of the car. before blacking out completely.

 I sat up breathing hard. I took a breath of medicine from my inhaler. I was only a nightmare none of it really happened. Except for the part that Ashley was gone and when I say gone I mean like dead gone. I scanned the room my eyes glancing at some of Ashley's things Mr. and Mrs. Roberto had let me keep. My eyes landed on her books. I lifted myself out of bed setting my inhaler back down on my bedside table. I moved myself towards the window looking at the perfect view of Ashley's old bedroom window with no light coming out of it. It would have been peculiar if it weren't for the fact she wasn't there. I turned away and grabbed the closest book to me. 

It was Ashley's, one of her many books on space her adoptive parents let me keep telling me, "Maybe you can look for constellations on your own."

 I would have told them no but their faces had the same pain as mine. I sat down on my window seat nestled in a blanket and began reading. I didn't have to wait for the tears to come. I set down the book trying to keep it safe and dry. I tightened in to a ball holding my knees close with my hands. I let the tears flow down my face freely letting the fatigue drift me off into a restless sleep. 

I woke up the next morning to my mom's worried face lingering over me. "Thank god you aren't dead. Why are you sleeping on the window bench?" my mom said brushing my dirty blonde hair out of my face. "Oh no am I late for school," I say ignoring her question completely. I turn towards the clock sitting on my desk. 7:09, great, I slept in.  I rush over and open my dresser, pulling on the first to things I saw that matched. I grab my backpack before dashing down the stairs to eat breakfast. 

The time on the microwave reads 7:15 as I shovel has browns down my mouth taking sips of OJ as I go. 

"Woah slow down Luke," my dad says handing me a napkin to wipe my mouth. 

"Baby, are you sure you want to go to school today. You don't have too, I can email the teachers right now," my mom says as she leans on the kitchen island. 

"I want to go," I say dropping my dishes in the kitchen sink. I don't really want to have to deal with school today, but anything is better than staring at Ashley's window all day. I stuff my backpack full with the homework from last week before the incident. I leave the house and head towards the school taking my time as I watch the cars drive by me down the road. I pull my phone out of my pocket. Unlocking hundreds if not millions of the past weeks messages and Snapchat notifications. I scroll through the more important messages such as the ones from Mom and Dad, making sure to avoid any messages from kids at school. I always knew things at school were going to be rough, but with Ashley it was bearable. Without her, taking on everything alone with no one to support me would be too much for to bear. If only I didn't tell her then everything would be normal and fine. Then maybe Ashley wouldn't be dead.