I'll Meet You There

Chapter 4

You've done this before, you can do it again, Ally thought, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. She was outside on her porch waiting for Ashton to pick her up. She checked her phone for the ninth time that morning. 8:43 it read. If Ashton wasn't here soon, she would be late for school, and that was asking for more questions Ally didn't need. She was just about to go in and ask her mom for a ride when she spotted Ashton come onto her street.

Ashton drove a blue minivan. You may picture a tumblr looking van that you'd road trip in but it was not the same. It was a little run down from going through all her siblings, three to be exact, and it was a dark cobalt. They called it the Blueberry.

She drove by Ally's house with a wave and continued to drive down the street and turn around.

"Get in loser." Ashton said, reaching across the car and opening the passenger door.

"Thanks again for the ride Ash." Ally said, getting in.

"No problem. Everything good this morning?" Ashton asked with concern.

Ally knew she was referring to Nathan and Ally's first year without him. She nodded and just pulled her shirt cuffs around her hands and sank into the seat.

Once they got to the school, Ashton pulled into their regular parking spot and turned Raspberry off. Then she gave Ally a long look.

"What?" Ally asked, finally.

Ashton shrugged, "Nothing, you just look sad."

"Well I'm not." Ally said, diverting her eyes from Ashton's.

Truth be told, Ally was very sad. But today when people would ask her how she was, she would say she was fine. She would fake a smile even if it hurt. She wouldn't let people see how bad she felt, how she had been broken into pieces that can't be put back together the same. She'd let people think the worst but wouldn't let them know half of it.

"Okay. But if anyone tries to pick on you, let me know." Ashton said, not commenting on how she knew Ally wasn't okay.

"Why?" Ally asked, grabbing her bag from the floor.

"Because I'll kick their ass." Ashton grinned. Ally grinned back.

"Lets do this." Ashton said, putting her fist out.

"Lets." Ally bumped her fist into Ashton's.

Walking into the school, Ally could feel eyes looking at her, and it made her cheeks burn. Ashton's locker wasn't in the same direction so they had to split up. Luckily, Ally had already memorized where her locker was so she went straight there.

Once in a while she would feel someone sympathetically touch or squeeze her shoulder, but none would make eye contact. No one wanted to look into the eyes of someone who had just lost their brother.

Ally had began putting her books into her locker when she heard her name being called. She looked up and saw Romeo walking towards her.

"Hey Rome." She said, putting her books down.

She had expected him to just stand but he pulled her into a hug as soon as he was close enough. She closed her eyes and hugged him back. Ally eventually felt other girls staring and it made her feel uncomfortable. She pushed him away gently so she could see his eyes.

They were the colour of a kaleidoscope turning in the light. You could never see how he was feeling from them, since they were always changing. His hair was a light brown with touches of gold. Romeo could pull off bed head but also manage it to look styled. He was tall but not too tall. And he was strong but not too built. He was every girl's dream. Maybe in a different life, Ally and him would be together, but not in this one.

"How are you?" He asked, his face full with concern.

Ally couldn't lie to him, "It hurts." She admitted.

Romeo pulled her into another hug.

"I'm sorry. But it will get better." He said, into her hair.

"People keep saying that, but when will it actually happen?" Ally asked, shutting her eyes to keep the tears in.

"I don't know when but I do know it will happen." Romeo said, with so much confidence Ally almost believed him.

Then the bell rang and Romeo had to go. Ally finished putting her books away grabbed her homeroom binder. English. She locked her locker and pressed her forehead onto the cold metal. Now or never, she thought. And she went to class.