Hello Darkness, A New Years Day Fanfic

Part 14

Ali's POV

       Trying to find an outfit to wear on a first date is challenging, because you want to look nice, but not desperate. I settled on a pair of ripped black skinny jeans and a white v-neck, with flannel and combat boots. We were going out to eat somewhere. Nothing fancy, just a casual date at some restaurant. It was going to be amazing, though- I could feel it. I ran a brush through the dead, dark jungle of my hair, proceeding to apply light foundation and winged eyeliner. I looked in the mirror and sighed. I wasn't as hot as Ash, but I was kinda okay looking today. While she has a picturesque body that I'd love to have, I have fat. Everywhere. It has been a big issue with me ever since I was little- my body image. 

       In the third to fifth grade, I was constantly bullied for my weight. I was overweight, yes, but not to the point where it was unhealthy. My middle school years were better in the terms of bullying, but from all of the body shaming I had terrible self esteem. At that point, I had no friends and my family was virtually torn apart. That was during the period of time when my mom and dad got a divorce- they ended up back together, though.
My mom had gotten drunk and ended up cheating on my dad. It was completely out of character for her, but she was so different when she was drunk. Mom moved all the way to Cali, and I stayed with my dad. He was super distant and depressed, and he had been my best friend on the face of the earth.
He was always the one who assured me I wasn't fat, just chubby, and one day that chub would turn into curves.
       Realizing the time, I yanked myself out of the dazed state of reminiscing I was in and began to brush my teeth.
       As soon as I finished, there was a knock at the door- Nikki, obviously. Grabbing my bag, I opened the door. "Ready to go?" Nikki asked. I nodded, and, grabbing my hand, led me to his car.
It looked like an Impala 67, but unfortunately, it wasn't. My inner Supernatural fan was low key disappointed, but I decided to keep that one to myself.
We drove for five minutes, another ten, another fifteen. I was confused on where we were going, but decided to roll with it. After a collective half an hour of driving, we were somewhere near the beach- I could hear its waves crashing on the sandy shore, making a sound that could soothe my worst nightmares.
       "I decided to bring us here. I packed dinner and some wine. I figured we could watch the sun set on my favorite cliff overlooking the beach..." Lost for words, I nodded and grabbed his hand. He parked us at the end of a dirt trail that led up the hill to the cliff.
       He slipped out of his side of the car and opened the door for me. I had always admired people with manners- everyone should be treated with respect and they made the world a better place.
He proceeded to get a small cooler and a blanket out of his trunk. After setting the checkered black and white blanket on the ground, he put the cooler down on top if of it and pulled out two hoagies. "I brought grinders and soda, and wine if you want it."
       "Number one, they're called hoagies, and I will fight you on that one. Number two, I could go for some wine."
       Nikki smirked and bit his lip. This was way, way too much for me to deal with and the breath left my frame. "Okay, hoagie girl. They're still grinders to me. Either way, they're delicious. So, sit down."
Reluctantly, I plopped down next to him. "You know," I sighed, "I do like the 'grinders' they have here, but I miss Philly hoagies. Amoroso makes the rolls, and my God are they good. You can't get a decent fucking cheesesteak or a damned Philly soft pretzel. Life is so different here. In Philly we had a penthouse apartment in the nice part of downtown, we were wealthy. When my mom and dad were separated for those few years, I stayed with my dad but my mom moved to Cali.
      "Middle school was rough but I always remember the joy of being allowed to take SEPTA by myself to different places, to buy my dad different things or take a nice walk in the park to clear my mind. The streets of Philadelphia were my only friend. Sometimes I would go to Love Park and buy a homeless family a nice dinner and a hotel room, and buy them new clothes to replace the filthy old ones. Like I said, I was rich, and my dad was distant, so he gave me money without question.
"I loved seeing the joy in the parents eyes when their kids got new clothes or a shower or a bed to sleep on or a nice dinner.
       "I met one family with three young children who lived in an alleyway. The dad was trying so hard to get a job to get their lives back on track, he kept a suit pressed for the occasion of interviews. No one would hire him because he was well dressed, but dirty. I happened upon them a day before a big interview he had scored himself, so he finally had a chance to get clean and got the job. I kept them in that hotel until he was eventually helping pay for the room. One day, he had enough to buy an apartment.
       "Him and his wife and children all cried when moving into that apartment. They wondered how one somehow rich 13 year old girl got them back on their feet. I keep in contact with them and they are still on their feet today.
      "The summer before I started high school my dad brought me to Cali to see my mother. They fell back in love that week, and we moved to Cali almost instantly. I cried and cried and cried for almost a year, because I had been torn away from my only friend- the streets of Philadelphia.
      "I want to go back someday. I want so bad to return to those streets and visit that family. I live in Cali, but it's not my home. I don't really belong here. I'm the girl who calls 'water' 'wooder', the girl who calls a 'grinder' a 'hoagie'. I know that seems unimportant- slang, of all things-but... I don't belong. I don't know. I'm weird."
      Nikki took my hand in his. "You're not weird, Ali, you're just homesick. I know how it feels to want to do something, to go somewhere, when you're not able to. And it totally sucks. But I can promise you one thing, Ali- and that is that I will take you back there someday. Someway, somehow, I will get you back there. You can show me a thing or two about the city, and we can stay there for hopefully a few days. It's not a lot, but it's all that I can do."

       I leaned back on the blanket, gazing up at the starry night sky, and he sat next to me. I felt Nikki's presence next to me- a presence, a feeling that made me feel so complete and so right. I wondered if he felt the same way, if he felt a sense of purpose and belonging, if he felt happy, if he felt complete. I knew I did.

       I rolled over on my side as to see his face, pale and delicate in the gentle, grayish glow of the moonlight. His face was two or three inches from mine, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss him. Feeling his warm breath on my face, I closed my eyes and leaned in closer. The moments before our lips met were moments frozen in time, with a special feeling of suspense, a feeling that would linger in my gut for days to come.

      His warm lips met mine, sending a wave of joy through my whole body. There was a strange mix of happiness, sadness, and longing for more, and the kiss that lasted a split second seemed to last a lifetime.

      The rest of the night went by in a blur- eating and drinking and holding hands and stargazing. Most of it is an unclear blur, right up until he dropped me off at my dorm. He walked me right up to my door and gave me a kiss on the cheek goodbye. I collapsed, tired and very much in love, onto my bed and fell asleep.

**A/N**

I'm so so so so so so sorry I didn't get this up until now!!! I'll try to update more often. No promises, though. Love you and thanks for reading.