Only You

2 - Chase

Once Alanna and I had reached our block I made sure she would wait for me as I dropped off my backpack inside, hoping no one would be home. Thankfully, it didn't look like anyone was. I tossed my backpack right inside the door and rushed back over to Alanna. "Okay. Let's go." I said, letting her lean on me again. When we reached her porch, which was like a couple feet in front of us since I lived right next to her, she unlocked the door and in we went. Her parents were so much more trusting than mine. Which was weird considering the fact that after Alanna's accident they would trust her this much, but I've known her my whole life and there's no way she would disrespect that power. Slowly, we inched our way up the stairs, trying not to wake her dog, Dean. Everytime he would stir in his sleep we would freeze. Just for fun, Dean was really the sweetest dog ever. Finally, at the top of the stairs, we reached her room. Alanna turned to look at me. "Okay, now don't laugh." She said. I put a hand over my heart and my mouth dropped open. "Never." I said. She gave me a small smile and then pushed open her door. This time my mouth fell open for real. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had been in this room a million times before and it had never looked like this before. Her light blue wallpaper was still the same, the bed and bookshelf was still in the same spot it had always been. But everywhere you could set something sat the little paper swans. They were on the the desk, stacked in little pyramids in the corners of the room, On top of the bookshelf, laying on top of the books. I made a weird sound between a laugh and a gasp. Alanna crossed her arms and looked embarrassed. "You said you wouldn't laugh." She said. I tore my gaze away from the swans and focused on her. "I'm not laughing, I'm amazed." I said. Alanna didn't look very convinced, but she limped over to her bed. She pulled an old shoe box out from under it and patted the spot next to her for me to sit down. I did, and she handed me the box. "Open it." She said. I lifted the lid and sat it down on the bed behind us. Inside the box sat not one, not twenty, but two individual paper swans. "You kept them all these years?" I asked. Alanna nodded. The box contained her very first and my very last swan. The day I taught her how to make them was the day I quit making them. Alanna reached into the box and picked hers up. "I couldn't bear to throw it away, and I'm glad I didn't. If I had I probably never would've continued making them now." She explained. I remembered the day I taught her, she got so frustrated that she couldn't get it just right, then when she finally did, she demanded we write our names and the dates on the so that we'd never forget. "I've probably forgotten how to make these." I said quietly. Alanna looked at me but I kept staring at the swan in the box. For some reason, I couldn't help but feel this warm sense of comfort, I had never felt before.  Finally, I looked up at Alanna who still staring at me. I met her beautiful green eyes and stared back at her. Slowly, I could feel myself leaning forward. When the door swung open I jerked back into my sitting position and looked straight ahead at the door. Alanna's father stood there beaming down at us. "Chase! What a lovely surprise, I haven't seen you in here for years, my boy. How are you doing? Are you staying for dinner?" He asked, holding out his hand for me to shake. I jumped to my feet, gently setting the shoe box on the bed after me and shook his hand. "Well, I wasn't planning on it..but-
"Great, I'll tell Laura to set and extra plate out." He said and then he turned and left the room. Alanna laughed and I turned around to face her. "I guess you're staying for dinner." She said. I chuckled and crossed my arms. "I guess so." I said. I watched her as she set her swan gently back into the box, put the lid on and slide it back  under her bed where I could see even more swans. "How many of those do you make a day?" I asked.
"About thirty. Some of them are set around the house, but most of them end up living in here." She said gesturing around her room. I looked around it at them all again. I still couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that if I hadn't taught her to make the dumb little things, she could very easily have gone into a deep state of depression like my cousin did when his friend died from a heart attack. I was suddenly glad I taught her. Then I thought what if Alanna had died in the accident too? Alanna was my only friend. If I lost her then I'd probably begin to lose my mind too. Then the next thing I knew, Dinner was over and I was pulling my jacket on, getting ready to leave. "Are you sure you don't want to stay and help us decorate for Christmas?" Alanna's mother asked me as I said goodbye. I opened my mouth to answer but Alanna beat me to it. "Mom, Chase has had a long day, and I think we can manage on our own." She said. But her mother shook her head and ignored her, for some reason that made me kinda mad. "Really, I'm fine. Thanks for offering but I really should be getting home." I said trying not to sound bitter. Alanna glanced at me. Her expression said, 'They're not going to quit asking until you say yes.' I took a deep breath and looked at her parents. "I guess I can stay." I said. Her parents both grinned. "Great, I'll call your parents." Her dad said walking back into the kitchen. 
"Why don't you two get the decorations from the basement, while I finish cleaning up here?" Her mom asked. Alanna and I walked over to the basement steps. "Alanna, no heavy boxes!" Her mother called. Alanna took a  deep breath. "I know, mom!" She called and then practically ran down the steps, which was impressive considering she could barely walk earlier. I followed her down. "Thank you." She said and soon as I was standing next to her. I looked down at her since I was much taller than her. "For what?" I asked. Alanna looked at me, and then walked towards the storage room. "For not treating me like I'm a piece a glass, or a wounded animal." She said, opening the door. 

"You're welcome." I said, as she handed me a box of tree decorations. She pulled out a couple stockings as well as the tree skirt. "This is the most I'm 'aloud' to carry." She said, rolling her eyes, "Honestly, they treat me like I'm six years old again." She said taking a deep breath and then storming off towards the stairs. I stood there for a moment watching her brown curls bounce as she bounded up the stairs. Why did her parents have to treat her like that? Sure she might be a little terrified of cars, but there's nothing wrong with that. Alanna was seventeen years old, definitely not a baby. "Chase?" She called from the top of the stairs. I chuckled to myself. "Yeah, I'm coming!" I said, walking very slowly up the stairs. I got to the top and set the box down. "That's a lot heavier than it looks." I said. Alanna giggled as I picked the box back up after stretching. "Where should I put this?" I asked. 
"Just on the couch is fine." She said, "Come back down when you're done, there's more to carry up!" Alanna called. Her parents had disappeared mysteriously. Downstairs when I asked her about it she shrugged and said, "They probably went to get the actual tree." 
"And they didn't even ask if you wanted to go?"
"They know what I would say." Alanna said shrugging her shoulders. I bit my lip to keep from saying something I would regret and took the next bow Alanna handed me. I carried it upstairs. and she followed close behind with a much smaller box of outside decorations. After everything had been carried up I found myself sitting on the ground. "Woo. That was a lot of work." I said. Alanna laughed and sat down across from me with construction paper, a hole punch and some ornament hooks. She handed me half of the paper. "What are we doing?" I asked. Alanna looked up at me and smiled. "Making the ornaments" she said. I was still confused until she showed me what she meant. Again, there were paper swans, but this time they were going to be hung on the tree. She handed me a piece of paper. "Uh..Alanna..I don't remember how to make them." I said. She moved next to me so that she could show me. Slowly, I began to figure it out again. When I finally made one that was presentable, Alanna grabbed a sharpie. "Write your name on it!" She demanded. I took the marker and laughed to myself. I wrote my name and the date on the wing of the bird. When I was finished Alanna plucked both the bird and marker out of my hands, she wrote her name on the one she had made, jumped to her feet and ran upstairs. When she came back she was smiling and I couldn't help but smile back. This was just like the first time.