17 Things I Found In Your Bedroom

Chapter 1 Part 2

Chapter One Part Two

"...And as the sky is falling down
It crashed into this lonely town
And with that shadow upon the ground
I hear my people screaming out

Now I see fire
Inside the mountains
I see fire
Burning the trees
I see fire
Hollowing souls
I see fire
Blood in the breeze"

Though the lyrics are amazing, I'm more enthralled by his voice. It was what worked with his personality to make me love him in the first place.

He plays the last key. The feeling of wanting to cry washes over me for several reasons. As stupid as it sounds, I always feel as though his keys are plucking at my tear duct when he finishes playing. It's been like that since he first started playing on the promenade. Secondly, I feel like I've finally had a break through. Maybe I won't need to book an appointment with a therapist after all. Maybe it was all a phase and I did all that worrying for no good reason.

He moves his hand forward and gently rubs the salt water from my cheeks. I didn't realize I was actually crying. I haven't cried in weeks. It makes me feel kind of stupid, to cry in the presence of my boyfriend- which, it shouldn't. I've been around him for years.

"Why are you crying, Baby girl?" he whispers, moving closer. I stand up, shake my head and smile over my shoulder to let him know I'm fine. The breeze of the wind whips my hair backwards and I walk over to the stream in front of us. Our Bench is located in the middle of a forest close to the town we live in on the coast.

There are trees all around us, but then they clear out to a completely empty space which is home to a stream. The water is clear, so you can see the tiny rocks at the bottom of the bed from years of erosion. Right now, the water is really high, almost half a metre deep. It sounds shallow, but for a tiny clear water stream in the middle of a forest it's pretty unfathomable. With the summer almost gone, there are little bunches of tall grass at the edges of the water and nettles on the other side of the bank.

When we first found it, about a year ago now, we decided to make it our place. And for Christmas that year, Ace bought a bench and put in the middle of the clearing. That Christmas, he covered it with fairy lights and brought me to see it really late in the day, so it was pitch black and all you could only see the small LED bulbs shining, and the outline of a bench.

We stayed there talking until the sun came up, and I could actually see the gift he got me. And although to the eye it might just be a standard bench, to us it's a lot more than that. It's memories, but instead of in a book, they're in a seat.

Ever since, I always come here to think, and Ace does to, because sometimes we see each other. No one else knows about it, though.

"Ace, what's up with you? You've been reminding me of Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh since last week." I start, turning around to face Ace, who sits on the bench, looking down at his guitar on his lap.

"Guess puberty's finally catching up with me." he shrugs, placing the instrument down on the floor and standing up from the bench. After a minute, his arms wrap around my waist.

"In what way?" I chuckle. He raises an eyebrow at me and I raise mine back. "Random boners in class were sooo last year. And anyway, I've used 'cramps' as an excuse to get out of P.E way to many times now, I know true excuses from fake ones. Seriously, I'm surprised Coach let Rachel out of gym when all she said was 'I have a note about girl stuff, do you need to see it?'" I say the last part in a high pitched voice to mimic Rachel. I really hate that girl.

"Claire. I'm all good." he sighs. I place my hands on his chest and he looks down at me. I'm 5'5, and he must be past 6'. It really pisses me off sometimes.

"Ace. You're not. You were staring into space for a good twenty minutes earlier." I reply, matching his tone. Those ashen green eyes seem to cloud over for a split second as they bore into my plain hazel ones.

"There was a rabbit that was so cute it just totally reminded me of you?" he lies, but it comes out more of a question. It's obviously a joke, but there's a tinge to his words that make his façade vulnerable.

"Okay, firstly, what books have you been reading, because that was literally the mushiest crap I've ever heard you say. Second, you've had a phobia of rabbits since two years ago when your cousin's bunny escaped from its cage in Australia and hid under your bed for a week. And third, I was sitting right next to you, why would you need to be reminded of me?" I counter, wriggling from his grip.

"Why can't you be like one of those unobservant girlfriends, who are so stupid they can't find faults in my amazing comebacks?" I grab my bag from the ground and haul it over my shoulder.

"Aww, I think there was actually a compliment in there somewhere!" I exclaim, shaking my head at him. "I have to go, but if you don't tell me what's up with you by tomorrow, I'll go ask your mum, and you don't want her on your case, do you?" I blackmail. Ace looks at me blankly.

"And if she's working late tomorrow?" he smirks like he's won.

"Then I'll go rooting around your bedroom, and uncover all your secrets." I put on a fake witchy accent, and Ace rolls his eyes, then pecks me on the lips. "See you tomorrow."

"I love you, Baby Girl." He hums, pulling me into a hug.

"Love you too." I wave as I walk through the worn footpath leading back into the trees.