Autumn Leaves (An Ed Sheeran Fanfic)

Over Again

"Yes!" I smiled as I handed in my final paper of university. All I had to do now was wait for my results. After all that hard work, I had finally finished university!

It got me thinking of my future and how Ed wanted me to run away with him. Travel the world whilst he was touring. But I didn't want that. I didn't want to be his groupie, following him around everywhere, not earning a penny for myself even though I had worked so hard in university. Yes, I did want to travel the world, but not like that.

I let out a yawn. I had been studying for ages. Now I could finally rest. It was turning 7 o'clock at night now. I had been in the library since 6 in the morning.

"Jessica!" my friend Nikki beamed at me whilst I was walking out of uni.

"Why are you so happy?" I laughed looking at the excited expression on her face.

"What do you mean? I'm always this happy." Nikki persuaded, trying to hide her smile.

"Nikki?" I looked at her.

"You know your old high school?" She asked.

"Yeah..." I got a little nervous.

"Would you take me to it?" She weirdly asked.

"What? Why?" I was really confused. Why did Nikki want to go to my old high school?

"Please Jessica." She batted her eye lashes at me.

"But why?" I repeated.

"I will explain everything when we get there, just please take me." she grinned.

"You're acting really weird." I told her. Why was this new, bubbly, Nikki wanting to see my high school? "Who are you and what have you done with Nikki?"

"Jess." she playfully punched me in the arm.

"Fine!" I sighed reluctantly.

"Thank you!" she gave me a massive hug.

"When do you want to go?" I asked.

"When?" she looked confused. "Now. I want to go now."

"Now? You better have a reasonable explaination for this." I told her.

"Oh I really do." she assured me. "Come on then, let's go."

Grinning like an idiot, Nikki followed by my side as I guided her towards the bus stop. Why she was so happy was beyond me. Then it suddenly struck me. What if she knew Ed and I went to the same school? I watched her closely whilst walking the small distance to the stop.

"So how's things with you and Nathan?" I decide to ask, wanting my thoughts of Ed to leave me. Nathan was Nikki's new boyfriend.

"Its OK, I mean he's no Ed Sheeran but I really really like him and he likes me too. But its only early days." She explained, her smile widening when she mentioned Ed.

Everywhere I went, reminded me of him. Was I making the right decision not going away with him? I discarded the thought instantly. Damn, why couldn't I stop thinking about him?

"Well as long as you're happy, that's all that counts. Nathan seems like a good guy." I told her.

"Yeah, what about you then? I've known you since college and I've just realised, you've never had a boyfriend." she stated.

Wow. Had it really been that long? Then I remembered.

"Yeah I have. What about Ethan?" I told her.

"Ethan doesn't count. You only went out with him once." she told me.

I guess she was right. Ethan was a jerk. He only asked me out because Nikki told him too. I only said yes because I wanted to get over Ed. I thought I had got over Ed, but after seeing him yesterday, I knew I hadn't.

"Fine, he doesn't count but oh well." I said in defeat. "Look the bus is here."

The bus screeched to a hault and Nikki and I boarded it. We showed our passes then made our way to the back of the empty bus.

"Did you date anyone before Ethan?" Nikki curiously asked with a smirk on her. Was it me, or did she look like she already knew the answer to the question?

"Well there was this one boy, but that was about 5 years ago now." I explained.

"Oh, so in high school?" Nikki counted the years back on her fingers. "What happened?"

"Dunno." I lied. "We just broke up."

"I see." Nikki studied me. "So you both went to this school that we're going to?"

"Erm... yeah..." I replied. "What's with all the questions?"

"Oh, no reason. Just curious." She said.

"Right." Something weird was going on. I was beginning to get suspicious.

"Can you explain why you want to go my high school now?" I asked.

"I will... just when we get there. Be patient Jessica." She smiled at me.

I let out a sigh. Something weird was going on. "Fine."

We sat the rest of the bus journey is silence as I tried to gather my thoughts. Did Nikki know Ed and I were boyfriend and girlfriend? Then why would she want to see my high school? This was all so confusing.

"Its this stop." I told her whilst standing up.

"Really?" her eyes glistened and she let out a slight giggle. "I mean... cool."

"Weird." I looked at her. "Come on."

We walked off the bus and onto the familiar pavement Ed and I used to walk to school on.

A single autumn leaf fell down from above me. Wait, what? It was the beginning of spring. Suddenly a gust of leaves swarmed around me. I looked around nervously and noticed a person with a bag of fake leaves and a fan.

"What the fuck? What's he doing?" I asked Nikki.

"There Autumn Leaves." she shrugged. Autumn leaves. Ed's song. The first song I had ever heard of his. It reminded me of my first day at school with Ed. That day there were heaps of leaves everywhere. One fell in my hair and he picked it out. He called me perfect that day. Although it was ages ago, I remember it like it was yesterday.

"This way." I guided Nikki, ignoring all the memories autumn leaves gave me. It was a bit strange that a boy just happened to have a bag of leaves and a fan with him. Very strange.

This was the same route to school Ed and I took when we were going to the Autumn Dance. We had only just started going out then but it was so nice. The music, the terrible dancing, our friends, like Jake...

"Its weird being back here. I haven't been round here in years." I told Nikki.

"Yeah it must bring back memories." she said like she already knew I was reminicing.

"It does." I said. "So come on, we're basically here now. Why did you want me to take you here?"

"Someone told me to." she muttered, and the edges of her lips began to curl into a smile.

"Who told you?" I curiously asked as we reached the entrance to the school. It was supposed to be closed for the holidays, but it looked open to me.

"Well... I think I should let him tell you himself." She giggled like she was about to fangirl.

"What? Nikki you're confusing me."

"Turn around." she grinned like an idiot.

I spun around shocked beyond compare.

"What the heck?" I said.

Ed was standing innocently looking like his usual scruffy self. How I remembered him. He was holding a boquet of flowers identical to the ones he gave me 5 years ago at the Autumn Dance. He smiled at the sight of me.

"If you don't remember what we had all those years ago. I'm going to make you remember." he spoke.

"What?" I stuttered.

"I'm going to make you fall in love with me all over again." he whispered.