Daydreams?

Chapter 4- Unwanted Visitors

"Landon, sometimes she just makes me so furious I just- I don't even know!" I said, pacing the ground beside his grave.

"What happened to talking at our place?" Mr. Imagination asked.

"I'm just dropping off a letter so I thought I would vent a little."

"I remember sneaking out just to take you there. We both screamed, cried, laughed, we could just be ourselves." He smiled, though it wasn't really his memory; it was mine. I sat down by Landon's tombstone, wishing I could have him here right now.

"You know, he'd only want you to be happy. Why don't you give Ashton a chance?" A familiar voice said, getting closer with each word. I looked up, seeing a blonde boy, his piercing blue eyes the color of the sky. If it weren't for the blonde hair, I might have thought I was seeing Landon's ghost.

I'm losing my mind.

"Who are you? And why do you care?" I asked, putting the letter I had written into the box. He eyed it, as if he wanted to rip it open and read it.

"I'm Brandon, and I care because I could hear you ranting from my house over there." He pointed behind me, and past a long line of graves, across the street, stood a ranch style house.

"Why did you come over here?"

"You sounded pretty upset." He laughed lightly, as if he didn't have a care in the world. I played with the soft grass, trying to calm down.

"I am." I didn't look at him, only feeling his warmth come closer to me as he sat down. We talked about why I was upset, his mood obviously changing as the conversation went on.

"I'm sorry for your loss Alice." His eyes glimmered with tears that threatened to spill over. I nodded, sighing as I kept my eyes on the ground.

"Yeah, and now my grandmother just expects me to forget it and fall in love with Ashton, the boy down the street. I just can't deal with it Landon, I-" I realized who I was really talking to, that's what I did. "Sorry, it's just hard to believe sometimes and I get so caught up talking to people." I shrugged, tears flowing as I began thinking about him. He would have snuck off with me the minute I mentioned Ashton. He knew I hated him.

"Don't cry. It's okay Alice. It'll be fine." Max muttered, pulling me into him.

"How do you know my name?" I sniffled, realizing he had been saying it the whole time.

"You put your name on the letter. I'm more observant than most people think." He winked, making me laugh a bit. "I think I should go. Remember to give Ashton a chance, okay?" He smiled, standing and brushing himself off before going back to his house. Well, that went better than expected. I might even have gained another friend, or at least, a living one.

***

"Would you get the door?" Grandmother called from the kitchen, as I walked in the back door. I sighed, grumbling as I made my way to the door that I knew held Ashton behind it.

I opened the door, revealing a smiling Ashton. 'Give him a chance.' The words of Max echoed in the back of my mind. "Hi Ashton." I looked up at him, his smile fading as he got a good look at my face. I guess I look like a wreck, my face tear stained, but a smile plastered on my face.

"Alice? What's wrong?" He touched my face, making me flinch. I didn't like his touch. It was cold, different from Landon's, or even Max's.

"Just missing Landon again. I went to visit his grave." I tugged at the hem of my T-shirt, looking everywhere but at Ashton.

"Oh, I really am sorry about your loss Ali." I teared up at the nickname.

"Don't call me that!" I snapped, pushing him away. I left, going upstairs and leaving behind a stunned and very confused Ashton.

I shut my bedroom door, sliding to the floor and sobbing. I couldn't do this. Not without him. I wouldn't be able to go on like this. All I do nowadays is cry, write letters, and talk to a figure of my own imagination. I looked around the room, feeling only emptiness. Emptiness; it was something I longed for. To be completely empty. Empty of these emotions, the memories, these forgotten promises. It hurt again, that familiar pain in my chest. The feeling of my heart breaking apart. Oh, how I wish emptiness would just take over completely. I just want to be a hollow shell. I don't want to feel this, to feel anything.

A tap sounded from my window, surprising me. I lived on the second floor. Who troubled themselves enough to climb up there?

Max. I groaned, standing up to go let him in, or at least open the window.

"Hey," he smiled at me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, sitting on the windowsill.

"Currently? Well if you must know, practically burning off my skin on this rooftop for you. So if you would so kind as to move so I can climb in." I moved out of the windowsill, letting him climb in.

"Why are you here?"

"I thought I would spy on the cute Ashton situation. It doesn't look good though." He sat on my bed. "I thought you were giving him a chance."

"I was going to but..." I trailed off, trying to explain it.

"But?"

"I can't give him a chance. I can't let him in. It's physically impossible. I just- every time I look at him, all I see is Landon."

"What's wrong with that?" He inched closer, and I moved an inch away.

"I can't risk losing someone else, especially someone who is so much like him, well sometimes." He moved closer again, taking my hand.

"Don't worry. This story, Landon's story, isn't finished." What is he talking about? Before I can ask, his lips have brushed against mine. "Alice." He whispers, sending shivers down my spine.

"Yes?" I whisper, just as quiet.

"Landon is alive. I know where he is." I open my eyes wide, looking at him.

"What?"

"Landon is alive Alice. He wants to, no, needs to see you." He sighs. "I shouldn't have done that. Meet me tonight at the street corner at 2:30." And with that, he had disappeared out of the window.

I couldn't believe it.

Landon Jess Perry is alive, and he's out there somewhere, waiting to see me.