Sunburn

Chapter Fifty-Five.

~Juliet's P.O.V.~

Songs for this chapter are:
Max Brodie - For The Better
Henry Hall - Talk
Ed Sheeran - Sunburn (I've been waiting three years -- since chapter 1 -- to use this song!)

August.

"Ow," Victoria mumbles, walking across the rocky ground. "Is this trail almost over?" Victoria was never really a very avid hiker like Ashton and I.

    "Just enjoy the view, Vika," I tell her optimistically, and then turning to Ashton. He smiles at me with his bearded face. His hair's not shaved anymore, thank the Lord, but it's not as long as he used to keep it regularly.

    I link my fingers with Ashton and then turn around to face my two other best friends. Victoria looks grumpy, but it's because we drove roughly 2,300 miles to get here, and she's waiting to see what the fuss is all about. Cole, on the other hand, has Victoria's hand in his, and he's enjoying the beautiful scenery, great weather, and girlfriend by his side. He has a smile on his face that I can only attribute to the amazing way things are going for him right now.

    "Jules, look at that." Ashton points at a unique looking bird soaring over the canyon. "That's an...um..." He flips through his old bird book or whatever you call it, trying to identity it. His dad loved birdwatching, and bird stuff of all sorts, really.

    We make it to a clear and smooth spot where the cliff watches over the deep and red canyons. I gaze at Victoria with her aching feet, and stop walking. "Hey guys," I say, "Let's stop here for a second."

    I walk over to the edge of the cliff, sitting down and allowing my feet to dangle over the endless expanse of rock. My feet sway in the wind, and soon three extra sets of feet are joined next to mine. "Thank you, Jules." Victoria says gratefully, her arms extended behind her to support her back.

    Ashton places his arm around me and I take out my iPhone, putting on a good playlist. Ashton puts on the other earbud, sharing the music with me. To my right, Cole is looking over the gorgeous view, Victoria's head on his shoulder.

    It's late August, and in just a few days, our sophomore year of college is going to start. Victoria, Cole, Ashton and I all decided to have a giant road trip to the Grand Canyon this summer before our next year of college started. We drove for a long time, and it was brutal, but it was really, really fun and the four of us bonded more than we ever had before.

    What happened in January definitely changed Ashton, and me, too, honestly, but Ashton picked himself back up again. He started feeling better and better able to move on with what happened. Ashton and I talked about it for a long, long time, but he started going to what he refuses to call anything else, a shrink. That's been something he's known in the very bottom of his mind he's wanted to do for a really long time. He tells me it really helps him. Two of us have been good, but as school has gotten more intense over the months, this past summer of us hanging out and having this time together has brought us closer.

    Victoria and Cole have been good, of course, but just like any other couple, experiences bumps in the road. Victoria always tells me whatever disagreements they're having, but they're always small and nothing serious. In the end they always realize loving each other is the most important thing, which I'm so happy for because I've been rooting for them since day one. They've only been going out for about eight months, so who knows what the future brings for them. In Victoria and I's experience, time really doesn't tell how a relationship is going to work out.

    After Travis left for New York, I could tell Violet was very hurt, but she is strong and can handle anything. Travis calls or texts every once in a while, and he always posts on Instagram. He keeps posting pictures with this same girl but never tags her – I think he's just waiting for the appropriate time to say they're dating. It's been seven months since he left. We're all pretty sure he is dating this girl, even Violet, but I can't imagine how much the whole situation hurts Violet.

    Michael and Kristen are still really good, and they're going to celebrate their anniversary in just a little over two months. They've always been great friends to me, but with Michael graduating at the end of the upcoming school year and new career opportunities for the both of them, who knows where they'll be five years from now.

    This past year has changed me more than any year in the past. Last August, twelve months ago, more or less than three hundred and sixty five days ago, I was a completely different person than who I am today. All of these experiences that I've gone through have shaped me into a better person, and I've learned a lot, not only in just the academic sense.

    The song on my iPhone changes to "Sunburn" by Ed Sheeran. It's one of my favorites from him.

    You're not her,
    though I try to see you differently
    I tow the line
    you see I'm searching for what used to be mine.

    All of these friends I've made – Ashton, Michael, Kristen, Travis, Violet, Cole, even David, Laura, Liam, Max, and Lily – have taught me amazing things; trust, friendship, love, forgiveness. I met my soulmate, and it definitely didn't seem like he was my soulmate at first. And people you thought you'd spend forever with ended up leaving forever, without even looking back.

        I saw your eyes,
        and I saw Alice staring back at me.
        So I will try
        to find another one who suited me as well as her.

    I know all of this is cheesy, but it's true. It really is. All of these memories I've made are ones I want to hold onto forever. And while for now things aren't going to be changing for the most part, this is the point in our lives where people leave and things change. I have to hold on now, when Ashton is here, supporting and loving me, and my best friends are within arm's reach whenever I need them.

    A few verses have passed but it's nearing the end of the song now.

    Don't drop me in,
    it's not my turn.
    If you cut deep then
    I might learn
    that you scarred and left me
    like a sunburn.

    Whatever has happened, and whatever will happen, the people I've met have impacted me in a way that I will always be grateful for.

    I link my hand with Ashton's, my baby blue eyes meeting with his icy ones. "I love you," I mouth.

    "I love you, too," he mouths right back to me.

    Don't drop me in,
    it's not my turn.
    If you cut deep, then
    I might learn
    that you scarred and leave me
    like a sunburn.