Ever After -Completed-

But I Won't Lose A Pound

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"Oh, this is a good one!" I touched the earbud with my fingers, almost as though I was trying to absorb the music into me. I liked earbuds far more than, say, Beats. It made me feel more connected to the music somehow. More like it was playing inside my head, as opposed to just around me. 

Josh shook his head, taking out the other speaker from his ear. "It needs a little more work. I'm thinking some violins or something." I liked how he became animated when he talked about his music. I liked how he used his hands to talk. I liked how he was passionate about something; how he had done something with this passion. 

He had just shown me the "rough edition" for Dearly Departed. It was amazing, a great start for their album. We were walking around a regional park. There was a nice hiking trail, going into the rusting woods via bridge. The wood was light brown under our feet, scattered with colors reminiscent of a dying fireplace. 

"It's going to be a hit." I promised sincerely. How could it not? The song was amazing, so many different themes and feelings and emotions in a matter of minutes.

Josh laughed, running forward to catch up with me. "Shh! We don't want anyone to steal the ideas."

"Yes!" I yelled, dragging out the "s" sound. "Yes! The ideas!" 

We were out of the path only a few seconds later, standing in front of a football field. There was a game going on, little third and fourth graders sprinting around after the white checkered ball. One determined little girl swung her leg high in the air to kick it, missed, then shrugged and sat, contentedly beginning to make herself a crown of grass. 

Josh led me away from the field, onto the streets where cars flew past like a never ending stream of bugs. Huge, mono-colored bugs. With dust and gas. And people inside. And music blaring. Bugs. 

"Are you drunk?" He asked as we walked down the streets. 

I dodged a woman, who running madly down our end after a toddler while pushing a stroller. "No, I'm just really happy." It was true. I had woken up that morning with a feeling of lightness the enveloped me instantly. Kind of like the opposite of waking up on the wrong side of the bed. 

My nose picked up on the familiar sweet smell of cookies. Without thinking, I grabbed Josh's hand and whooped loudly. "It's the bakery!" I yelled over my shoulder, tugging him through the onslaught of people. "Meg's bakery!"

Technically, it wasn't Meg's bakery, per se. But she spent so much time there and put so much energy into it that it was impossible not to think of it that way. She practically owned it, more than the half drunk arse of a boss did. 

I always loved coming here. I could just sit in the corner and watch the people all day. Their interactions with others were especially interesting. I remember once there was a family, sitting near me. They were near in tears, there for hours. Then a man in a militia uniform showed up and everything practically exploded. One of them, who I guessed was the man's girlfriend, had looked so...blurred. That was the only way to describe it. There were so many emotions crossing her face at once. Pain, joy, sadness, love. I never thought love had an expression before I saw her, and I'll never forget it. 

Meg asks me why I continue to go on the dating websites, even when my heart gets broken. It's because I want someone to look at me like that. When they do, I won't get my heart broken. 

There'll be no need. 

The line finally evaporated, we stepped up to the bright orange counter. It clashed horribly with the green walls, but people didn't come in here for the smell. They came in here for the food, the goddamn amazing melt-in-your-mouth sweets. 

I ordered a plate of eclairs and gingersnaps, some I could bring home and Josh could, too. I guessed Meg was in the back because I couldn't see her, so I just led Josh to my table int he corner. We sat, watching as a wave of tired families came in and out. 

I guess I must've trailed off, watching them, because Josh tapped my wrist lightly. There was a small smear of chocolate on his lip from the eclair. "You okay?" He asked. 

I nodded, opening my mouth to speak. But words failed me, so instead I just took a cookie. The sugar on top fell onto the table like individual drops of snow. "Just...watching them, I guess." I tried again, inwardly cringing on how creepy that sounded. 

"Stalker," Josh teased gently, flicking some sugar at me. I laughed, ducking my head. "These are really good. I'll probably have to hide them from Ian or he'll be all over them." He started packing them into a small bag from a stand on our right. "All of them, actually."

"Let them at it," we held hands as we exited, not about to let the crowds of people pull us apart. "You always know where to get more."

"I know how to win you over," he winked exaggeratedly at me. "Hand over some cookies and that's that."

"There is that," I agreed. "Now we just need to get Meg on board and maybe she won't try and murder you."

"That might be a little harder."

WOW over a thousand words? WOW. I mean, that's normal for my other stories but for this one it's usually somewhere around three hundred. Anyways, if people are reading this, like, comment, all that. Also, APRIL IT'S YOUR TURN.