You Saved Me

CHAPTER FOUR: JUST FRIENDS...FOR NOW

"Ryan!" I heard a familiar voice call from behind me. I was on the way to geometry when I turned around and saw Dylan's sweet face. He was swerving through a sea of people just to get to me. I slowed down to allow him to catch up. "Hey." He said adjusting his backpack. "Hi." I smiled like an idiot. "So there's a party tonight..."

"Yeah?" I asked grinning again. "Well, I was wondering if you would want to go with me...as date? Or as friends. I mean I completely understand if you don't even want to go at all-" I cut him off. "Yes! I would live to go...as friends."

"Great! Well can I pick you up at eight?" I nudged him with my elbow and ran my fingers through my hair, a nervous habit. "Perfect. See ya then, O'brien." I left it with that and headed off to geometry.

"That's not the right color." Ariana demanded as I tried on out fits for the party. "God do you have any sense in style?" I flopped down face first on my bed. "Ugh."

"Oh calm down I'm only kidding...Um I found it. Holy mother of shit I found it!" Ariana squealed. She held up a knee length skater skirt and crop top. "Pair it with calf socks and you'll look like you walked out of Vogue."

It was around eight when the door bell rang. Ariana had gone home to get ready for the party. "I GOT IT!" I yelled. When I got to the bottom of the stairs I fixed my hair and brushed my hands over the surface of my skirt. Before answering the door I took a deep breath and whispered to my self, "move on, Ry. Just move on." When I opened the door, Dylan I was looking down at his shoes. He had a bouquet of flowers in his left hand. "Hello." I said smiling. "Hi! These are for you." He handed me the flowers and stepped inside. "You really didn't need to do that."

"You're absolutely right. I wanted to." He shuffled the keys around in his pocket. "Ok well you can follow me to my room. I need to put these in a vase." I lead him behind me to my bed room. My walls were covered with posters of my favorite bands. I had The 1975, Wildcat! Wildcat!, London Grammar, The Blue Van and Snow Ghosts. "Damn you have some good taste in music and a wonderful view. What else could you possibly want?" He was staring at the posters on my walls as I filled the vase in the bathroom. "Well, I want to be a writer." He looked me dead in the eyes and said, "Me too." That was when I knew Dylan O'brien was made for me. I put my jacket on as he continued to stare at my posters. "You ready?" I interrupted his thoughts. "Yeah." He smiled that signature little smirk.

We arrived at the party around eight thirty. Lights hung inside, people were laughing and the lawn outside was laced with red solo cups. "We don't have to stay that long. Just let me know when you want to leave ok?" I nodded. We parked down the street from the house. Dylan opened my door to the car like a gentleman. We headed up the to front door, our hands parallel hanging by our sides. I could feel his hand getting closer to mine and soon our fingers were intertwined. He looked over at me and smiled. I smiled back.

The party was okay, I guess. I wasn't really a party person...obviously. Dylan got me a drink of some kind which I thoroughly enjoyed considering I was stressed beyond explanation. We danced and talked. "You wanna go somewhere quiet?" I asked Dylan. He nodded as he took a sip of his beverage. We found an old swing set in the backyard and talked some more. "Oh god." Dylan was looking up at the back porch. "What?"

"My ex-girlfriend is here. Completely obsessed with me. We need to go." He was trying to hide himself behind the hood of his sweatshirt. "Okay. Uh...there's a gate!" I was looking around for an exit. We stood up, snuck out the old squeaky gate, and got in Dylan's little blue jeep. "Sorry." He looked devastated. "Don't be. I'm not really a party person anyways."

"Then why'd you agree to go with me?" He asked turning to face me in the drivers seat. "Because I like you." I felt my cheeks get hot. "I like you too." He started to lean in towards me but I turned my head. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I...did that." He put his head in his hands. "It's okay. I can't go home smelling like pot and alcohol...do you think I could stay with you tonight?" He hesitated for a second before answering. "Yeah. I'd like that."

Dylan's house was pretty big. It was on the beach which was pretty amazing. "You live on the beach?" I asked already knowing the answer. "Yeah. It's pretty cool. We can go to the beach in the morning and have coffee. How does that sound?" He turned off the car and we got out. "That sounds amazing." Dylan lead me to his room, tip toeing through the rest of his house. It was on the top level of the house. It was more of a loft than a room. On one side of the room, there was a bed, a painting of New York and a bathroom. The opposite side of the room was basically all windows. He had a sliding glass door that lead out to his own balcony. "This is amazing." I said sitting on the corner of his bed. "Aw thanks. I try." He chuckled and went to what looked like a linen closet in the hall. There was oddly a sofa in his room. "I'll take the couch." He said unfolding the sheets. "I can take it-"

"No. It's fine. I don't mind." He smiled. "Do you need something to sleep in?" He asked. "Uh, sure. If you don't mind." Dylan got up and rummaged through his closet until,he found a t shirt and an old pair of sweatpants. "Thanks." I got up to go to the bathroom and change. When I got out, Dylan was sitting on the couch reading. I sat next to him and hugged him. "Thanks again."

"For what?" He pulled away. "For being my friend." I playfully patted the top of his head and crawled into his bed. He got up and came over to me and kissed my forehead. "Goodnight, Ry."

"Goodnight, Dylan."

"Wake up, sleepy head." Dylan was running his fingers thorough my hair. "Ugh. Fine." I sat up and playfully pushed his shoulder. "Coffee on the beach. Just like I promised." We got up and went to the kitchen. "Where are your parents?" I asked not knowing what kind of story I was in for. "My mom is sleeping and my dad is in Seattle for 'work.'"

"Why the air quotes?" Dylan poured me my coffee and wrapped a blanket around me. "Because my dad has been having an affair for almost two years." We stepped outside. My feet sank into the damp, cold, white sand. "How do you know?"

"Uh well, I was writing. My dad's laptop was on the table beside me when I heard a notification. I got up and looked not thinking much of it and it was a message. It said, 'Can't wait for ya to ditch the family and come over.' The first of those messages from that email address were from almost a year and a half ago." Dylan and I now were sitting on beach chairs below the misty morning sky. "Does your mom know?"

"No. Not a thing. I mean it's nice to see her happy but part of me wants to tell her because sometimes you just can't hold stuff like that in. Ya know?" He said half smiling at me."I'm so sorry." He had tears in his eyes. "What can ya do right? Life happens. You just have to stay strong for the people you love." He wiped his tears with the sleeve of his shirt. "God now I'm crying in front of you."

"Dylan, it's okay to cry." I squeezed his hand and we sat on the beach and watched the tide roll in.