Just another cliche story

guess who's back? back again? Lilly's back, she's depressed - by Fall Out Boy

Lilly stepped out of the car and pulled a face at her brother who was asleep in the back of the van. Ever since he died two months ago, Lilly had been seeing a miniature version of him everywhere she went. He jolted awake as Lilly gave him a shove with her foot, scowling at him without noticing the odd look her father gave her when she kicked thin air.

She was so busy thinking that she didn't see that her dad was standing in-front the grotty music shop that Ben and she used to love when they lived in Dublin at 13. As Lilly approached it, her dad smiled apprehensively, almost like he knew what Lilly was thinking.

"I know things haven't been exactly easy for us lately, with Ben passing away and then your mother leaving us; but, I think this is it, Lilly. A new start for us, we're home." Her dad said, pulling her into his side as they walked to the back of the van and started to unpack what they still had left as her mum had taken all the good furniture away to Australia with her. It wasn't much if Lilly was honest, but her and dad were much better off without mum and her terrible music taste. Her tendency to constantly control everything about Lilly's life, and get pissed and verbally abuse her dad, would also not exactly be missed.

"So, I was thinking, Lil. Why don't you take the day off and spend some time with Finn and Archie?" her dad questioned, as Lilly finished up selling a set of drumsticks to a fifteen-year-old boy who wouldn't stop staring at her the entire time she was making friendly conversation.   Lilly awkwardly smiled and waved at the kid as he made to exit the store, blushing a bright red as her dad glared at the back of him. The miniature version of Ben (her brother)  appeared by her side and stuck his middle finger up at the kid as he rushed out of the door without a second glance. Lilly rolled her eyes and pushed the boy's tip into the cash register as her dad looked at her expectantly. 

"Yeah, a visit to Archie would make everything a bit better. And Finn, obviously!" Lilly quickly added, smiling nervously. The confused yet, slightly amused expression of her dad implied that he knew she was still devoting all her free time to thinking of Archie, as she always had. Ben laughed and shook his head, knowing all too well that his best friend preferred his sister to him and always had. That's just how it was with Archie and Lilly. Lilly mentally made a note to pretend he wasn't there more often now she was home.

"Right well, I'm going to head off now, they'll be in the usual spot I expect," Lilly said, gesturing towards the door with her thumbs, walking backwards in an attempt to get out of the awkward situation with her father, who had smiled awkwardly before leaving the shop area to go to the stock room. Lilly was concentrating so much on getting out of the situation that she didn't notice the line of bass guitars behind her, and succeed in falling over and knocking them all down, every last one falling on top of her; just as a customer walked in.  Lilly swore as she was crushed by the weight of the guitars, struggling to breath- let alone get up to greet the customer. This is when an all too familiar sound hit her ears; people laughing at her. Great, her first day back and she was already embarrassing herself. Typical Lilly, She thought.  "Oi,  that's Lilly. Stop laughing at her before I kick your asses" A voice shouted, one that Lilly would've recognised anywhere. Archie.

Archie knelt in-front of Lilly, grinning at her current position of being sprawled on the floor, covered in his signature instruments.  "Well princess, I always knew you'd come back, but I never dreamed it would be quite like this. I pictured a beach sunset, with you in a bikini, obviously." Archie smirked, pulling the guitars off her with one hand, and helping Lilly up with the other.

 "WOW. You literally haven't changed one bit. You're still an arrogant dickhead who thinks I'm in love with him" Lilly retorted, covering up the fact that she loved that he still remembered the old nickname and that she was completely in love him.  Rolling her eyes and blushing, she spotted the large group of teens that Archie had entered with watching the pair interact with interest. As they noticed Lilly staring, they all pretended to be looking at the item next to them, before exiting the store.  One of the nicer looking girls awkwardly smiled at Lilly as she looked up, before following the others out the door.

"I see you haven't changed much either, still in denial. I heard about Ben. I'm sorry, lil. I was so sad to hear that he passed away" Archie said, scratching the back of his neck as he smiled at down her.  The gesture reminded Lilly of the last time she'd seen him, the day of the stupid school dance that her mum had forced her to go to. The night everything changed.