My Dedication (Austin Carlile Fan Fic)

Ch. 3

*Later that night*

*Austin's POV*

I stood by my bus, waiting for Alan. Alexa walked by, her bus was right next to ours. She smiled and waved. I smiled back.

I looked up to see Sophia walking away from Asking's bus. She was in plaid pajama pants that were way too long on her and an Ink Addict hoodie.

"Hey, Sophia." I said as she got closer.

She looked up. Her eyes were puffy and red. She was crying. "Hey, sweetie." She kept walking to her bus and I stopped her.

"Are you okay?" I asked. I touched her arm and gently pulled her near me.

She nodded and wiped her eyes. "Yeah."

I looked her up and down. She wasn't wearing shoes, mismatched socks. Her hands were shaking and red.

"Soph, what happened?" I asked. I took her hands to steady them. She pulled away and crossed her arms.

"I don't wanna burden you with my petty issues." She said. She smiled weakly and turned to her bus. "Goodnight, sweets."

I grabbed her arm. "You can tell me what's going on. I know were not that close yet, but.." I trailed off.

She smiled. It seemed genuine. "You seem very sure we're gonna be best friends." She said. She pulled a pack of cigarettes from her hoodie pocket and lit one.

"Those things aren't good for you." I said. I took it from her mouth and threw it on the ground. She frowned. "Now, tell me why you're crying."

Sophia's whole body language changed. Her once tough girl exterior dropped. She looked vulnerable. Frail, even. Her shoulders dropped and something in her eyes changed. She started crying. I reached for her but she pushed me away. She shook her head.

"Fuck." She said under her breath.

"What?" I asked.

"I fucking hate crying. Especially in front of people." She said. She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.

Looking up at me she said, "I'm sorry." And then she walked onto her bus.

I stood there, dumbfounded. I knew I just seen a change in that girl. But was it a breaking point?