Trust

✍ Story

"Where are we going?"

Chase smiled. "You'll see."

We waited for a blue sedan to drive past before crossing the road. I tried not to think of how we were still holding hands and how there suddenly didn't seem to be enough oxygen for me to breathe normally and how my heart was  beating so loudly that I was sure anyone within a ten feet radius could hear it.

"You okay?" Chase was looking at me worriedly. His brows dipped into the middle.

"Yeah," I said. I took a deep breath. "Yeah."

"Do you have your bus card?"

I nodded and Chase said, "Good. We're going to need to catch a bus."

*****

"Hey."

I frowned and opened my eyes a little.

"We're here." Chase smiled.

I leaned up straight, suddenly realizing that I'd fallen asleep and appalled that my head had been resting on Chase's shoulder. My neck had an awful crick in it and I massaged it gently as the bus rolled to a jerky stop.

"Where's here?" I mumbled.

Chase didn't reply as we got off the bus. I waved to the bus driver who didn't wave back. When I turned around, Chase had started walking quickly and I had to almost jog to keep up with him.

"Where are we?"

I'd been back and forth in different parts of town, but I had no idea where we were now. Our town was one of the biggest in the country, basically bordering on a city, so it made sense that I didn't know every part. It was a nice area with quaint brick houses lining the streets. It reminded me of the area mum's house was in, except it was slightly nicer.

Chase walked faster. He seemed to know this area well.

"Chase!" I was running now. He slowed and stopped abruptly.

"Sorry." His eyes skirted around mine. "I- I didn't know I was going so fast."

"It's okay," I said.

"We're almost there."

Chase took my hand, but there was something different now- a sort of desperation and fear when his fingers wound around mine. People like to say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and in that moment, I believed it. There was terror, a haunted look in those grey eyes.

He walked slowly now. We rounded the corner and I almost stopped; we were in a park. It was the middle of the day so there was hardly anyone around. Chase's fingers tightened around mine. His jaw twitched and he had gone pale. I didn't know how to ask what was wrong or say anything to reassure him. We all had pasts. Demons that we hid. Memories or mistakes that haunt us.

"We don't have to do this," I said.

"No." Chase closed his eyes and swallowed. When they opened, there was a steely determination in them. "Over there." He pointed to a set of swings.

I remembered what he'd said about Augustus and Hazel Grace. "You're not going to start reciting Augustus Waters lines to me now, are you?" I was teasing.

Chase laughed a little. "No." Then he said, "Race you there."

He broke into a run. I shrieked and chased after him.

"That's not fair!" I shouted. "You cheated."

"I didn't say it was a fair race." Chase had a wide, goofy grin now. He had turned around while he jogged so that he could look at me.

I huffed and ran, but Chase reached the swings first (no surprise there). He swung his bag onto the ground and took a seat on one of the swings, gesturing for me to join him.

"I'm wearing a skirt."

"So I see."

"Chase, I'm not going to go on this and accidentally ending up informing innocent passer-bys of the brand and colour of my underwear." I held to the hem of my skirt, cursing the ridiculousness of my school for forcing girls to wear skirts. Pants were far more practical. Among other reasons, trousers didn't fly up at the first whisper of a breeze.

"I won't look. I swear." Chase was grinning, but there was something not quite right in that smile. It looked… forced.

Slowly, I took the chain of one of the swings and sat down clumsily. There was something in the air- a heaviness. It reminded me of a planet's gravitational pull, and it occurred to me that Chase was the planet.

I looked over at him. His eyes were fixed on me, looking but not seeing. I reached out and  rested my hand on his arm. He looked down where we touched and smiled.

"This used to be my old neighbourhood," he said. "My parents, Eric and me used to live in one of those houses across the street. Almost every fortnight, my dad would take our family here for a picnic or to have kite battles or play football or something. He called it 'family bonding time'. I used to sit on that swing," he nodded to the one my butt was currently on, "while Eric would take this one. We'd challenge each other to see who could go higher." Chase smiled. His eyes were glassy. "I always won, of course." He smirked.

I grinned. "Humble as always, I see."

Chase laughed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "My mum was a kindergarten teacher, my dad a high school one. We were doing okay, until…" Chase stopped and he suddenly grabbed my hand, squeezing so tight that I was afraid the blood circulation had cut off, but I didn't say anything.

"I was eleven when it happened." Chase's voice was tight and I realized that he was crying. "One night, I woke up and there was just smoke everywhere. My dad got me out of the house first and he and mum went back in to save Eric. He'd been in the basement. Dad-" Chase swallowed, blinking rapidly. "He didn't come out. Mum came out with Eric, but she passed away a few hours later."

I was silent. I didn't think anything could have been said at that moment.

"I know you're probably wondering why I told you all this," Chase let out a shaky laugh. "I just wanted you to know that I understand." I saw pain in his eyes when he turned to look at me fully. I began to cry then.

"I don't know why I'm crying," I said, "It's your story. It's just…" I stopped. I didn't know what to say. I ended up saying, "I wish I'd met your parents."

Chase smiled. "They would have loved you."

I took a deep breath and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. "Chase Edwards, I am very, very fond of you." His eyes lit up and I quickly added, "and this set of swings."

"Want to see who can go higher?" I grinned.

"What happened to not wanting to involuntarily informing people about the brand and colour of your underwear?" Chase's eyebrows rose up his forehead. The pain was still there, but it was fading.

"Screw them," I said. "I want to win."

"Before we start, I want to say something." Chase looked serious. Colour began creeping up the base of my neck. "That was the first time I'd ever told anyone about what happened that night. I have never wanted anyone's pity or sympathy." Chase held my gaze. "I guess it's true: You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world, but you do have some say in who hurts you." His lips twitched upwards before he looked away.

I didn't know who won our swing battle afterwards. I didn't think it mattered.

*****

A/N I know I'm updating a lot right now, but I want to get as far as I can with this story before school starts up again and exams start rolling in >.< If you guys like this chapter, give it a vote and leave a comment :) Comments are honestly the biggest motivators for me <3

Love y'all