Blackout. [COMPLETED]

Spring.

Spring came unannounced and made its entrance overnight. By morning, all the trees had blossom and the birds chirped from dawn until dusk. I hadn't spoken to David in the evening, I had completely forgotten. Despite driving in front of him for the majority of the journey, he'd arrived home first and gone straight to bed at 5pm. I stayed up, read a little more of the book (and came to the conclusion that time travel isn't my problem) and fell asleep on the sofa. 

When I woke up to the smell of coffee I realised that I definitely had to talk to him now he was awake, to figure out what was going on. Between him and Elizabeth and him and I.

"Tell me what you know you need to," I said, sitting up on the sofa and propping myself up with my arm. He looked over and sighed.

"When you tell me why you kissed Austin," he replied. I rolled my eyes.

"I didn't kiss him. I hugged him, that was it." He looked up and shrugged.

"There's nothing to tell you," he said, avoiding eye contact.

"You basically just told me that there was, come on. Spit it out."

"There's nothing to tell you," he repeated bluntly, before walking back into his bedroom and slamming the door behind him. I wanted to scream. To kick his door down, grab him by the shirt and shake him until he just told me everything. Did he realise how difficult it was to be the person you're told to be by other peoples stories and writing on a page? I was a girl based on facts and figures, not memories or experiences. I hadn't learnt from my mistakes. I was an empty shell filled with lined paper and adjectives. 

I walked up to the window and heaved it open, leaning out and taking deep, slow breaths of the air. I could smell freshly cut grass and vanilla. I saw Austin walking through the park and he looked up simultaneously. I waved and he waved back, making my cheeks go pink. 

"Hey there!" he yelled up, making a young woman beside him jump and walk quickly away.

"How's it going?" I called back down, crossing my arms on the windowsill and grinning at him. I heard David's door slowly open behind me but I didn't turn round.

"Speak to David last night?"

"No, he says there's nothing to tell me." I heard him shuffle awkwardly around in the kitchen before going back into his room.

"He's a liar. If he doesn't tell you by tonight, I will." I nodded and looked down at my nails, unable to ignore feeling betrayed and hurt by my best friend. "Come down? I'll buy you ice cream. Put some clothes on first."

I quickly backed away from the window when I remembered I was only wearing my underwear. I could almost hear Austins smug laugh as I jumped back. I pushed Davids door open and grabbed a baggy white shirt and some jeans and then closed the door behind me, without talking to him. I pulled my clothes on and quickly braided my unwashed hair, before quickly hopping down the steps and walking towards the park. The Spring air was significantly warmer than before but had a noticeable breeze that made me stroke my own arms to warm up.

"Hey," Austin hummed, wrapping his arms around me. I perched my chin on his shoulder and leant into his neck, hugging him back. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good," I mumbled into his jaw. "You?" I pulled away and continued to rub my arms.

"I'm better now," he chuckled. He took me by the hand and walked me further into the park. Well, it wasn't exactly a park, but a large piece of grass with several trees over it, and it was almost empty. Everybody seemed to collect around the grass but nobody ever really went on it, which I always found unusual.

We approached the little kiosk and stood at the back of the queue while Austin stroked his chin and examined the selection board through narrowed eyes.