Promise.

Chapter:14

***Ali's POV***

Though I payed good rent and the apartment had everything I could ever need, it was small and kindda falling apart at the edges...

What made it worse was that it was an old retirement building. I didn't know, I mean anyone could move in but the old run down sign that I neglected to read said it was meant to be housed by the old. I guess they thought I would be moving in with my grandma or something...

Anyway, upon my 1st or so week of living here I could tell almost no kids lived here and many, many old wrinkled people walked down the sidewalks. Many on their way to the apartment's center activity building. The building as it turns out held bingo every Tuesday and then knitting every Friday. Any day in between was open to the public (even though only the residents went inside) and held a breakfest table every morning followed by a table set up at noon filled with games to play.

Through my time staying I did go almost everyday. Some of the old people took me in and sat me down talking and telling me stories while I ate or shuffled a deck of cards. The girls seemed to be great at gossip.

But as time passed and the depression was becoming me, I went less and less

***

The next day as I woke up in a puddle of my own tears with red puffy cheeks and eyes, I got up and after I showered and dressed myself (with no makeup) I  actually felt a craving for one of the chocolate chip muffins they gave out at breakfest...

Today was Tuesday... Before the fight and all I already had plans and had to take today off work. Now that this day was here, I didn't want to go to the dentist... Tuesday...

Nate was set to call me in the afternoon but  I do want to take Violet's advice and forget him so I turned my phone off and shoved it in my pocket. I was going to try to forget him.

I walked outside and locked my door.

The damn bipolar weather did it again making it very, very hot while yesterday was windy. I pushed my hoodie's sleeves up to my elbows and made the 2 minute trip to the activity building.

As I walked up the steps I heard laughing and smelled cough medicine and Vaseline  in the air. I stared at the sign that read:

ACTIVITY CENTER Below it read the time:

7:00AM to 9:00AM

Below that held the weekly activities and important events coming up...

One night I came up here at about 11:45pm when I couldn't sleep (damn depression) and checked the door, sure enough they always left it open. I've come about 2 times since in the dark hours of night...

I reached up on my tippy toes and looked through the window at the top of the door and saw the regulars, the ones who knew me best: Maggie, Gracie, Joe, Tom, and Rose.

They sat at the corner table and always talked louder then the rest of the people. The others I saw were the ones who knew my name but not my story, the ones who I made small talk with and nodded and shook my hand with, the ones who said hello to me when they felt like it. It was like high school all over again with them.

I walked in and all heads turned in my direction. About 15 or so people were sitting in the circular room.

About a second or so later Tom and Joe yelled making everyone's heads turn towards them.

"Aliiiiii!!!"

They pronounced my name Al-i not Ally just like my old teachers did but they always made me laugh when they did it. Like I knew them all their lives, like I was never gone. I even smiled a little. Maggie, Gracie, and Rose smiled and waved me over. I waved back and turned grabbing a paper plate and filling it with a banana, and 2 muffins. I walked a little over to a smaller table and grabbed a plastic Dixie cup with orange juice.