Bad Memories // a.u.

chapter 34: surprises

noelle's pov

It was late, or early, depending on how you looked at it. I had been sitting on this bus for five hours now and I still had many more hours to go. My small duffle bag was stored in the overhead compartment and my backpack at my feet. The lady next to me was snoring loudly preventing me from falling asleep, so instead I stared out the window as everything passed by quickly. 

I wasn't sure how I was going to be received, back in California, but I knew it was where I belonged. I wrote a note to my aunt before leaving while she was at work so she couldn't stop me:

Aunt Kathryn,

I'm sorry to do this to you, but I need to leave. I'm not happy here and I'm not really sure why I even came back in the first place. I have no one here except you and that's just not enough. I know you love me and were only trying to do what's best for me, but I know my parents wouldn't want me to be living like this. I was happy again, or maybe for the first time in my life, while I was in California. I want that back, so I'm sorry if you don't agree, but I need to go. I'll keep in touch.

I hoped she wouldn't take it too hard. I had been planning this for weeks, but had finally gotten the courage to leave. 

Sleep finally found me when I was too exhausted to keep my eyes open any longer, despite the snoring beside me. I woke up with my head leaning against the window and the sun was shining. I looked at my phone to see it was almost noon the next day. I was getting extremely uncomfortable on the bus, and I wasn't sure how I was going to last the rest of the way. I plugged my headphones into my phone and pulled up a playlist that Keaton had made when he stole it after we first met. I liked to listen to it when I missed him or wanted time to pass. It was made up of his favorite songs and he said if I wanted to get to know him, listening to his favorite songs was a start. There was time when I first got back to Rhode Island when I almost deleted it, but when it asked if I was sure I wanted to delete I couldn't bring myself to do so. I smiled to myself as I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie started to play. 

**********

The bus finally pulled into the station the next day and I sighed with relief. I couldn't wait to get off and stretch my legs. I slipped my backpack on over my shoulders and stood on my tiptoes to reach my duffle. I climbed into a cab and told him Drew's address.

"Are you getting out or what?" the cab driver asked, annoyed as I just stared out the window at Drew's house. 

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, sorry." I handed him some cash, saying, "keep the change." I walked up slowly to the house and hesitantly knocked, rocking back on my heels. I could hear talking inside and then footsteps coming toward the door before it opened.

"Noelle?"

"Hey, Drew," I smiled.

"What are you doing back? Why didn't you tell anyone you were coming? You didn't tell anyone right?"

I let out a little laugh. "No. I've been thinking about it for awhile and I finally made the decision to come."

"Well, that's awesome. Come on in. Wes is here. Skye is at work."

Work? I didn't know she had a job. "Thanks," I said and walked inside. I'd only been to Drew's a few times, but it had the same set up as my old house and Keaton's. I walked into the living room to find Wes watching some bike racing thing on TV. "Hey, Wes," I said.

He turned around quickly, not expecting me I suppose. "Noelle! Keaton's going to be so happy! Does he know you're here?"

I shook my head. "No. I was planning on trying to reconcile things with Skylar first, but I guess she's at work."