Rising From the Ashes

6. Keeping Promises

Hi :) Sorry this update took a bit longer than the rest, I'm starting to update a bit slower because school's about to start soon so lots of stuff to do! I really hope you like it, please vote and comment if you do, and enjoy reading! :)

***

“Nat, please talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong.” I heard Mike’s voice as his sweater was draped over my shoulders, my shivers subsiding slightly as the warm material protected me from the wind.

“Thanks.” I muttered gratefully through my chattering teeth, hugging the sweater closer to me. “What are you doing here so late?”

“My brother took the car to take his new girlfriend out on a date. He sent me a text two minutes before he left telling me to find another method of transportation.” Mike scoffed.

“So you need a ride?”

“Well, I could bus home, but you sort of have my sweater so I might get just a tiny bit cold.”

“Get in the car.” I smiled, knowing Mike was trying to help me out. Even though all I wanted to do right now was be alone, I owed him at least a ride home. In fact, he only lived about a ten-minute ride from the school, so I could be curled up under my covers with a chick flick and some sinful food within the half hour.

“Yes ma’am.” He climbed into the shotgun seat and buckled his seatbelt, waiting until I turned on the engine to give me a sharp glance. “Now, don’t you think you can distract me with this small talk you’re doing. Why were you crying?”

“No reason.” I shrugged. It’s not like Mike would want to get involved in petty girl drama.

“Nat, I’ve known you for five years now and I’ve seen you cry, what, three times? Clearly there’s a reason.”

I stayed silent, hoping he would let it go. He was right: since the time I transferred to my new elementary school in gr. 7 and became friends with him, he was seen me cry three times – all for serious reasons. Contrary to what he thought though, it seemed like every single thing in the world had the power to make me cry recently. I just made sure to not do it in front of my overprotective best friend who would most likely remember the occasion for years on end.

We drove in silence for a good part of the road to Mike’s house, approaching the main intersection away from the school. Suddenly, he straightened up, looking at me with a stern expression.

“That’s it. I’m not getting out of this car until you tell me why you were crying. You can sit with me for hours in here if you want…But Vampire Diaries is today, and I doubt you’re going to want to miss that, so you better start talking.”

I sighed in exasperation. And this is why I never shed a tear in front of my best friend unless I break a limb.

“It wasn’t really anything, Mike! My cashmere sweater got ruined. There.” I said, throwing him a scornful look as I pulled onto his driveway. “Are you seriously not going to get out?”

“Nope.” He said, grinning his slightly crooked smile as he pushed his dark blond hair off his forehead. “Would you mind turning up the heating? I’m getting a bit cold.”

I sighed again and twisted the dial on my car dash, causing the windows to steam up even more than they already were. “But I told you why I was crying.”

“Uh-huh.” Mike replied in disbelief. “And how did your sweater get ruined?”

Clearly, I wasn’t about to get out of this. I took another deep sigh, and stared at a drop on my car window that was slowly sliding down. As I replayed some of the events of the past few days, events that Mike didn’t know and I sure as hell wasn’t about to tell him, I had to once again bite my lip to stop tears.