Catch Me If I Fall

Every night

Adelaide clutched her phone to her chest and passed by all the gates she had previously run past. She watched on as loved ones said goodbye to their relatives and as people began to board their flights. She thought that after watching Brodie leave she would feel devastated, and while her heart felt heavy she still somehow felt lighter, relieved? Maybe this was the closure she needed. She looked at her phone and called Oscar. Just as he picked up, she started speaking.
"I saw him. I went to the airport, well I'm still in the airport." She laughed.
She couldn't see Oscar but she knew he was smiling, he was happy that nothing had been left on bad terms.
"That's good, how do you feel?"
"Well, sad. But I'm glad I didn't just let him leave."
"I'm glad" he admitted. Adelaide paused to think.
"Are you up to coming over to my dad's apartment in half an hour? There's a fire pit and comfy sofas on the roof and we can just sit and chat." She wanted to clear the air with Oscar, put she also needed someone to confide in after Brodie leaving.
"Yeh, I'll be over soon"
She hung up the phone and pushed open the door she came through, still clutching the pass in her hand. Her dad was waiting there. She got in the warm car and looked at him.
"Well??"
"I'll miss him, but, it was closure for us...I think." He smiled sweetly.
"I'm proud of you Adelaide."
"Thanks dad."

Oscar knocked on the apartment door and Adelaide answered it in grey tracksuit bottoms and a black t-shirt. Her hair was tied into a messy bun with a grey scrunchie and she held keys, her phone, Pringle's and a bar of Cadbury's chocolate in her hand. Oscar smiled and looked down to see she was wearing slippers.
"Comfy?" He asked with a smirk.
"Yes! Very. Got a problem with that?" She joked. He held his hands up in surrender.
"Nope, no it's all good."
"Good" she smirked and shrugged her shoulders. They walked up the stairs to the roof of the apartment block. The view from the roof was incredible, it overlooked the city centre and the docks. The grey stone fire pit was lit. Oscar and Adelaide sat down on the sofa and covered themselves in the thick blankets. An airplane flew over their heads. Oscar looked up and smiled.
"Reckon it's Brodie's plane?" He asked.
"No, his flight left about 40 minutes ago." Adelaide pulled the blankets up higher to cover her neck. Oscar held his head low.
"I'll miss him" he admitted. Adelaide rested her head on his shoulder.
"I know. I will too."

Oscar's phone buzzed.
"It's Alaya and Kellie"
"Yeh, are they ok?" She questioned.
"I told them you went to see Brodie" he admitted, embarrassed. She nodded her head and grinned.
"What did they say?"
"They're happy you saw him, and Alaya wants us to all meet up tomorrow evening." She agreed.

They sat there in silence for a moment, taking in their surroundings. Feeling the warmth of the fire and listening to the noise of busy traffic and planes flying overhead.
"Remember the first day Brodie came to school?" Oscar asked. Adelaide chuckled, shaking her head in embarrassment.
"Don't remind me Oscar" she said laughing. He turned around so that he was facing her.
"What ever happened between you and Lachlan?" Adelaide gave him a surprised expression and raised her eyebrow.
"Are we really dragging up all of that shit right now?"
"Well..."
Adelaide huffed and opened the tin of Pringles.
"You know Lachlan and I were dating" she started. Oscar nodded.
"Well, I mean there's not much to say except he was a douche bag!" She exclaimed. Oscar tilted his head, he didn't believe her.
"You know, I know when your lying" Adelaide sighed, he was right, he did always know when she was lying.
"After we had been going out for a few months, he wanted to.... well you know... have sex." Oscar's eyes widened.
"I didn't want to, and I made sure he knew that too!" she quickly added, eating a Pringle. Oscar continued to watch her, waiting for her to elaborate.
"One day, we were at his place and he wanted to have sex, but I said no." Adelaide's eyes started to fill with tears.
"He got super aggressive and threw himself onto me. He tried to undo my jeans" she paused, inhaling deeply. Oscar placed his hand on her knee.
"I pushed him off me. Before I ran out the door, he threw a glass at me and it shattered everywhere. It cut part of my hand and I had to get stitches." Her eyes were glassy from holding back tears and she pulled her knees up to her chest for comfort. Oscar eyes filled with confusions and anger, he then sympathetically looked at Adelaide.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"It was near the beginning of summer and I just didn't want anyone to know or make a fuss."
"Adelaide, he's a jerk!" He shouted out. She smiled softly, realizing he was becoming defensive over her.
"I know Oscar."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you!"
"What!? No, don't be sorry! You didn't know anything. Please don't apologize" she gripped his arm.
"I guess I just didn't want anyone involved. It wasn't that big of a deal but...."
"Yes it was! No guy should ever treat you like that."
"Well, I broke up with him and he is just bitter because he never got what he wanted. Then Brodie came, and 'rescued me'" she laughed.
"I guess I felt..... cared for?"
"I understand that. He didn't know you or what had happened but yet he still helped you" She nodded her head. Oscar stood up, readjusting himself so that he could face Adelaide.
"No, don't get up" she blurted out. He sat back down and looked at her suspiciously.
"I'm comfortable like this" she admitted. He smiled and moved back into the sofa.
He rested his head on her's. He grinned, then whispered to her.
"You know, you're pretty comfy." They burst into laughter.

"I could honestly fall asleep up here, I'm so tired." Adelaide cuddled into Oscar, resting her hand on his chest. She felt comfortable with him. Oscar smiled and looked at his phone.
"It's 1am!" He exclaimed, shocked.
"What!?"
"It's 1am"
"Shit." Adelaide got up to check the door leading back into the apartments and as she expected it was locked.
"It automatically locks and you can't unlock it until 7am" she told Oscar.
"Well I guess we're stuck up here then, at least the fire pit is still on!" He said trying to make the best of a bad situation.
"I guess" Adelaide shrugged.
She sat back on the sofa and grabbed a pillow to lie down. She tossed and turned trying to make herself comfortable. Oscar chuckled,
"Here, just lie across my lap"
"Lie across your lap!? Oscar.... that's very suggestive!" She joked.
"Oh shut up, I didn't mean it like that!" He turned red. Adelaide smirked and crawled over to lie on his chest. The two feel asleep, tangled up under blankets and pillows.... and each other. When Adelaide woke up it was completely bright outside. She realized that she was on top of Oscar. She quickly sat up, feeling bad. She knew that Oscar had feelings for her, and looking at him right now, maybe she did too?

She checked her phone, there was a message from Brodie.
"Just landed in Dubai, getting on my next flight in 30 minutes. I gave Alaya a note from me to you. I'll call you soon.x" A note?

A few hours later, the group met up in the local park. Kellie brought Josh along so that they could all "formally meet" and get to know each other. Alaya embraced Adelaide into her arms, slyly handing her the note.
"I'm glad you got to see him before he left" she whispered. Adelaide made an excuse to sneak off the the visitors centre in the park, and out into the courtyard to read the note.

"Adelaide.
I don't know if I will get the opportunity to speak to you before I leave for Australia but if I don't, I want you to know a few things. Firstly, I'm so sorry for how everything ended between us. I should've been honest with you from the beginning. I was afraid of the outcome, I didn't want to face up to reality but like you said that's no excuse. You are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met. I don't just mean looks, I mean you are beautiful inside and out. You accepted me into your group with open arms when I first came to Bayview Secondary School and I can't thank you enough for introducing me to a whole other world of amazingly crazy and spectacular people! I hope that you realize you are an incredible friend, when times got tough you helped keep everyone together, even if you lost your temper a few times! I don't doubt that you'll continue to be the voice of reason when things get messy. I hope we can still stay in touch. I want you to know that even if I'm half way across the world (for however long that may be) I will always be here for you if you ever need me. There's a place beside my house in Australia, where you can sit beside a tree, on the rocks and stare out at the river. I often sat there before I moved, watching the sunset reflect off the water. You always reminded me of it. Something about how your kindness and beauty seems to radiate off of you reminded me of how the sun's rays radiated off the river. I'll think about you 'every night' when I'm there (I realize now after writing that it sounds creepy.) I care deeply about you, Adelaide. Know your own worth! I already miss you tremendously and no matter what, will always love you.
Brodie.

P.s. I'm pretty sure Oscar likes you, so you know, maybe give him a chance? ;)"

Adelaide hugged the letter to her chest, tears streamed down her face. She would always love him too.