The Lives We Made

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Author's Note----------

Hi, All! New story. Since I have come home for winter break, I literally have nothing to do... besides write. So, here we are. I will be updating this book on Monday and Thursday until I say otherwise.

This is a relatively true story, but my characters are my own and I own all rights to this story and the content I create.

Enjoy! And if you have questions, any issues, whatever, feel free to message me.

xx - phoenix

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December 2019

She sat in her mom's Lexus, blasting the heater at 80 degrees, still not fully acclimated to the Washington winter weather. It was about a 60-degree difference from the Arizona climate she had spent the last four months getting used to while attending Arizona State University.

Coming home was something she had awaited, but also dreaded. Awaited... she wanted to see her family, her mom, dad and brother she missed. There wasn't a day where she didn't find time to call her mom and tell her every detail of her day, even sharing every weekend she spent drinking in the dorms with friends, something most people wouldn't tell their mom.

Dreaded. She didn't want the feelings that came with being home, the memories, the reminders, everything she worked to forget and put in the very back of her mind. The last fall and winter spent being heartbroken, spring spent in a deep cavern of depression and her summer revolving around picking every broken piece up and mending it the best she could.

Every second spent home, she could feel the heartache like an itch. It wouldn't leave, but when she paid it any mind it only ignited the heartache further. Leaving her irritated, leveling all of the work she had fought for over the last four months.

She wondered why she was even coming to this concert. A part of her knew she wanted to see him, knew she wondered if he was doing well, she wanted to see him play again. She absolutely loved watching him play, but she was also hopeful she had moved on. Hopeful that upon walking inside the auditorium of her old high school, she would be able to appreciate what he gave her but not care as much as she had.

"Alessia! Oh my god, is that Alessia Williams?"

Alessia's head snapped in the direction of the voice yelling at her from outside of the car. In front of her mom's car stood one of her high school best friends, Julyssa.

Alessia smiled and rushed to get out of her car, still not a huge fan of the freezing cold. She ran to Julyssa anyway, meeting her in a soul-crunching hug. It had been six months, Julyssa worked all summer in the fields like many of Alessia's friends, so the last time she saw her was the night of graduation.

"Julyssa, I missed you so much, it's been way too long! How are you?" Alessia exclaimed. Julyssa hadn't changed much, she was attending the local community college, still unsure of what she wanted to make of herself.

"Much better now that you're here, and wow, you look completely different." Alessia had heard this more than she cared to.

In six months she lost a majority of the weight she had gained the latter half of senior year, the heaviest weight she had been in her entire life. Many of her family members were surprised to see her so much thinner and happier, but all were thankful to have the Alessia they knew back. A happy Alessia.

"Oh god, yeah, you know. Arizona does that to you, it's the heat!" Both girls laughed, making their way to the high school's auditorium from the staff parking lot they'd spent most of high school sneaking through to leave campus for lunch.