Paper Aeroplanes (Ashton Irwin fanfiction)

18

Kristine is in denial. The boxes in her room remain unpacked for weeks after the rest of the house is done, she just can't bring herself to open up the boxes.

"Honey, I really need you to open the boxes so that we can have people over to see the house," Kristine's mother says.

"And they need to see my room why?" she replies.

"Because it's the new house and we need to be prepared incase they want to see your room," she replies.

Kristine remains quiet which is when Cruz interjects.

"Come on, it might make this house seem a little more like home," he says. "You can't be in denial forever"

"I'm not in denial," Kristine responds rather bluntly.

"Oh yes you are," Cruz leans against the wall. "Or if you're in denial about your denial maybe you should go up there, unpack those boxes and prove me wrong"

"Fine I will!" Kristine exclaims with a laugh not realizing that her father has just fooled her into unpacking her room.

She doesn't know where the start when she looks at the mountains of boxes sat in front of her in the room, she didn't notice actually how many boxes there were until now but at the same time it makes her whole life feel a little small as everything she is and everthing she's ever had is compacted into these 20 or so boxes and that thought is enough to get her to breaking point. She tears open the first box and begins unpacking, within an hour she has most of it except for about 3 or 4 boxes filled with what, at a first glance, looks like paper but on closer inspection are all of her memories.

She pulls out the first piece of paper, an old report card, all As, typical Kristine, the only comment for improvement made is 'She may benefit a little more from not sitting next to her friends, specifically Ashton'. She giggles and reaches into the box again pulling out an old crinkled drawing done entirely in crayon and signed at the bottom; 'from fletch, to zel' she smiles again. Upon further inspection she sees that pretty much everything in the boxes originates from the times before she and Ashton drifted apart or, in a few cases, the times that happened more recently when they reconnected.

Feeling slightly guilty for not talking to Ashton much since she moved she brings out her phone and selects the best thing she can find, a signed photograph of them when they were about 8 because they thought it would be worth millions if, or to use their exact words when, they become famous. She snaps a picture and sends it to Ash with the caption, 'I still think it could happen' and a conversation begins.

Ashton: 'I remember that, seriously what were we thinking?'

Kristine: 'Come on man, you're crushing my dreams here'

Ashton: 'I'm sorry I'm sure you'll be the next Kim Kardashian'

Kristine: 'I was thinking more Jersey Shore but that works too, aha, how've you been?'

Ashton: 'Good, I guess, missing you loads, hows the new house? Can I come and visit soon?'

Kristine: 'I suppose you could, if we can find the right time, I'm still unpacking my room though, there's so much stuff that reminds me of you here, it's crazy, here are like 3 boxes of photos and memories'

Ashton: 'Really? I thought that you got rid of all of that junk, what sort of stuff is there?'

Kristine: 'We have drawings, letters, notes, detention slips, the whole lot, I have no idea what I could do with them though'

Ashton: 'You could make a scrapbook, or burn them you know, save room, whatever works for you'

This entices a giggle but gives Kristine an idea: 'I've got an idea, got to go, I'll be back soon'

She springs up and rushes downstairs to find her parents sitll in the kitchen where they always seem to be.

"Hey, are you done already?" Cruz questions.

"I told you it would take long," Jessica adds.

"No, I have some stuff still to unpack, I was wondering if we had any pins or tacks?" Kristine questions.

"No, I didn't really see that as a necessity in moving into a house," Jessica adds.

"Dang, well have you got any money that I could go out and buy some with?" she asks, suddenly really desperate to get started with her new project.

"I guess, you could run down to the corner shop and sign us up for a newspaper subscription too," Curz suggest.

"Sure, just quick gimme the money," Kristine is practically jumping on the spot at this point.

"Okay, calm down, what do you need these for anyway?" her mother asks reaching into her purse to pull out some notes.

"You'll see"

As soon as the money is in her hands she's out the door and practicaly sprinting down to the corner shop. She does as she's told and get's the newspapers subscription but makes sure she buys plenty of tacks and pins too.

Once back in the door she drops the change on the kitchen counter and rushes up to her room to begin. She selects her favourites of all the memories first and pins them to the huge and daunting blank wall, seeing that these aren't enough she pins more and more until the entire wall is covered from end to end in pictures, a collage.

After a further hour of pinning and tacking she finds that there is still a small space at the farthest corner and the first thing she thinks of to fill a little of the space is the drumsticks so she fashions some kind of pocket from paper and manages to successfully hook them to the wall. Still with a lot of space left to cover and one box left to open she decides that may be the best way to go and when she opens up the box she finds, sat delecately on the top is a perfect, and most improtantly newly made, paper aeroplane. The only person it could be from really is Ashton so she assumes that there's a message inside so she unfolds it to find that she's right. There in Ashton's messy handwriting are the words;

Dear Zelda, I'm in love with you and I have been for ages, love your Fletch x