After coffee with Luke, I dropped him off at his house and drove back
home to mine. My grandparents' car was in the driveway and they were in the garage talking with my parents. I park on the side of the road and walk up to my front door, avoiding the Aubrey situation. I quickly run up the stairs and close the door behind me. I keep my back pressed up against it for a minute, then slide to the floor, pulling my knees to my chest. Aubrey was gone. She was really gone. She might not ever come back. Not for Christmas or the summer or my birthday. I pulled out my phone and texted her.
Aubrey I need you. Where are you?
Please come home.
It was delivered, and her read receipts were on. So I waited. Ten minutes passed of just me staring at that same weak message.
I didn't even tell her I loved her. The last thing I said to her was "get out of my room." How was I supposed to know that that would be my last glimpse of her?
My phone buzzed and I grabbed it frantically.
Lucifer:
Hey :)
I sighed and tears brimmed my eyes once more. She wouldn't respond. She's supposed to be running away. Not talking to her pathetic sister.
Me:
Hi.
I stood up and set my phone on my dresser, before peeling off the covers on my bed and taking the pillowcase too. I stuffed them into my hamper and grabbed some new bedding from the hall closet. I put my bed back together but my urge to clean was not suppressed. My phone was buzzing like crazy but I just plugged it in to my doc, not bothering to look at the messages. Some Coldplay started blaring through the speakers as i vacuumed the hell out of my carpet. Once I was done with that, cleaned my windows and mirrors. And then, refolded all the clothes in my dresser. Organized my shoe closet. Dusted shelves. Wood cleaned anything. And I kept going. Till it was completely dark outside and my parents were sleeping. I looked around my room and broke down. I sat against my wall, pulled my knees to my chest and quietly cried. She was gone. When I couldn't cry anymore, I just sat with my chin on my knees, staring straight ahead. Shuffling could be heard from downstairs, my phone kept buzzing, Coldplay kept playing, and I kept staring. I assumed it was my dad making noises downstairs, but when Luke walked into my room with a bag in hand, I was surprised to say the least.
"I smell cleaning supplies so somethings-" he looked at me and sighed. "-wrong". He walked over to me and put his arm around me and squeezed my shoulder. I should have told him about Aubrey when we were together, but I was having such a good time, I didn't want to ruin it.
"Hey." He said and I looked away. "You've got to tell me what's wrong."
He didn't seem like the awkward boy that fancied me anymore. He was back to "protective best friend" and I think I needed that most right now.
"Well, Aubrey ran away." I say simply. There was a silence, but only for a moment.
"But, she's technically old enough to go away by herself, so it's not really running away... Is it?" He asked innocently.
"I guess so. But she didn't even say goodbye in person. She just up and left without giving me or mom or dad so much as a warning. And it sucks 'cause I have no idea when or even if I'll see her again." I say swallowing the lump in my throat.
"You know what you need?" He asks getting up and grabbing his bag. "Chips..." He pulls out a bag of crisps that he knows are my favorite. "...Cola..." He smiles setting two bottles on my bed. "... And yours truly." He smirks and I can't help but giggle at his attempt to help me feel better.
"Okay." I say.
"Let's watch a movie." He says plopping down onto my bed.
"How did you even get into my house?" I ask, standing up and grabbing a cola. I unplug my phone from my doc and walk over to the bed, sitting across from Luke.
