Cinders

~24~ Date

Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying so far!! Last chapter was technically the end for "Embers!" For this next section, I'm going to be doing the next two years that we never got to see. I'm pretty excited about it, and have several fun ideas. I will probably spend quite a bit of time here, maybe twenty chapters, before I start in with "Extinguished." I will keep writing about these two years as long as I don't feel like it's getting stale. Thanks for staying with me! I'm pretty excited to see what happens next :)

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The next week I finally have my strength back, and I'm able to go to school. Not to brag or anything, but I'm basically a big deal when I get back. Everybody comes up to me all day long, glad to see me.

When I get to History, I see Brooklyn. I smile at her and sit in my seat. She suddenly gets up, walks over to me, and gives me a huge hug.

"I'm so glad you're ok!" She says.

Dang! This girl is always so shy!!!!

"Thanks," I say, giving her my crooked smile.

"I'm sorry I didn't visit you—I didn't know if you would want me to."

"Eh, it's all good. Maybe we could go out sometime and catch up on all I've missed." This girl is cuter that I remembered.

A huge smile flashes across her face. "I'd love that."

"Doing anything tonight?"

"I'm free," she says with another beautiful smile.

We make plans, and the rest of the day goes by quickly.

Taylor picks me up from school.

"Hey bud!" He says, clapping me on the thigh when I get in.

"Hey Taylor!"

He and mom have been basically inseparable these last couple of weeks. He's always over at our place when I'm home, and I think they spend a lot of time at his place when I'm with dad.

"Where's mom?"

"I asked her if I could pick you up today," he says with a funny look on his face.

"Why?"

"Well, she and I have been talking, but we wanted to check with you before we made any decisions—We thought about getting a different apartment together—Living together. I know it seems fast, but it just feels right. If it's too fast for you, we won't. I wanted to be the one to ask you."

I'm silent for a moment, trying to digest.

"There's not any pressure, and if the answer's no, I won't be upset—I'll still kill you at Basketball, but I won't be upset," he says with a sly smile.

"I appreciate you asking, but I don't think so," I say, trying to school my face.

"No worries buddy. I know it's only been a couple of weeks," he says with the same smile on his face.

He wasn't joking. His asking me really wasn't just a formality. He truly wants me to be ok with it. That means so much to me.

"I'm just messin' with ya. I'd love that."

His smile gets even wider as he glances at me. "Really?" He asks, with a burning in his voice.

"Yeah, but the moment I hear you guys having sex, I'm going to dad's for the night."

Taylor laughs and shakes his head. "You haven't heard us yet, buddy."

"Ick!" That picture needs to leave my head immediately.