How To Love Again

4: Kate & Ebony

4: Kate & Ebony

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Music fills the atmosphere around me, barely covering up the loud voices of teenagers chatting, gossiping, and flirting. This definitely wasn't my scene.

I feel someone flop down on the couch beside me, a heavy sigh escaping their lips.

"Don't you think it's too early to start throwing these parties? We're only 7th graders."

I turn towards the source of the voice, staring at the boy beside me and nodding in agreement.

"Um, yeah. Definitely. I couldn't agree more."

I squint, trying to get a better view of him but the party lights were making it hard to see.

"Want to go outside?" He blurts. "And escape this madness?"

I smile and nod, standing up after him. "Sounds great." I follow him outside and we both take a seat on the porch steps of the house. I turn to face him, my eyes scanning over him now that I could see him. He had short, dark brown hair and amazing blue eyes that I could easily drown in. When he saw me staring, he smiled.

His smile was beautiful. It showed his perfect, pearly white teeth and revealed a couple dimples.

"You have pretty eyes." He tells me. It's not something new to me. Everyone tells me I have pretty eyes. They're green with a few specks of blue here and there.

But something about the way this guy said it...it just lifted my spirits and made me smile, butterflies forming my stomach.

"Thanks." I blush.

He grins. "What's your name?"

"Skyler." I inform him, the smile not leaving my face.

His grin increases and he holds out his hand which I slowly take.

"Skyler. Beautiful name." He compliments. "I'm Noah."

~ ~ ~

My eyelids flutter open. The sun is shining through my window causing my to squint. I sit up, running a hand through my messy bed head.

Noah.

Was I dreaming? It felt so real. Is this a dream?

I swung my legs over the bed and stood up, the sound of a lawn mower luring me towards the window.

I glance at the house across the street to see a familiar figure mowing the lawn.

Justin.

I flash back into reality, turning away and stumbling out of my bedroom.

Noah was gone. My dream was just...a flashback. A memory.

I feel tears start to form in my eyes but I squeeze them shut before they can escape.

"Hey, sweetheart." Mom greets me as I step into the kitchen, mumbling her a "goodmorning" as I lean against the island.

"You hungry?" She asks. "I made eggs. Scrabbled. Your favorite."

I look down in time to see a small ant scurry across the countertop. "Noah liked them scrambled." I murmur as image of me and Noah having scrabbled eggs with ketchup at iHop pops into my mind.

My mom doesn't respond, just walks over to the stove and begins to stir the eggs, the aroma filling the kitchen.

"I'm going out." I break the silence.