All In For The Same Love

Time Flies By

Arabella's POV:
You know how they say time flies? Well they're not wrong. Etowah Varsity Cheer ended up getting 4th in competition, so we didn't get to advance to Regionals. We drive back to Alabama, but when we get there, there were moving trucks all parked in our driveway. I already know what this was about, but the look on Amy's face makes me pretend it is a surprise to me.

Joseph, Jacob, and Noah aren't too happy about it though. They claim they are leaving all their 'friends'.

"What friends?" I whisper under my breath, but Amy hears me and tells me to shut up.

Eventually when Amy shows them the picture of the house we're moving into (aka mine and Noah's old house), Joseph and Jacob get excited about how big the house is. Noah seems upset at first. I know he and I have so many bad memories in that house, and I know we're trying to forget. But it's not just something we can forget, yaknow? I mean, Noah is only ten, turning 11 in a couple months. What our dad put him through, it's not something you can just let go of like it's nothing, especially at such a young age.

One week later. Moving day. But for some reason I'm not as excited as I expected myself to be. I get to be with my boyfriend. My loyal boyfriend Chandler. God, I feel like such a whore. I was just with Sam, and now his best friend? But life goes on, feelings change.

We get to Atlanta. Amy let me drive, even though I only have my permit. I decide to take a detour, only because I've never really driven around the area. I pass my street and the memories start. I pass the road Etowah High is on. I start my 2nd semester of my sophomore year in a few days there. I pass Chandler's neighborhood. I wonder if he knows that I'm moving back. Probably not. He would've texted me.

After I'm done driving around, I pull up into my old-- well, new-- house. I park the truck and take the keys out of the ignition. I just take a deep breath and think for a moment. For years I've been wanting this nightmare to end. It's finally over. I guess it never hit me until now. I'm back in Georgia, just like how I've been dreaming of the entire time I was living in Alabama. It's a lot to take in for me.

"You are a terrible driver!!" Noah dramatically screams from the backseat. I snap out of my thoughts. He jumps out of the truck and throws himself onto the grass outside. "Land! Sweet, sweet land!" I roll my eyes and hop out of the truck. As I walk up to the front door, I start to get flashbacks.

I need to let it go. I can be strong.

I open the door, and hear "SURPRISE!!" and there are streamers and balloons everywhere. The entire cheer team is there and a lot of my old friends from before I moved to Alabama. Standing in the middle of it all, Chandler walks up to me and meets me in an embrace.

"Amy told me about everything last week. About you moving back, and I- I dunno-" he blushes "-I guess I just had to surprise you somehow. I know how much you like dramatic entrances and all and... was this dramatic enough?? was it-" I kiss him to make him shut up. Then all of a sudden I hear 'awwwwww' coming from the crowd around us.

"Okay you two goofballs, knock it off. The moving guys are coming in, and they may be allergic to PDA," Amy jokes. I feel Chandler smile and I move off to grab some of my stuff from Amy's truck.

I wish her truck was mine. I probably sound so ungrateful, but it's a nice truck. It's a red 2013 GMC Sierra 1500, aka the sweetest, sexiest-looking pickup truck I've ever seen in my life. The only thing that sucks is I can barely see over the hood, but don't worry I'm a safe driver!

I grab my phone from the truck because my reuniting with Chandler just absolutely has to go on my snapchat story.

I look around the house at everyone who came. Thankfully, neither Sam or Caroline bothered to show up. Fine. I wonder if they still have a thing. I know they're not dating anymore, but maybe they're still going at each other. Whatever; it's none of my business.

Amy's husband Joe drives up a few hours later in a Toyota Camry. The moving guys get everything set up after a few days. It's like old times, just without the violence. Without all my mental--and physical-- walls closing in like a vortex.

I start school again at Etowah. Chandler drives me to and from school. I honestly expected a lot of blank stares, but not really. A lot of people couldn't believe to see me, and it felt great to be able to know I actually have friends. Not like in Alabama when practically everyone hated me. I didn't like that environment; just walking around knowing that every single person is judging you. Knowing that the negativity spreads and eventually gets to you. It was never fun for me.

A few weeks pass. It's close to Valentine's Day, and honestly I have no clue what to get Chandler! I take Amy's truck to Walmart and look around the Valentines Day section at Walmart. It all seems so girly. I can't find anything! Then I get a text from Amy telling me not to take the truck without permission again because I don't have a license. Oops.

I drive home and it begins to rain. I still don't know what to get Chandler for Valentine's Day! I'm a horrible girlfriend. I wish I could just give him a Poptart and call it a day.

I pull into the driveway and see the boys are collecting rain in a jar. Suddenly, I have the perfect idea!!!!

I run inside, collect as much construction paper as I can find, and grab a jar from one of our cabinets. I cut up the paper into little pieces and write down any and every good memory I have with Chandler.

His blue hoodie catches my eye from across the room. I still have it after all these months.

I think about Chandler for a moment. I mean, what did I do to deserve him? How did I get so lucky? Let's be honest, there are so many girls who would die to be in my position. I took the time to get to know Chandler, and I don't know, it's just something about being with him boosts my self-esteem and makes me happy. He makes me happy. He means the world to me, and honestly I don't know what I would do without him. It feels great to know that in the end, he will always be there.

Chandler's POV:

Arabella's been living in Georgia for about a month now. I've been spending practically every day with her. I've had girlfriends in the past, but none of them have ever come close to making me feel how Arabella does. I mean, when I'm with her, it's like everything that is oppressing me internally just disappears. Nobody but her really knows about my anxiety, and yet she still somehow manages to make it go away. She's the only one who knows me. Like, really knows me. She's definitely a girl I would never take for granted, and I never want to lose her. I don't know, it's just... I have a lot of feelings for her but I can't articulate enough how to express them.

Wait.

I have the perfect idea.

***********

SORRY THIS SEEMS SO RUSHED IM LIKE A YEAR BEHIND