Pinky Promise (Ashton fanfic)

One

Tapping my foot impatiently, I waited for my Grandmother to pick me up. Clouds were gathering above me, churning and thundering as I sat down on the edge of the street and looked for my grandmother's old Maroon van.

I nervously glanced at the angry sky, not wanting to get caught up in a thunderstorm.

My phone suddenly lit up with a text message from my grandmother. "I'm almost at the airport, I'll be there in about 10 minutes."

My grandmother was different than most grandparents, she knew how to work electronics better than anyone I knew; she was the one that taught me how to work my new iPhone when I got it last summer. I quickly unlocked my phone, opening my messages. "Okay, thanks Gran," I texted back.

I sighed, glancing at the ominous clouds again.

10 minutes. That meant I had a lot of time on my hands with nothing to keep me busy, which left me time to think. I tried really hard to avoid situations like these, I usually kept my mind busy with mind numbing work, anything to keep me thinking about something else. Anything to keep me from thinking about why I was in Austin, Texas, waiting for my grandmother in the rain, instead of sleeping in my warm, comfortable bed back at home in Illinois.

Thinking about Illinois was a big mistake, as tears suddenly pricked at my eyes.

My parents had died in a car crash two months ago. I had stayed with my aunt until I could go to my grandparents house for the summer.

Memories started making their way into my head. My parents were on their way back from a really fancy restaurant that my dad took my mom to for their anniversary. I remember my last conversation with my mom like it was yesterday.

I was on my phone, my mom talking about how great the date went. "You wouldn't believe how good the steak was, and the waiter was so nice, and he pulled out the chairs for us to sit in and-" she had rambled on and on. She tended to do that sometimes, my childish, scatterbrained mother.

I would do anything to just hear her voice one more time. When I had refocused on the conversation, she had stopped talking about the restaurant and moved on to talking about our family. "I can't wait to move into a new house, cause our house is just too small, and I was thinking somewhere in Dallas, Texas, close to Gran. Wouldn't that be nice? You would absolutely love it cause it's so warm and we could all get nice tans and we could," I had started to zone out again, her voice becoming a buzz in the background. "Skylar?" I had snapped out of my trance, smiling sheepishly as she caught me zoning out.

"Yes?" I mumbled, embarrassed. "I love you, I want you to know that. Even if we move away from Illinois, I will still love you." I had smiled, and replied,
"Thanks mom, I love you too."

"Okay sweetie, we'll be home in just a few minutes, bye Sky. I'll see you in a bit!" I had laughed at her change of moods. She couldn't stay serious for too long. Giggling, I said okay and to drive safely. Then she hung up, promising to cook me taco soup for dinner when she got back. I waited patiently for her to come home, as stars started to light up the sky outside, and I slowly started to grow anxious.

I called again, only to get a voicemail. I waited. And waited. Finally, my phone buzzed with an incoming call.

Quickly, I checked the caller ID, which was a unknown number. I answered it, thinking maybe my moms phone had died and she was calling from a pay phone. "Hello? Mom? Are you okay? When are-"

A male voice interrupted me. "May I speak with Skylar Richards please?"

Fear gripped me. Something was wrong, I could feel it. "Yes? This is Skylar."