Bringing him back

Heading Home

"Stop..." Autumn mumbles as she tries to push the hand that was shaking her awake away. The strong hand persistently shakes her shoulder again.

"Autumn, get up." a deep voice tells her. Autumn buries her head under the blanket.

"Autumn, c'mon." The voice whines and gently pulls the blanket off of her head. Autumn tentatively opens her eyes is immediately disoriented. Her surroundings didn't look familiar at all. This wasn't here house...Nor was it her grandparents or any of her friends' houses. Autumn turns her sleepy head to try and survey the scene a little more when James' head comes into view. Slowly her brain unfogs itself and the events that led her to his house come rushing back in.

"What?" Autumn asks confused.

"Your parents got home. You should go now." James says as he pushes Autumn slightly off of him. His voice had lost all softness and returned back to the icy, distant tone that he brought back with him. Autumn pushes herself up into a sitting position and a mild headache takes place.

"Huh?" Autumn asks groggily.

"Your parents just got home." James says, speaking slowly.

"Oh." Autumn says and lays back down and hides her head under her blanket.

"Autumn," James cries, exasperated, "C'mon." He rips the blankets off a little less gently this time. The chilly air hits Autumn harshly so she curls up into a ball to try and preserve her body heat.

"God, you were always so stubborn. Come on Autumn!" James exclaims and pulls Autumn up by her arm. Autumn's eyes flutter open as he stands on wobbly legs.

"Ugh." Autumn groans and squeezes her eyes tightly shut, hoping to squeeze out the headache that was pounding against her skull. James impatiently begins pushing her lightly forward towards the door. Autumn stumbles slightly over her feet a few times but she finally begins walking quick enough that James didn't feel the need to push her anymore.

James grabs her damp, slightly harden clothes from off the counter and pushes them into her hands.

"Here, take these. I'll come over tomorrow to get my clothes back." James says. Autumn looks sleepily up at him - he had a very determined look on his face, his jaw was set hard. Autumn felt very little of herself looking up at him. She licks her lips nervously and turns away from him and has her hand on the door before she hears James say -

"And Autumn? You seem like a really nice girl but I honestly don't remember you. I'm sorry about that but you should move on, okay? I've got my crowd and you've got your friends."

All the luxurious hope that Autumn allowed herself to have evaporated right on the spot. Without looking at him, Autumn nods her head sharply and perhaps she slammed the door a little harder than necessary.

The rain was still coming down, but only slightly now. The clouds above were becoming more thin and stretched as the rain was beginning to cease. Autumn quickly splashes through the mud on the ground, not caring that she was splattering James' pajamas. She throws open the now unlocked door and finds her mom making herself some soup over the stove.

"Autumn! I thought you were in your room!" her mother exclaims. Autumn simply shakes her head.

"How are you feeling?" her mom asks as she flies up to check how warm Autumn's forehead was. Her mom purses her lips.

"Hmm, you're still pretty hot. And what were you doing outside? You better have not been in those woods again!" Autumn's mom scolds, but with a hint of playfulness.

"No mom -"

"Well where were you?"

"I was at James' house." Autumn says as she sits down on a chair and lays her head down on the table.

"Hmm, I don't know whether to scold you for being at a boy's house without my permission or to be happy that you and James are hanging out again." her mother teases.

"It's not like that." Autumn mumbles.

"What was that, honey?" Autumn lifts up her head off the table so her mother can hear her better.

"I said it's not like that, mom. He still doesn't remember me."

"Well then what were you doing over at his house?" her mom asks, surprised. Autumn sighs and begins to tell her of the events that unfolded that night. She glazed over some parts, like the fact that she fell asleep laying against him or that he pretty much completely threw her out of his life.

"Well, that explains what's up with your clothes. But maybe he's just playing hard to get?"

"No mom." Autumn sighs irritably. She immediately feels bad for being rude to her mom; she was just trying to help.

"I'm sorry, mom. But I don't think so. He's hanging out with the popular crowd now and...I think I'm only a part of his past now." Autumn says and drops her head down on the table. She feels her mothers hands begin to rub her back and Autumn lets out a grateful sigh. Sometimes all you needed was the comforting touch from your mother to give you a few moments of bliss.