Oceans Away || lrh [sequel to skht]

five

New message from ashton;
mae, it's eleven thirty. where are you?

New message from mae;
shit i'm so sorry ash. i overslept and i've been looking for something, so that's why i missed your message last night.

New message from ashton;
what're you looking for?

New message from mae;
the bracelet my mom gave me. do you remember seeing it anywhere?

New message from ashton;
didn't you have it on the other day? you know, at the wax museum?

••

m a e

As she read over the last message from Ashton, her eyes immediately widened.

The last time she remembered seeing the bracelet was when they went to the wax museum.

It was normal for her to take it off every night, but her mind was so distracted by constant thoughts of Luke that she didn't even realize it was missing that night.

"Mom!" She hollered, and immediately there were heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. Before she knew it, her mother was standing in her doorway, an exasperated look on her face.

"What's the matter?" She inquired between gasps of breath. Although she makes it seem like she's the most fit person ever, she still has issues with running quickly in a short amount of time.

Mae felt guilt wash over her at the sight of her mother's worried state. It wasn't her intention to frighten her, but in the moment she couldn't think of a quieter way to grab her attention.

"I'm sorry, Mom, but I was wondering if I could use the car today?"

"Mae, sweetie, of course you can use it," she sighed out of relief. She thought there was something wrong with her daughter, and she's more than relieved to find out it's the exact opposite. "Next time try not to sound so frantic."

Mae smiled sympathetically while hugging her mother in a tight embrace.

"I promise." With a kiss on the cheek, Mae grabbed her things and was on her way back to the wax museum.

Thankfully, it was a nice day so Mae could fully enjoy her time out of the house. Even though she loved rain, it's not the best weather for being out and about.

During the hour drive, Mae sang loudly to the songs on the radio and received some strange looks from people while doing so. It's a good thing she was too in the moment to care about stranger's perceptions of her. Which is a good thing because she's spent far too much time worrying over what other people think.

Once she finally arrives, she takes a deep breath before exiting the car. There is only a slight chance that the bracelet is even here. It'll be just her luck that somebody managed to walk by and pick it up.

"Hi, is there someone I can ask about lost and found?" She asks the boy behind the counter who looks to be around her age.

He smiles up at her and says, "I can help with that," he pauses for a moment before continuing, "I'm sorry I don't mean to be weird or anything, but you're Mae, right?"

She looks quizzically at him, not recognizing who he is. He could be somebody from school or maybe he's seen her around town, but as of right now her mind is blanking.

"I'm sorry I don't-," she's interrupted before she can continue.

"Oh no, I'm sorry. I, uh, I'm friends with Ashton. Well, actually she's a friend of my brother's," he rambles awkwardly as he scratches the back of his neck.

Mae continues to look expectantly at him, hoping he'll make the situation a little more clear. Ashton's friends with lots of people, so he could be anyone's brother.

"You know, that's actually not important right now," he laughs awkwardly before changing the subject.

He pulls a box out from under the counter, and as he takes off the lid, he says, "These are all of the lost and found items from the past month."

Mae's mouth almost drops to the floor in pure shock. When he said month, she expected maybe twenty things, but what she saw was probably more than one hundred lost items. There's no way she'll come across the bracelet even if it is in this box.

"Is it possible there's another box? For, I don't know, tinier items." She was very hopeful, but that little bit of hope was diminished by a simple shake of his head.

"What're you looking for? I look through here whenever I'm bored, so maybe I'll come across it."

"A charm bracelet," she smiled, "with an arrow."

"If you write your number down," he quickly provides her with a pen and paper, "I'll make sure to inform you if it turns up."

"Thanks." She quickly scribbled her name and number before walking toward the door.

Even though she knows she should walk straight outside without looking back, she couldn't resist looking over at the figurine that breaks her heart every time she sees it.

so after about a month, i've decided that i cannot and will not abandon this story. besides i love mae and luke far too much to not get them together.

i've also received such kind words from you guys lately that have really boosted my confidence, so thank you! i don't know what i'd do without you all.

xoxo,
jules