The Co-Star's Epilogue

Chapter 22

Warning: There's a little tiny curse in this chapter.  Enjoy!  (Not the curse, the chapter.)

Mom wasn't very happy with me when I got home. And I didn't have much to say in my defense.

"You left a guest! It's a good thing Ashley's such a nice girl, or else things could have been much worse. You just up and left. That's not good! What on earth could be so important that you had to go right then?" I opened my mouth to explain, but she stopped me. "You'd better have a really good explanation, miss."

I sighed, wondering if leaving to go get answers from my ex-boyfriend/once again boyfriend counted as "a good explanation."

"Did Ashley say anything?"

"No. To be honest, she actually seemed pleased with herself. Said you were going to go do something important."

I nodded. "It was. Oliver- he broke up with me." Mom raised her eyebrows.

"And you're okay with that?"

"No, I was most definitely not okay, but then I found some things out, and I went over and we talked it out, and now we're perfect. Or pretty close, at least."

"That really doesn't explain much."

I smiled, and proceeded to tell her everything, about David, the breakup, Oliver's guilt, and felt sort of dizzy toward the end. So much to happen in one day... And half of it I didn't even think was possible. Oliver wouldn't lie about that, though. He and I were on an agreement to be honest from this point on, and this was too crazy to make up. I was still having a hard time comprehending that David cared about me enough to ask a stranger for a help.

But I couldn't also help but think that this was how fate had intended it. Sarah had come to town so that David could chose to fall in love with her, breaking my heart, and leaving it vulnerable. Then, somehow, he found the most amazing boy ever, one who even volunteered at the old folk's home, and guided him in my direction. We had had the perfect assignment, the perfect times, and while we had made crucial decisions, so much had gone just right, even if at the time it seemed wrong, that I honestly believed that this was meant to be. A story of my own had formed, me not even knowing it, because at it turns out, at some point everyone has their own story worth telling. And mine had just come. All that was left was to finish it.

Mom was looking a little taken aback herself when I had finished. Her eyes had flashed with anger more than once at the mention of David's name. "Well, Melody," she finally said. "What you did wasn't right, but then again, I don't know what could have been at that moment."

***

Ashley and I rescheduled our sleepover, which she seemed just fine with, and all of her sass had made a return. The earnest little girl who had told me of Oliver's secret was back in the shadows, and that was okay. She was still fantastic. Just like her brother. Whom I was planning with the entire Sunday, trying to think of a plan to talk to David. I needed to see him alone, I told him, and I wasn't going to have David trying to hurt him, if any way his threats had been real. I didn't think they were, I had known David long enough to know that he didn't hurt anybody. Ever. But people could change in six months. I had done it in just weeks.

But by the time Monday rolled around, we had a plan, and it was already in play. I made sure to arrive extra early, and was sitting, with no small amount of nervousness, in that same hall where I had seen my old love, either on his own or arguing with Sarah. My knee bounced uncontrollably, and I wasn't sure if I could speak with my throat in my mouth.

It gave an extra weird thump as I heard footsteps. "Okay, Oliver, this is it. Wish me luck?" I whispered as quietly as possible into the phone, my voice shaking.