anonymous. [EDITING]

≫5≪

BRADEN

My parents wouldn't stop fighting. I could hear screaming from my room and I covered my head with my pillow, tears threatening to spill. Why do they always have to fight?

I sighed, pulling out my phone. I hope Allison is okay.

'You good?' I asked, getting a response right away.

'No.'

No? I've never gotten that before. She's never told me anything but 'I'm fine'. Most people do so...I don't know.

'I'm coming over.' I texted the reply and got up out of bed. Thank the lord I didn't take my shoes off yet. That would be a pain.

I ran out my bedroom door, down the stairs and out my front door. My parents wouldn't miss me, they were to busy jarring at each other.

It took me ten minutes to run the 1.4 miles to Allison's house, and by the time I got there the temperature had dropped a good 10 degrees.

Allison was sitting on her lawn, her arms wrapped around her legs as she pulled them towards her chest. Her sleeveless dress barely reached her knees and I could see her shivering from here. I don't know why she hadn't gone inside yet. Even I was cold, and I had a jacket on.

"Hey." I said, stopping in front of her. She looked up at me. 

She didn't look right. Her eyes were dull and she looked tired, unlike her normally energetic self. She looked smaller than usual too. Weaker. I'd never seen her like this.

"H-hey." She never stuttered either.

"What happened?" I sat next to her, taking my jacket off to wrap around her shoulders.

"You're such a cheesy romantic." She muttered. I expected her to give me the jacket back like she normally would, saying that only the weak get cold. But she didn't. She let me drape it over her shoulders. I sat down next to her, our bodies only inches apart and I couldn't help but want to be closer to her.

"What happened Alli?" She sighed.

"Lydia. She just..." Allison told me what happened, how Lydia had basically told her that they were done being friends.

"I'm sure she didn't mean it."

"She did. Trust me, she did."

I sighed. I can't believe this happened. Over one stupid little prank.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, hoping she wouldn't push me away. To my surprise, she didn't. She scooted closer to me, in fact leaning into me to lay her head on my shoulder. Believe me, I was surprised how chill I was keeping myself too.

"Hey Blondie?"

"Yeah?"

"You know, you're the sweetest boy I've ever met." 

My cheeks burned. She lifted her arm and grabbed my free hand, holding it to her chest. "I mean it. You're probably the sweetest boy I've met ever..."

"I-I'm sure not ever." My god, the flaming in my face...

"No, really. Ever." She gave my hand a squeeze. "I don't know a lot of little boys that would run up to a crying little girl they didn't know and offer her his ice cream after a bully took hers."

I smiled slightly. "Uh...w-well I...that was the first grade."

"That was the last ice cream they had." She continued. "You gave her your ice cream when you knew you wouldn't be able to get another. You gave her your ice cream because you didn't want her to cry. You wanted her to be happy."