Dreams & Other Lost Things {Sequel to B&TBR}

Chapter 4: Mr. Roswell & His Want's.

I was the first to spot Ellie lying flat on her back on a park bench. Her blonde hair was up in a very messy bun on the top of her head. She turned head in our direction and she immediately shot up out of her seat, running toward us.

                "I'm so happy to see you alive," I told her as I hugged her. I gave a pointed look at Grayson while Ellie was looking behind me. When she released me, she turned to Grayson. I took a deep breath to laugh in hopes to see her knock his head off his shoulders, but I let out a sigh instead when she went in for a hug.

                And then she kissed him right on the lips.

                "I really hate you, Grayson," she said and I almost thought she was one of those insane girls blinded by love - until she lifted her leg and kneed him right in the crotch. I gawked at the two of them. The pain on Grayson's face made me want to laugh and cringe at the same time. Yet still, I was unable to hold back my laugh.

                "Um, do you guys have some sort of thing going on that I don't know about?" I asked after sobering up. Ellie turned to me with a serious expression, hands on hips.

                "Our deal was whoever reached the park first, at that bench specifically, would owe the other a kiss. I gave him a kiss, all right." The look on her face when she glanced down at the boy who was clutching his jewels was priceless. I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

                Ellie kneeled down beside Grayson and grabbed his arm to help him. Once he was standing raggedly in front of her, she grinned. "I believe you owe me another date."

Then we walked out of that park to grab a cab while Grayson staggered along behind us.

*****

                My head had been so full of the recent events happening one after the other in my life that I had totally forgotten about my first day at the New York Academy of Art. After seeing Asher for the first time in years, I didn't really know if things would be different for us. I was so focused on letting him go – and then he popped right back into my life. I should be focusing on my career, I'd tell myself. But it was hard to do when my heart pulled me one way and my brain pulled the other. It was tearing me in half.

                When my mom told me I had an older brother that I had never met, I knew I wouldn't be able to get that out of my head. There had to be more to the story she told me. My dad couldn't have forced Lucas and his mother out of the state. Why did they leave? They wouldn't have had to travel 3,000 miles to start over. They could've went to the next town over for all my dad really cared. I mean, I lived in the same house with him for 18 years and he still didn't know what my favorite dinner was, or my favorite color. My point is, he doesn't pay much attention unless it has to do with himself or one of his clients. So, why did Lucas Montgomery leave?

                I wanted so badly to do some stalking on Facebook, but I had to get ready for the first day of my new life. That's what it felt like, anyway. As I looked at myself in my vanity mirror, I particularly noticed that I looked tired. I could fix the baggy-eye look with a little makeup, no problem, but it was my tired attitude that I felt wouldn't go right with my teachers. Even if didn't matter to them what I acted like, though I highly doubted that, it mattered to me. I didn't want to come off as some amateur because the thing was, I knew what I was doing. I knew that I could be an artist. I also knew that I might not ever become like the famous artists I grew up loving or become noticed by any means. The only thought circulating in my brain was, even if I became homeless and still am able to do what I love, my life will have been complete.

                On those thoughts, I dabbed a little bit of make up here and there, making sure not to overdo it and make myself look like a clown. When I was finished with my makeup, I glanced up at the clock sitting on my nightstand. I was going to be late if I didn't hurry up. Flipping through my closet as fast as I possibly could, I pulled out a nice blouse along with a pair of jeans. I made sure to grab a jacket this time, too.