Where I Stood [Cole Sprouse]

Chapter 1: I was going to marry him

"Ugh! I knew I should have come to work earlier." Alex grumbled.

"You're literally living just above the coffee shop Alex! Also, I knocked on your door thrice and all I heard was a pillow being thrown at the door." Anna scoffed.

"I feel so attacked right now. Seriously!" Alex stomped out of the kitchen exacerbated.

He went back in a few minutes, his face in an unpaintable manner.

"Tell me now." Alex glared at Anna as she placed the tray of croissants dough in the oven for the evening crowd.

"Fine, if you really must know." Anna peaked at the counter and saw Smith, their young and budding barista fixing up a drink for the lone customer in the shop.

"Dylan may have asked me out for dinner!" she shrieked as she revealed the news, worthy of a tabloid front page cover.

"May have?" Alex doubtfully asked, leaning on the kitchen cupboard covered in flour.

"Well yeah, unofficially. He said he owes me and if he closed the deal with his biggest investor, he'll take me out for dinner. So I'm praying to all the gods out there!" she lifted her hands and stretched them towards the roof.

"Don't get your hopes up sweetie. I don't doubt his competence, but like I mean you barely know the guy. He might just be saying that out of impulse." he tried to make some sense for Anna's sake.

"But he said he will not take no for an answer. I'm just being very positive right now, can't you support me for once?" she looked at Alex with puppy eyes.

"Let me remind you, that I am your biggest supporter and biggest fan. At the same time, I am also your biggest critic. It would hurt me to say 'I told you so'. Will the cynical Anna please stand up?" he replied sarcastically. Which made Anna think, and slowly pulled herself down from cloud-nine.

"Thank you very much for the pep-talk. I'm actually feeling so attacked right now." Anna mocked Alex, sticking her tongue out.

"Very mature of you." he said as he sprinkled flour all over Anna.

"But fine, you're right! It's not even me, I feel like an infatuated teenager. Creeps!" she said when she's finally back to her senses.

. . .

Tuesday, 18 October

Anna turned the shower knob off and lathered a handful of Alex's shampoo on her hair for the second time around. The smell of kiwi, mango and pineapple filled the crisp air of October morning. She thought of washing her hair the third time around but decided not to, or Alex will definitely notice the now half empty bottle of his favourite shampoo from the 5 bottles lined up on the rack.

She stepped out of the shower shivering, and quickly wrapped the towel around her. Once she was done drying her hair, she stared for a while into her reflection and battled with herself. "Frick! Fine!" Seeming as the other persona won, she opened her drawer and dug through looking for her unused makeup.

It started to pour the moment she stepped inside the coffee shop. A puddle forming on the uneven pavement just in front of the shop. She turned on the main switch bringing light to the compact space of her shop.

A figure appeared running towards the door, his hands were raised to shield himself from the rain. She checked the time, 7:07am. When she looked up again, expecting to hear the door chime, the figure was gone. Her heart stopped for what seemed like an eternity, raising the counter top she ran instinctively out the shop.

"Dylan." is all she could utter when she saw Dylan's body drenched in rain, his head dripping with blood. Anna looked towards the sound of screeching tires and saw a motorbike zooming down the street.

She was awakened from her daze by the wailing siren. The paramedics loading up Dylan's unresponsive body in the ambulance.

"Ma'am?" the paramedic stretched his hand towards Anna. She held it as he pulled her up in the ambulance. The man strapped her seatbelt and handed her an oxygen mask.

"Breathe in, breathe out." he instructed her.

She nodded, still stunned, her gaze never leaving Dylan. She held his hand tight, and remembered how to breathe again.

The moment the ambulance stopped, time seemed to rush. Just a few seconds ago she was holding Dylan's hand, now he is nowhere to be found. She stood shaking, her eyes searched the hall full of frantic people but to no avail. Dylan was out of sight.

She was walking aimlessly along the now empty corridor when she felt someone grab her hand, stopping her from her tracks.

"Miss! Excuse me, miss! Can I help you?" inquired a female nurse that looked not so far from Anna's age.

"Uh the guy, uhm Dylan he was brought in here just a few seconds ago. Where is he?" Anna asked still mortified.

"Come with me to the reception please. I can help you look for his records." the young nurse held both of Anna's hands and lead her to the reception. She sat her down inside the counter and gave her a cup of warm water.

"He was just there," Anna pointed towards the glass door, seeing as the lot outside was now empty where the ambulance was supposed to be, she bit her nail in confusion. "Dylan, he was just in front of me. I don't know where he is, I need to find him. I need to see him please." Anna pleaded.

"It's alright Miss. I'll help you out, but you need to help me too. I have to ask you a few questions, so we can figure out where he is."

"Dylan, his name is Dylan."

"Dylan" the nurse typed on the keyboard, and paused waiting for Anna to follow through "and his last name?"

"I-I don't know." Anna realised that she knows so many things about him such as how his bluish green eyes narrow when he laughs. How she can trace constellation on his freckled face. How he combs his hair with his hand by habit. She knows his political views, his favourite season and even his religion. She knows all these things about him, but never his last name.

"Oh don't worry. It's normal to forget things especially when you're in state of shock. Let me just check with my colleague. I'll be right back."

Anna stared blankly at the floor thoughts of the scene from earlier came flashing through her mind.

The young nurse approached her again, placing the clipboard on the table in front of her.

"There is a patient rushed in the ER just now named Dylan Sprouse,"

Anna looked up abruptly, her eyes widen by the mention of his name. "Sprouse." she repeated to herself.

"Yes, Dylan Sprouse." the nurse acknowledged her recognition, concluding that she must have come back to her senses. "But I'm afraid only family members are allowed inside. Are you by any chance related to him?"

"uhm..no, it's just that... uh..." Anna bowed down trying to hide her frustration. She instinctively wiped the tears on her cheeks. She knows that she will not be able to see him now and fears that she might not see him ever again.

"If you want, you can wait here until any of his family members arrive."

Anna nodded in defeat. She clenched her wrists, her nails digging into her palms. "I was going to marry him." She whispered in between sniffs and hiccups.

. . .

A/N: I have rewritten this chapter, so please read it again. I have sorted out my thoughts so this is the improved version. I hope you have grown interest with the story so far. Please let me know your thoughts and if you have any suggestions or criticism. I would very much appreciate it. <3