January 1st
Skye woke up in the early hours of the morning, groaning as the sunlight peered through the curtains and hit her face. Due to struggling to fall asleep last night, Skye didn't get that much sleep, so she was pretty tired right now. The reason why Skye had trouble falling asleep was mainly that she kept contemplating the same thing. That thing? Whether something more should have happened between her and Levi last night.
The two were close, incredibly close. Skye had never been so physically close to Levi like that, and while it was scary, it was also oddly comforting at the same time. She had never been so scared before, but knowing it was Levi she was with made it a little less scary. Skye still couldn't help but think in the back of her mind what would have happened if she and Levi shared a kiss when the clock struck twelve.
The thought came suddenly when she laid under the covers in his bed by herself in the middle of the night. It felt a little wrong to think about at first. She almost felt disgusted that she thought such a thing, but the more she thought about it, the more it didn't seem as bad. Skye didn't exactly regret not being kissed, but she wouldn't have hated it if it were to happen.
The relationship Skye shared with Levi had always been confusing from the beginning, but now it was just one gigantic puzzle with a million pieces. Every time Skye was ready to place the last piece, someone always came along to ruin the puzzle and bring her back to square one. Right now she felt like she was restarting the puzzle again, but that puzzle would be figured out eventually.
As Skye looked at her phone to see how early it was, she figured that she get out of bed, get back into her clothes then go downstairs and see if Levi was awake. She didn't want to overstay her welcome as it was so out of the blue, so Skye figured it would be best if she left as soon as possible and head back home.
Skye carefully treaded down the stairs in case everyone was asleep, then saw Levi sleeping on the couch with a random blanket laying on top of him, one that seemed to have put on him without his knowledge. He looked almost peaceful in his sleep, but Skye couldn't just sit and watch like a weirdo. Skye just had to quietly exit, but not without leaving a very thoughtful thank you note first.
•••
Levi,
I hope you don't mind me snatching some of your mom's pen and paper to write this note. Actually, I don't think you will. You've always been so caring and giving.
Anyways, I hate to leave you like this while you're asleep, but I just have to get home, and I kind of just want to be alone until we go back to school and face the music. You understand, right? Besides, my dad has to know his only child is alive. You know how he is.
I just wanted to leave this note and say thank you for everything. Not just for last night, but for everything you've ever done for me even if you were going out of your way to do it. I am forever in your debt and I am forever thankful to have you as a friend, even if everyone wishes we would just date already.
Okay, that was weird of me to mention. I didn't sleep that well last night, sorry. I'm just gonna end this note now. Text me if I owe you gas money or anything.
Your friend,
Skye <3.
•••
Walking home down the empty sidewalks, Skye passed through the neighborhoods with her arms crossed and cold air escaping her lips with each and every exhale. She should be home any minute now, but the cold weather and a lack of a coat made the trip feel much slower than it actually was.
Skye had never been so thankful to be at her front door, practically frozen fingers struggling to find her house key as she stood outside impatiently. Before she could even find the key, Scott opened the door, making Skye jump in surprise as she was so focused on scrambling through her keys.
"Dad!" She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him the moment she saw him.
"You've only been gone since last night, was something wrong?" Scott questioned as he returned his daughter's embrace.
"What?" Skye furrowed her eyebrows and let go of her dad. "No, no. The party was fun."
"Come inside, pumpkin. You'll catch a cold." He urged.
"Probably already did," Skye muttered as she stepped inside the house.
Scott closed the door behind them upon Skye entering, still having a bit of concern as his daughter returned far earlier than he expected. "Are you okay? Do you need anything? Breakfast?"
"No, no breakfast." Skye shook her head. "I need rest though, maybe coffee. Didn't sleep that well last night."
"Well, go get out of those clothes and into some fresh ones." Her dad said. "Especially something warmer."
"Way ahead of you." She replied, grabbing the wooden railing and slowly heading up the stairs as her body warmed up with each second she took in the heat her dad thankfully had on.
Skye felt bad about having to lie about the party to her dad, but talking about it out loud wasn't something she wanted to do. She didn't need the next local news report to be "Wintersville dad kills teen over groping daughter". As much as inflicting pain on Hunter would be deserved, it wouldn't make Skye feel any less shitty or any less of an object to guys like him.
She let out a sigh as she stepped into her room, which was left just the way it was when she left the house last night. Skye then tossed her phone and her purse onto her bed, stripping herself of her clothes and stepping into new ones, feeling much more comfortable in the fabric compared to her outfit from the party. As her eye caught the bedroom mirror, Skye took a good look at herself, tracing her fingers down the braids of her hair, bringing back memories of the calm before the storm.
"Um, don't touch my hair."
"Hmph. I like it though."
That memory being brought up triggered something in Skye, so she trailed down to the bathroom, shutting the door almost too loudly and grabbing the nearest pair of scissors. Yes, she was doing this.
Skye thought about it for a few moments as she held the scissors and a piece of hair, then just went for the first snip, cutting off each braid and unbraiding it with a look of anger in her eyes. It was like she was shedding herself of those memories, and she didn't feel the need to cry about it anymore, even if it was only less than twenty-four hours ago. Skye had to move on from this with strength just like she always did.
Once Skye was finished, a smile crept on her face as she appreciated her new curly and shorter hairdo. She would definitely turn heads, especially Levi's, but Skye felt better already. Sorry to all of Nini's hard work though. Skye was sure she'd understand the need for a change to her hair.
After putting back the scissors and making sure all the hair she cut off was put in the trash, Skye headed downstairs to surprise her dad, who was in the middle of making coffee for the two of them. "How do I look?"
Scott turned his head from coffee pouring into the pot, his eyes widening as he wasn't expecting this. "Wow, nice hair."
"Surprised?" She said, sitting down at the dining room table.
"Definitely." He replied.
Setting down two mugs of coffee for the two of them, Scott sat across from his daughter, receiving a thank you for the coffee. He was definitely going to do some prying as he hadn't gotten the chance, and now that Skye was right there, he had his chance to get the details from last night's party.
"How was the party?" Scott asked.
"I watched a guy get punched in the face," Skye replied, which caused some concern from Scott as he was hoping it wasn't Levi who got hit. Little did he know Levi was the one doing the hitting.
"Who?" He furrowed his eyebrows.
"I didn't know him." Skye lied.
"You didn't drink any alcohol, right?" Her dad questioned, bringing out his paternal instincts. Scott was definitely a cool dad, but not too cool.
"No, no." She shook her head. "Neither did Levi. I know you would ask about him too."
"Speaking of Levi-" Scott began.
"Oh boy." Skye rolled her eyes.
"Anything happen at midnight?" He asked with a sly smirk, which Skye could immediately detect the reason why.
"Nope, just watched some nearby fireworks." She said, much to Scott's disappointment.
"Ah, okay." Her dad sighed. "Did you at least have fun?"
"For the most part." She shrugged, having to lie again. It wasn't exactly a complete lie as Levi saved the day (or night if you will), but it wasn't all fun. Telling the truth would just feel too embarrassing for Skye.
"Well, I'm glad." Scott grinned innocently. If only he knew what really happened on New Year's Eve, but maybe one day Skye could muster up the courage to tell him. Scott's deathbed might be a more preferable option, but Skye wouldn't be surprised if the old man was in good shape when he eventually reaches his eighties, maybe even nineties.
The two spent some time sipping their coffee in silence, leaving Skye with questions in her head. While she didn't want to spill every detail from last night, a certain question haunted her mind for quite some time, and after everything that's happened, now felt like the perfect time to ask it.
"Hey, dad. Can I ask you something?" She said randomly as she broke the silence.
"Anything," Scott replied, which made Skye feel even worse about hiding things from her dad.
"Do you think Levi is a good guy?" Skye asked in a serious tone. It was a serious question for her, and she hoped her dad would provide a legitimate answer that didn't leave her with more questions.
"Why do you ask?" He questioned.
"Just curious." She shrugged.
Scott took a moment to think and let out a sigh, putting on a more serious tone when giving his answer compared to his typical joking manner when talking about Levi. "I think... I think Levi is a really great guy. He makes you happy, and that's all a father could ever hope for; his daughter's happiness."
"Even though he's kind of an idiot?" Skye questioned.
"Even though he's kind of an idiot." Her dad chuckled.
While Scott's answer was a bit vague, Skye understood everything completely. Levi lifted her up at her worst without being obligated to. Hearing her father mention her happiness made Skye realize how happy she actually was, even with the bumps in the road. Everyone always went through a bump, a little pothole, or a breakdown, but there will always be someone that will come along and push you the rest of the way. They may leave when you find your way, but even if they stay, at least you made it home.
"Well, he's not leaving me anytime soon. Hope you don't mind." She said.
"Not at all, pumpkin, not at all." He grinned.
With each and every bump in the road, Levi would always be there to help Skye find her way home. No matter what happens.
•••
Dear Future Me,
Levi is a really, REALLY great guy (dad even said so himself), and my mind keeps going back to a certain event from last night, an event that could have led to a kiss. Yes, a kiss.
Now, I'm gonna excuse this by saying I wasn't in a completely sane state of mind. Yeah, that's a good way of being in denial, right? I'm sure I would regret it if a kiss did happen, and I'm also sure Levi most likely would've thought "what the hell". That would've been a total friendship killer right there.
But despite that, I am so thankful that Levi came to my side last night. You already know what I'm talking about, Future Me. He's just really, really great. I'm sure he's gonna make whoever his future wife is really happy someday.
I wonder what it would take for me to find someone else like him, but I don't think there will ever be another guy like Levi. He's one of a kind, and I don't think that's so bad.
Sincerely,
Past Me.
•••
MARIA TALKS!
yeah this chapter is kinda a mess but i really like it 🥺
little fun fact the scene where skye cuts off her braids was originally supposed to be REALLY sad. like, in my head i pictured her crying while doing it but i decided to make it a power move and i think it's for the best.
anyways don't forget to vote (i'm constantly losing readers and it sucks) and i hope you enjoyed <3 we're coming back to school in the next chapter !