As I was walking back to my aunt's house with the shotgun, I smiled to myself. I had to admit that even though I didn't know Arvin at all, I sensed that there was something between us, there had to be.
I returned to the house, saw my aunt at the table reading a recipe book she probably got from my grandma. "It's working fine Aunt Margaret. Everything seems alright for now." I ran to place it in the attic, but when I came back, I saw she was still sat there, almost completely still. "Aunt Margaret?"
"Jesus, Sorry." She held her hand up in surrender. "I can't find one damn recipe that everyone else isn't gonna be using on Sunday."
"Can't you make the pot roast Grandma used to make?"
"No, I can't, because I've made it for people before and I don't know if they've stolen the recipe and claimed it for themselves." She said, almost like the recipe was some priceless piece of jewellery.
"Aunt, it will be fine. I promise." I crossed my arms and scratched my head. "I got it. You can make this new preacher a pie."
"Yes, maybe a cherry one?" She asked me.
"That's a great idea." I grabbed my car keys, "You want me to go into town and get it?"
"Yes, thank you honey." She reached to her pocket and handed me some money.
"Of course. Anything else?"
"No, that should be it." She nodded and I walked out of the door.
{Time skip}
I got everything my Aunt needed for the pie, but as I was walking back to my car, I saw a small diner, with a hiring sign in the window. I decided that I would probably need a job to blend in around here, and who knows, maybe Preston would step in and order a lovely surprise.
"Hi, I saw a hiring sign. I was wondering if the position had been filled since." I asked the man behind the counter, he looked worn down, tired.
"No, but if you want it, its yours. As long as you can work Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons and all-day Saturdays." He replied.
"I think that's possible." I smiled.
"Right, I'll get you a form to fill out." I filled the form in quickly, and shook the man's hand. "See you on Monday." He handed me a frilly apron.
"Yes sir." I walked back to my car and drove home. I had a job, maybe it helped me blend in better, I'll never know.
{time skip}
"I got everything you needed." I dumped the bag and change on the counter, and flopped myself on the couch, the apron following me.
"Aw, thank you darling." My Aunt looked through the bags, skimming each item.
"No problem." I smiled propping my head up then letting it fall again.
"Where'd ya get the apron?"
"Oh, I got a job at the diner. So, I'll be back late on Mondays, Wednesday and Friday nights, then I'm working all day Saturdays."
"That's nice. Keeps you occupied." We were in silence for a while. "Are you coming to Church on Sunday? It's just because I know your mother was catholic, and your father was..."
"Yeah. It's ok. I used to go every Sunday. My mom always told me that it didn't matter where we prayed since God was all around us, so where we worship isn't important. It's the action rather than the location."
"I see you still wearing that cross around your neck. I saw her wearing it when she got married." We both smiled at the thought of my mother, and I twirled my necklace around, holding onto the cross lightly, like my mother used to do.
"I haven't taken it off in years. I even got dad's St Christopher medallion, and his Michael one."
"Ah yes, the protector and the soldier. I remember when my dad used to wear it, then when your dad went off to fight, he gave it to him."
"The family heirlooms, fun topic for a Friday evening." I smirked at my joke; my Aunt just looked at me with slight sympathy. "Dad's watch and compass are still missing, so that's two less for the family."
"Do you think he's still out there?" My aunt asked. The topic of my father's disappearance was a hard subject so I just tried not to think about it, but sometimes I had to think about it.
My mother and I got into a pretty bad car crash while my dad was out of town for work, his car had broken down so he was trying to get back to us while he could.
"Papa, Momma isn't well." I whispered into the phone. "You need to see her."
"I'm trying baby. There aren't any damn buses for ages. I'm trying to get back to you baby."
"I know Papa." I tried to hold back some tears.
"Are you alright darling?" He asked.
"Yes, Momma made me sit in the back so when the truck hit the car, I was on the other side." I was lucky, I only got a few cuts and bruises, because my mom took the brunt of the force.
"That's good sweetie. Now, I'm gonna have to go. I'll try get there as soon as I can baby."
"I'll look after Momma while you're getting back."
"Good girl. Make sure you tell Mommy that I'll be there soon. I love you both so much, my two girls." My Dad said through the phone, I could hear his voice cracking though the receiver.
"I love you too Papa."
I'd never known what had happened to my Father. When I was younger, I used to hope that he would be ok, and he'd come back and rescue me. But after a few years, I started to lose hope. I got used to the idea that something had happened to him, because I couldn't think why he would ever leave us, but I knew that I'd never really know what happened.
"I don't know." I bit my nails nervously.
"Would you want to know?" My aunt replied.
"Yes. I would want to know whether something happened to him. Anything could have happened to him, and Dad was always loyal. He had no reason to leave us."
"You deserve closure." I nodded, but a wave of sadness washed over me and I didn't want to talk anymore.
"I think I'm gonna go to bed early." I walked to the stairs, waiting for my aunts reply.
"Good night darling." I smiled at her and went to my room.
{Time skip}
It got to around midnight and I still couldn't sleep. I laid tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable but I just couldn't sleep.
I decided that a walk was a good idea, so I got re-dressed and grabbed a flashlight.
A few minutes later and I was walking back toward the forest. I thought that I shouldn't go into a dark forest at night, but something in my brain told me this was the only way that I might be able to tire myself out, so I went to my car and grabbed my father's gun and placed it in my hand.
I walked into the forest, back toward the place I was earlier. The walk calmed me a lot, the near silence was comforting and the breeze felt like a gentle push on my back. I found the log I was sat on a few hours earlier and repeated my action.
I inhaled and exhaled softly, taking in the noises around me, closing my eyes to block everything out. I finally felt some semblance of peace for a while until I heard some rustling across from me. I pulled the gun out slowly and pointed it in the direction of the noise. Then I shone my flashlight on the person. This boy again...
Arvin's POV
I was trying to sleep, but for some reason, it felt like something was holding me back from sleep's grasp. I couldn't stop thinking about the girl from earlier, she was beautiful. Her Y/E/C eyes, everything about her seemed ethereal and at the same time rebellious. I thought a walk could clear my head, so I wandered for a while, ending in the same place from earlier. I saw a light in the distance, maybe she was back there.
As I moved closer, I could see the outline of someone, probably her again. I heard the leaves rustle below me, followed by the light shining on me accompanied by a handgun.
"Jesus, it's me. Put that thing down." She listened to me, putting it beside her. She took the spotlight off me and placed it back down on the log, facing forward.
"Do I scare you Arvin? Do I threaten you?" She whispered harshly, and I heard a small giggle from her. "It doesn't matter. I'm sorry if I did."
"Don't worry 'bout it." I replied, sitting down next to her. "Couldn't sleep either?"
"It seems sleep has rejected my request for rest too." She chuckled, her eyes glinting softly. "How come you came back here?"
"I don't know, it felt like an instinct more than anything."
"Well, if it makes you feel better, I came back to get some peace."
"I can go if you want." I offered, but she just scoffed. "So, you can have your peace back."
"It's fine. I never said that it was less peaceful with you here." She murmured.
I looked around again and spotted the gun next to her, "I always seem to run into you when you're handling a deadly weapon."
"Maybe it's a sign that I'm dangerous."
"You're not dangerous."
"You don't know that Arvin Russell." It looked like she had tears in her eyes, the light reflected off her glassy eyes.
"I don't, you're right. Just please don't shoot me." I joked, putting my hands up in surrender, trying to make her smile.
She chuckled lightly, "I wouldn't hurt you Arvin. I wouldn't get too close to me though."
"Why's that?" I asked. Maybe she was like me, someone who lost nearly everyone.
"It doesn't matter. If you get too close, I'll let you know so you have time to save yourself." She got up to walk away, patting some dirt from her coat.
"I asked Lenora what your name was." She stopped walking but didn't turn around, "She wouldn't tell me."
"I wonder why she wouldn't tell you." She scoffed slightly.
"She told me to ask you myself." I admitted. Lenora wouldn't tell me the name of the girl who had been helping her out with the three idiots.
"Ok prince charming, I'll tell you my name if you answer my question."
"Deal." I kept my eyes locked on hers, not moving them once.
"Why do you want to know?" She looked at me, puzzled and very defensive.
"Because I think that we have a lot in common. And that you need someone."
"How poetic? Does that work on every girl you try it on Arvin, or just the ones you meet in the forest at one in the morning?" I looked at her stance, she got defensive. I just felt disappointment and she probably knew it. She sat back down, "Look I'm sorry. I'm not a social person, I don't like talking, I like acting."
"It's ok. I just thought that I saw something in you that I had..." I was about to finish when she interrupted me.
"Y/N. My name is Y/N." She looked down, I thought she was blushing but I wasn't sure because it was dark.
"It's nice to meet you Y/N." She looked at me, smiling widely since the light revealed her face again.
"You too Arvin Russell." Y/N maintained her eye contact with me and I noticed there was a certain sadness behind them. Maybe she was like me, and at that point, I hoped that I would find out.