Okay.. hi.
I'm at the beginning of an update so this must be importnt. Just pay attention to the date sweetoe pies.
***
30th December, 2017
Dylan smiled and buried his head into his book to hide the blush that had crept up to his cheeks. He looked up again and his heart skipped a beat when she laughed at something her friend was saying. She adjusted the strap on her shoulder and turned around. Dylan’s eyes widened when her eyes landed on him and he dropped his head and pretended he was studying.
The last thing he wasn’t was for her to think he was like some pervert who only stared at her from behind tress or garbage cans. She was taking a few of his courses and they’d spoken to each other a few times before but Dylan still didn’t want her thinking he was some weirdo; because he wasn’t. He glanced up again and was surprised to see that she was still looking in her direction. He raised both his eyebrows at her and she put a hand over her mouth and gave him a small wave before turning back to her friend.
Dylan smirked and focused his attention back to the notes he had spread out in front of him. He was studying for his last final before he could go back home. Sometimes, he hated the fact that he’s transferred to a college in another state because it was further away from everyone and everything he was comfortable with. He knew it was the right decision because he was offered way more opportunities here and it was what was best. He’s also met Jasmine here so everything worked out but he just hated being this far away from home. He missed fishing with his dad and he missed Ms. Lanchester’s cookies.
“Hey, Dyl.” He heard a voice say and his head snapped up just in time to see Jasmine slide in the seat across from him. She smiled sweetly at him and he returned it.
“Hey, Jazz.” He said and she frowned at him.
“Jazz?” She said in a questioning tone and Dylan’s eyes widened because he thought he’d said something wrong.
“I-uh.” He started and she raised an eyebrow at him, only making him more nervous. “Um... I uh. I j-just thought... I dunno. It was a nickname?”
“Hmm.” She said taking a few books out her bag. “Jazz.” She said slowly letting the name roll off her tongue . “I think I like it.”
“Yeah?” Dylan asked excitedly leaning over the table. His elbows were on his text book and his chin was in his palms. Jasmine giggled and nodded, sending her short red hair flying all over.
“Yeah. I was kinda getting tired of plain ole Jasmine. I like Jazz; it’s a cool change.” She said slowly tucking some of her hair behind her ear, revealing three piercings in her right ear.
“Cool piercings.” Dylan said pointing to her ear. He remembered Alex had wanted a cartilage piercing but her mother hadn’t wanted her to get one. His smiled faded a bit when he remembered her. It didn’t hurt as much as it did a few years ago. He was never truly going to get over her death but he was learning, day by day, how to deal with it. He had kept the promise he made to Alex, the night he visited her grave, just before he actually started going to his classes. He was going to live, even if he didn’t want to. He was going to live because Alex was going to get that opportunity. Before he was living just because it was what Alex would have wanted but somewhere along the line, he’d actually started living for himself and he was beginning to live because he wanted to and he was happy again... to some extent.
“Dylan?” Jasmine asked waving a hand in front his face. He snapped out of his trance and looked at her wide eyed. She had a concerned look on her face. “Are you still here?”
“Yeah.” He said shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He smiled at her and she returned it, her gray eyes twinkling as she did. “Yeah, I'm fine. What were you saying?”
“I was wondering if you had a partner for that assignment due next week.”
“What assignment next week?” Dylan asked raising an eyebrow. He bent down to pull his notebook out his bag and started flipping through the pages to see if he had scribbled the assignment anywhere.
“The one we were given last week. Don’t you remember? You were sitting right behind me in that class.”
I could have also seen right down you top in that class. “No, I probably wasn’t paying attention. What is it about?”
“Doesn’t really matter, I need a partner and you seem smart enough. Whatdaya say?”
***
“I'm here so your life just got better!” Dylan yelled as he opened the door and walked through the house. He made his way to the kitchen and beamed when he saw Ms. Lanchester trying to balance a tray of cookies.
“Hey sweetie.” She smiled putting the tray on the counter. She swatted her hand when he tried to reach for one and he pouted at her. “There aren’t for you.” She said ducting flour off her apron. He pouted at her again and she rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“That may have worked ten years ago Dylan. You’re twenty-one now.”
“Who are these cookies for then?” Dylan asked trying to reach for some again. Ms. Lanchester glared at him and swatted his hand away. “Are you cheating on me?! Who else are you making cookies for?”
She laughed and came around the counter to hug him. He squeezed her and she rubbed his back in that was she did that always comforted him and made him feel better. “The new neighbours have the sweetest kids ever and they come keep me company sometimes.”
“You have replaced me.” Dylan joked taking a seat on the stool by the island. Ms. Lanchester moved away from him and went over to the fridge.
“I have lasagna.” She said taking a container out of the fridge and popping it in the microwave. “Talk to me sweetie. What’s new?”
“Uh, nothing.” Dylan said slowly smiling at her as she placed a plate in front of him. “Nothing at all.”
“Hmm. Okay. So... are you gonna stop lying? You know I can see right through your shit.”
“Anna.” Dylan whined dropping his head on the counter. “I swear. I have no news.” Dylan said peering up at her. She sighed and took a seat next to her.
“No new girl? Nothing?” Dylan frowned at her and slowly shook his head. “Come on! You have to be lying. I mean, I would’ve believer if you still used to live here because you spent nineteen years here and Alex was all you found but...”
“There’s no one.”
“Are you sure?” She asked raising an eyebrow at him. His mind immediately went to Jasmine and he unconsciously smiled. He knew he was attracted to her but there was just something stopping him from making a move. “Oh my God! There is someone!”
“She’s no one, really.”
“That smile says otherwise. Tell me about her.”
“I don’t want to like her.” Dylan shrugged and Anna frowned at him. “I mean... I can't like her. It doesn’t feel right.”
“Why not?”
“I feel like I'm betraying Alex. I mean... I told her that I loved her and I that I always will love her. Me falling in love with someone else doesn’t tell Alex I love her.” Dylan said slowly, he was trying to choose his words carefully because this was the first time he was actually talking about this. He was used to keeping his love life in a box because the love of his life was in a box.
“Alex would hit you right now if she heard what you just said.” Anna said and Dylan chuckled softly. “I'm serious sweetie. She loved you and she would have wanted you to move on.”
“But that doesn’t stop me from feeling like I'm putting her away. Like I'm completely disregarding her. I mean, I know she’s gone; she’s been gone for years and I know she isn’t coming back but that part of my life was what she was most active in and I feel like I’d be replacing her.”
“Dylan, she watched you parade around with girlfriends when she was alive and she was in love with you. She was happy because you would happy. Why would it be any different now?”
“I just...” Dylan said but stopped himself because he wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to say. “I just... I don’t want her to leave.”
“Sweetie, she already left.”
“No, She’s still in my heart and I don’t want her to leave. I still hear her voice in my head and I still see her smile when I close my eyes. I know if I fall in love again it’ll all go away. I don’t want it to go away. I'm scared of losing her again.”
“You won’t lose her Dyl. She’ll always be in your heart. She’s everywhere in this town. Trust me, I know. You’re not losing her; you’re giving someone the opportunity to experience a real and deep kind of love.”
“But-”
“It’s what she would have wanted Dylan. Besides, I need grandbabies.”
***
Okay so I have one more OS left and idk when it would come... I kinda liked the idea of this one but I now think it sucks. L
So... this has 13k+ reads and I'm so, so grateful to you all!! I love ya!!
Happy birthday to the bestest (it’s my word so shuddup) human being ever!! Michael, I lava yew!! Also.. I'm about to post a Michael Clifford story... I’d love you guys to death if you read it when I do. J
I love your sexy faces!!