Bada-bing, bada-boom, I’m not dead, just slow at writing.
Enjoy, and please, read the author’s note at the end, this time it’s really important! AKA, if you read, there’s a possibility for you to get a character named after you, (and some other really cool things like a dedication or a review) so make sure you do!
Chapter 31: Open Arms
__
Drew's Point of View
In the midst of bliss, chaos exists.
One moment, I'm with Hailey, limbs entangled, breathing slow. Her head falls to the curve of my shoulder, her nose buried deep within the fabric of my t-shirt. We've become a sculpture, as still as statues, forged from exhaustion and arranged on one of the musty leather couches in the record store. She's fallen asleep, her fragile fingers still clutching tightly onto mine.
Remnants of the previous rainfall lurk upon the windows, sliding down in erratic patterns and crashing into puddles somewhere unknown. The needle of a turntable drifts across a record in the distance, at the end of its delicate performance, now emitting only a hushed, muffled static. The candles, still placed in aimless arrays around us, once flickering with yellow light, have hardened into new formations of falling, dripping wax. The world is quiet.
And the events from the night scourge the deepest depths of my mind; my own, personal labyrinth. First, I think of when it all began, with us dancing- the way Hailey's face lit up when I held her in my arms, the way we swayed and moved so perfectly together, the way her rose petal skin felt brushing up against my brittle fingertips. And then, all at once, the way she crumbled when I told her that we couldn't be together, that it wouldn't work.
After that, when I decided to tell her everything about my past. When her eyes looked like they could swallow stars and her lips spoke words that to me, meant more than the universe. When I was on the brink of collapse, of self-destruction, and she stood strong, still promising a better tomorrow.
Then, when I was drowning in myself- pools of emptiness filling my insides and making it hard to breathe. While I was choking on panic, reveling in my own revulsion, she loved me. She made me feel loved. Like it was something, for once, that I was worthy of.
And then, when we kissed.
Without thought or recognition, I find myself pulling my hand towards my face, fingers skimming the brim of my lips- feeling her own still pressed against mine. The phantom of a memory I will never be able to forget; a brief glimpse into complete euphoria.
But none of it comes without a cost.
My whole being, my entire soul, aches with a guilt that will never waver. My heart beats into a quiet calamity, my stomach twisting with knots.
Because now, she's apart of the pieces I have that I never wished for her to know. Because now, if I bleed, she'll bleed, and no matter how many times she says it's okay to feel consumed by darkness, I never thought that I could run the risk of taking her light along with my own.
"Drew?" Hailey's tired voice creaks beside me, and I'm so deeply caught within the nets of my own creation that I didn't even notice she had woken up.
My fingers are still pressed to the corners of my lips. I pull them away, adjusting my position so I can tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear as she begins to sit up. "Morning, sleepy head." I tease her, trying to manage a smile through complete and utter exasperation. I have never been so tired.
She laughs, a smooth, warming laugh that illuminates her features. Her nose scrunches around the edges, her teeth peeking from between her lips. She reaches to fix her her hair, combing through tangles with quick movements. "I can't believe I actually fell asleep,” she breathes, and a long, lengthy sigh escapes her, “how long was I out for?"
“Not long,” I lie, pretending as though we haven’t been glued to the couch for hours, my legs numb and my body tingling from remaining dormant for what feels like forever. “But the rain has stopped, so I think it’s time that we head home.”
Hailey doesn’t respond, her face bleak and shoulders slouching. I can never tell what she’s thinking- I can never be sure of what she feels. I watch as her eyes flicker towards the window across the room, where the once gray sky is now a mixture of colors, signaling the arrival of a new day.
She disassembles herself from me, a sudden, unexpected break away, pulling her body from the couch and standing upright. “Come on, let’s go watch.” she whispers, and suddenly, everything seems so small. I have no idea what she means until she reaches for my hand, tugging on my fingers and pulling me to the window.
Our feet pad along the carpet, a soft, cold floor that leaves me shivering as I slide against it. Instinctively, as we reach the window, I envelop Hailey in my arms, holding her as we look through the glass to see the sunrise. She wraps her own arms around my waist, and for the first time that night, everything seems to drift away, slipping from my fingers, falling from my grasp.
I see her, really see her, and she is so beautiful. Not just the way she looks- but who she is on the inside, who she really is.
As the sun starts to appear over the horizon, tints of pink and orange reflect through the pane and fall onto her cheeks, her eyes looking brighter than I had ever seen them before.
“I love you.” I say, but it doesn’t seem like enough. It will never be enough to explain the way I feel about her.
“I love you too.”
But for me, when she says it, it means everything.
_
I’m murky eyed, bones aching, body trembling as we file into the dull yellow taxi cab I called a little over an hour ago- my motorcycle being too wet to drive back on, and me being too exhausted to drive anyway.
I’m watching the sun as it shines overhead through lingering clouds, an overcast that will soon disappear, when I realize the inside of the car reeks of old smoke. I look over at Hailey who scrunches her nose at me, and I shrug in response, mouthing, it’ll only be for a little while.
But when the car rumbles to life and we give the man who smells of cigarettes an address, a subtle anxiety reveals itself within the pit of my stomach, something I didn’t realize until now.
With all that went on throughout the night, I hardly had time to worry, but now that we’re both safe and heading home, knees bumping in the backseat, I can only think about my family.
My mom, my dad, Ally. Especially Ally. Always Ally.
Hailey notices as soon as we buckle in that something is wrong. She reads me so easily, pinpointing the problem before I can even process my thoughts. “I’m sure they’re fine,” she tells me, giving a reassuring smile, “Your dad would never let anything happen to either of them.”
I know she’s right. She has to be right. But the road is bumpy, and the seats beneath us are torn, and I can’t stop assessing the damage on the outside from the view of the foggy window beside me.
Nothing is even remotely severe; an occasional fallen tree blocks a path or two, people stand outside wringing out towels full of water, the wind is nearly nonexistent. But when I find my phone and try to call the house, it rings without answer.
Could the storm have left the air too thick, too suffocating?
I tense almost immediately, the image of Ally choking, gasping for breath she couldn’t swallow surfacing in my mind. I feel a sudden pang of nausea, almost doubling over right then and there.
Hailey is holding my hand, rubbing her thumb over the arcs of my knuckles, trying to soothe me. It doesn’t work. The man in the front pays no attention to us, left to his own accord, sometimes changing the volume on the radio and taking an occasional glance through rear-view mirrors while switching lanes.
Minutes pass as the cab drives through green lights and turns down twisting roads; it seems like hours.
I can feel my heartbeat pulsing through my palms, my veins filled with ice. “Can we talk about something, anything- please?” I blurt out, my strained voice echoing throughout the car, “I really don’t want to think right now.”
Hailey nods, the brown hair that cascades over her shoulders bobbing up and down along with her. She bites her bottom lip, taking the thin skin in-between her teeth, thinking over what to say to me. When she begins, her voice is peaceful, steady; and I close my eyes to listen to her quiet hymns of light conversation. “Are we still going to take Ally to get ice cream?” she asks as the car splashes through a puddle, splattering the window with gray water. “I think she’ll be really mad if we don’t take her when I promised multiple times already.”
I think back to yesterday, when the taste of coffee was still fresh on my tongue and everything could be fixed with a simple good morning. It feels like a distant memory now, something so far out of reach. And yet, I can still picture Ally as she pouted, arms crossed, eyebrows knitted together- refusing to go over to the neighbor’s house until Hailey had promised her ice-cream.
“I completely forgot,” I admit, trying to hide the shaking of my shoulders, “We could do that later today, but I say we go and get frozen yogurt instead.”
Hailey chuckles, rolling her eyes in a overly dramatic fashion, “Why? What’s so wrong with ice-cream?” She questions, squeezing my hand as the taxi turns, realizing we’re only minutes away from my house now.
My heartbeat accelerates as I become stiff, my anxiety taking complete control of my insides, and Hailey goes back to rubbing her thumb over my knuckles. “Hey,” she says, trying to distract me by repeating herself with an exaggerated smile, “Why would we get frozen yogurt instead?”
I begin to stutter, shivering slightly, my words flowing from my mouth too quickly and all at once. “Because one time when we went to get ice-cream, just me and Ally, she couldn’t decide on which flavor she wanted. She was on the verge of a meltdown, almost literally, and so I had to reassure her that she could try some samples before she made a scene. But she ended up trying every flavor, five times over, and we were there for hours. And then, on the way home, she threw up all over the car.”
Hailey laughs loudly, for too long, and I know she’s trying to make me feel better, “Well, you know you can get samples with frozen yogurt too, right?”
I nod, all too slowly, trying to collect my composure as we approach the start of my street, “Yeah, but she doesn’t.”
I think Hailey laughs again, but this time, I don’t hear her. I’m tugging on my bracelet, rubbing the string between my fingers, staring straight ahead as we inch closer to my house. The anticipation is almost unbearable.
And then, we get there.
I fumble with my wallet, hands sweaty, mind muddled, pulling out too much money but giving it straight over to the cab driver anyway. He doesn’t seem to notice as I shove on the door, throwing it open before stumbling along the sidewalk and up through the driveway, yanking my keys from my pocket. Hailey is close behind, following my every move.
My breathing grows heavy as I attempt to stick the key into its lock, trembling, teetering on the edge of delirium. It takes me an endless amount of tries before Hailey lays her hand on my arm and I pass them over, her calm fingers maneuvering her way through the door in a matter of seconds.
Grief-stricken, overflowing with hysteria, I step inside.
“Mom? Dad? Ally?” I shout into the kitchen, and almost immediately, I’m met with open arms.
____
AUTHORS NOTE: (SERIOUSLY, PLEASE READ IT THIS TIME)
Alright, end of chapter 31! I hope you guys liked it, sorry again for the wait- I’m a god awful updater, I know. But anyway, I have super exciting news.
March 30, 2015 will be MRSR’s two year anniversary! It’s absolutely insane to me that I’ve been writing this story for so long, and 31 chapters later, here we are.
So in celebration of the two year anniversary, I’m going to throw a little bit of a contest/ competition. (I know, right away you’re probably groaning, but I promise it will be great)
In this competition, there will be three separate categories. Music, art, and of course, writing. The contest will end on March 27th, so that I will be able to go through all the entries and announce the winners on the anniversary, March 30th.
There will be a first, second, and third place winner. The first place winner will get a new character in MRSR named after them (unless the name is already within the story, then you can pick a name), a chapter dedicated to them, and also get a follow from me.
The second place winner will receive a chapter dedicated to them, as well as a review from me on the first chapter of any of their stories (they can choose which one), as well as a follow.
The third place winner will get a chapter dedicated to them, and a review from me on the first chapter of any of their stories (once again, they can choose which one).
If any of these things sound interesting to you, read on for the instructions.
First, the music category:
-For the music category, I am asking you to compile a list of songs and make a playlist that, in your opinion, best reflects MRSR as a story. The playlist has to be relevant in theme, mood, or lyrics, as these are the three things I will focus on within your entry.
-OR, you can write a song. If you choose to do that, I will be judging how well you can encompass the story through lyrics and creativity.
-For the playlist, it has to be at minimum, 8 songs, and at maximum, can be twenty. Any playlists that are shorter than 8 songs, or longer than 20, will still be listened to, but will not receive any prizes.
-The playlist can be sent to me in a list of songs through messages on wattpad, or can be posted on websites like 8tracks or spotify, as long as you send me a link and I am actually able to play/listen to it. If I cannot, I will notify you right away. If you write a song, it also needs to be sent to me through messages.
-The playlist, if posted anywhere, needs to also be titled MRSR Playlist, so I can easily remember/ identify it as part of the competition.
Second, the art category:
-This category contains a slightly broader range of what you are able to do. For art, you can either: Create a cover or banner for MRSR, hand-draw or computer-draw a picture, paint, collage make, or do whatever you want to in terms of art that reflects MRSR in any way. For the drawings, you can recreate a favorite scene, etc. It’s all up to you.
-For this category, I will mainly be judging on creativity. I don’t care if your drawing skills aren’t amazing or if you don’t have the best photoshopping abilities- if thought is put into it, and I can really recognize the concept of what you created, I assure you, I will love it.
-If you contribute to the art category, take a picture, screenshot, or whatever needs to be done for me to see it, and make sure to send me the direct link through wattpad messaging. Also, write a brief description of your concept below the entry, just so I can understand your ideas better.
-And I know that some of you like to use the characters I imagine for the cast in your creations, so here you go. (But remember this is not necessary in any way) Hailey is Phoebe Tonkin, Drew is Drew Roy, Odie is Robert De Niro, and Millie is Dianna Agron.
Lastly, the writing category:
-For this category, I’m going to be more specific. Meaning, there is going to be some prompts, and you can choose which one you write about. I will still be judging on creativity, but now I will also be focusing on how true you are able to represent the characters (ex: If Hailey is suddenly a murderer who is spying on Drew, your entry will not be considered)
-The story is a one-shot, meaning that you have to be able to write it in one chapter. The chapter length needs to be in-between two pages to ten, but please, no longer than that.
-If you choose to submit an entry into the writing category, make sure it is posted on wattpad, and you send me a link to the story through messages, once again.
-Here are the prompts you can choose from:
-Rewrite a chapter that has already been written, changing it to play out how you would like. (Please, for everyone’s sake, keep it decently appropriate. If you don’t, your entry will not be considered.)
-Rewrite a chapter that has already been written from the opposite point of view. So, if its in Hailey’s, write it from Drew’s, and vice-versa.
-Write a chapter about Hailey’s life before the story began, aka, while she was still in highschool, or any time before that. You can also do this with Drew’s life, Millie’s life, or even Odie’s. Any character you want.
Okay everyone, that's all! COMMENT DOWN BELOW IF YOU ARE THINKING OF TAKING PART IN THIS COMPETITION, AND WHAT CATEGORY YOU ARE CONSIDERING.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me, and also make sure to submit your entries through messages (send me a link, etc.), and if you are writing a one shot, also post it onto wattpad before sending me the link. The contest ends on March 27th, three days before the winners will be announced on March 30th, the two year anniversary! YOU ARE LIMITED TO ONE ENTRY, SO CHOOSE WISELY.
Thank you all so much, I'm so excited to see what you guys can do! And please, don't be afraid to enter!
-Elizabeth