I NEEDED SOME FRESH AIR. I watched three movies while being cooped up in my room, and they were all strange. After watching The Killing of A Sacred Deer, I had to get reality back in my head, or I might start to think blood was coming out of my eyes.

          The apartment was quiet for a Saturday afternoon, which meant everyone was out and about. Well, Calum's absence was different. The only time I saw him for more than five minutes was at school, and he didn't seem well. His eyes were so red that I would've assumed he smoked a fat joint. But he still smiled and laughed like nothing was wrong.

          Valentine, on the other hand, had been absent like she dropped off the earth. She was nowhere to be found, and I assumed Calum knew why since he brought her all the work she was missing.

          I strolled the sidewalk, gazing around at the scenery. When Calum told us he had an uncle living in Arizona, we agreed on the place immediately. Little did we know that it was basically America's Outback, which made us feel a little at home. Living here for three years made me homesick, and I missed Mom and my siblings. Hopefully, they would be able to come to visit soon.

          "Ashton?"

          I looked up from my shoes and saw Dana standing there with grocery bags suffocating her arms. Dressed in a pink sweater and blue jeans with her nose slightly pink from the chill, she looked cute.

          Dana and I have had conversations before, more so since her partner in crime wasn't there in Culinary, so she asked me to fill the hole. This would be my first time speaking to her outside of school.

          "Hey, Dana," I said with a small smile. "What brings you here?"

          "Just a little shopping," she replied and lifted her skinny arms, which seemed like they were about to break from the amount of bags they held. "My dad wanted me to pick up some steak, and I kind of got carried away."

          I chuckled. "I can see that. Do you want some help?" I asked her. "I'm not really doing anything."

          "That would be great, thanks," she said as I took mainly the heavy bags from her arms. "You don't want to be that asshole that leaves a girl helpless, or I might just come back to haunt you if I got killed."

          I choked back a laugh. "I'll take your words to heart, thanks."

          As she led the way, she also carried the conversation. "So, are you going to Homecoming? It's only two weeks from now, and girls are being snatched so fast that it sounds like a crime."

          I sighed as I thought about it. "I'm thinking about not going, really. Dances aren't really my thing." And neither was looking lonely.

          "Aw, come on, Ashton. How are you ever going to get a girl with that attitude?" Dana said. "There are plenty of girls waiting to be asked...unless you already have someone in mind?"

          I didn't like her tone. It sounded like she knew something I didn't, which I didn't want to hear from a possibly insane person like Dana. But she did hit the bullseye; Valentine was the only person I wanted to go with, but she seemed like she was busy with other things right about now.

          "So, who's the lucky female?" Dana asked as we stopped at a crosswalk and waited for the red hand to change. She placed a free hand on her hip and smirked. "Oh wait, let me guess, it's Valentine, right?"

          I gave her a glance, biting back a smile. "And you assume this because?"

          "Because I see the way you look at her," she said. "You look at her like she's the sky, and whether you believe it or not, I'm one hundred percent sure she feels the same way. So, my question is, why do you guys think you're both looking at the ground?"

          I simply smiled, thinking back to when Valentine and I were alone in the apartment. "Dana, I think that we're both aware of our feelings. The problem is that the timing isn't right."

          "Then, make it right," she said. "Be a man and arrive at her doorstep. She's probably waiting for you right now. I could see it now—you are at her door, and she walks out dramatically. Then, you ask her the question, and she jumps in your arms, screaming, yes!"

          "First off, no," I told her, a laugh escaping from my lips, and she nudged me in my side. "Second, it would never go down like that."

          "I agree, that was too boring," she said. "How about this: you see each other and start making love right on the pavement."

          "What? Dana, no!" I turned to her as she shrugged. "What the hell is wrong with your mind?"

          "Eh, runs in the family."

          I shook my head in shame. "You need a therapist for whatever's goin' on up there."

          She laughed. "Okay, okay. No more sex jokes." She stopped in front of a large house that probably cost more than my life, taking the bags from my hands. "On another note, meet me at Starbucks tomorrow at five p.m. sharp."

          "Huh? Starbucks?"

          "Yes, I'm going to get you that date with Val," she said, raising an eyebrow.

          "Who are you? Cupid?"

          "Yes," she said. "And a very good one at that."

          I sighed but agreed anyways. "Fine, but why Starbucks? There's like three of them, and they're overrated."

          She rolled her eyes. "Meet me at the one next to Chick-Fil-A. Besides, my instincts are telling me that a special someone might show up along the way." She waved goodbye before shutting her door.

          Geez, she was like the male version of Calum, and I wasn't sure if that worried me or not.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

          Dana scolded at me when I arrived one minute late and then proceeded to tell me about how punctuality was vital. Everything she said went through one ear and out the other, and it wasn't until thirty minutes later when my ears finally decided to pay attention to the information coming out of her mouth. When I heard the word 'leave' escape her lips, my face fell in confusion.

          "You're leaving?" I asked as she started to pack up her things. "We didn't even talk about anything."

          "That's because my work here is done," she said. My mouth opened and closed like a fish, speechless. This girl was seriously weird. "Alright, see ya, Ashton, and good luck with Val. Don't screw it up." She dashed out the emergency exit, setting off the alarm for a couple of seconds.

          I swear Dana was a different breed.

          To get my mind back on track from whatever just happened, I finished the rest of my coffee. Turning to throw my cup away, I bumped into someone. Water spilled to the floor, and the person's deep inhale made my life flash before my eyes.

          "I am so sorry," I said, trying not to get murdered, but then I saw a familiar flash of rainbow hair.

          "It's no biggie, Ash," Valentine said, grabbing some napkins to wipe her shirt, but it wasn't working. "The water is just seriously cold."

          Ash. It sounded nice coming from her lips. "Sorry about your shirt," I said. "If you want, you can borrow my hoodie." It was chilly outside, and the cold and a wet shirt did not mix well. I didn't want her to catch a cold.

          "Um, yeah, I think I'll do that." I handed her my hoodie, and she pointed to the bathroom. "I'm gonna go change really fast."

          I wasn't sure if I was supposed to wait for her, or if she wanted me to stay, so I just rocked on my heels. What a coincidence that Valentine happened to be here. It made me believe Dana had superpowers. I wished my instincts worked like magic.

          When Val came back out, she smiled. "Thanks, it's super warm."

          "No problem," I said. "So, what brings you here?"

          She twisted a strand of her around her finger. "Well, Dana told me to meet her here five-thirty, but it looks like she isn't even here."

          I shook my head in shame when I realized what was happening. Instincts, my ass. Dana was a sneaky little devil.

          "Yeah, I have a feeling that Dana isn't going to show," I told Val with a sigh, and she looked at me, confused. "It's a long story." She just nodded slowly, and I noticed the dark circles underneath her eyes and how her brown eyes seemed to have lost their shine.

          "Do you want to sit outside?" she asked, and I nodded.

          After not seeing someone for a long time, you could easily spot the difference when you saw them again. Val's feet were dragging against the gravel, which wasn't like her, and she was so...distant. What the hell happened to her?

          Val took a seat on the bench, and I gave her some distance. It was going on six now, and the evening sky was starting to come out. It made me think of what Dana said yesterday. It was interesting how she compared my adoration of Val to sky-gazing.

          "So, were you headed somewhere?" Val spoke.

          The image of Dana running out the emergency exit flashed through my eyes. "Well, not really. I'd previously had coffee with this incredibly weird person I know." She forced out a small laugh. "So, what happened? No one's seen you for like two weeks."

          Without the shine in her eyes, they were dark. "Yeah," was all she said. I drummed on my lap, not knowing what to say.

          Suddenly, she leaned forward about to smack the pavement, but I held her up. "Whoa, you okay? She held onto my arm for support, and I became worried. "Do you need to go home?"

          "No!" she said, quickly shaking her head, just like last time when she didn't want to go home. She locked eyes with me, and I could practically see them swirling. Was she on drugs or something?

          "Val, I really think I should take you home," I told her.

          She gripped my arm tighter as she pulled me closer, resting her head against me. "Please," she whispered. "Please, don't take me back. I don't wanna go back. Mom. Calum. Arguments. Screaming. Crying. It's too much. Too much. Too much."

          I wrapped my arms around her for comfort. "Okay, okay, I won't take you back," I said. Moments like these made me clueless about what to do next. Valentine was obviously hurting on the inside, and going home wasn't going to make it any better. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, hoping that she would.

          Val didn't respond, and I sighed. "Look, I know we don't know each other that well, but you're worrying me right now, Val."

          She sat up and stared into my eyes, blinking slowly. "I was thinking about running away," she said after a few moments of silence. "My mom and Calum were asleep when Dana texted me, and so, I was going to run away after seeing her."

          "Don't you think you should go back?" I asked, and she looked at me like I was crazy.

          "Running away means not going back, Ashton," she said. "There's no reason for me to go back. I hate it there."

          "People worry, Val," I said. "And if I was in your mom's shoes, I wouldn't stop searching until I found you."

          She let out a tiny scoff. "As if. I bet she would celebrate with some alcohol."

          I didn't want to touch on that subject. "And Calum? I'm sure he would sell his soul to the Devil to try and find you." She looked down at the ground and swung her feet back and forth. I didn't know much about Calum and Val's relationship, but I could tell she had a soft spot for Calum.

          "That's why you keep running. No one will get you if you keep moving," she said softly, and then her eyes traveled up, meeting mine. "But, unexpectedly, you found me, Ashton. And for some reason, I didn't want to run. You're a good person, Ashton, and I never want to run from you."

          Looking in her eyes, I wondered if the universe fought for people to connect. Coincidences were a mere act of whatever the hell the sky was trying to prove, and all I knew was it lit up my soul.

          I cracked a small smile. "Glad to know that I'm your safe haven."

          We sat in comfortable silence until, sooner or later, she collapsed on my shoulder. I assumed that she lacked sleep, so I didn't bother to wake her. Although she requested me to not take her home, I knew it was where she needed to be.

          Calum answered the door, rubbing his eyes. "How can I...Ashton?" He looked at the unconscious girl in my arms and immediately woke up. "Val? Wait, I'm confused."

          "It's a long story, and I'd rather keep it to myself," I told him. My conversation with Val seemed personal, not only for her but for me too. It was a keepsake in my memories.

          "I'm still so very confused," Calum said. "I gave her a sleeping pill. How did she manage to stay awake?"

          I shrugged. "Don't ask me. I'm just the messenger."

          "And, your message is?"

          I looked right into his eyes. "I'm pretty sure that you've already been doing this, but I mean this from the depth of my soul. Take care of her, Calum, okay?"

          He gave me a questioning look, and I returned it with a tired smile. I knew he was curious about what had happened, but curiosity would drive him to take my words seriously. So, with that, I turned on my heel and, for once, left Calum frozen in wonder.

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Hey guys! My back huuuuuurts from leaning over this laptop for seven hours straight. And my gum has been stale for about three hours now and I'm still obnoxiously chewing at 5 a.m.

Oh and btw, that movie Ashton was watching is a real movie. It's called The Killing of A Sacred Deer, and yes the guy actually does look a little like Calum, in my opinion. And if you watched Dunkirk, he was in there too, as Thomas, I think his name was. He isn't cute though, but when I first saw him, I was like 'omg Calum?'" Maybe it's just me though lol.

But, it's a really great movie, and you guys should watch it. It's weird though.

Sooooo, next chapter is going to be a chapter with characters in it and they're going to talk about some stuff. Hope that gets you litty.

ANyways, crawl into the ocean before it melts...what? I don't know.

Peace out, my dudes!