• Chapter Three •

Ariel
•Two Years Ago•

I shut the door to the library and locked it as the midnight crickets sang along to each other's songs. The street lamp was the only thing that lit up the area, the stars twinkling behind the overcast sky. It was the time of year that the weather was bipolar—never quite knowing whether it would be decently warm that day, or threatening to snow later that evening.

With the wind nipping at my exposed skin, I hurried to pull my coat tighter around my body, then I stepped away from the door to head towards home. I would've called one of my brothers to come pick me up, but I didn't want to wake them. Usually, they wouldn't hesitate to come get me, but I didn't want to bother them since they just had a rough night at practice—or so my oldest brother, Brody, had told me through text earlier that day. We're all very close, and I try not to be too much of a bother when asking for rides home since we all have to share our vehicle.

The cold air penetrated deeper into my skin, which broke me away from my thoughts. A chill settled over my skin, and my coat provided me no help at all against the biting air. I probably should've invested in a better jacket. My phone rang in my pocket, causing me to jump at the sudden sound. I hurriedly pulled it out to look at the caller I.D. Stan. My heart started beating faster and a smile crept across my lips.

I quickly answered, my heart beat thundering as a breathless, "Hey, Stan," escaped my lips. I heard his soft chuckles on the other side of the line.

"Hey, babe. Where you at? I just got your text saying your shift is over." I glanced up at the street sign I was at.

"Laurence Street." I checked both ways before I crossed the street, even though it was basically dead outside at that time of night. Better safe than sorry, right?

"Okay, I'll come pick you up! We could just drive around town for a little bit, get to talk?" He asked softly, shyly even. My heart fluttered a bit, but then the feeling died down as I thought about it further.

"Oh, Stan. Um, I don't think my mom would be okay with that, it's awfully late." I bit my lip, nervously hoping he wouldn't get upset. We hadn't been able to hang out for a while because of work getting in the way, so I hated the thought of disappointing him again.

"Oh, c'mon, babe! Have you even tried asking?" I continued to chew on my lip and consider his words. How bad could it be?

"Uh, yeah, you're right." I stuffed my hand into my pocket in a struggle to regain some feeling in my fingers, then took a seat on the bench beside the road sign.

"Okay, hold on." I lowered my phone and shot a text to my mom, asking for permission. She replied quickly, telling me it was fine and to just be home within the hour. Excitement crawled its way up my chest, stomping out any doubts I may have previously had. "She said she is fine with it!"

"Okay! I'll be there in a few. Stay where you are." He sounded so excited, so happy to see me. In the background I could hear his old, beat-up truck struggle to start. I giggled softly and nodded, then quickly realized he couldn't see me.

"Okay, see you soon." He hung up without a goodbye, leaving me to sit in the dark in silence. After I set my phone down onto my lap with a goofy smile plastered across my face, my stomach twisted with anticipation. About five minutes later, Stan's rickety truck pulled up along the curb. He poked his head through the window with a large grin dominating his features.

Stan had always been quite the eyecatcher. In school the girls would whisper and stare as he walked down the halls, myself included, but he would pay them no mind. The popular girls asked him out constantly, but he would always turn them down. He was popular within all the different social groups, without really fitting into one of his own. He gave off the typical "bad boy" vibes, but he never quite fit into those shoes either.

That's what drew me to him initially. He was modest and kind. He was humble about his success in school and even about his looks. He had a jawline sharp enough to cut steel, covered with just enough stubble that it didn't look messy, but rather attractive.

Standing at 6'1" and fit, he looked as if he belonged on the football team. But he would much rather spend his time trying to fix vehicles, since he's into mechanics, and he wore the part, too. He was constantly coming to school with grease-stained jeans, a black tee, and a black ball cap to hide his unruly black hair. He had all the girls' attention.

He seemed more interested in a quiet life, rather than hanging out with the preppy girls that largely dominated his following. When he started showing an interest in me, I was shocked to say the least. The loner, quiet, reserved girl and the popular, handsome, jock guy? Seemed all too cliché, but it worked for us.

He got out and walked over to me, a smile on his lips at the sight of me. "Hey, you." He put his hands out as a request for mine, then gently took my hands and pulled me up from the bench.

I smiled up at him and said a soft, "Hey," in response. Pulling on my hands, he led me back to his truck and opened the door for me. His hands felt so warm in mine, and I couldn't help but feel so safe and special as he led me to his truck. He grinned up at me happily as he helped me in and gently shut the door.

Walking over to his side, he jumped in as well and started the ignition. His radio played some random rap music that I was unfamiliar with, simply because it wasn't what I was into.
To be honest, I never really liked his taste in music, but I never said anything. I wanted to impress him by liking the things he liked. So I nodded along to the beat and continued to stare out the window, gently resting my head back against the seat and watching the street lights pass by whilst tuning out the lyrics.
We had met in the hallway of our high school, running into each other as we were on our way to class. He was going to math and I was going to science. We bumped shoulders and my books went flying to the floor.

"I am so sorry!" He had exclaimed, his face burning red with embarrassment and shock evident on his features.

"It's okay," I had quietly reassured him, my own cheeks heating red with embarrassment, "I wasn't watching where I was going..." I had trailed off, my eyes drifting down to the last book in my hand.

I have since learned not to read and walk at the same time. His eyes followed mine, and he began smiling once he saw what I had.
He made a nod toward the book in question, "Emily Dickinson—one for classic literature, huh?" I was surprised he had recognized the cover.

"Yeah, uh..." My voice began to shake as I was trying to speak. My nerves were going haywire. "I really enjoy reading her take of what was going on during her timeline."

"It's almost like being transported back in time, isn't it?" He stared so deeply into my eyes in that moment, I remember it had felt like he was looking right through me, exploring every inch of my mind and soul as if he had been there before.

Familiar is what I felt. A sense of...bonding. I stared back at him and just blinked, my mind at a loss for words. And he just stared back, too; both of us silent as we came to an understanding between one another.

"Do you want to go out for coffee after school, to just hang out or something?" I couldn't believe it—Stan asked me, the shy, quiet girl, to hang out. My mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish as my mind struggled to find words to say.

"I— I mean coffee would taste grand, er yeah—yes! Yes. I would love that." I tripped over my wording as my eyes dropped to the floor to avoid looking at him after royally embarrassing myself like that.

"Great! I would uh—" He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, his eyes lit up like the sun but shifting off to the side as a way to avoid my gaze as well. He chuckled softly then cleared his throat, straightening his stance to appear more confident. "I would enjoy that, too."
"What're you over there thinking about, Elle?" His voice startled me from my daydreaming, bringing me back to the present. I glanced over to see him turned towards me, then took a look around to notice that we were parked in a fairly wooded area.

"Where are we?" An uneasy feeling clawed its way through my chest. The trees loomed over the little clearing, giving it an ominous feeling as to what could have been lurking in the shadows. Their branches swayed and groaned as the wind whipped around them. Snowflakes swarmed the air like little tornadoes blowing through the clearing. The light from the truck was the only thing illuminating the night, the sky blackened from the storm clouds rolling across it and covering the moon and its vibrant light. I then noticed that the headlights were shining onto a small building; an old hunting cabin, from the looks of it.

"We're at my dad's hunting cabin! I thought I'd show it to you because I have this idea of us going camping in the summer." He had a small, shy smile on his lips, and his eyes were full of hope as he waited for my answer. I glanced back at the little cabin, imagining us there in the summer; spending time in the cabin, alone. I imagined getting to explore the forest and enjoy nature, or relax by a nice fire as the night came to an end.

All of these things made me excited about the idea, imploring me to respond with a happy, "Yeah, I think that would be a great idea."
"Any day spent with you is a great idea." He smiled over at me, our eyes locking. My heart skipped a beat at his words. I was totally awestruck by the man in front of me. His eyes dropped down to my lips, then quickly flipped back up to mine.

Slowly, we both started to lean in, until finally our lips connected. His kisses were rough and heavy. I never knew how to handle them, since I was so inexperienced. Despite that, I always tried my best, and he didn't seem to mind one bit. So as our time together slowly ran out, we spent the rest of it just sitting in his truck; close together, with thoughts of what was to come in the future.

~•~

• Author's Note. •

Updated note!

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Song added: Breathe
By: Fleurie ❤️

Eeeeepppp!! Yesterday two of my cats (who had gone missing for three days!) finally came home to me ❤️😭 They were so happy to be home too, my one kitty named Ace gobbled down so much food 😂😂😂 And the other, whose name is Bear, cuddled with me for a few hours, eeeeepppp!!! 😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️

AND THAT SUPERNATURAL SEASON 13 PREMIERE LAST NIGHT HO MAH GOSH - WHO'S WITH ME?!?!

http://25.media.tumblr.com/cc198ec24394d87420ba3ce3bf01cfad/tumblr_mgn4kybxS41qd1kvjo1_500.gif

I hope y'all have a wonderful week - I just sneezed and it felt like my rib popped out - end! ❤️❤️ (Yes that is Ian blowing you a kiss and yes you did need that in your life ❤️)

Don't forget to Vote, Comment, Share, and Follow me! 😘❤️
              
Much Love,
~Molly

Written 10/14/2016