Hello! This is a book where I will be doing challenges. This was a challenge by youngwriter1235. This is a fall prompt short story. All characters are my own, if the name resembles a character, it was unintentional. Hope you guys like it!

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The red of the leaves littered the streets, like burning rain. The breeze whistled through. Everyone was busy getting ready for the next big event, Halloween. The kids of Oak Ridge High School, were excited for the Halloween dance. It was an Oak Ridge tradition, that's been going on for 30 years. It's around this time where I, the author, must introduce you to our main character. Evangeline.

Evangeline was walking though the park. This has always been one of her favourite activities. As she walked, she thought about the world, how messed up it can be sometimes, and yet, she's grateful for all the amazing moments life has given her. However, the bad out balanced the good. Then she placed 'The Spot'. The dreaded place that changed her life.

Two years ago, on October 16th, fourteen year old Evangeline, never would've imagined her life will change so quickly. She could still, after two years, see the lights blinding her, the sounds of her screams and the sounds of her brother, jumping forward in order to save her. She never forgave herself. Due to her foolishness, she lost one of the only friends she had left. One of the only friends who stuck with her no matter what. Because of her, Ethan, her older brother, was in a grave.

As she walked down the park, she tried to shake away those memories, however, those memories brought new, different ones to her mind. She had no more friends in the world, her parents barely knew her, she didn't feel like dating anyone after the last time. She felt so different and hollow inside, it hurts her both physically and mentally.

She decided to focus on something a lot more positive. The dance. She might not have a date and she most likely will be called a freak, but the dance was one of her favourite things at Oak Ridge, and she didn't have that many good days. The dance was her way of escaping reality, being in a completely different, new skin, and not having to fully worry about what others think of her.

For the longest time, her brother and her would also dress in pairs. Like three years ago when Ethan dressed up as a pirate and she dressed as his first mate. Now, she has to dress up alone. While lost in her train of thought, she fell over a tree root and cursed loudly.

She walked to her favourite place in the whole park, a small area where Ethan held her 13th birthday, the last birthday she celebrated with him. She looked around and started cursing, not to anyone or anything, but to the world....To all the pain and tears she shed....All the friends she lost....All the times her heart shattered into a millions pieces, each time even more painful than the next.

Once she did this for a while, she collapsed to the ground and started sobbing her eyes outs. She hoped that no one heard her or came to the area where she was. She cried till no more tears would come out. She heard someone gasp behind her, but she couldn't tell who it was. She felt faint. Everything was going dark. Before she blanked, she felt someone carry her and helped her sit.
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After a while, Evangeline felt her eyes force themselves open. "Where am I?" She whispered. "Shhh. You need to rest." A male voice said. Evangeline could faintly recognise it. She didn't know how though. She strained herself up and looked around. She was still in the park, but she was now sitting on a bench. Her eyes met another's and she found herself staring at a pair of familiar brown eyes.

"Mathais." she said, her tone unsure of whether to be happy or scream at him. "Hey, Angie. Glad to see your awake." He said shyly, raising his hand to the back of his neck. "Don't you Angie me! You jerk!" She yelled. He winced at her. "I made a mistake. It was years ago, and you still hate me for it?" He asked. She glared at him. Years ago! She couldn't believe her ears. He had no idea how much that break up ruined her. Ethan's death was just icing on the cake, the poisonous cake.

"You're kidding right? You confess your love to me when we were 13, we started dating which mind you, 13 years old shouldn't do, and then you break up with me a few months before I lost pretty much the only friend I ever had!" She didn't mean to, but she yelled out these words and crumpled into his arms, crying like there was no tomorrow.

"Look, I'm really sorry Ang- Evangeline. But it was hard on me too! I made so many mistakes and I lost my first friends. You may not think it but Ethan's death affected me too." He said, hugging her in his arm, glad he could finally tell her this and get it off his chest. She looked up, tear marks scaring her face temporarily. She didn't know why, but she smiled.

"You know that's all I wanted you to say."
"Wha- I don't get it."
"That it hurt you too. You acted like you didn't care. As if you breaking up with me for a freaky cheerleader was the best thing in your life."

Mathais was listening up till the last point. He got up suddenly, almost forgetting Evangeline was on his lap. He was so bewildered that he didn't know what to say. "What do you mean 'dumped you for a cheerleader'? I did no such thing!" It was Evangeline's turn to look confused. "What about Ashley?" She asked. She remembered the rumours and he was cheating on her with Ashley. When she asked him, he laughed it off but it wasn't confirmed. After the break up, she heard the news. 'High school football captain, Mathais dating Ashley Bennett, high school's best cheerleader.'

"I hate Ashley. The amount of times that girl has asked me out is more than both our parents ages combined." Mathais laughed. Evangeline squinted her eyes, "But the rumours-?" "Are 100% fake. I never dated anyone after our break-up. I mean yeah, I went on like two dates, but I rejected them." He finished. She smiled in relief. They started talking, about everything. She forgot how easy it was to talk to Mathais. He listens and knows when to start and when she finished a sentence.
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Before she knew it, hours had gone by and it was dark. "Shouldn't you be getting back home? Your parent-" he didn't finish his sentence. By the look on her face, Mathais knew. "They still ignore you huh? Well, you're going home, crazy family or not. Come on." Evangeline tried to protest, but it was all in vain. When Mathais wants something, he gets it.

She started walking beside him. "Why?" He asked. She didn't wait to hear if there was more. "I feel different. After the break up, you went through so much, and all I felt was dislike and hate. But now, I feel like all that has changed, like your different. Besides, I can't not like you forever, we've been friends since we wore diapers. You, young man, hold way too many of my secrets." She laughed. He laughed with her and gave her a side hug as they walked.

They walked like this their whole way back to Evangeline's house. I'm happy to report that they have officially gotten back together and went to the Halloween dance together as well. Evangeline never forgot her brother, but now, Fall had a new meaning, the time she got back together with her best friend.
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That's the story. Hope you guys liked it. And Liz, I don't think I'll be able to do the good deed story, so I'm forfeiting from that one. Also please excuse any minor spelling and grammar errors as I'm posting this at around 12 am. So I might have missed a few mistakes. Thank you and as always, See ya later readers!