Chapter 16 | If You Need A Friend

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

I slept on Kale's cold hard floor in front of the fireplace, and as my eyes slowly peeled open my body shivered from the chill in the room. The fire had blown out overnight and since the air conditioner in the house was on it was cold in here.

I squeezed my eyes shut trying to hold back my tears because every time I woke up my thoughts go right to them. I felt like I was drowning in my pain and sadness. No matter how violently I tried to push myself to the surface I just kept sinking further down into the darkness that was them.

That's how this depression felt. But I had no one to save me. No one to pull me out so I could breathe again.

This house wasn't as beautiful as it once was.
It use to shine with elegance and beauty but now it was just dark and gloomy since they left.

As I laid on the hard floor my thoughts went to my friends. I think it's been long enough that I have been away because I was craving human interaction. I need to talk to someone else besides myself and screaming at the house. I do not want to continue to live like this but I'm not sure what to do. I don't wanna pretend to be happy when I am not happy. I don't wanna smile and act like everything's okay inside to my friends when I know I feel like a fire is burning in the pit of my stomach.

I wanna be intensely, genuinely happy. I wanna smile and know that I don't have any worries, so to do that I simply have to completely let Kale and Kingsley go. And I don't know if I want to do that, I don't know if I can do that when we are Mates, bonded for life.

I fell in love with them. They changed my life, they  were everything to me. They are everything that I ever wanted.

I finally decided to stand up from the floor and go freshen up. I walked out of Kale's room and glanced around the long hallway. I peered over the railing that hovered over the stairs. Flashbacks of Kingsley walking out the door made me walk faster to my bedroom. I shook my head and put my cell phone on the charger. I decided to shower and wash my hair. Continue to take care of my body. I should of never stopped.

I shaved, washed my hair and felt a little lighter inside just by cleaning myself. My room was still a mess so i chose to pick out some grey Nike shorts and a shirt and went to the kitchen to try to eat something.

I made a scrambled egg, sliced a banana for a side and poured orange juice in a glass. I sat at the marble island and scrolled through my missed phone calls. I wasn't surprised to see Ashton, Taylor, Grace and Collin's names over and over. It felt good inside knowing that they all cared so much about me. I felt so lucky to have them, I came to that school and they excepted me with open arms as their friend.

I saw that I had a voice mail but I wasn't gonna check that yet so then I went to my text messages.

I had unread group messages, and tons of texts from all of them. A deep sigh left my lips as I tiled my head back to look at the ceiling. I missed them dearly, but I don't think I was ready to face them yet. Certainly they were gonna ask me questions about where I've been and why I haven't been in touch since school, I do not know what Im gonna say to them.

I have missed an entire month of school and even though summer was approaching in a few more weeks I wondered if I was even going to pass my grade.

After minutes of contemplating calling my friends I hurriedly went to Taylor's text messages and opened them. I typed out my message and took another deep breath. It was time to talk, my friends were the best thing out of this entire situation. I owed them answers, they might not get the full truth but I had to tell them something.

I had to be sitting in my thoughts for a while now because I now heard knocking echoing throughout  the house. I turned from the chair and stood on my feet, my knees started to feel weak on my way to the door. I swallowed back my fear and continued forward down the hall until I was staring at the front door.

What was I going to say? What were they going to say? Were they going to be mad at me? Certainly they would. I couldn't imagine in this situation the girls would come over and act nonchalant over me disappearing for a month. I turned the door knob and rolled my lips into my mouth as I came face to face with Taylor and Grace.

I gasped as Grace came forward wrapping her arms around my waist, squeezing me into a hug. My arms clung to her as well, I let my head fall on her shoulder while releasing deep breaths. I felt my emotions come to its boiling point as she hugged me.
Taylor joined in on the hug, putting one arm on my back and her other arm on Grace's. Her head rest on my should and the only sound was my heavy breathing, I wanted to cry so bad but I held it in. I guess this was there way of telling me they understand, even if they didn't know what happened they were here for me.

We went to the living room in silence. They followed behind me quietly and I felt nervous. Of course it felt like we've been best friends forever but this was still weird to tell them what's been going on. I was relieved that they didn't bombard me with questions though, it's like they knew I had to be going through something and a hug is exactly what I needed.

Taylor and Grace sat on the couch next to each other so I decided to sit on top of the long coffee table in front of them. I was front and center preparing to explain what's been going on. They both acted so understanding already and I guess they were just that much of good friends to know when someone in my situation just needed love. So that's what they gave me.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want too." Taylor rushed out as she sat forward.
"Whatever it is, just let us help you get through it. Don't sit here in this house all alone like this." Her concerned eyes glanced around the semi dark house with only a few rays of sunshine peeking through from the windows.

"How did you know I was here alone?" I asked.

Grace and I both looked at Taylor. Taylor's answer was quick as she pointed toward the front door.
"No cars outside." She shrugged. I nodded and hugged my body as my thoughts went to Kale and Kingsley. "Well." My low voice started. "Uh my brother's who you guys met at the movies?" I raised my brows to make sure they remembered and they both nodded. "They decided to move back home out of state." My eyes trailed toward the ceiling because I felt my tears filling my eyes as I spoke about them.
"They didn't want to live here with me anymore and they left me the house to look after by myself. Since my mom's side of the family lives nearby they will be checking on me from time to time but since I'm 18 now I'm basically on my own." I blinked back my tears and released the breath I was holding.

Even though I poked some holes in the truth I still told them the bigger picture. Kingsley and Kale left me. I noticed the girls never asked about my parents and they never asked why did I live with my brother's. Im sure they were curious because my situation was so out of the ordinary. All of them lived with there parents except me.

When I finally looked and Grace and Taylor again they looked so sad while never taking their eyes off of me. Grace's brow's creased as she switched her position on the couch, folding one leg under her butt. "Wait so your saying out of the blue they just up and decided to leave you here?" She questioned.

I nodded and Taylor began to look pissed.
"Um that doesn't make any sense at all and that it's very weird." She shook her head and I swallowed. If only they knew the truth, I wonder if they would even still be friends with me anymore.

"Well how long can you live here for? Are they just giving you the house?" Grace curiously asked.
"Good question." I responded. "But I have no idea, I don't even know when I'll hear from them again."
I dropped my hands from my sides and rubbed them on my shorts. My hands were hot from overthinking and being so nervous. I didn't want to say too much that I ended up saying the wrong thing like blurting out how Kingsley can turn into a dog and Kale can kill all of us under a second with his teeth.

I was genuinely curious about when I would hear from them again and if I would at all.

"Wow." Taylor sighs. "Yep." I awkwardly say.
"My immediate reaction to them leaving was depression. I had grown so close to them these past few months you know? You would think they would have some kind of plan of including me with them instead of just leaving." I explained and they both nodded.

"I want to stay here with you as long as you
need." Grace puts her hand on my knee as she leans forward. "Your our best friend, we can't let you go through anything alone." She assures me. I smile lightly and place my hand on top of hers.
"I love you guys." I admitted.

"Awwwwwww." Taylor's loud voice sounded around us as they both jumped from the couch to squeeze me into a hug again. "We love you too." Grace's small voice laughed as we hugged each other.
"Oh and happy belated birthday!" She added after hugging me.

"Yeah you literally spent it in here alone in the dark, that isn't right." Taylor said. I nodded.

"We need to fix that." She tells me sternly.

"Oh and Ashton wants to see you so bad." Taylor adds and my interest peaked a little. She folded her arms as she talked. "He wanted to come see you but we told him that we needed some girl time first."

Grace laughed and rolls her eyes. "Yeah he's so obsessed." My jaw drops at her words while her and I both laugh. I guess he was really worried about me just like them.

Taylor pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and glanced at me. "It's him?" I smirked at her.
She smiled back and showed me the message.

'Please tell me she's alright.' It read.

Taylor stared at me for a few seconds, watching my reaction. "Should I tell him to come over?"

I thought about it. Since I knew Ashton had deeper feelings for me I don't think I was ready to be around him just yet. I knew he had nothing but great intentions for me but I just wanted the girls here for right now.

"Not yet." I smiled. "I just need more time with you two."

Taylor and Grace spent days at a time with me and would only leave for school and would come back soon it was over. They told their parents that a relative died in my family and that I needed to have my friends around me right now.

Which was part of the truth of course. Well actually it all felt true. Kale and Kingsley were dead to me.

You just don't do this to a person you know? Tell someone you love them then you leave them. Kingsley left with that scheming girl and Kale up and left with no explanation at all.

I think him leaving hurt the most because he left and never told me why. He just disappeared, following after his brother I guess.

As days went on I would smile and laugh but I was still hurting inside physically and mentally. Every time I thought about my mates I started to feel physically sick. My eyes would instantly fill with tears and my mind would race. The only time I felt a little better would be when I was in the company of of Taylor and Grace. They were my strength, my happiness was in there hands now. As long as I had them by my side maybe I would recover but who knows. I don't know how this mate stuff works when your separated for too long.

Grace woke up one night when I was crying. They fell asleep on the floor in my room, I begged them to sleep on my bed but they insisted that I sleep in my bed. I didn't want to wake them this particular night so I tip toed pass them in the dark and Grace found me on the kitchen floor in the dark hugging my knees and crying to myself.

"It's not your fault Ariel." She whispered while hugging me. "Some people just aren't meant to be in your life" she explained soothingly. "Sometimes people come into your life, and you learn something from them and then it's time for them to go, they were either a blessing or a lesson." She told me.

I smiled and hugged her. "I know for a fact that you are a blessing." I told her. She was a sweet little angel. Collin was crazy if he didn't take her serious.

"Thank you Ariel." Grace smiled.

"Come on." She stood and offered me her hand. "No guys are worth loosing sleep over, even if it's your step brothers. They'll regret leaving you soon enough but for now, we need our beauty rest."

I smiled and held her hand as we headed back to my room. She slept next to me in the bed and for the first time in a long time I smiled before falling into a deep slumber of sleep. I knew deep down in my heart that I was going to get better.

And these angels of mine were going help me.

Three days later after lots of in-door pool sessions and  jokes with laughter with my friends I figured it was time to see Collin and Ashton. I missed Collin's funny personality and I'd kill to see Ashton's killer smile and to hear his deep voice teasing me about something  he secretly liked about me. Not to mention how sweet he was, I was so excited to see them today. They said this dinner was going to be in honor of my birthday.

I also received a call back from our school's principal that I would be passing my 12th grade year I just had to take a few online courses to get some more credits. College was far from my mind right now because I had no idea what I wanted to do, I had no idea which direction I wanted my life to go in. Right now I was just focusing on my health and staying level headed. I knew if I had attended school through this I would burst out crying in the middle of my classes and I wouldn't be able to focus.

"So what are we gonna do about this room?" Taylor awkwardly asked as we all stood in the doorway staring at the mess I've made in my bedroom. They helped me clean a little here and there but we never did it fully.

"I don't know." I shrugged with my hand on my hip. I turned and faced them. "What do you think we should do?"

"Clean it." Grace exclaimed sarcastically.

"Oh no not today." I sighed. "Let's just get ready and go meet Ashton and Collin already."

Today was the day. It was the last day in July.
We were all dressing up and meeting Collin, Ashton and Ashton's parents downtown at a restaurant called elegance. I agreed to finally meet them.
I figured why not?

The key to moving on in life is facing the fact that you no longer need to stay in the position that you were in. It's best to have a support system like friends around you to get through tough times because it is hard to get over heartbreaks alone.

They helped me find my confidence in knowing  that Kingsley and Kale are stupid. Even though I was young compared to them and I had only half the idea of what it was like to be someone's girlfriend and freaking soulmate I still handled them the best way I could. I was physically affectionate toward them and I did my best to show them how I felt. If they both feel like they could leave and not even call to check on me, leave and not take me with them, then they obviously didn't care enough to do so. I deserved better, even if the universe gave them to me I was pressing the return to sender button.

I do know my worth and I know that I need to be loved the right way, not struggling to make a guy tell me he loves me, or wondering why someone told me they loved me and then left with no explanation.

I deserved so much more. I deserved to be told
"I love you" a millions times a day. I want a guy to show me off to the world and be able to kiss me in public instead of hiding it In our home because the world thinks we are brother and sister.

I want someone to take me out on a date and love me to pieces. I want the same love that I would give to someone else.

Even though my heart felt like it breaking more and more everyday I was trying to push through. I didn't want this to destroy me and I knew I needed to be loved the right way, or not be loved at all.

"Ariel are you almost ready?" A knock followed by Taylor's excited voice came through my bathroom door. The only room in my room that wasn't a complete mess.

"Yeah!" I called out while brushing my teeth.
"Okay because where leaving in 10 minutes!" She announced and walked away from the door. They cleaned my room for me while I got dressed.
I was so grateful.

I wasn't a tad bit ready though and hoped I could shower,  do my hair and choose clothes in under 10 minutes.

As I stared at myself in the mirror I saw my phone flash and vibrate on the sink. I grabbed it while still brushing my teeth and saw that I had a text from Ashton.

"Can't wait to see you."

I smiled and toothpaste fell out of my mouth.
"Shit." I mumbled.

"I heard that." Grace yelled.

-

-
Vote and comment loves 💜

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net