Thinking of You

Arianne’s Perspective

The next few days were difficult. I cried most of the time, watched a lot of chick flicks, and ate way too much ice cream, but at least I finally got my cast off my arm. Cora offered to let me stay with her, and I took her up on it.

“I hate seeing you like this,” she commented one day when she came home from work.

“I know, but it’s my fault,” I choked.

She sat down on the couch next to me.

“Don’t say that. He’s the one that never called. You didn’t have to stand for that,” she said softly.

“I know, but I should have been able to!” I protested.

“You shouldn’t have had to.”

I sighed.

“You’re right. What do I do?” I asked helplessly.

“Well, when does he come back to Maryland?” She asked.

“May third. And then they’re home until June eleventh.”

“That’s not bad.” She nodded.

“Cora, what am I supposed to do!” I wailed.

“Just wait for him to come home and sort things out then. It’ll be much easier when you guys are in the same state again. Did he invite you to the hometown show?” She asked.

“Yeah. He gave me two backstage passes, one for me and one for you. But I don’t know if I should go.” I sighed.

“Of course you should! You have to!” She insisted.

“I don’t know what I’d say to him if I ever saw him again.”

“You could start with ‘I’m sorry’?”

“Gee, Cor. Who’s side are you on?”
“Yours, always. But think about it, Ari. The poor boy probably gets that a lot from girls. Either that or they probably just cheat on him.”

I sighed.

“You’re right, Cora. I’ll go to the show and I’ll talk to him.”

“That’s my little sis!”

--

The next month passed in a blur, and finally, it was time to go to the show. Zack had told me long ago how to cut the line, flash my backstage pass to the guys at the door, and get into the venue, so Cora and I did that.

“This is so exciting! We’re going to be backstage at an All Time Low show!” Cora enthused.

I didn’t respond. My stomach was so full of butterflies that if I opened my mouth to speak, I was sure I would puke. My mind kept playing the different scenarios, all of the ways that tonight could go.

But none of them went quite like what actually happened. As we got within sight of the guys, I saw Zack hugging a girl. From what I could see, she was a petite brunette, bronzed tan.

“That asshole,” Cora muttered and led me away as tears started to obscure my vision.

--

The next day, I packed up the remnants of our relationship in a cardboard box. His sweatshirt, mix CD’s he’d made me, one of the roses from the bouquet he’d brought me that I’d pressed in my journal, a copy of his favorite book, a bunch of photographs he’d taken which were held together by a rubber band.

And a note that I wrote him, which I put on top.

I loaded the box into my car and drove to Alex’s house, since I didn’t know where Zack lived. I knocked on the door and Alex answered, wearing an apron over his v-neck and basketball shorts and an oven mitt on his left hand. His hair was speckled with flour.

“Hey Arianne, what’s up?” He asked, but I kept scrutinizing his appearance. “Oh, right! Lisa and I were baking,” he explained.

I nodded.

“I um, this is Zack’s stuff...I didn’t know where he lived, so I was hoping….” I said slowly, chewing on my lower lip.

“Oh yeah, you guys broke up.” He gave me a sympathetic look. “I can drop this off at his place?” Alex offered.

“Would you?”

“Of course.” Alex smiled at me.

“Thanks, Alex.” I hugged him with one arm.

“No problem, Arianne.”

Notes

Title: It's Time, Imagine Dragons

:( I seriously love Alex in this story. He's so nice!

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Hayley