Chapter 1

Chris missed her. He couldn't get her out of his mind.

It was dark and cloudy, and Chris was trying to study for his computer programming class. Rain seemed almost certain to happen, yet Chris didn't have the energy to get up from the table he was sitting at.

When he got there, he was ready to study on his computer for an upcoming exam, but nearly ten minutes later his mind started drifting off. The first thought of her came to him when he noticed two girls walking out of the dining hall. One of the girls was wearing a striped beanie, while the other one was sporting finger-less gloves.

"What a coincidence," Chris thought, remembering that horrible night up on that mountain. He flashed back to when he first saw her that night, when they had arrived at the Washington's lodge. He vividly remembered how cute she looked with those purple and pink gloves, her signature beanie atop her auburn hair. Chris smiled at that thought, but was quickly disheartened. He hadn't seen her ever since they were brought home from the hospital; the one all seven of them were admitted to after the police interviews.

It had been a few months since then, most of their friends gaining the strength to go back to college. Chris had even seen Mike, Matt, and Sam around campus, occasionally having one-sided conversations with them. Sam had been the one Chris has been talking to the most lately, saying how everything might turn out okay. Sam was a great friend, obviously concerned about the rest of the group. She even started to notice how Chris would get quiet every time they talked about their friends who they have yet to see back in school. She'd ask if he was okay, but Chris would just pretend that it's nothing and put on a forced smile. Talking with Sam was fine with him, but Chris yearned for something else.

Chris wanted to be with Ashley.

He missed being around her, having someone he could really talk to. Someone who can handle his nerdy sense of humor, along with the thousands of dad jokes at his disposal. Someone who he loved.

Chris started to feel drops of water falling from the sky, snapping him out of his thoughts. Some droplets were creating dots on his computer screen. With a sigh, Chris hastily put all of his stuff into his bag and ran for the dining hall.

"Great, where am I going to study now?" Chris considered all possible places on campus he could resume his studies.

His dorm was all the way across campus from the dining hall, and Chris didn't feel like having to walk that distance. The dining hall itself would be too distracting for Chris, the scents and aromas would only make him focus on food rather than programming. There was one spot on campus that would be perfect for studying, but Chris's mind wandered off again, thinking of Ashley.

The library would serve Chris an ideal place to prep for his exam, being both quiet and not so crowded. However, the library was where he usually had study sessions with Ashley. They would sit at the table closest to one of the corners of the room, giggling and smiling in each others content. Despite looking like they weren't getting anything done, Chris thought these daily meet-ups really helped both of them. Ashley was amazing in English, and she would help Chris with writing essays or whatever it was that he was having trouble with. Chris, in return, would help Ashley with her computer science class, having already know some of the content she would be learning. Sometimes, they would touch shoulders when Ashley needed to see what Chris was typing on his laptop. It was moments like those where Chris would start to turn a bright shade of red, facing the opposite direction so that Ashley wouldn't be able to see. When he would turn back, Chris would notice that she was blushing, too. Albeit slightly, but she definitely seemed like she started to heat up when they would get this close.

Chris wanted to relive those moments, wishing he just go back in time, before that night on the mountain, before the prank on Hannah. All Chris wanted was to be with Ashley again. He wanted to be able to hold her tight, care for her, and say that everything's going to be okay with them.

Chris could feel a tear coming out of his eye, causing him to promptly leave the dining hall and head for the library. A part of him hoped that Ashley would be there, face buried in a book, completely engrossed in whatever story she was reading. That he would be able to walk in and immediately sit next to her so that they could have a conversation. A conversation that Chris could cherish for as long as he can.

"I miss you Ashley. I really miss you."