I Don't Mean to Be a Bother
A Reef and Fin Oneshot
He woke up from dreaming and put on his shoes.
Another dream about her, he groaned, and reluctantly put his bare feet on the cold, wood floor of his apartment. Twenty one year old Leslie 'Reef' Volotres promised himself he would find her if he dreamt of her again (and for good reason, every night for the past seven months his mind would drift out of conciousness and show him her beautiful face).
Started making his way past two in the morning, he hasn't been sober for days.
The scary thing was, he was afraid to sleep, or dream, really. He hated that for a split second, he would wake up thinking she were lying next to him, when in reality, they hadn't spoke in years.
Leaning now, into the breeze, Remembering Sunday, he falls to his knees.
They had breakfast together, but two eggs don't last like the feeling of what he needs.
He involentarily let himself remember the last time they saw each other. Years ago. He woke up to the sight of her blonde hair fanned across his pillow, her swollen lips slightly parted, and her body rising and falling in a slow, rhymic pattern. It was the most beautful image he'd ever seen in his life.
That's it, he was going to find her.
Right.
Now.
Now this place seems familiar to him.
She pulled on his hand with a devilish grin,
He was now stuck at a red light in the town she lived in, but it hit him that he had no idea what her address was. THIS might be a problem. But, he vaguely remembers seeing that old bowling alley and flower shop when he picked her up for prom a few years back.
She led him upstairs, she led him upstairs,
Left him dying to get in.
He had an idea, and once Reef had an idea, no matter how stupid, he would go through with it. Oh, Reefy. You're so romantic.
He knocked on the door of the first house he saw, took out his phone, and waited for an answer.
Forgive me, I'm trying to find, my calling I'm calling at night,
I don't mean to be a bother, but have you seen this girl?
A young girl, around seventeen answered the door. The caramel skinned girl had a weave in her hair, one hand on her hip, and looked at him expectantly.
"Sorry to bother you, but, have you seen this girl...?" Reef asked her awkwardly, showing the last picture of his beloved he had on his phone to her.
"Boy, why do you need to know?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
She's been running through my dreams,
It's driving me crazy, it seems.
I'm gonna ask her to marry me.
"I...I'm going to ask her to marry me." he said, flustered. The girl's expression softened.
"Sorry, baby, I haven't seen her in a long time. I remember seeing her a while back, though, if thats any help. I think she lived over that way."
The girl (who's name, Reef learned, was Sapphire.) pointed out the direction where she may live. Sapphire wished him good luck, and he was on his way again.
Even though she doesn't believe in love, he's determined to call her bluff,
Who could deny, these butterflies? They're filling his gut,
He way in the car again, almost shaking. This was insane; why in the world was he doing this? Well, duh, because he loved her. But... did she still love him? He remembers her saying she doesn't believe in love, only lust.
Waking the neighbours, unfamiliar faces,
He pleads and he tries,
but he's only denied.
He tried house after house, noone have seen her in a long time, but they were all polite. He went through almost every house in the neighbourhood, until there was one left.
Now he's dying to get inside.
He walked up to the house, knocking gently, and took a deep breath. The door was answered by a man a little older than him, with sandy hair, blue eyes and a prominant jaw.
Forgive me, I'm trying to find, my calling, I'm calling at night,
I don't mean to be a bother, but have you seen this girl?
"Yes?" the man asked, looking at Reef questioningly. He cleared his throat, and ask:
"Sorry for coming so late, but..." he said, pulling out his phone, "h-have you seen this girl?"
The mans eyes went wide, and he whimpered something.
She's been running through my dreams,
it's driving me crazy, it seems,
I'm gonna ask her to marry me.
At that, a girl came running to the man, and Reef was shocked. The girl had long, blonde hair and familiar purple-blue eyes. She immediately froze when she saw him.
The neighbours said she moved away, funny how it rained all day,
I didn't think much of it then but it's starting to all make sense,
"F-... Fin?" he asked, his breath caught in his throat.
The girl, not taking her eyes off him, shook her head solemnly. "My name is Sam..." she trailed off.
"Where's Fin..?" he asked, a bit relieved he found her house, but the family's expressions were making him uneasy.
"Fin... Fin McCloud killed herself three years ago."
Reef's relief quickly vanished, replaced with rapid breathing and praying to whatever higher power there was that this was a sick joke. Fin... Fin can't be...
"Reef..." Sam sighed, blinking a few times,"She left something for you, if you're interested."
He looked at her with pleading eyes, and she understood, leading him down the hall.
I can see now, that all of these clouds,
are following me in my desperate endeavor,
to find my whoever, whoever she may be...
They came upon a room, painted purple and gold, with posters of outdated bands and pictures. One picture caught his eye while Sam was looking for something. It was a picture of Fin, her blonde hair longer than it was when he saw her last, eyes sparkling, and a beautiful smile on her face.
"You can keep that, if you want," a small voice from behind him said, "It was taken only a day before she..."
At that, Reef's eyes became wet, and he had the urge to punch something. How could she look so blissful and happy, knowing she were to die in 24 hours? How could no one have seen it coming?
Sam came up to him and handed him an envelope addressed to him. "I've never read it, she told me specifically not to in mine..."
Reef quietly, and slowly slipped his finger under the flap. He pulled out the contents. It was a scrawled letter, and he smiled at the poor handwriting. That was definetly Fin.
I'm not coming back (forgive me), I've done something so terrible, I'm terrified to speak (I'm not calling, I'm not calling.) But, you'd expect that from me...
Dear Reef,
I don't know how to say this, but, I plan on dying tomorrow. You're probably going to try to convience me out of it, and since you probably could, I don't want you to read this until it's done with. I can't take you being mad at me for this, so please don't be.
I'm mixed up, I'll be blunt, now the rain is just (you're driving me crazy, I'm)
Washing you out of my hair, and out of my mind,
I can't take any off this anymore. It's too much. Mom and step-dad are never home for Sam or the younger boys, I'm barely passing college courses(let alone paying for), and then there's you. You're making me rethink my entire life. I thought love didn't exsist and it was some made up crap people use as an excuse to have sex. But, it's not. You've made me fall in love.
And it's scary as Hell.
Keeping an eye on the world, so many thousands of feet off the ground,
I'm over you now, I'm at home in the clouds, towering over your head...
So, by the time you read this, I'll be above you, watching from thousands of feet off the ground, making sure you're okay. I'm okay now, Reef. I'm happy, and I want you to be, too. After this, I want you to go out with the first hot betty you see (Except Lo. Lo is off limits unless you want a repeat of those weeks at Surfer's Paradise, and I assume you don't.) Please, again, don't be angry at me. I have my reasons, and it's fine.
I'm serious about that Lo thing though. Do NOT go for that girl, she doesn't appreciate your full potential of awesome:)
Love forever,
Fin Margo McCloud
I guess I'll go home, now...
I guess I'll go home, now...
Reef didn't notice the tears falling until he folded the letter carefully, putting it back in the envelope. He also didn't notice the small smile.
"Thank you..." he whispered to Sam, awkwardly hugging her, taking one more look at Fin's room, and walking out.
He got into the car, silently crying onto the wheel. His eyes rested on the picture in his hand.
I guess I'll go home...
AN: Yeah, yeah, I'm alive! I know I said I wouldn't write anymore, but, Reef/Lo is dead and I'm still praying for the USA to get Stoked back.
Dedicated to ConstanceFaeDyer for helping me get back into writing and her undeniable awesomeness.
Is this the first actual angst story for Stoked...? Seriously...? I love angst stories.
The song is Remembering Sunday by All Time Low, LISTEN TO IT NOW. Seriously, you probably won't understand the story if you don't.
~Zara