Sweatshirt
It isn't really a bad thing. In fact, he actually thinks it looks better on her than it ever did on him. He thinks it's cute that the bagginess of the sweatshirt makes him realize how small and frail she is, rather than when she wore those dresses that went to her knees which made her seem tall because they were the only things that went with her heels.
He remembers that day clearly.
It was rainy, and somehow because of weather confusion she wore nothing but a tee shirt, jeans, and sneakers. The worst part was, she had to walk to Sonic Boom directly after school ended. Walk. She had her licence, except she didn't have the car. Her dad had it while he was in Orlando. He stared out the car window to find his best friend already soaking wet.
He pulled over quickly. "Ally! Get in!" he yelled, the rain hitting the pavement louder than his voice.
She turned her head, her wet hair dangling over her shoulders. "I'll get your seats wet!" she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.
He laughed. "I don't really care about my seats right now. All I care about is getting my best friend under a roof!" he insisted. He unlocked the passenger seat door beside him with the simple click and she opened her mouth to object, but she closed it quickly, knowing there was nothing else she could do.
She ran over to the passenger seat and got in without any other word. He drove to his house and as he got out and pulled his hood over his head, she was already in confusion.
"Why are we here?" she asked, her hand moving up to pull her hair over her shoulder as she stepped out.
They ran to the doorstep quickly. Austin sighed. "I just thought maybe you could get into some dry clothes," he said.
Her mouth opened again, and he knew she'd say something like "You could've just dropped me off at my place and waited there and drive over to Sonic Boom after I was done." Instead, she nodded and stepped inside, her wet clothes and hair dripping all over the floors his mother had mopped earlier that morning. He didn't even think about what his mum would say as he took her to his room, digging through his closet for clothes for her.
A second later, he tossed her a tee shirt and sweatpants. And he eventually threw in his sweatshirt with The Beatles printed on it. His favourite sweatshirt.
And he didn't realize it was until she came back in his room in his clothes, coming her fingers through her damp and tangled hair. He unconsciously stared at her, wondering how on earth could she, his best friend, look beautiful in his clothes.
He shook it off as she requested they'd go off to Sonic Boom, and he just cleared his throat awkwardly and agreed.
The next week, when winter started, the weather of course had gotten chillier.
He dug through his closet for that sweatshirt, until he remembered he'd given it to her. It was funny, because he knew she was the person to give back the stuff she borrowed. Then again, he didn't say anything about her 'borrowing' his sweatshirt. He just sighed and pulled on a simple navy blue hoodie and headed off to school.
He found her standing by her locker.
Wearing his sweatshirt.
It went down to her thighs, and the sleeves looked like there were tissues stuffed in there. And her waist was less defined than it was when she wore those tight shirts and dresses. But she didn't seem to care. And that's what he loved about her. She didn't care what anyone else thought about her, albeit she was a bit of a dork (another thing he loved about her).
He walked up to her, and before she noticed, he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I can't believe you're wearing this again," he said, his chin on her shoulder.
She laughed and turned around, his grip loosening on her. The thought of how strange that sight might've been hadn't even crossed his mind. "Why? Do you want it back?" she asked, already pulling on the rim of it. Her face was full of question, but it was still filled with desire. Not to mention her huge chocolate brown eyes. In that brief moment, he had no other say in his decision.
He smiled at her and shook his head. "No," he said. "You can have it. Besides, it looks better on you than it ever did on me."
She released the grip on the end of the sweatshirt and grabbed her books from her locker, holding them close to her chest. She smiled back at him. "Just to be fair, maybe you can have one of my sweaters," she joked, her hair falling in front of her face.
He laughed and reached out to push the loose strand out of her face. "Let's call it a deal," he replied.
She laughed back and began walking ahead of him to first period.
The next few weeks passed, and the four of them had been doing stuff here and there. One Saturday night they'd stay at Sonic Boom (even though it was closed), and one Saturday night they'd go to the movies. They had gone to see a new movie he had to take the rest of them to, just to find an excuse to watch it. It was a romance movie, and if he went alone, gosh would that be awkward.
That night was colder than the rest of the other winter days in Miami, but of course it wasn't snowing. And she went wearing that sweatshirt, her leather bag slung over her it. He knew she preferred those kind of bags instead of the regular purses. And it matched her songbook, which wasn't really a shock. And whatever matched her songbook matched that sweatshirt. He was right. It did look better on her.
And so he couldn't focus on the movie. All he did was look over at her, sitting beside him and staring up at the extremely bright movie screen. He knew that if you're in the movies, all you can focus on is the bright light of the screen. But right now, her face outshone it.
But just a week before Christmas, she came up to him with the sweatshirt in her small hands, smiling at him.
"I thought you might want it back, with your biggest dream coming true and all," she said as she placed it in his larger hands. She looked up with seriousness filling in her eyes. "And I thought maybe you wanted these guys with you there."
He smiled and looked down at the perfectly-folded sweatshirt. It smelled like her now. Strawberries and flowers, her signature scent. "Thanks," he replied. Now his tone was unsure, because he was unsure. He knew she liked the sweater. She had it in her possession for weeks now. But by the look on her face, he knew she wanted him to keep it.
So, he didn't object.
Her face lit up when he gave her his present for her. She smiled brightly at him up at him as she ran her hands grazed the soft fabric. He really couldn't think of anything else to get her. To be honest, she was the hardest person he had to give a present to at Christmas.
The year before, he had given her a bracelet that had charms of musical notes, and she wore that everyday since. He couldn't really beat whatever she got him. Like this year, she gave him a guitar pick with the letters 'A&A' printed in gold on it. He couldn't beat that, even if it was a pretty small gift.
But right now, he felt that he did.
She pulled the sweatshirt out of the box and the smile never faded away from her face. His heart pounded as she wrapped her arms around him from where they were sitting, earning smiles from everyone else around them.
He wasn't at all shocked when he saw her that night wearing it over her pajamas.
She hadn't went to school for the entire week now. Sonic Boom was closed for the entire week. He was starting to get awfully worried, knowing that she was the person who would never skip school. But Trish told him she was sick from the chilly weather in New York a few weeks before when he'd asked where she was.
To be honest, he thought of much worse things. But still, nothing will make up perky now that he knew his best friend was sick in bed, doing nothing but lay there, staring at the ceiling with a tissue in her small hand.
He went over to her house right after school. He knew she felt awful lonely, and he didn't like it when she felt lonely. Never would he let her feel lonely for a whole day.
She lay there on her bed, her hair tied up in a bun, her nose pink. "Oh, hey, Austin," she said, her voice hoarse and weak. She sat up from her laying position, and he sat beside her. She sniffled, pushing a loose strand of her dark hair away from her face. "If I were you, I'd keep my distance."
He laughed. "I don't really care about getting sick when you're here feeling all bummed out," he said honestly.
She smiled a little. "I wouldn't call it 'all bummed out'," she said, shivering a bit and pulling the covers closer to her.
He chuckled. "Cold?" he asked, and she nodded.
He searched around her room for another blanket. Or something else that could keep her warm. And then, hanging on her closet doorknob, it caught his eye. He smiled and stood up, grabbing the sweatshirt and throwing it over to her.
"I'm pretty sure that will keep you warm," he said as she caught it victoriously, clutching the soft fabric.
She smiled wider up at him and pulled it on over her head.
"Indeed it will."
It was another rainy day, and unfortunately, the two had gotten into a fight for a reason he doesn't even remember, but he knows it was a pointless reason.
He knew she was awful angry with him, so he avoided to even try to talk to her the entire day. He was angry at her. And she was angry at him. So really, there was no point in talking to her. He didn't go to Sonic Boom after school that day like the four usually did. He was at the mall, but he didn't bother looking back to Sonic Boom.
Okay, maybe he did, but it was only once.
Or twice.
Or more than that.
Still, it didn't matter. She didn't seem like she'd talk to him.
That night, though, the rain had gotten even harder. He knew she'd be walking. Oddly enough, he was to walk as well. He was heading home when he saw her.
Soaking wet.
In his sweatshirt.
He ran up to her, water splashing all over his jeans. "Hey!" he yelled.
She turned around, her chocolate brown eyes confused in the dark and gloomy weather. He caught up to her, and suddenly they were standing in the rain, the sound of raindrops hitting the pavement the only sounds they could hear. She stared up at him, still confused as he stared down upon her.
He had no idea what to say. Sorry? I'm still angry with you? He wasn't sure at all. Instead, he swallowed. He couldn't say anything. But right then, in the rain, she looked so completely vulnerable in his sweatshirt. So vulnerable he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her.
Wait, what?
"I'm still mad at you, Austin," she said.
He blinked as he now noticed her tear-stained cheeks. She cried, he knew she did. Guilt hit him in the stomach. "I kind of figured," he replied simply. Without thinking, he grabbed her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles.
She looked down at their interlocked fingers, shock visible in her face. "What are you-"
He didn't allow her to finish. Because out of his own train of thought and urge, he leaned in and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist and clutching on the over-sized sweatshirt that embraced her close.
He walks into Sonic Boom and smiles widely at the memories. He sees her standing at the counter, scrawling down in her songbook wearing the sweatshirt that made her look absolutely adorable. He walks up to her and wraps his arms around her from behind, his chin on her shoulder. Now he can do it without thinking it'd be a weird sight.
He breaths in her scent.
Except now, it doesn't smell like her.
"You smell like me," he mumbles into her shoulder.
He feels her shoulder move as she laughs softly. "Well, this is your sweatshirt."
It's his turn to laugh as he shakes her head, pulling her closer. "You know, I almost forgot now that the numerous times I've seen you in it made me think it was yours and only yours."
She smiles and turns her head slightly so that they're staring at each other. "I guess it is, then."
He smiles into her shoulder.
It seems weird to say that they were brought together all thanks to a simple piece of clothing, but when people ask, they do it anyway.