Remembering Chase
Abaigael woke up to the light of a growing fire. She was shivering and sweating at the same time. She pulled the blanket closer to her and closed her eyes against her pounding headache. She was dizzy and looked around. Her eyes settled on a familiar face. "water" She croaked to the boy sitting by her side. "Your awake." He pointed out and put the glass of water to her lips. When she downed the whole glass he got up to get more. "How did you find me Chase?" She asked laying her head back against the bed. "The goddess tree was our favorite place to play as children, I go there when I'm upset, why shouldn't you?" He asked giving her more water. "Jin was called, he is heading over this way as we speak. You have a high fever and have been out for awhile." Chase informed her. "Ugh, I feel like shit." She swore uncharacteristically. Chase laughed softly. "You're sick." He shrugged.
"Chase? I am coming in." They both heard. "That'll be Jin." Chase said sitting down by the fire. "Hello Abaigael, long time no see." Jin smiled at his old class mate. "Same, how have you been?" She asked as he approached her. "A lot better than you it seems." He said. "It's a high fever." Abbi told him. "I can see that, but let me check you over none the less." He said. "Why don't you go check Anissa out!?" Abbi laughed. Jin blushed and Chase smirked. "Ah the good days, you and Anissa were so awkward it was adorable, and that one time she kissed You because you were too chicken when we were at the beach! Ha that was priceless." Abbi retreated into her own world of memories while the doc checked her over. "You're going to live." Jin announced after bringing Abbi back to Earth. "Yay…" Abbi said with a sarcastic cheer. Jin smirked down at her.
"No strenuous work for a week, and try not to fall asleep in the cold when it's raining again, okay? I expect better out of my neighboring doctor, even if we don't do the same species." He laughed and left Chase and Abbi by themselves. "Why didn't you come say 'hi' when you got here?" Chase asked his friend quietly. "I was going to today, but after realizing everybody had forgotten me… I thought maybe you had too, and that thought really upset me. I mean Owen forgot who I was, I dated him all through high school!" Abbi started to rant but pressed her hand against her head, like that would ward off her head ache. "Get some sleep." Chase said stretching and leaving the room. Abbi realized she was in Chase's bed but she fell asleep, not caring.
Abbi was nursed back to health by Chase, nobody came to visit, for which she was thankful. Apparently, nobody really knew she was on the island yet. When she felt better, she went to her new home in the city. There were many boxes stacked inside.
Abbi looked around the town house. There was a large kitchen, 3 rooms upstairs, an office/library area with built in bookshelves, a medium sized living room, and a medium sized dining room. It had 2 ½ baths and a basement that was unfinished.
She smiled, this place was bigger than her apartment in the city. Apparently somebody from the government had come for her truck and left her payment on her counter. She started to unpack when her doorbell rung and she heard somebody step inside. She almost grabbed something to use as a weapon when she remembered how the people in Harmonica town just walked into everybody else's house. She stepped out of the kitchen where she had a clear view of the door. In front of her was her friend Gale, the Wizard. "Gale!" Abbi whispered but hugged him. "How have you been?" She asked him. "Fine, I just came to see you and make sure you were settling in alright." He said with a smile down on her. She beamed up at him. "I am just fine thank you." She replied. "Hey Abbi, I was wondering if you needed any help unpacking…" She heard as Chase walked into her house. He saw the Wizard and nodded his head at him. "I have things I need to do but you must come by and we can chat." The Wizard took his leave then.
"I would really appreciate some help with this actually." Abbi smiled at Chase. "Yeah, just tell me where you want stuff." He said softly looking back toward the door with a glare. He shut it and turned to open a box. "This has…. Plates and some cloth.. napkins?" He asked pulling out embroidered white napkins. "Yeah, put the plates on the left bottom shelf, left cabinet above the fridge. On…' she paused searching for something, 'this!" She said pulling out a plate rack to keep her plates standing. "Okay…" He mumbled carefully placing the glass plates in the cupboard. She put some high end pots and pans away, hanging her pans over her island high enough they don't get in the way, low enough she can reach them easily. "Those are nice, do you do a lot of cooking?" Chase asked her.
"Oh yeah! It was just me in a little apartment in the city and one day I was tired of making microwave meals, so I went to the store bought some pots and pans and haven't had a frozen meal in years! I eventually got to the point that I was able to throw out the old pans and get these!" She told him while holding a nice cast iron frying pan. "These are some of my most prized possessions!" She said hanging the pan. "Then you can make dinner tonight!" Chase teased. "I remember when you would come over to our house and we would bake or cook with mom. I swear we made the best dinners known to man!" Abbi reminisced.
He laughed. "You always insisted on wearing that apron you and I made in kindergarten, when it got too small for you we had to hold a funeral for it!" He bent over laughing remembering her sad words and tears over the ugly orange apron, she had asked if he wanted to say anything and he had to hold back his laughter and shake his head. "I loved that apron! It held a lot of good memories! I still have the other one actually!" She said rummaging through another bag to find a kid sized apron with cupcakes all over it and frills along the side. "Mom made this one so I had to keep it." She said sadly.
"She would have asked you why you still have it; it's just taking up space!" They laughed the last part together. The fact that something took up space and wasn't being used always irked her mom so they would clean the house out of anything they hadn't used every month.
"Those were the days." Abbi sighed. "Your mom would have been proud of you! Your dad was extremely proud he had such a well educated daughter." Chase told her putting a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, mom would have been proud of her little chef too." She said referring to his nickname. Her family had practically adopted him. He still lived in his house with his sick grandmother and her nurse, but he was always at her house. "Yeah, I like to think so." He gave her a soft smile. They continued unpacking, Chase helped set up her bed and move her furniture around. They spoke of what they had been doing for the past few years, what they wanted to do, and of their days as children.
"Finally, we are all done!" Abbi breathed as they finished moving her heavy dining room table. "You have a lot of nice furniture." He said appreciatively. "Thank you! I started with folding chairs and a folding table!" She smirked up at him from her leather couch. "Mmm." He murmured appreciating the contrast of her pale skin and the dark brown couch. She laid there like it was nothing, one leg on and one leg off the couch and her eyes closed. Her lips were partially open, with one hand on her stomach, another behind her head. "You need some pillows…" he observed looking away. "Yes I will also need a coffee table, paint on the walls…' she paused looking him up and down, 'and a boyfriend to enjoy all this nice couch with." She smirked when he blushed down at her rubbing the rest of the couch. "I saw you checking me out Chase." She kissed his both his warm cheeks and giggled. "Would you go to Andy's General store and pick these up for me while I put my clothes away?" She asked innocently handing him a list and a check that was signed but not filled out from the counter. "Yeah, no problem." Chase said grabbing it and waving goodbye as he exited.
Abbi took a deep breath leaning against her granite counter. "Wow, he got handsome…" She whispered to herself.