Chapter 3! I know this story is called The Soulmate AU, but an alternate title is The Story I Don't Own. This chapter we have Snowing, as requested by Emma. Just to be clear, I know what ships I'm doing, but I'm flexible on order. If you have a request, put it up and I'll see what I can do :)
It was pouring rain and David was shivering under his umbrella. The day itself was warm enough, he supposed, but the dampness had seeped in through his clothing, making it seem much chillier. All he wanted was to get back to his dorm room, put on some old sweats, and crank up some music. While he wrote his paper, of course. But first, he had to wait at this crosswalk.
Out of nowhere, a girl skittered to a halt beside him wearing running clothes: leggings and a tank top. As she came to a stop about a foot to his left, bouncing to keep warm, one of her earbuds fell out and he took the opportunity to speak to her.
"Would you like to stand under my umbrella?" he offered. But the sign switched to walk as she put her earbud back, and the only reply he got was a shouted "I'm running here!".
Mary Margaret was in the shower before the guy at the crosswalk's words permeated her brain through the Joan Jett she had been blaring and the post-run euphoria. To be specific, she was running the bar of soap over her right bicep.
"Damn!" she shouted.
Her roommate, Ruby, poked her head into the bathroom.
"You okay girl?" she asked.
"One sec," Mary Margaret sighed. "And can you get the girls over here while I dry off?"
"Sure thing!" Ruby replied, and by the time Mary Margaret was in pajamas, her cousin Regina and Regina's roommate Ariel were in the room.
"Guys I totally blew off my soulmate today!" Mary Margaret moaned.
"You did what?" Regina demanded.
"I was running in the rain ("nutcase," Ariel muttered) and this guy offered his umbrella to me at the crosswalk! And I was so caught up in my run I didn't even process it until just now. What am I gonna do?" she moaned.
"Look for him I suppose," Regina replied, dry as ever. "You two are meant to find each other. So calm down a little, I'm sure you'll see him again soon enough."
"If you give us a general description, we can help!" Ariel added. "Shoot you a text or something if we see someone who looks like him!"
"Blonde." Mary Margaret answered. "little bit of stubble, um, tall. Like, 6 feet at least. I don't remember much more."
"Well, blonde narrows it down at least somewhat," Regina commented practically.
"Attractive?" Ruby asked, waggling her eyebrows.
"Oh shut up" Mary Margaret mumbled, shoving the other girl.
For the next week, Mary Margaret's life went on as usual. She ran, she went to the archery range with Robin and Merida, she did her schoolwork. Every now and again she got a text with an announcement of a blonde guy, but it was never the right one.
"Local Hero Saves Child at Bus Stop!" read the newspaper headline.
The slightly blurry cover photo was of a man holding a little girl in his arms. Mary Margaret nearly dropped the paper, but she read on.
"Around 8am yesterday morning, 6 year old Ava Tillman stumbled in front of a bus that was just departing for the next stop. Thankfully, a local college student was there to help. The girl's father, Michael Tillman, told the paper how glad he was that the young man was there to help, pulling his daughter back and out of the way. The bus driver, a Walter Clark, said that he did not see the girl fall into the street, and deeply regrets all trouble that may have been caused. The man himself could not be reached for comment, but our community certainly thanks him for his service."
"Shoot." Marry Margaret said out loud. "Okay, think."
Mary Margaret's first stop was the newspaper office, where she told them she was looking for the local hero. They were sympathetic when they learned of her situation, but said that he had been gone by the time they talked to Tillman. The editor in chief, however, was able to give her the Tillmans' address.
When she got to the door, the little girl from the photograph opened it up, with a man Mary Margaret assumed was her father standing behind her.
"Good afternoon," she began, but was quickly cut off.
"If you're another reporter looking to interview that kid, you're not getting his name from me. Goodbye."
"Wait!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, shoving her foot in the door. "I'm not a reporter! I'm his soulmate. I, umm, kind of lost him." She explained.
Tillman reopened the door.
"I'm going to need an explanation on that." He said. "Come in for a cup of tea."
"Delete, delete, delete," David mumbled to himself as he went through his e-mail inbox. No, he did not want interviews with every single local paper in the region. All he wanted was to find (refind?) his soulmate. The girl with black hair who had been running. His roommate, Frederick, had also been put on alert, but neither of them had seen her. Just then he heard a knock on his door.
"One minute," he called, rolling off the bed.
"Did you forg-"
"Hi." Said the girl in his doorway. "I'm Mary Margaret. I'm sorry I ran away."
"Well Mary Margaret," he replied, after he got his thoughts together, "I'm David, but I think you already knew that. I'm also sorry you ran away. Please don't do it again."
Her grin was incandescent.
"I won't."
