Hey. Update! I think I might start updating on Thursdays, too. Nothing is definite though. I really want to move past the boring, romance-less chapters. Hopefully, by chapter 25 (I'm not giving anything away, am I?) I can update regularly on a specific day of the week. I'm starting some other stories, so I know once chapter 25 is done and out of the way, it will be easier to continue with the story. Ooh, is that a flashback right there?

*SUPER MADLY DEADLY NOT EDITED*

I had spent many nights in the rain. I should have been fearing pneumonia, but I was only thinking. Thinking about everything. My nights in the rain were all due to the courtesy of being sent to live with my aunt. She didn't abuse me or anything, I just hated every thing about her house and frankly, her. My parents had just died, so adjusting to her house wasn't easy. The day before I had to start high school, I ran away. I knew she didn't care about me because she never came after me.

I had just charged out of the kitchen and ran. The rain was pouring on my head, but at the time, I thought that was the least of my worries.

Sitting in the rain actually changes your perspective on a few things. There's something about watching precipitation-really watching it that makes life seem different. Of course, once you catch a cold it isn't so graceful. I had eventually stumbled upon Sonic Boom. All I could remember was being in the car, my parents telling me they were getting a divorce, and the next thing I remember hearing was sirens. Then going to a funeral. Two funerals. Neither were mine. One should have been mine. It was odd how I didn't remember anything in between when they told me they were divorcing and the sirens.

It was stupid. Stupid how I didn't die. If I had died, I would have never had to go to high school and have my life-well, I actually wouldn't have a life. Having no life is better than having a terrible one, that's something I learned. Of course I didn't know if just because I had learned it because of my life's pressure meant that was true.

All I remember was that after the funeral, there was a social worker. Her named started with an S. That's all I can remember. She was nice, but it was her job, so immediately, I hated her. I didn't know why people had jobs to make people they barely knew feel better. Especially if one of those people was a fourteen year old who had just lost her parents. I remember thinking, "At least they didn't have to get that divorce." Like that was the upside. My aunt, I don't remember her name. I know I should, but I never saw her much. I had only lived with her for six days before I ran away. She was a drug addict, or smelled like it anyway. I found marijuana in her cat's litter box. I never lived with her long enough to find out the truth. I never lived with her long enough to wonder if I could have had a different life if I had stayed. And I will never know.

I had soon become raisin-y and wrinkly. The rain had stopped around four in the morning, but drying off in cold weather, especially if you put no effort in it, isn't easy.

I had started to wonder if going to my aunt's place was a good idea. It could be progress towards something, right? I didn't know why I thought going there would change anything. It could change something. My sudden optimism was confusing me. It's entire existence was confusing me. When I stood up and knocked on the door in front of me, I realized what it meant. I had to apologize, but I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself, much less on Austin with some dumb apology that says 'I'm so sorry. I was so stupid. Please forgive me. Oh, you shouldn't. I was horrible to you, blah, blah, blah'. I didn't want to rant with an apology full of excuses and no sorries. Best apology ever, coming right up.

After knocking on the door, I opened it. Hmm. Maybe it was never locked during the night. Maybe he had expected me to come back. I walked in, feeling shame. I was thinking, 'How dare I show my face here again?'.

Clearing my throat, I say, "Austin." Saying just one name sent me into almost immediate hyperventilation. Why did I have to get myself involved in such a mess? Austin wasn't the mess; I was. Or maybe the two of us together was the mess. Something was a mess, that's all I know. I don't know why I assumed that he'd be awake. It was barely seven and I could assume that a normal person that's not in school doesn't get up early. I think I was way past normal.

"Well," I say. "If you're asleep, I can apologize without you hearing the stupid, gushy stuff I say. I'm sorry. For everything." I didn't bother to include why I said it or any other excuses. In the end, it's not the reason; it's the apology.

There was no true way of knowing if he was awake and had heard me or if not. I didn't know why I had a little hope that he did, but I have to say, I did like the mystery.

I was no where near sure to knowing what I would find at my aunt's house, but I knew I needed to find out. In another life, I could have another life! It didn't seem that simple, but I guess I'd figure it out. The weird thing was how I remembered where she lived, but not her name or even her face.

The house looked just as ugly as it had three years ago. A light was on upstairs. I knocked on the door. When it was opened, I saw a well-groomed, well-dressed, well-everything woman standing before me. I knew I should have asked her something, but one look in her eyes, I saw my mother. It was depressing, peering into the clueless woman's eyes, to tell the truth.

"Ally?" she asked. I wanted to walk away, run away. I was going to leave her hanging at the door anyway, but now that I was identified I knew there was no going back.

"Uh, hi. I don't remember your name." I admit to her.

She nods. "Are you returning?" She meant returning to her home. Returning to a different life.

I think about everything that's happened in the past couple weeks. As each memory bustles into my head, I realize a lot of them involve Austin. And I realize that I don't want a different life if it's a life without Austin. That's a life way worse than this one.

"No. I'm not returning. I just... I... thank you." I didn't exactly know why I was saying thank you, but I had said it. I had a lot more thank-yous that I needed to give out. Starting with one in particular.

I had ran about twenty blocks before reaching Austin's house and opening the door that should be locked. I see him and jump into his arms, into a hug. I was much too happy that I had worked up the nerve to do this than to pay attention to see if he was hugging back. I thanked him. A lot. I can't count how many times I did. I just know I did it. I just know it felt good to be in his arms, to not hate him. What didn't feel good was not knowing why I had hated him or why I had said the things I had said. All that really mattered was that I had a good feeling inside of me, too good to be messed up by a bad feeling.

Yeah, I did not know how to end this chapter. 3 AM and I should totally be asleep. Review? would revise it and wait til Saturday that would just pull the story back. I'd rather have a messed up chapter 16 than a late chapter 17. Yea and this chapter is deadly short, but the one on Saturday will make up for it, if not, make it look worse.