It's been nearly a week and Alice has gotten acclimated to being home.

"So, if I tell you something, promise you won't hate me?" Alice asked Anna. The two sat in Anna's bed in their pajamas. It wasn't too late, a little after 12 PM. Luke was at school, their dad was working.

"Depends," Anna smiled.

"It's about school," she picked up her bottle of soda from in her lap, the carbon making a "ssst" sound as she twisted the cap. Anna squinted her eyes, not sure what to think.

Alice took a swig, feeling the bubbles popping in her throat, "I kind of dropped out."

"You kind of dropped out? How does that work? Mom's gonna kill you, you know that."

"You know what I mean. It just wasn't for me," she shrugged. "Just don't bring it up yet. I'll have to tell her eventually. You know, when I end up overstaying my welcome."

"That's not true. This is your home too," Anna laid down, resting her head on her pillows.

"Yeah, I just always felt like I was being pushed to get out of here. Maybe things are different now." Alice stood up, putting the cap on her soda. "I'll let you take your nap now, little baby," she smiled. Anna gave her the finger and turned on her side. "Love you too, Anna," she said as she shut the door and went into the kitchen where her mom was.

"I'm gonna go for a jog," Alice said to her mother. She was feeling depressed, thinking about her brother. It still wasn't all real to her yet. She was used to not seeing him or talking to him often. It was like he was still alive, and they were just going through a long period without contact.

"Like that?" she eyed her up and down.

"Like what?" she grabbed her shoes that were on the floor in front of the door and slipped them on.

"In your pajamas?" she specified.

Alice rolled her eyes and sighed. "Ma, they're shorts. It's not like I'm going to run into anyone special. I'm not going to run into a damn soul."

"All I'm saying is that it isn't that hot today. It's not Summer anymore."

"It'll be fine. If I'm cold, I'll come grab a jacket," she winked.

Her mother shook her head and smiled, "alright, well be careful." She walked up to her mom and kissed her on the cheek before heading out the door.

She stayed in the yard for a bit, stretching her legs and arms out. And damn, it was pretty cold. She walked at a fast pace until she reached the dirt road, pausing to get herself in the right mindset. She took in a deep breath and started to jog slowly. The road looked like it would go on forever, the flat land going for miles. It made her feel minuscule.

She jogged until her house was a small figure behind her.

She noticed someone in the distance, running in her direction. She couldn't imagine that anyone would come this way without some kind of transportation, let alone on foot. She continued despite her suspicions, inching closer and closer to the stranger.

It was now clear that it was a male, wearing a sweatshirt and slightly baggy camo pants. She noticed his boots, the familiar style sending chills through her body.

She made eye contact with him as they passed each other by, shocked by the piercing shade of blue. They were more vibrant than her own, appearing to glow.

A gust hit her when he passed, her head turning and pace slowing as she looked back at him. She watched as he kept going, like it was his second nature. She shook her head and continued on her path.

She ran until she was completely out of breath, possibly a stupid idea since she still has the entire way back. She bent over slightly, trying to catch her breath, a layer of sweat sitting on her skin.

"Fuck." She started to walk back, still breathing heavily, estimating how long it'd take from where she was. At least she wasn't cold anymore.

xxx

It took her twice as long to get home than it did for her to get to where she decided to turn around. She dragged herself to the front door of her house, quickly walking inside. She heard her mom laughing, enjoying herself. It was unusual, as horrible as that sounds.

She quietly shut the door, walking through the hallway, ears open. Her eyes widened when she heard a man's voice and quickened her steps to the living room, where she was greeted by those blue eyes yet again. Her mouth hung slightly open, in disbelief.

"Oh, Alice, this is David. He was a friend of Caleb's," her mom stood up, "David, this is my older daughter, Alice."

The corner of his mouth curved, his perfectly postured body raising to meet hers. He extended his arm out to her, "hello, ma'am. Nice to meet you." His tone was smooth, almost tranquil.

She looked at his hand momentarily, licking her lips and blinking confusedly a few times. "Uh- oh," she extended her own hand to meet his, "nice to meet you, too." She bit her lip and tilted her head, "um, I just saw you before, right?"

He smiled again, this time a bit wider. "Yeah, that was you. What are the odds?" She let out a breathy laugh, continuing to make eye contact with him.

"Yeah..so you know Caleb?" Alice knew his attire looked familiar. "It was nice of you to visit," she smiled. She almost forgot that she must've looked a mess and excused herself. "I really should get in the shower. It really was nice meeting you, David." She glanced at his smile one last time before walking away.

She had to admit, he was quite attractive. She didn't think too much into it, other than that he had amazing eyes and a great smile to go with them.

I want to thank d0 it like a dude for the amazing and unexpected first review! I'm really excited to have someone to share the love of the movie with (:

I figured out the plot of the story, and I hope you will all like it. Follow/Favorite if you'd like, and leave a review! I want to know who's out there!