Stand A Little Too Tall, Say A Little Too Much

It was raining and I was soaked already although I’d only been walking for about 5 minutes, very slowly at that. I dragged my feet along the floor. What had I just done? I was such an idiot. I didn’t mean to tell Alex that we should go separate ways, that was definitely not what I wanted. I was a mess already, my eyes felt so sore. Why was this happening?

I found a bench near to the road I was walking on. I lay down and pulled my hood over my head. I felt so alone without Alex. He’d made my life so much better and I’d just gone and practically told him to get out of it. I couldn’t stop the tears that were surfacing and didn’t fight back. My life was nothing without Alex.

My conscience kicked in and I started to feel even lower than I already was. I was being pathetic, it told me. I wanted to just fall asleep here and never wake up. However, I was wide-awake and there was no way I’d be able to get to sleep just yet. Especially on this bench.

Footsteps approaching behind me disturbed my thoughts and I closed my eyes. If it was Alex, I didn’t want to see the look on his face. It was already hurting me inside how much emotion he showed just before I fled from his sister’s house. The footsteps slowed down as the person got closer to me. To my surprise, it wasn’t Alex. I didn’t recognise his voice.
“Hey. Are you alright, Miss?”
I shook my head. I was lying on a bench in the pouring rain, in a town I wasn’t familiar with and I’d just left the person who meant to most to me. Of course I wasn’t alright. Not that the person knew that.
“No,” I sniffled. “I want to go home.”
“Come on, I’ll help you up and take you home.” The stranger held out his hand and I grabbed onto it.
“Where’d you live?”
“Just take me back to the main road.”
“Okay.”
He put his arm around my waist and propped me up. I didn’t take a look at the person’s face. I didn’t really care as long as he took me back to the main road.
We approached the exit of the alley and the stranger led me back to the main road as promised.
“Just keep walking a bit further down this road, to the left.” I said.
We carried on walking further and I could feel my legs weakening. My eyes were beginning to pour out more tears but I tried to carry on walking. It wasn’t long before my knees started to give way. As soon as I fell to my knees on the pavement, a figure lowered down and stopped my knees smashing against the rock solid ground. The figure curled me into his chest.
“I found this girl on a bench on Kenhill Close. She’s not in a good way, I think she needs some help.”
The figure nodded and muttered the words, ‘thankyou’. He didn’t say anything for a few minutes and continued to carry me down the road.
“Who are you?”
“Who do you think?” I recognised the husky voice.
“Ale-” my throat was dry and sore.
“Don’t.” His tone was sharp.
“I…” I tried to fight back the lump in my throat. “I’m an idiot.”
Alex didn’t reply. I didn’t expect him to.

It didn’t take long before Alex and I were back at May’s house. He gestured for May to leave us alone for a few minutes. Alex carried me upstairs and lay me down on the bed in our room.
“Wait here for a minute.” He ran out of the room. I had no idea what he was up to. I had definitely hurt him, I could see hear it in his voice even if he didn’t show it in his facial expressions.
He rushed back into the room with the bag that had been in his car when we were on our way to May’s house.
“When I went out…” he paused and looked at me for approval to carry on. I nodded and raised my eyebrows. “I got these. For you.” He passed me the bag and I opened it. It was a massive bunch of flowers. Alex came and sat down on the bed. He put one hand to my cheek and I saw a tear roll down his face. It made my heart tear into two.
“I don’t know where we stand right now but I never meant to hurt you Alex. I was just being stupid because this whole Josh thing is freaking me out. I know I can’t blame it all on that but I didn’t mean what I said. I don’t want us to go separate ways because you’re my everything, literally. You’re one of the reasons I’m still alive, apart from Chloe, Layna and Ellie.”
He braved a smile at me and lay down on the bed beside me. I turned around to face him and decided to cuddle up to him.
“I’m such an idiot and I know I screwed up. I didn’t mean for this to happen at all and I will make it up to you.”
Alex still didn’t say anything; he just twisted my hair in his fingers and loosely held me against him.
I started to drift off into my dream world when Alex decided to speak.
“It’s okay, everyone makes mistakes, not just you.”
“You’re evil,” I joked, “just wake me from my slumber then.”
“Well, I think we’re equal,” he smirked, “considering you woke me up this morning threatening to pour ice cold water on me. You should consider yourself lucky I haven’t yet.” He winked and I smiled. “Anyway, as you were drifting off to sleep I may as well join you. It is starting to get late and I’m shattered.”
“With all the sleep you had this morning? Pssh. Feel lucky Gaskarth, feel lucky.”
“I do in fact Ellward. I do.”
“I hate you.”
“I love you.”
We cuddled up together a bit more and I gave Alex a quick kiss. He smiled and kissed me back. This time it lasted a bit longer.
“Night Gaskarth.”
“Night, beautiful.”
I moved my head closer to his warm chest, smiled and closed my eyes. Alex was back and I was glad to see him smile once again.