Past and present
The next morning Connor had gone by Allison's for breakfast, he wanted to make sure she was okay and he had to tell her about the whole ball thing.
As usual she was in a bad mood.
- I have to leave for work but I'll see you this afternoon
- Bye mom
- Bye Anne, I'll be here don't worry.
She pat him on the shoulder then left .
- Hey so, what do you wanna do today?
- Gang got no plans?
- Well, kind of. Rose's grandmother is throwing her a dinner of some sort, so they'll have to attend that, but me and you have the day to ourselves.
- They?
- Rose , Hunter, Aliyah and Noah
- I see.
- They did want us there, I said you probably would want to rest. Thought we could spend the day together
- Huh, and here I was expecting a welcome back party!
She said sarcastically and he didn't say anything but he was growing tired of all her complaining.
- It's a stupid thing her grandmother forced on her, they won't stay for long
- I don't care, its not like I was expecting her to immediately come to me to try and talk
- Would you want that?
- I would want her to try
- Hasn't she? At all during the last 4 years?
- Thought Aliyah would be the lawyer?
- I am just trying to make sense of all of this, it has affected us all and as the others I would truly want it to be over, we've lost enough already. After the accident it just got worse.
- Well, sorry to disappoint but I don't think anything is going to be solved anytime soon.
- Look, lets just spend the day together and we'll meet them tonight and you two can sort things out…or not then.
- When will they be leaving?
- I think in the afternoon.
- Good! So they're home now
- Yeah I guess.
- Good. We got some time to spend with them before they leave then.
Hunter was still sound asleep on the couch .
Rose and Noah had prepared all the books, taped them close in brown boxes with library written on their sides.
And they had fallen asleep in Mr.P room.
Hunter woke up to the knock on the door.
Probably Aliyah, he thought and went to open the door.
Upstairs Rose opened her eyes to the sun beaming in from the windows. For a moment she didn't recognize the room and then she remembered. She looked up to see if Noah was still asleep and he was.
With all the light coming in and the noises outside he was sound asleep. She admired his ability to sleep through an apocalypse even.
She looked at him all curled up in the sofa. He was sleeping so peacefully she felt like she could watch him forever.
" God I hope I don't mess you up more then I already have, I truly wish I could stay, crawl by your side and just find peace there"
She thought to herself. She wondered if coming back had made everything much more complicated but she couldn't bring herself to leave without at least trying to bring them together again and to see him one last time.
She got up and walking slowly in her toes she left the room and went downstairs.
It smelled like coffee.
- Hunter?
- In the kitchen.
She walked in the kitchen to Hunter Connor and Allison drinking coffee.
- Good morning sleepy head.
- Its still 9 am Hunter
- Yeah I woke up at 7
- I highly doubt that.
Hey guys
She wasn't expecting to see Allison and she didn't know if she wanted to talk to her now, if that was the reason for her early visit.
- Noah?
- He's still asleep upstairs.
- Why didn't you wake me up yesterday, I remember calling dibs on the bedroom
- We didn't finish until late at night and by then you were too deep asleep we didn't want to wake you up and we also didn't think we could
- Where is he, in the library?
- No, the bedroom sofa.
They all stayed silent. Hunter smiled, wanted to make some inappropriate joke but then he remembered Allison was there so he didn't.
- So..I gotta leave for Irene's now, but I'll see you all later
- Want a ride?
- No she sent someone to get me they'll be here in a minute.
- Somebody got a chauffeur!
- Yeah, Irene Alden
Again, its nice to have you back Al.
- Yeah.
She gave Rose a cold look and continued sipping her coffee as Rose walked out.
It was sunny outside and the car hadn't arrived yet. She took out her phone and as she was about to take her ear buds out
- You didn't tell them did you?
Allison had come out after her
- Tell them what?
- After the accident , our conversation
- No
- Why?
- It hasn't come up
- Oh for fucks sake, once in your life be honest. You don't want Noah to know.
- It was between me and you. I don't think he needs to know.
- Why? Because of me?
- No.
- Yes. I told you to stay away from him. I can see how you've kept your word.
- That's not fair, Mr.P is gone, I had to come back, I couldn't miss his funeral
- I did
- That was your choice
- No, no it wasn't . You didn't give me a choice. You knew we had a pact I just thought you would hold your end of the bargain. And apparently I was wrong.
- I thought he meant more to you than some stupid fight
- Stupid fight? Is that what you think all of this is?
- Yes. Yes I do. We have been friends since we were born and to me that means more than anything else
- Me and you were friends. But we will never be again.
As Rose was about to reply a black SUV pulled up.
- I really hope you don't mean that.
She said and got in the car.
As Allison made to go back inside she saw Hunter
- What word hasn't she kept?
- Oh so we're now listening in to others conversations
- What word?
- So you heard that we talked after the accident too then
- I did, I had guessed , not much news, what word?
- Its between me and her
- Well you seemed to complain she hasn't told us so now its your time to shine. What word?
- None of your business Hunter
- Oh we are so past that, it was your business four years ago when she almost died, now more than ever its all of us
- No its not but of course you want to protect your sweet, fragile Rose don't you? I was in that fucking car too.
- What is the word Allison?
- I don't have to tell you anything, ask Rose maybe she's got something to say
- You made her promise to stay away didn't you?
- None of your fucking business Hunter
- Oh it fucking is, if I spent four years away from one of the people I care the most about, it sure is
But I have no doubt, you made her fucking promise didn't you?
- What if I did huh? What if I fucking did?
She said as she pushed him in the chest .
- Who the fuck are you? You can't be our Al..when did you turn this evil, were you always like this?
- Oh sure sure, I am the evil one. the man I loved my whole entire life kissed my best friend the day I opened up to him, while I was in the next seat dripping in blood and I am the evil?
- What about us? Aliyah, Connor ,me ? huh ? what about us? What was our mistake?
- I told you this has nothing to do with you.
- Are you fucking kidding? Rose almost died, then then she was out of our lives. You broke this group apart? For nothing !
- I knew it! I fucking knew you would take her side!
- The fact that you see sides to keep its just…
- Oh for fucks sake stop pretending we were the happiest 6 people in the world or the best of friends, c'mon you don't really believe that do you?
Noah was still asleep. He was dreaming of the day of the accident.
Rose was waving at him before she got into the car in front of theirs, she smiled.
Allison looked mad, he knew why. He had a bad feeling but he didn't want to ruin the day. It was perfect, sunny, a tiny bit of wind. Mr.P was driving them to the lake house, Noah and Aliyah would be riding up there with him, Connor and Hunter in his dads car. Allison wanted to drive since she had just gotten her license, Rose wanted to share that experience with her.
They were happy, Aliyah was singing some song in the back , he had planned to talk to Rose while there so he kept repeating possible conversations in his head.
Hunter and Connor were right behind.