How To drown On Land

14

Preston drove me home and insisted on coming to hang out, I agreed because my family wasn't home. I went immediately to my room, I told myself I didn't care whether or not he followed but I did, I needed someone near me or else I didn't know if I could trust myself. I sit down on my bed as he walks in, thankfully.

"What's going on in your brain," he says, sitting beside me. I look up and just shrug. He stares at me for a moment then smiles almost sadly "You had another flashback didn't you " he says opening his arms, I stare at them for a second before leaning in slowly, and he wraps his arms around me tightly and I feel safer than I have in a really long time, enough so that I just cry and cry till there no more tears, he just rocks me gently not making me talk like Clara did, she often tried to make me talk about my feelings, and while sometimes it helped sometimes I just needed someone to just be there for me. 

Preston didn't leave even after I soaked his shirt, he instead just borrowed a hoodie and we played games together. He didn't bring up my meltdown, or continue pushing he just kept me company till I couldn't keep my eyes open and fell asleep and even then I woke up to pee and stepped on him, "SHIT OUCH!" he screamed "AHHH" I screamed, and then I realized I didn't imagine it apparently my mom gave him a sleeping bag and he was using my orca plush as a pillow and I disturbed his peaceful slumber by stepping on his ... I hope stomach. 

He looked up at me like a kicked puppy " Jesus Ryley, what was that for?' I quickly backed against my door "I wasn't expecting you to be on my floor..."  I whispered blushing he rolled his eyes "Where else would I sleep " he said to me like it was obvious "At your house maybe why are you still here?" I said raising an eyebrow. He shrugged and went back to sleep and I went pee then carefully tiptoed around him back into bed. 

The next morning I woke up to my dad yelling at my mom about Preston and in return, my mom yelling about how she trusts him. I woke up and he was still sleeping... I have no idea how, but I decided to throw my pillow at him because I was still waiting for an answer. "Ryley go back to sleep" he mumbles, sighing I get up and slip on the fucking orca that somehow moved between my bed and him and fell onto him... that woke him right up or might've been my morning breath 

"Shit stop jumping on me" he mumbles as his eyes open looking right into my eyes because I  had fallen into him "Hi..." I squeaked blushing and as I moved to get off of him I saw a slight rosy hue to his cheeks... but I doubt it.  I mean I'm me and Preston is well, he couldn't be into me okay? I ran into the bathroom as my dad came upstairs looking for me. 

 "Emerrylia! We need to talk" I whip around to look at him "Why?" I say walking towards the bathroom "Maybe because you have a boy in your room, or that you haven't been over to my house in almost a year, or maybe because I got your grades in the mail" I sighed  "I'm gonna fix my grades, You've known Preston since we were in kindergarten... and you know why I haven't been to your house dad.." He sighs and looks at me "I know... we don't always get along but I'm here if you need me you know that at least right? I nod not really looking at him and more at the floor. I hear him sigh and then watch him walk away, that's what my dad does, avoid saying he messed up, I know he cares... I remember watching him and my mom cry when I was in the hospital, they both kept just asking me why I didn't tell them. Everyone was that way though.

Preston was sitting in my room looking at a picture frame that was on my desk, it was us on Halloween when we were seven we were dressed as Princess Leia and Han Solo, and he was smiling so goofily and he was missing his to bottom teeth and I'm holding the stuffed Ewok he had gotten me for my birthday the day before, we were so little... so innocent and so unaware of what was gonna happen. Preston looks up at me and smiles "I can't believe you still have this and framed too" he says setting it down on the desk again. I blush "What do you mean? Of course, I still have it." He smiles softly "I don't know why that makes me so happy but it does" I look down and then away; 

"Preston?"I say softly,  he turns and looks at me "Yeah Rye?" I smile softly at him "Nothing, I missed my best friend" I say and then suddenly I'm on the floor being squished "If this is payback for me stepping on you I'm sorry" I say but I'm laughing and so is he "I missed you too" he says softly "I don't think you understand how much I've enjoyed catching up and hanging out with you." he says smiling down at me that amazing bright smiles and suddenly my brain is telling me to kiss him and I turn bright red at the thought. "Ryley? " he says looking at me also slightly blushing. So I do the only thing I can think to do "YOU'RE CRUSHING ME AND I CAN'T BREATHE" I say and he jumps off me laughing. we played video games the rest of the day. It was the best day in a while.

//Okay so it's not the longest chapter but it is UPDATED FINALLY! To say I am finally out of my writing funk is an understatement. As some of yall know this is a book based partially on my life and with that comes taking time to process things but i love this project the plan is to do thirty chapters or more but it is finally coming along and we are halfway there !!! lots of love Asher Robin //