In A Song

December 1st

Collin's POV

I really have no idea whatsoever where I'm walking. All I know is that I just passed a guy passed out on the sidewalk. And there were cops surrounding him.

The pain has numbed away, little by little. But the open wound still stings fresh.

There's less sadness than anger. How did I let this take advantage of me like the last time?

My legs are aching from walking. I check my phone and read the time. It's five. I've been walking around the city for like two hours now. And yet no one has come looking for me. Fine. Whatever.

I pause at a small cafe and rest by one of the umbrella-covered tables. People pass by me busily, as it's a normal business day and they're going home.

I lean my chin on my fist. What did I do to deserve all this drama?

A happy couple walks on the pavement, around my age but slightly older. The girl is giggling and the guy just smiles and walks more.

That's a stab to the heart.

I pull my phone out again and stare at it, not consciously paying attention to it. My fingers decide to go to my pictures.

Bad idea, subconscious mind. I scroll through all of the memories. The older ones are the best ones I kept from Minnesota, the ones with me and Quentin and Josh and Trent. A lot of us at mini pool parties, since we were only in eighth grade, and couldn't throw Project X get-togethers.

A few of the trip here. My parents decided to drive here, in the car they had recently bought. There's a lot of pictures of nothing, since I decided to take a random picture in every state we traveled through.

And then here. Some pictures of the house, and the clouds, and then her.

I think it was that beach trip thing we had in the beginning of the year. Nich and I are on a washed up log, taking dumb selfies. First a smiles one, a serious one, and then the goofy one. She's cross eyed and I'm sticking my tongue out. We're idiots.

And then so many more from there. A ginormous bug we found one time, multiple couple pictures but as friends, her party, and then the ones where we started dating. Looking back at them now, I never guessed that there was someone else. Life was so carefree.

This is exactly like some bad rom-com.

I close my eyes and try to find at least one bit of the feeling I had with her.

Nothing.

I rest my head down on the table, and try to think for a minute.

The sounds of downtown LA are kinda peaceful, the sounds of the cars and people. I drown out my thoughts and try to enjoy it.

"Collin!"

Too soon. I lift my head up again and see him.

Thom runs over to me, out of breath. His face is full of worry, and the sight of him makes me angry.

"What were you thinking?" Thom says, clutching the stitch in his stomach.

"What are you doing?" I say angrily, glaring at him.

"Looking for you, you dick!" He glares back at me. "Do you know how much everyone is freaking out?"

"Don't talk to me." I look away.

He pulls out his phone, texts someone, and sits down across from me. "I know I'm the last person you wanna see right now."

"Got one thing right." I look down and scroll through my photos again.