The Perfect Harmony

♡ Chapter 15 ♡

♡ CHAPTER FIFTEEN ♡

Brandon had come back shortly after his best friend had left. He had changed into his pajamas and brought in a sleeping bag and his phone.

"Why do you need a sleeping bag? You can sleep on my window-bed," Ariana had told him. He shook his head.

"No, that would be disrespectful. I'm sleeping outside your doorstep tonight." When Ariana opened her mouth to protest, Brandon cut her off.

"Plus, neither of our parents would ever agree to us sleeping in the same room without any parental guidance." Ariana shut her mouth closed and nodded. She drifted off to sleep shortly after, and at the same time, Brandon had asked permission from both of Ariana's parents to sleep outside her doorstep.

Ariana's mother had agreed, only as long as her door was locked. Ariana's father was more reluctant, but after learning that Brandon and Ariana weren't in a romantic relationship, and that he had brought her home after the alleyway incident, her father finally agreed. But only after giving Brandon 'the talk' about him owning a shotgun not too far from his bedroom.

Ariana dreamt about fire. Which was quite ironic, since the song she had sung in the contest was "I see fire." She dreamt that the world was burning, piece by piece, every second. And then all at once, a fire started burning through everything. And out of all the people in the world, Ariana was chosen to be saved, only as long as she would save five people too.

In her dream, she picked her mother and father, and her little brothers. And then Brandon and Damian were both stuck in a burning building, and she could only rescue one of them. And she couldn't sacrifice herself or else nobody would take care of her loved ones.

She had wanted to rescue Brandon, since she felt closer to him. But in the end, she had chosen Damian.

She woke up due to the massive amount of guilt she felt in her chest. And then she puked in the trash bin, and gulped down some water. She sat up in her bed, wiping of the perspiration across her forehead. Ariana undid her bun and tied it into a loose high-ponytail, some parts of her hair falling off and framing her face.

She got off her bed and towards the door, feeling a strange need to apologize to Brandon. And then she realized that he was probably sleeping.

The least I could do is not wake him up, Ariana thought. Especially after I left him in that fire.

She still opened the door, though. And she saw Brandon sprawled across the floor in front of her doorstep, sleeping soundlessly.

She tiptoed across his body, trying to get to the stairs to get some food. But just when she lifted her left foot, a hand grabbed it. It was all Ariana could do not to scream. Her family was asleep, and she knew better.

She only yelped and crashed to the floor, hearing snickers coming from Brandon. She glared at him, and saw that he was already sitting up.

"Can't get away from me, seashell," he said, his voice filled with drowsiness. Ariana blushed, not knowing the reason why yet again.

"I hate you."

"I don't."

Ariana got up and went down the stairs and to the kitchen, flicking on the lights and getting a bag of chips and two sodas. When she was done getting the beverages from the fridge, she turned around and saw Brandon leaning against the kitchen doorframe.

She walked past him and told him to turn off the lights. He did so, and they went back up the stairs.

Brandon sat on the edge of his sleeping bag, his back against Ariana's doorframe. Ariana gave him one of the sodas, and she sat on the other end, opposite him. When she opened the bag of chips, Brandon stopped her.