Counting the Stars

You? Again!?

"Audrie, honey, will you please go get some things from The Garden Street? I'd go myelf but your grandparents will be here in a few hours and I have so much more to do." Mom said, standing at my doorway with a list in her hand. I groaned, remembering that my grandparents were coming home to stay for a few days. Ever since my big brother died a year ago, my grandparents came over every other month. Seeing them made me remember the incident more often they I would like too which is why I hated the thought of them being here all the time.

"Sure Mom." I said as she gave me a list of items.

I thought back to last year, when Austin died in a fire during out trip to Tennessee. I bit my lip. He would always run off to some state during the summer. He hated the idea of spending all of the summer at home, and that time he took me with him, because he thought I needed a little time away from home, having spent most of my summer vacation at home. We were in a hotel, and the day we were leaving I pleaded Austin to buy me a Gimlore Girls themed t-shirt from the souvenir store. I had set my eye on it the day we registered in at the hotel, but Austin refused to buy it for me the first 30 times I asked. When we finally went to the store, I got my shirt and happily skipped out the door, leaving him looking at the jerseys. Before I could turn back to call him, the chandelier in the store bursted, for a reason I never bothered to find out. In side the glass doors I could see a fire on the ceiling, climbing down the walls and lighting furry notebooks and magnets to ash. Bits of glass flew in all directions. People came rushing out of the giant store, and after I realised Austin wasn't among them I ran back inside, returning with 2nd degree burns,  on my left thigh and knee, but not a sign of Austin.

Drying off tears, I slipped into a light blue summer dress that revealed my skinny arms and back, but covered my legs, which were streaked with brown and light purple-ish skin from the fire.

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I arrived at the grocery store on my fixed bike a few minutes later and chained it to the rack beside the store. As my face was greeted by a cold gust of air, I walked into the store and took out the list my mother had given me, from my white leather purse.

I grabbed a cart and strode over to the frozen foods item where I was to pick up a bag of peas.

"Hey!" I heard someone acknowledge me. I looked back to see the same Toyata car owner that had sabatoged my bike earlier.

"You're the girl who scratched my car!" He said to me, as if I had physically scratched his car with my nails. "Oh God, all I did was prayed that I would never have to meet her again!" He said, looking up.

Rolling my eyes I said, "And you're the guy that punctured my bike!"

"Well, what do you wanna do now? Smash my cart?" He said steering his cart full of icecream away.

"I hope nobody at all has to deal with you. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." I said as they guy continued to examine different tubs of icecream. I opened the door beside him, only to discover that there were more than 20 different kinds and brands of peas. As I rummaged through the packets, the Toyota owner kept shooting me looks.

Suddenly I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I spun around to see Dylan the freak.

"Need help, Hun?" He smirked at me.

"No I do not. And I am not your 'hun'." I told him shrugging his hand off of me. Fudge, why is he here? I thought to myself, irritated.

"I'm sure you do. I mean, peas are my kind of thing." He said winking, sliding his chunky arms around my waist. I wanted to slap the smirk right off his face.

"Dylan, get your'e hands off of me." I yelled at him, trying to keep my voice low. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the Toyota Owner still looking through the icecreams.

"Isn't it a little too soon to let go?" He gave me a toothy grin, pulling me closer to him until his breath fanned my face.

With all my might I pushed him back. "Dylan get OFF me!" I hissed at him, raising my voice a little. He staggered backwards, but held on to me with one hand.

"Audrie, I wouldn't act this way if I were you." Dylan said to me, narrowing his eyes into paper-thin slits.

"Well, you're not me, so freaking back off!" I yelled. I pushed him back, stretching my legs behind me to have some balance, although it didn't make a difference on his boulder-like body.

"Dylan, stop!" I yelled at him as he let go of my waist and tighting a grip around my wrist. "Dylan, I swear I'll screa---" I was interupted by a fist that flew into Dylans face, making him stagger backwards and onto the store floor.

"Aghh!" He screamed into his hand as I stood back to stare at the Toyota owner. He looked down at a surprised Dylan.

"Bit*h." He said to Dylan, in such a calm voice, I doubted he actually just punched him.

"You are by far the stupidest person I have ever met. And how the f do you know him?" He said turning to me. I stared at him, speechless. It took me a minute to process the fact that he knew Dylan.

"F off loser boy!" Dylan yelled, running out of the store as fast as a cheetah when he noticed the manager shoot him a death glare. I shook my head and smiled lightly at the store manager, assuring him everything was alright, and turned back to the guy standing in front of me.

"What school do you go to?" he asked. "Not that I care, but how do you know that dufus?" He added.

I rolled my eyes, "Hemmley High. He's my best friends neighbor."

"Oh, but how come I've never seen you there!?" He stopped to look at me, wide eyed.

"Seen me?" I asked puzzled. Then it dawned on me why he looked so familiar, he was from Hemmley High too. Ughhhh.
"Wait, you go to Hemmley High."

"Exactly. How come I have not seen you there?" He asked, slowly, and I realized he was trying to make me look illiterate. Freak.

"I dunno. People don't really tend to notice me, I guess." I murmmerd, as he shot me an evil smile. God, I didn't know this guy, buy boy did I hate him already.

"Well duh, why would they?" He turned back to his cart and the rummaged through the freezer.

As I recollected, I didn't remember ever seeing his face. Oh well, lucky me.

"I can't believe I have to see you at school in a freaking week." He said, disgusted.

"I feel bad for myself." I huffed at him. Grabbing a random packet of Peas, I turned away from him and made my way to the cracker aisle.
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Wow, this chapter was also kind of long... er, sorry.

Anyways vote and comment away,
Sincerely, Maddy