Did you miss me?

Home?

Tom's POV

I had finished taking my walk and met back with Harry and Sam at our old house. I walked up to my old room and almost stopped breathing when I realized just how empty it looked. There was nothing but an old bed, obviously made only for a preteen. I sat down and looked at the empty walls, remembering all the posters and books I used to have filling the room. I almost didnt even remember what it was like living back here, it had been so long. I looked over at the window and opened the curtains, giving some light to the room. As I looked through it, I saw a girl sleeping against her windowsill in the house next door to mine. She was wearing a familiar beanie. 

"Hey bro" Harry said as he walked in. I almost jumped from the surprise. 

I turned around and looked at him, a nostalgic look on his face. I knew what he was feeling. All the memories from this old home suddenly filling me as well. 

"Hey" I said in a soothing tone, trying to comfort him. 

"It's been a while hasn't it?" He said chuckling slightly, as if he was trying to lighten the mood with a joke. 

"Yeah" I said laughing along with him. "It has."

"Mom said to go to the house next door. We are meeting up with some of her old friends."

"Ok, Ill be right down" I said not wanting to leave my room just yet. He nodded, getting my message and left me alone. I turned back around and saw that the girl was still lying there, peacefully sleeping. She looked very pretty, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that I'd seen her before. 

I met up with Sam and Harry downstairs, and I locked the front door as we stepped onto the porch. The U-Haul truck hadn't gotten there yet, and I was wondering when I would finally be able to have all of my stuff back. Harry led the way toward the house, turning right when we got to the sidewalk. 

The route to the house next door seemed all too familiar, and I began to think maybe that's why I knew the girl in the window. Maybe our parents had been friends before. I hadn't really gotten a good look at her face, so I wasnt too sure. We knocked on the door and a woman I recognized instantly opened the door. Suddenly it all began to make sense. I did know the  girl with the beanie.

"Oh! Look how big you all are!" I couldn't quite remember her name, but I knew how she was, and she looked very excited to see us. "It's been so long" she said as she hugged us each individually. 

We each smiled and held a short conversation with her as we made our way into the kitchen, giving a short overview of our past 7 years. Emily Brown. I finally remembered. 

"You boys can go ahead and go upstairs, Sophie should be in her room"

Sophie. That was her name. Of course it was, I knew that. She had been my lifelong best friend, of course that was her. How could I be so stupid?

I continued to beat myself up as my brothers and I made our way up the stairs slowly, but confident in where we were going. I still remembered where everything was. We got to her door, which was slightly open, and we stood outside wondering what to do, none of us saying anything or offering a suggestion. 

Suddenly, I heard a series of quiet whimpers and quiet "no, dont go" coming from a very familiar voice. Without consulting with Harry and Sam, I quietly pushed the door open and saw the girl with the beanie, Sophie, sleeping on the windowsill with her forehead creasing as she quietly mumbled the same things over and over again. She looked like she was having some sort of a nightmare. 

They boys followed me in as I got closer to her. I kneeled and put my hands up, wondering if I should try and wake her. I decided I would, and lightly shook her. Her eyelids fluttered slightly before she opened her eyes. I immediately recognized the green eyes that I found before me. A wave of confusion washed over her face, before being taken over by recognition and then horror. 

She sat up quickly, holding her head from the sudden movement, and I backed up giving her some space. She looked at the three of us, one by one slowly taking it all in as she blinked over and over again, as if she thought we weren't real. 

I stood up and backed up to where my brothers were not sure how to react. Her face finally changed to hurt as she stood up, trying to level with us. She opened her mouth and I finally got to hear the voice that I had missed so much in the first couple of years, but it said something completely unexpected.