The Day They Left | Ongoing

11

Via

     I stroll through the tall grass in the huge field we pulled over to. I get closer and finally reach Dylan. The sun makes his skin shine, and his eyes bright green.

      "Hey, can I please talk to you?" I ask him. I catch myself playing with my rings again. Charlie and Zoey stop playing tag with Dylan. Dylan looks over at them, back at me, and nods.

        I take his hand and walk through the curve trial through the trees. We reach a small lake not far out. I can still hear Zoey's and Charlie's laugh from the distance while they're playing tag. There's a hug log on the lake shore. He sits down after me. I breathe in and let it out.

       "The reason I haven't said anything is because I didn't know we broke up officially," he's looking at me and I know he's listening to me carefully. "I just left him standing there. That still isn't an excuse, I'm sorry."

        He doesn't say anything. He's examining the reflection of the clouds and trees over the water. He keeps his eyes on the birds flying in and out of the water trying to catch some small fish.

        "I know how Rikki is. I'm sorry on walking out on you. Rikki really pushed my button. You know, well I don't know if you do, but he posted a video on his story saying Fuck Via with his friends."

        "I know. Rikki sent it to me, but I didn't reply back."

        "How can you let someone manipulate you for months? He is so toxic." That's a good question, Dylan. I wish i can answer it for you.

        "I didn't know what to do," I lied. "I thought the whole school would judge me and hate me for breaking up with someone so attractive."

        "His personality doesn't make him attractive, that's for sure." he chuckles.

         I sit in silence thinking about everything.

       "Do you think we will be able to see our parents again?" I question him. I know he can't promise me anything, but I still like to carry some hope. That's all I have. Hope.

       "I can't say yes, but I also can't say no." He looks over at me and I look back at him. His natural emerald eyes lock my ocean blue eyes. It's like earth coming together.

       My heart is beating so fast, I feel like it's about to come out of my chest. My hands starts to sweat from all of the feelings that are building up. We both lean in closer to each other. His lips gently barely touching mine. My eyes are close, but I make the first move. We kiss.

       He brings his hand to my cheek and softly caresses my hair behind my ear. He takes full control. He kisses me like he's been waiting for this moment for the longest.

          I am happy.

        Dylan and I stop kissing after we hear footsteps and branches moving from behind us. We both look back at the trees and see nothing. We start laughing at our reactions.

        The sun is setting over the trees. He takes my hand, kisses it, and wraps his fingers around mine. I lay my head on his shoulder before we have to leave. He gives me a small kiss on my forehead. I'm smiling so big, my cheeks hurt.

        We walk back to the bus after the sun sets under the trees. Everyone is there, but Charlie.

        "What happened?" Dylan asks Carter.

       Carter shrugs his shoulder. He continues to make a fire in the middle, so we can be warm overnight. Miley looks like she knows something, just isn't saying anything. I don't want to put her in the spot.

        We all sit around the fire Carter made for us and wait for Charlie to come back.

         "Who's hungry?" Dylan remembers we have sausages and break in the bus. I'm up to eat anything right now. Dylan goes back into the bus and grabs the items.

         We all put our sausages on a stick and slightly put it over the fire. We patiently wait until they're warm and roasted. I sit beside Dylan, our shoulders touch.

            "So, you guys are a thing?" Carter asks us. I smile and nod. I don't know if we're dating. I don't know anything anymore.

        "She's my girlfriend, Carter. We're not a thing or a fling. A healthy relationship. One that she needs." He says while looking at me smiling. I love being called his girlfriend. It's only the first day.

            Dylan and I go way back about a fling. We almost dated in sixth grade, but things weren't going great in my side of the family and I wasn't ready for a relationship at a young age. After that, we just laughed about it like it was a joke. Dylan never brought it up in a serious matter.

        He always had and will continue to have a special place in my heart, no one else can take that away from him. He's irreplaceable. There's nobody else like Dylan and that's why I like him so much.

       Miley doesn't eat anything, so she gets up and walks away from us. We don't bother asking where she's going, we're sure she's going to come back. She doesn't seem like someone I would typically surround myself with at school. She has this dark sense of style. The main color she wears is black.

         "Dylan, I'm tired. Can you read to me tonight?" Zoey reaches her arms out to be cuddled up. He picks her up and takes her inside the bus to find her book for the night.

         "So, how are you guys?" I ask Selena and Noah. They don't talk much, but they seem nice.

         "We miss our parents," Noah says. Me too.

         "Things were going great until they just left us there in the house alone," Selena leans onto Noah's shoulder like I did with Dylan. They seem like they're very close with each other. Their relationship is very different from most step brothers and sisters. I like how they depend on each other.

          Zoey depends on all of us. We're here to keep her safe, all for her.