Mended Hearts x Revised

Chapter Eight

3rd Person's POV

      Annie walked down the streets of her old neighborhood. She smiled sadly, as memories came flooding back to her. She could hear Caleb's laughter, as she came to a stop in front of their old house. Everything had been so simple back then. No worries or regrets, just a bunch of fun times. 
     She turned and looked at the Orlando's house, shaking her head. So much of her childhood had been spent there. Whether she was spending the night with Lauren, or hanging out in the treehouse with Johnny, it had great. She'd also spent time with Darian and Maddie. Makeovers from Maddie or letting Darian film her singing.
      She remembered watching Darian record Johnny's covers, and how he'd slowly gained followers and fame. It'd only been a matter of time before his following had grown, beginning to demand more of him. Then they'd moved and everything had changed.
      Annie had thrown herself into her gymnastics to deal with grief and loss. She was good at what she did, it seemed to be one of the few things she could still control. Over time, she too gained followers and popularity. Her family's vlogging channel began to expand, eventually leading them to L.A.
     However, her childhood memories stayed with her. She couldn't help but remember all the good times. Sometimes it was those memories that helped her through her hardest times. At times it was what kept her going. She missed those simple times.
     "Annie, we gotta get ready for the party." Katie reminded her, as they neared the Donnelly's house. She wistfully smiled, "I know...I was just reliving some old memories."
      Katie smiled, "Well, that's good but let's focus on getting ready to make new memories!" Annie laughed, "Sure. I guess the party will be fun. I'll get to see people I haven't seen in years."

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       A few hours later, Annie stood in a crowded room with a bunch of other teenagers. She leaned against the wall, cradling her cup of sparkling water.
      She scanned the room but didn't see anyone she knew. She was about to turn and head back to the kitchen, when someone placed their hands over her eyes. "What the-" She heard a familiar laugh and she smiled. "John? I thought you weren't coming."
       Turning around, she came face to face with him. He smiled, "I came to surprise you but maybe I should've planned on coming to rescue you. This party is real..." Annie sighed, "Different. No one really cares about anything other than kissing or dancing. Every conversation I've had tonight was...distant. The discussions were boring and no cared."
        Johnny made a face, "I hate parties like this. I only came cause I knew you'd be here." Annie smiled, "How bout' we ditch this party?" He returned her smile, "Gladly."
       They escaped the house, choosing to wander around the neighborhood. "So, how's it been?" He asked, looking around. She shrugged, "It's nice to see Katie again. I didn't realize how much I missed her, Sydney, and Luke. I mean they were my childhood friends. I knew them before I knew you. But, it's kinda weird because it feels like no matter how hard I try, I just don't belong here anymore."
        He nodded, "I get what you mean. It's pretty weird to be back. Things have changed and so have we. You can't live in the past forever."
       She bit her lip, "Somedays I wish I could. To go back to the simpler days, to be with Caleb. So I can remember what it's like to be...normal." She turned to face him, "Do you ever think about that?"
       He looked away, "Yeah, I do. A lot more than what I'd like to admit." He paused before carefully continuing, "I miss the days when you and I were together."
       Annie's eyes widened, "John..." He stepped closer to her, cupping her face in his hands. He leaned down and kissed her, as she closed her eyes. When they broke away, they were both blushing and smiling. She glanced at him, "I miss us, too. But, would it work?"
      Her words hung in the air. It was a valid question. After everything they'd been through would they still be able to work? There were so many unanswered questions...ones neither one of them could answer.
      She chewed on her lip, "Besides, there's Carson." Johnny groaned, "I'm tired of hearing about Carson. I know he's crazy about you, I've seen the way he looks at you, but do you have to remind me?"
       She frowned, "Well, yeah. I can't just tell him to get lost, John! He's my friend, I care about him, too." He frowned, "What happened to how I feel?" She crossed her arms, "See, this is what I was talking about!"
       He took a deep breath, before calmly saying, "I believe in us, Anns. But, do you?" She looked at him, "I want to, I really want to. But, can I? I don't want to get my hopes up, only for this to crash and burn. I've been hurt before, and I'm scared of being hurt, again. Can you really blame me?"
       Johnny shook his head, "No, but I want to know whether or not we would have a chance. If you say no, we can forget this ever happened. But...if you say yes, then I want to fight for us."
      She bit her lip, "Maybe. I'm sorry but I can't give you a definite answer. Not right away." He nodded, "I can work with 'maybe', though. It means there's still hope."
      She rubbed her thumb over his cheek, "Then, I hope you'd be willing to wait. To let me figure out my feelings. I want to be sure. I want to give you my best, but in order to do that, I have to focus on myself first. Will you wait for me, Johnny?"
      He smiled, "Always." She kissed his cheek, "Thank you. You're the best, John Vincent Orlando."

ꕥ 𝙰𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛... ꕥ
♥︎ 𝚡𝚘, 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊 ♥︎