This is for the wonderful and talented Ashley, aka ashizzlebomdizzle. If you haven't read her stories and one shots, GO DO IT, because it's amazing stuff. This story was written because one, we come up with some hilarious zoo mayhem; two, she gives me a part in almost every single story she writes; three, her fanfics pone; and four, she is just awesome.
Hope you all like this. My first one-shot in a while.
I’ll Be There for You
Sweet sixteen, ha…Ashley thought with a groan as she glared down at her math homework. All her teachers seemed to make it their mission today to pile their students up with a ridiculous amount of homework, meaning that Ashley was buried in assignments on a day she should be celebrating with friends and family. But now, not only was she really busy, but all her friends were in similar situations. And her parents, well, they were never really home. They had jobs that kept them away for days at a time, leaving their daughter to fend for herself more often than not.
So all-in-all, this was not the sixteenth birthday Ashley was hoping for.
Finishing the final problem, she stood and stretched, wandering into the kitchen to fix some dinner for herself. Ashley stuck some leftovers in the microwave and flipped through the mail. The timer dinged and she opened the microwave door to a cloud of smoke. Coughing, she waved a hand in front of her face and glared at the offending appliance as she pulled the charred food out.
“Happy birthday to me,” she muttered with a roll of her eyes.
The smell of overdone mac and cheese hit her nose and she made a face. Losing her appetite, Ashley walked into the living room and switched on the TV.
Suddenly her cell phone vibrated in her pocket and she fished it out, opening it to a new text message.
Happy birthday Ash. Love you.
A smile spread over her face. She knew he would remember, even though he had a ton of things going on and was always on the move. Even though he couldn’t be there with her today, this one sweet, simple text message was enough to brighten her crummy day a little bit.
She typed a simple reply and hit ‘Send’. Only seconds later her phone vibrated once again, but the message puzzled her.
Check under your bed.
Ashley laughed slightly. “Way to be ominous.” But nonetheless, she hopped off the couch and ran up to her room, taking the stairs two at a time. She opened the door to her bedroom, glancing around. Things seemed normal enough, but then again, he wasn’t the type to have some sort of crazy surprise waiting to pop out at her. He was a bit more subtle, unlike one of his older brothers. Or both. She hadn’t decided yet.
Pushing aside her backpack and textbooks, she kneeled down on the floor and lifted her bedspread, peering underneath. To her surprise, there was a box laying under there. She reached under and pulled it out, very curious now.
It was just a plain, cardboard box, about the size of a shoe box…not really much to it. Ashley brushed off the light covering of dust and blinked. Across the top was a neat scrawl. She recognized his careful handwriting immediately, and smiled. There were two dates on the cardboard. The first was a few months ago, which, after some thought, Ashley recognized to be the day the last day he was over her house before he left. The second date was that day, the date of her birthday. Under it, he had written: “Happy Sweet Sixteen,” with a cute smiley face.
Ashley opened the box gently and peeked inside. The first thing she pulled out was the letter laying on the very top, addressed to her.
Inside it simply said, “Hey there. Sorry I couldn’t be with you on your birthday. But I wanted you to know that I’m always thinking of you and all the amazing memories we have. Hopefully this box can bring back some good ones for you on your special day. Love you.”
A picture slipped out of the envelope and she picked it up off the floor. It was her favorite picture of them together. They were a bit younger, and had just gotten back from one of their first few dates. She was laughing over a joke they had just shared, and he had his arms wrapped protectively around her, a brilliant smile on his face. Already smiling widely, Ashley turned back to the box in anticipation of what he could have possibly put in there.
The small jar of sand that she pulled out next brought an instant grin to her face.
*****
“You sure you don’t wanna go swimming?”
“Haha. It’s like forty degrees out!”
“You don’t like hypothermia?” he asked innocently.
“Not particularly, but it depends.” She grinned back. “would you save me?”
“Love, I would be in the water in two milliseconds to rescue you.”
She smiled and leaned back on her palms, staring up at the grey sky. “Then hypothermia wouldn’t be so back.”
He grinned and poured some sand on her leg.
“Ah! That’s cold!” she laughed, pushing his slightly. “Stop if you don’t want sand in that pretty hair of yours!”
He made a face of horror. “Anything but that!”
*****
Ashley laughed slightly and placed the little jar carefully down on the carpet next to her. Next out of the box was a veritable handful of ticket stubs, from movies, concerts, amusement parks, carnivals, and tons of other attractions. They couldn’t do as many of those kinds of things as they used to, but he always tried to make up for it. She laughed over the photo booth pictures that were next. Although he was the shyest of his brothers, she loved that he could really open up around her and be goofy and silly.
The next item in the box almost made her cry, right there. Ashley lifted it out of the box tenderly and rolled it in her hand. The small guitar pick didn’t seem like much, but she recognized it from when he played her song. Her song, that he wrote just for her, and hadn’t played for anyone else. A song that sent waves of happiness rolling over her body every time he played it.
*****
“That was amazing…” she breathed, unable to think of anything but the deep brown eyes staring back at her.
“No, you’re amazing…inspiration just follows,” he smiled softly, taking her face in his hands and pressing a kiss on either cheek.
They sat up until the early hours of the morning that day, just talking.
*****
When Ashley’s fingers closed around the next object, she knew what it was before she even took it out of the box. She laughed at the VHS tape in her hands, remembering well when they had all decided to be movie actors for the day. A certain someone decided his calling was in film-making, and made the rest of them act in his self-written movie. It was actually a lot of fun, even though the movie itself was soon forgotten in favor of intentional blooper clips. Ashley hugged the tape to her chest, smiling sadly. She missed him, but she missed them too. They were like the older brothers she never had, and always made sure she was over their house for dinner on nights her parents were away.
It was strangely appropriate, then, that the next item was a framed picture of the four of them, sitting on a pier during the vacation their families took together a few years ago. Her two ‘brothers’ were grinning widely, their legs caught in the process of swinging over the water. Ashley smiled softly at the just-visible sight of her younger self holding his hand as they sat next to each other, the sea wind blowing their hair.
Rooting around, she pulled out a bracelet next; one of those craft projects with the big plastic beads that you string yourself. Ashley only had to think back for a second to remember what this was from.
*****
“Seriously, I don’t want you to get sick too,” she insisted between coughs.
He waved a hand, looking unconcerned. “I’ll be fine. I’ve had my shots.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you…” she looked over at him, seeing him occupied with something. “What are you doing?”
He held up a finger as if to say ‘one minute.’ Then he looked up at her and held up a string of beads, a proud grin on his face. “I made you a bracelet.”
She laughed as he fastened it around her wrist. “I love the colors.”
He bobbed his head. “I know, your favorites.”
She blinked. “I told you that so long ago…”
He tapped his forehead with a smile on his face. “I remember these things.”
“Clearly,” she giggled.
He pouted, and it was adorable. “I just want you to get well soon.” He played with a bead on my wrist. “I don’t like seeing you stuck in bed and sick. You’re too full of life to be cooped up inside.”
She blushed, happy. “Thanks. But you don’t have to be stuck inside too. I’m sure the guys are willing to hang with you, so you don’t have to be bored—“
He pressed a finger to her mouth. “I’m never bored when I’m with you.”
She grinned. “Well, then, let’s watch a movie, so we can both be even less bored!”
He laughed and climbed into her bed next to her, his fingers lacing through hers as she flipped the TV on. With a happy sigh, she laid her head on his shoulder.
*****
Ashley smiled and fastened the bracelet around her wrist once more. She reached in and pulled out a smaller box. A chocolate chip cookie mix, which sent her into a fit of giggles. They had been bored one day after school, and decided to attempt to make chocolate chip cookies. That had quickly devolved into a food fight, however. Needless to say, her parents were shocked to come home and find the two of them in the kitchen, laughing and covered in cookie batter.
The next thing she pulled out seemed silly, but had a ton of emotional depth. As she stared at the goofy drawing she had scrawled just a few years ago, she wished even more fervently that she could be with him today, to hold him and make sure he was safe and healthy.
*****
“I drew you something.” She smiled at him, trying to lighten the mood. Hospitals were always such downers, and now that they knew he was going to be okay, she just wanted him to feel better.
He smiled slightly, his mouth quirking into a crooked grin. “Thanks,”
She sat on the hospital bed next to him. “I know this is all overwhelming, but I’m here for you, okay?”
He looked up, his eyes full of so many emotions—fear, exhaustion, gratitude, and love. “That means a lot to me.”
“You mean a lot to me.” She smiled, brushing a curl out of his eyes. Suddenly fighting back tears, she leaned forward and hugged him tightly. She felt him start with surprise, then wrap his arms around her and return the embrace. “I was so scared—“she gasped out, trying to maintain her composure. “You mean so much to me, I don’t know what I would have done…” She trailed off, not wanting to resurface old pain. “But you’re going to be okay, that’s all that matters.”
He smiled softly, and wiped away the few stray tears on her face.
*****
She glanced at the items scattered around her on her bedroom floor with a smile. Looking down into the box, there was one last thing left in it—a small, wrapped square with a bow. When she lifted it out, she noticed something written on the bottom of the cardboard box as well.
Seems you're the only one who knows
What it's like to be me
Someone to face the day with
Make it through all the rest with
Someone I'll always laugh with
Even at my worst I'm best with you
She laughed at the apt choice of lyrics, feeling tears forming in her eyes. She opened the prettily wrapped box in her hands and gaped, unable to believe what she saw.
*****
“I’m sorry I have to leave you tomorrow,” he said suddenly. She looked up at him, surprised.
“That’s alright. It’s what you have to do.”
“But that doesn’t make it any less difficult,” he sighed, squeezing her hand. “A year is a long time.”
She looked out over the beach, remembering the many times they spent there.
They walked a little further and plopped down on their blanket, still hand-in-hand.
Sifting through the sand with her free hand, she let her thoughts wander. They rolled onto their stomachs to get more comfortable, and let go of each others’ hands. Soon they were both playing with the sand absentmindedly, lost in their own thoughts.
She was startled out of her reverie when her hand met his in the sand, each touching a small rock that was half-buried in front of them. He met her gaze and lifted the rock out of the sand. To their surprise and wonder, the rock wasn’t like the usual dark stones they found on the shore. This rock was a pale pink color, smooth and soft. More important was its noticeable heart-shape, something that they shared a blushing smile over, and laughed.
*****
Sitting in the small box in her hand was that very heart-shaped rock, looking just as it had those several months ago. A lone tear escaped down her cheek as she let the rock roll in her palm, unable to believe that he had saved it. The first time she held it, it had been warm with the heat of his hands. Now it was cool on her skin, which sent an ache through her at the thought of the distance in between them now. Wiping away the tear that had made it’s way down her face, she glanced at the little box that she had set on the ground.
There was a small slip of paper tucked under where the rock had previously sat. Ashley gently set the rock back in the box after picking up the paper. She unfolded it slowly and her eyes scanned the two word phrase written in small letters on the page.
Go outside.
Ashley stood and stepped over the ring of memories around her, making her way downstairs. Her hand lingered over the doorknob as love and nostalgia washed over her in waves.
Without really thinking, she opened the front door and stepped outside. A warm spring breeze stirred her hair around her as she shut the door behind her, staring up at the sky, lost in earlier days.
Only as her eyes came back down to earth did she see the curly brown head of hair on the lawn in front of her. Her eyes widened, light green meeting chocolate brown as she stared in wonder at the person in front of her.
“Happy Birthday, Ashley.”
She practically threw herself down the stairs, flying into his warm arms that closed around her tightly. She hugged him tightly, tears flowing down her cheeks. She looked up at him and he pressed a tender kiss to her mouth.
“Nick, how…” she murmured, at a loss.
He just smiled softly, his curls blowing in the breeze. “I’ll always find a way back to you. Always. When you need me, I’ll be there for you, remember that.”
And suddenly, all the trials of the day melted away like nothing bad had ever happened. And Ashley could not have asked for a more wonderful birthday.
.::.:::The end:::.::.