Page 28 of Our Moon
“It’s not like that anymore. My mom still drinks a lot and smokes pot, but the guys don’t come around anymore. Probably stopped when I got bigger than all of them, and the drugs and alcohol finally took a toll on her appearance. Anyway, it all made me realize that I wanted better for myself than that. That’s why I don’t do drugs, get drunk, or sleep around. When I think about those things, I think back to those times, and it nearly makes me sick.”
She smiles softly at me. “I think it’s good that you took those experiences and made something positive out of them for yourself. That you want something better than that for yourself. A lot of people in those situations don’t end up making good decisions.”
“Thanks,” I tell her, not knowing what else to say.
“Thanks for making me talk to you,” she says as she leans back against the couch. “I feel a little better, and less defective.”
“Could be the water, too,” I say gesturing to the two empty bottles on the coffee table. She had finished mine as well. “Mind telling me while you smelled like a brewery?”
She closes her eyes and sighs. “I bumped into Blake and his new girl at a house party some friends from school were having. I got really upset, and I had a couple beers out of the keg. And some shots.”
“Ally, I don’t think I need to tell you that you shouldn’t go to parties by yourself. Even if you know people there. You need the buddy system or something. Not to mention the fact that you were drinking. Anything could have happened, and your night could have ended up a lot worse than you just crying in the yard.”
She had opened her eyes during my monologue, and when I look over at her, I see her chin quivering and tears in her eyes. Damn it. Now I upset her.
“Shit, I’m sorry, Ally. You’re like a sister to me and I’d hate to see anything bad happen to you. There are too many assholes out there.” She nodded, but a few tears broke free. I put my arm around her and pulled her into my side again.
“Look, if you ever need to talk, about anything at all, I’m here, okay? I won’t gorepeating everything you say back to your brothers. It’ll just be between us. I want you to have someone you can count on to talk to and not judge.”
“You’d be that person for me? Really?” she asks, meeting my eyes.
“Of course,” I nod, never feeling more sure of anything.
She leans back down into my side. “So, we’re like, friends?” she asks.
“Yeah. It’s not that hard a concept to understand.” I look at her like she’s nuts. Why is this a big deal?
“I know, but you’re Trevor’s best friend. It’s just weird that you’re my friend now, too. Plus, you’re like, old,” she stifles a giggle.
“I’m only twenty-one,” I laugh, giving her a noogie. “I’m not that old.”
“Ouch, that hurts,” she laughs. She tries to twist away but I’ve tightened my hold around her.
“Take it back,” I tell her.
“Fine, you’re not old! You’re a spring chicken!”
“Really?” I laugh as I let her go. “Damn, your hair is a mess!” Some of her sandy blonde strands are pulled from her ponytail and going in all different directions from my noogie.
She shrugs and settles back down onto the couch. “Want to watch TV for a little bit? I don’t want to go inside yet.”
“Sure,” I say grabbing the remote. We argue back and forth betweenStorage Wars,her favorite, andOverhaulin’,my favorite. We end up flipping between both shows during the commercials before she eventually falls asleep, resting her head on the arm of the couch. She looks so peaceful, but I can’t leave her out here all night alone, and I surely can’t stay here with her either.
I wake her up gently and walk her to the front door of her house. “You gonna be okay?” I ask.
She smiles a genuine smile. “Yeah. Thanks for tonight, friend.”
“You’re welcome, friend.”
She laughs and unlocks the front door. Once she’s safely inside, I check my pocket for my keys and head for my car.
Chase Baker, friends with a girl. Who would have thunk it?
Chapter Fourteen
Ally has started hanging out in the garage during band practices, and since the guys all know now that she broke up with Blake, they don’t think or say much of her sudden reappearance. She used to hang out and watch the band practice all the time, she even named us. But once her and the douchebag started dating, she spent most of her time with him, only showing up to watch us play in the garage or at shows once in a while. We’re all thrilled to have our number one fan back.
I’ve kept my word and haven’t told the guys about the night I found her outside crying, so they don’t know that we’ve started up a little friendship. We chat mainly through texts, deciding that if they catch us talking,they’re likely to ask questions, which will lead back to that night.
