Where will we end up? (CHAPTER 1)
Happy 5 years to JATP!!
This is waaay long overdue but hey, here we are. Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing! (Semi-proof read)
Content warnings: Female reader, mentions of anxiety, Alex’s hinted feelings for Luke, mentions of parents fighting, lack of father figure, Reggie has selective mutism, Alex is Catholic, and use of Y/N. (Let me know if I missed something)
Pairing: 90s! Sunset Curve x Fem! Reader
Word count: 5k
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July 27, 1990
(The Pier)
“You’re going to fall, and I’m going to laugh.” Alex rolled his eyes as Luke took his hands off his handlebars. Luke sent him a crooked smile; his eyes gleamed with mischief as he raised his hands in the air. Alex shook his head; his blonde hair, which had gotten lighter this summer due to the sun, tickled his eyes. He needed a haircut. He glanced at Luke again as he let out a laugh, “Come on, man! You try!”
Alex felt his face get hotter. The LA heat was no joke.
“He’s right, you know,” You called out as you came up to cruise next to Luke. “You never know when someone might make you fall.”
Luke raised an eyebrow, “Who-woah!”
His sentence was cut off as he quickly steadied his bike. “
Hey! That wasn’t fair.” Luke looked up at you in disbelief.
You laughed as you put your foot back on the pedal after its quick trip to nudge Luke’s back wheel.
“It also wasn’t fair when you tripped me two days ago to win our race!” You stuck your tongue out at him.
Luke glanced to the other side, where Alex was.
Alex shrugged, “Just as I said two days ago, don’t drag me into your bickering…but she has a point.”
“Face it, Patterson. Alex will always be on my side,” You said as you punched his arm and peddled faster.
Luke nudged Alex, “For once, back me up,” he whined.
There it was again, the heat.
“I’ll back you up the day you’re right,” Alex said before he peddled faster.
Luke watched as his two friends raced down the street. He grinned to himself before standing up on his feet and pedaling faster.
The three of you came to a halt by the bike rack. After locking your bikes, you made your way down the uneven docks.
“Why do we always have to come out when the sun’s at its peak?” Alex groaned, a hand making a makeshift visor over his eyes.
Luke ran over and gripped Alex’s shoulders, using them as a base as he jumped up, “Ice cream tastes better when it’s hot.”
“I feel like that’s debatable,” you replied.
“You always have to go against me.”
“It’s not my fault you’re always wrong.”
Luke shook Alex by his shoulders, “Whoa, hey! I didn’t say anything!”
“That’s why. Defend me!”
“Aw, you big baby. Need Alex to defend you?”
“Not because I’m a baby, I happen to value Alex’s opinions.”
“Since when?”
“Since always! Right, big guy?”
Alex shook Luke off, suddenly feeling hotter, “Yeah, right.”
Luke looked at the two exasperatedly, tossing his hands up. “I can never win.”
You shrugged, “You should be used to it.”
The tiny bell above the door of the ice cream shop jingled as the three of you shouldered in.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite troublemakers!” the shop owner laughed, leaning against the mop he had been using seconds before.
Luke nodded at him before running over and dodging the owner’s fake jab with the mop.
“Hey, Jose,” you waved.
“Hey, Y/N. Still hanging out with the riffraff, huh?”
“Hostage at this point,” you shrugged.
“Hey!” Luke grumbled from behind the counter.
“Patterson! What have I told you about going back there?” Jose began to walk over.
Luke took a sample spoon out of his mouth, “Not to?”
Alex rolled his eyes as Luke came back to stand next to him
“Mhm,” Jose replied as he smacked the back of Luke’s head and patted Alex’s shoulder. “Now, what can I get you guys?”
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(Wright’s Domain)
The familiar bell tinkle met Reggie’s ears as he entered his favorite place–the comic book shop. He felt the weight that had been on his chest since earlier at his house disappear. He smiled to himself as he made his way to his bean bag chair. He noticed that, yet again, there was a granola bar and juice box with his name on it waiting for him.
He made himself comfortable, placing his backpack next to the bean bag, opening the granola bar, and taking a bite as Michael came out of the backroom. The older man smiled and shot Reggie a thumbs-up in greeting. Reggie nodded his head before turning to his backpack and slipping out the latest comic he’d been reading.
This was it, he thought—his safe haven. His house always felt cold, not because he lived right by the beach's edge, but because it was tense. He loved his parents, he really did, and he vaguely remembers a time when there wasn’t so much fighting—a time when it was him, his mom, and his dad together. He doesn’t know what went wrong or when it did, but it was wrong.
Here though? He felt like he could relax. He felt terrible sometimes when he couldn’t reply to Donna or Michael or any of the customers who thought he worked there. He knew it wasn’t his fault and was still navigating it, but that didn’t make him feel much better. He assumed his voice would come back on its own just as it had before, but it's definitely taking much longer this time around. It’s been 51 days since he last spoke. (He knows, he’s been counting). He sighed. Soon, he told himself. Soon.
“Hey, Reggie! Come here for a second?”
Reggie looked over at Michael, who cut him off from his deep thoughts and nodded. He stood up, tossed the granola wrapper in the trash, and met Michael at the counter. Michael smiled as he placed a box between them on the counter.
“Have you ever heard of Star Wars?” he asked.
Reggie nodded.
“Have you ever seen Star Wars?” Michael continued.
Reggie shook his head. He had only heard of Star Wars and seen some of the posters around the shop, but he had never actually watched the films about the galactic war. The first film came out right before he was born, and the other two came out when he was essentially just a baby.
“Well, today’s your lucky day, my young padawan,” Michael smiled. “I dug up the trilogy from my garage, and I think you’ll enjoy them!”
Reggie’s eyes went wide, and he pointed at himself. For him? Michael nodded and pushed the box closer to him. Reggie couldn’t believe Michael had gone out of his way to get him something. Sure, they were just some old films, but Michael thought of him. If he could have hugged Michael, he would’ve. Instead, he settled for a high-five. He couldn’t wait to take the box home and pop them into his VCR.
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(Somewhere on the streets of Los Angeles)
Bobby’s board click-clacked off the dents on the sidewalk as he skated down the street. He was on his way to the skatepark he frequented. He was in a mood and thought doing a few tricks with his board would get his mind cleared up. Summer was almost over, and he wasn’t really fond of the idea. He sure does feel a lot for someone who does not care. He blames it on puberty. Yeah, that was it, he thought. He’d just turned 13, after all. Isn’t that when all your hormones get out of whack? He probably should’ve paid more attention in science class last year.
He briefly glances at a trio as they laugh and ride their bikes by him on the street. Two guys and a girl, he noticed. He wonders what that’s like. To have a friend group. Why does he care all of a sudden? He’s never really had friends and gotten by just fine. He wonders how long they’d been friends. Maybe years, maybe just this summer. He wonders if they’ll go to his school. They seemed around his age. Or if they’re just visiting, as many people do. Again, why does he care so much?
He kicks off harder, attempting to shake off whatever it is he’s feeling. Damn, these hormones. He continues maneuvering around, zooming by some kid holding a box in his arms, and he wonders again. Where was that kid going so happily? Maybe to his dad. Dad. Bobby felt his mood worsen.
He doesn’t know why he’s been so affected by his dad’s absence recently. It’s not like he needed a father. His mom and his grandma were always there. They were always in the crowd at school events or in the office when he got in trouble. He knew he had support, not just any support, but support from two of the strongest women he knew. He didn’t need a dad, especially since it was so very clear his dad wanted nothing to do with him or his family.
He sighed. Puberty really is a bitch, he thought. He ran a hand through his hair. No matter, he was almost at the skatepark, and soon, it’d all go away.
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(Luke’s neighborhood)
The sun was beginning to set as the three of you cruised down the street near Luke’s house. The air was no longer harsh but rather nice and warm. No one had spoken for a few minutes, enjoying the silence.
“Same time tomorrow?” you asked.
Luke shook his head, “Gotta help the old man mow the lawn, but maybe you guys can come over for lunch?”
“Is your mom aware of this?” Alex asked.
“Oh, come on, man. You know my mom loves you guys. She wouldn’t mind.” Luke replied.
“Yeah, you know she wishes she’d birthed us instead of Luke,” you teased.
Luke rolled his eyes. “Your lunch invite has been revoked; only Alex can come.”
You laughed as Luke’s house came into view. Emily was watering the yard. Both you and Alex waved at her as Luke took a slight turn, easing into his driveway.
“Bet you can’t beat me to your house,” you challenged.
“You’re on!” Alex replied as he kicked off even faster.
The two of you raced all the way to Alex’s house. Weaving through the quiet streets of various neighborhoods. Alex laughed as he skidded to a halt in front of his house, you only a few seconds behind.
“That wasn’t fair, you have longer legs!” you grumbled.
“We’re on bikes, leg length doesn’t matter,” he replied, hopping off his bike. You followed suit. Both of you walking your bikes up the driveway and into the garage. Upon entering the house, his mom called out from the kitchen, “Alex, sweetie, is Y/N with you?”
“Yeah, she’s with me,” he replied.
“Hi, Mrs. Mercer!” you called out.’
“Oh, Y/N, I’ve told you hundreds of times, May is fine.”
The two of you entered the dining room where Richard Mercer was already sitting. He smiled at you guys. “How was the pier today?” he asked.
“Hot,” Alex replied.
“I wanna go to the pier!” Sophia stated as she climbed off her dad’s lap and ran to Alex. Alex picked her up and spun her around.
“Yeah?” he asked.
She nodded.
Alex’s mom came out of the kitchen with an extra plate and said, “Maybe we’ll all go next weekend? How does that sound?”
Sophia nodded again as she wiggled out of Alex’s grasp and sat at the table. Both you and Alex took a seat next to each other.
“Oh, Luke invited us over for lunch tomorrow,” Alex said.
His dad nodded, “Speaking of Luke, we should have a barbecue and invite his family over soon.”
“Oh! That sounds lovely. Y/N, maybe your mom would want to come?” Alex’s mom said as she finally took a seat at the table.
“I’ll be sure to mention it…” You nodded.
“Alright, let’s say grace.” Alex’s dad said.
————————————————————
After dinner, you bid everyone goodbye. You would’ve stayed, but you slept over the night before. So instead, you took the plate of leftovers Alex’s mom had given you, hopped on your bike, and made your way home. It was a short ride, but it was enough to get you thinking again. School was set to start in about two weeks. Luke would be going to a different school. You and Alex would probably be separated. You sighed. Why do you always think of the negative? Maybe nothing changes. Maybe you and Alex share multiple classes together. You’ll still see Luke in the evenings and over the weekend. You still had two weeks left to spend with your best friends. So why worry about things you weren’t even sure would happen? Before you knew it, you were in front of your house. You put your bike in the garage and walked into the living room, where your mom sat, watching a movie.
“Hi, Mom,” you said as you grabbed the house phone.
“Hi, honey, did you have fun today?” she asked.
You nodded, pressing buttons on the phone and bringing it up to your ear. It rang twice before you heard Alex pick up on the other end.
“I’m home,” you told him.
“Good,” he replied. “Get some rest, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Alex.”
“Goodnight, Y/N.”
You hung up the phone and took the plate of leftovers to the kitchen. When you returned, you sat next to your mom on the couch. Your mom has been better this past year. She doesn’t drink as often anymore and even tries spending more time with you, but it was still kind of awkward for both of you. It was like you were relearning each other. You loved your mom, you did, and you hoped to get closer to her, but you couldn’t forget being iced out for 5 years so quickly. When your dad left, he took a piece of her with him, and she was just figuring out how to be okay with that.
After the movie ended, you both got up. Your mom kissed you on the forehead, wishing you a good night before heading to her room. You went to your room, changing out of the day’s clothes and into one of your dad’s old shirts before lying down. Two more weeks, you thought. You closed your eyes and went to sleep.
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July 30, 1990
(Wright’s Domain)
Reggie immediately made his way to the front counter, skipping his bean bag altogether. He was in love. He had watched the Star Wars films over the weekend and genuinely believed they were the best thing he had ever seen. Michael looked up and smiled.
“Did you watch them?” he asked.
Reggie nodded.
“Are they not the best thing ever?”
Reggie nodded again.
“I’m so glad you liked them,” he beamed.
Reggie walked around the counter. He didn’t care anymore. He hugged Michael. Michael oofed in reply before laughing and hugging Reggie back.
“Thank you,” Reggie whispered.
Michael froze. Reggie pulled back and looked at Michael in surprise.
“You spoke!” Michael exclaimed. “I thought you didn’t do that!”
Reggie was at a loss for words (for a different reason this time). He spoke. Sure, it was a whisper, but he actually spoke! And it didn’t hurt! He cleared his throat and looked at Michael, whose eyes were sparkling.
“Do you want to try again?” Michael asked.
Reggie nodded, taking a deep breath.
“Hi?” he whispered again.
“Donna!” Michael called out.
Donna came out of the back room. “What’s all this yelling I hear?”
“He spoke!” Michael said.
She looked at Reggie, confused. “Who spoke?”
“He spoke,” Michael repeated.
Reggie raised his hand, grinning.
Donna blinked, “I thought he didn’t do that?”
“I thought he didn’t either!” Michael said, “He said not one but three words to me!”
Donna covered her mouth, “You did?” she asked.
“I did,” Reggie said.
The couple couldn’t believe it. The silent boy they had grown fond of over the Summer stood before them, speaking. Reggie couldn’t believe it either. He had almost forgotten what he sounded like, if that was even possible. He felt tears spring in his eyes; a part of him feared he would never speak again. He felt relieved. He felt excited. He felt thankful. He was glad his muteness was over. God, he missed speaking. All three of them stared at each other with smiles on their faces, and Reggie suddenly didn’t care about anything else. He could talk again; everything was going to be alright.
————————————————————
(The skatepark)
The boys oohed as Bobby took a tumble from his board. He groaned.
“Aw man, you good there, Shaw?” Ivan called out.
Bobby shot him a thumbs-up but made no effort to get up from the ground. He closed his eyes and sighed. Suddenly, what was left of the sun disappeared as a shadow hovered over him. He opened his eyes only to be met with Tyler and his outstretched hand. Bobby took Tyler’s hand and got pulled to his feet. Tyler clapped him on the back.
“What’s up, Shaw?” he asked. “You seem distracted.”
Bobby ran a hand through his hair. “I'm fine.”
He used his foot to flip his board back on its wheels. Tyler raised his hands in the air.
“Alright, Mr. Grumpy pants, I was just asking.”
Bobby didn’t bother replying as he kicked off, going back up the transition, only stopping when he reached the deck where Ivan was sitting, dangling his feet.
“That was quite the fall,” Ivan laughed.
Just then, Cruz skidded to a stop in front of them.
“You gonna try that trick again, Bobby?” he asked.
Bobby nodded as he backed up, ran a few steps, and dropped in. Bobby had lost track of how long he’d been here. He was already skating around when the guys showed up and joined him. The rush of the air, the little drops in his stomach, the bit of adrenaline he felt all distracted him from everything he didn’t want to think about. The guys helped too, with their talking and laughing, even if he felt like he barely participated. He’s spent the last two summers with them, but they went to a different school, so he barely ever saw them during the year. Not that he minded, he’s always been kind of alone. He remembers Tony, his friend from when he was younger, but he moved away a couple years back, and Bobby hadn’t connected with anyone else since then.
He jumped up, grinding on the handrail near where he had fallen off his board a few minutes ago. He heard Tyler call out, “You got this, Shaw!” followed by whoops from the other two. He took a deep breath and pushed off hard. A few seconds later, he landed. Tyler, Cruz, and Ivan all dropped in, skating over to him. They skated around him, screaming at his success, and Bobby let himself smile.
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(Luke’s house)
You were forced to think about school, as Emily had volunteered to take you, Alex, and Luke back-to-school shopping. You had spent hours at the mall, getting clothes and school supplies. Now, you all sat on the couch watching a movie. Emily was knitting in one armchair, and Mitch was reading in the other. Both you and Alex were spending the night, which wasn’t uncommon. You constantly bounced around from Alex and Luke’s place, not liking how alone you felt at your own house. You let your head fall on Alex’s shoulder. You were sleepy.
“Alright, kids,” Emily spoke up. “Time for bed.”
Luke groaned. “It’s only-” he glanced at the clock, “10:06”
“Time for bed,” Emily repeated.
Alex nudged Luke with his elbow and motioned toward you with his head.
Luke groaned again, “She would fall asleep,” he grumbled.
Emily stood up, putting her knitting supplies away.
“Come on, turn off the TV,” she said.
Mitch folded his newspaper and set it on the corner table.
“Come on, rockstar, listen to your mother,” he said.
“Alright, alright,” Luke said. “We’re going.”
Luke clicked the TV off and stood up from the couch. There were murmurs of goodnight from everyone. Alex shook you gently. You slowly stirred awake. Together, you followed Luke to his bedroom, where you quickly made yourself comfortable in the dozens of blankets and pillows on the floor you had set up earlier. Alex and Luke followed suit after turning off the main light and lying beside each other. Luke didn’t like being the only one on the bed when you guys spent the night.
“Can you believe she’s knocked out already?” Alex laughed.
Luke shook his head in disbelief.
There were a few minutes of silence before Alex whispered Luke’s name.
“Yeah?” Luke whispered back.
“Are you awake?”
“No.”
“Yeah, okay, that was a stupid question.”
“What do you want?”
“Are you worried about going to high school?”
“No.”
Again, there was a moment of silence, and then Luke spoke.
“A little…I just don’t want you guys to forget me while I’m gone.”
And there it was—Luke’s truth. Alex shifted to his side to look at Luke’s profile, which was illuminated by the soft glow of Christmas lights hung on his wall.
“We’re not going to forget you. You’ll probably forget us,” Alex said.
Luke scrunched up his eyebrows, as if the mere thought of forgetting you and Alex disgusted him. Then he turned his head and looked at Alex.
“I would never!” He said.
Alex grinned, “So it’s settled then, no one forgets each other.”
They stayed up talking for a while before Luke eventually drifted off mid-sentence. Alex couldn’t help but feel a little warmth fill his chest. He flipped over onto his back and closed his eyes.
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August 12, 1990
(Luke’s house)
The last two weeks before school started went by a lot faster than you cared to admit. It was filled with more movie nights, trips to the pier, water fights in the lawn where you and Luke teamed up to spray Alex with the hose, and the barbecue Alex’s dad suggested, where your mom did, in fact, show up with a large bowl of salad.
It was now Sunday, the last night of freedom. You found yourself curled up on the bean bag in the corner of Luke’s room, humming along to the song softly playing through the speakers of his small radio. The only light was from the Christmas lights hung on his wall. Luke lay on his bed staring at his ceiling, his fingers drumming gently against his stomach. Alex was nowhere to be seen, and the two of you began to wonder about his whereabouts as the time went over the agreed-upon meet-up. Neither of you really noticed the silence between you as you were both deep in thought. So deep in thought, you didn’t see Alex closing the door behind him.
“Why's it so quiet in here?” he asked.
“Jesus!” Luke gasped.
You sat up, “Where have you been?”
Alex took a seat next to Luke, who had shifted over. “Sorry, lost track of time drumming.”
Luke sat up and put an arm around Alex’s shoulder, “You doing okay, buddy?”
Alex felt heat creep up his neck, and he couldn’t blame it on the LA sun.
“Yeah, man, I’m…I’m good,” he replied.
You curled your legs up, resting your chin on your knees. Your eyes are trained on the floor, scared that if you look at your friends, you might break. You cleared your throat, suddenly aware of how dry it is.
“Hey guys…”
The two boys turned to look at you.
“Things are gonna change starting tomorrow. We can’t keep ignoring it,” you sighed, “At least I can’t.”
The warm air around you guys shifts, the weight of the moment settling between you. You felt it grip you, almost suffocating, but you had to keep going.
“I heard high school changes you-”
“It won’t,” Luke cut you off. And he said it with such finality you almost believed him.
“Luke’s right,” Alex chimed in, “Let’s promise it won’t. No matter what happens…we stick together.”
Alex felt Luke’s arm pull him tighter. You finally willed yourself to look up at the boys.
“Okay?” Alex looked between you and Luke, “Promise me right now. None of us gets left behind. And if one of us falls behind, the others pull them back in. Deal?”
Luke nodded, “Deal.”
You stood up, crashing into both of them as you threw yourself in for a hug. The three of you fell back onto Luke’s bed, releasing small groans.
“Deal,” you whispered.
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(Reggie’s house)
Reggie got a little too excited too fast upon whispering his first couple of words. He went home that day only for the knot in his throat to return. He sat in his bed, confused and defeated. Why was he able to speak to Donna and Michael, but not at home? Maybe he wasn’t getting better, he thought. The remaining two weeks passed by in a blur. He didn’t do anything crazy. He bounced around the same four places: Wright’s Domain, the beach, Diego’s, and home.
It was safe to say his voice was completely back. It was weird, he realized it was easier to talk at the comic book shop than it was to speak at home. Eventually, he was able to stutter a few words out to Diego and finally, to his parents. It seemed like his ability to speak was tied differently to different people in life. He wasn’t actually sure; he didn’t want to think too much about it. It was Sunday night, and he had to be up in less than 10 hours, but his mind was a whirlwind. He sat crisscrossed on his bed, red bass in his lap as he plucked a few chords over and over again. It wasn’t plugged in, since he didn’t want to be yelled at for being too noisy again, but it served the same purpose nonetheless.
His backpack was packed, filled with school supplies his mom had bought him while he was out. His outfit for tomorrow was folded and placed on his desk chair. Everything was set, so why couldn’t he go to sleep? He fell back against his bed with a groan. There was one more thing he could do. He sat up, placed his bass on the stand, put his shoes on, and made his way over to his window. Quietly, he slid his window open and slipped out. This would probably be his third time sneaking out the window, and given how he had to pick himself up from the ground, he still wasn’t good at it. He can already smell the ocean, he smiled. Quickly running across the street, he found himself at the beach’s edge. There weren’t many people left, just a couple of stragglers, but he didn’t mind. He was hoping to get some quiet time, just him and the sound of waves as they crashed against the shore.
He realized he hadn’t actually spent time alone with himself. Sure, he had been alone a couple of times this Summer, but not alone. His eyes teared up. He wasn’t even sure why. He sighed and rubbed at his eyes. He doesn’t know how long he sat in the sand, but he sat there until the coolness of the breeze turned a bit colder and his butt began to fall asleep. With a shiver, he stood up, dusted off his pants and crossed the street back home. Once he was back in his room, he glanced at the clock on his desk. He had to be up in 7 hours. Not bad, he thought. He took his shoes off, climbed back under the covers and closed his eyes. Dreaming of tomorrow.
————————————————————
(Bobby’s house)
Over the last two weeks of Summer, Bobby had almost broken his arm, gotten into an argument with his mom, went back to school shopping, and ran out of space in his sketchbook. In reality, those all happened in one day. Prior to that, his days were filled with skating at the skate park. Now they were spent at home. It was currently Sunday night, and he was skating around his neighborhood. After almost breaking his arm, his mom grounded him from the skate park. It was ridiculous, he thought. It was her fault in the first place. She had called out to him in the middle of a trick, successfully bringing him out of concentration. And he fell. Hard. The pain seared through his entire arm, it was dizzying. Tyler had rushed to his side and he had cried out when Tyler tried to shift his arm. His mom had run over, nearly in tears, gently moving Tyler out of the way as she inspected his arm. It was rare when Bobby felt anything strong enough to make him cry, and as his eyes teared up he was convinced his arm was broken.
It wasn’t. It was a strain. And once that was established, his mom let him have it. She was just worried, he knows that, but man was it annoying. He was being safe. If she hadn’t distracted him, his arm would’ve been fine. But try to convince Illiana Shaw of that. He rolled his eyes. So yeah, she took him back to the skatepark to let Ivan, Cruz, and Tyler know he wasn’t dead and he hadn’t been back since. His mom had originally taken his beloved board, but gave it back a couple hours later, probably after thinking it through. Now here he was, his board click-clacking off the sidewalk, thinking about how he starts high school tomorrow. He was on his way home now since he promised his mom he would only loop around the neighborhood once, but he wished he could be out longer.
He stopped and picked up his board before walking up the driveway. He walked by his lola who was sitting on the porch.
“Come,” she said, “Sit.”
Bobby rested his board against the wall by the door and took a seat on the bench next to her.
“You know she was just worried about you,” she said.
He sighed. “I know.”
She placed a hand on his knee, “You don’t have to be so defensive all the time.”
“I’m not.”
“Iho.”
He sighed again, “Okay, so I’ll only be defensive half of the time.”
She turned to look at him pointedly. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. Both broke out in slight smiles after a few seconds.
She patted his knee, “Go, your mom is in the kitchen.”
He nodded and headed inside. He walked into the kitchen to be met with his mom’s back as she was washing the dishes. He went over and silently began drying the dishes on the rack before placing them back in their respective spots in the cupboards.
“You’re back,” she said.
He nodded. He knew what he should say, but words never came easy to him. So, instead he said what he always did when he wanted to make up with his mom.
“Want to watch a movie after this?”
There was a moment of silence and Bobby feared his mom wouldn’t forgive him this time. She turned the water off and dried her hands off.
“I’ll make popcorn,” she said and ruffled his hair.
Bobby let out a breath of relief and finished putting the dishes away. Everything would be alright, he thought. Tomorrow will be alright.
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CONTEXT <- -> TEASER
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A/N: If you made it this far, thank you for reading!! Pls pls pls let me know your thoughts, questions, concerns, anything really. I'm not sure when chapter 2 will be out (I haven't even started it) but it will be out one day.
Until then,
Ash 🍂