Till We Meet Again

Chapter One

Aubrey (P.O.V.)

“Do we have to go?" Collin complained. 

I leaned across the counter, touching up my eyeliner before answering him.  

"No," I said, popping the top back onto my eyeliner before observing my handy work. 

My eyeliner made my blue eyes pop, but not too much to where it was overpowering.  

"I hate it when you say that" Collin huffed. 

I glanced over at my phone screen, where Collin was staring straight ahead at his video game, a look of intense focus on his face.  

"We do not have to go if you do not want to," I repeated, picking up my curling wand. 

He did this every time we were supposed to go out. I warned him not to start a mission on GTA 5, but he ignored me every single time, leading to this conversation.  

"We are going," he muttered, glancing over to his phone camera, and offering me a smile.  

"Maybe you should think about starting to get ready?" I suggested, as I started curling my hair.  

"What time am I picking you up?" he asked, without looking at me. 

I picked up another piece of my hair, carefully curling it before answering him.  

"Eight," I reminded him.

"We are meeting everyone for dinner before."  

"Okay," he agreed.  

"It is half past seven now," I reminded him.  

"Okay."  

I rolled my eyes, chuckling to myself as I focused on curling my hair.  

"What are you wearing?" he asked, after a few moments of silence. 

I put down my curling wand, stepping away from my bathroom mirror and turning around to face my full-length mirror. 

I was currently wearing a red summer dress that stopped a little way above my knees, still barefoot because I hadn't decided on a pair of shoes yet.  My blonde hair fell around my shoulders and down to brush the tops of my hips.  

"I love this view," Collin added. 

I turned around to face my phone, sticking my tongue out at him.  

"You look pretty," he added.

 "I guess I should go get ready?"  

"Seeing as though you need to leave your house in now eleven minutes? I'd say so." Bypassing his earlier comment about my looks.

Then I will see you at eight," he said, flashing me a pearly white smile before ending our FaceTime call. 

I stepped out of my bathroom and into my bedroom, placing my hands on my hips and letting out a sigh.  To me, shoes do not matter much when you are going midnight bowling, but they still completed the outfit. 

I stepped into my closet, flipping on the light as I stared at my selection of shoes.  I helped myself to my black belt, looping it around my waist to help accessorize the dress and give my body a little bit of a curve in the dress.  Then I stood up in my tip-toes, grabbing my black suede flats off the top of my shoe rack before heading back into my bedroom.  

"Aubrey?" my mom asked, knocking twice before coming in.  

"Yes?" I asked, as I leafed through my sock drawer.  

"That is such a cute outfit," she said, smiling as she surveyed me.  

"Thank you mum," I said, taking a seat on my couch as I slipped on my socks.  

"Are you going bowling then?"  

"Of course."  

"Text me when you are on your way home then."  

I nodded, and she kissed the top of my head before leaving.  I stepped into my black flats before heading downstairs. Just as I got to the bottom of the staircase the doorbell rang.  

Eleven minutes on the dot. Huh.

I grabbed my purse as my dad opened the door, always wanting to be the first one to greet Collin.  I think it was originally an intimidation tactic, but my dad and Collin could not be on better terms. So now I just think my dad likes the conversation.  

"Ready to go?" I asked Collin, stepping around my dad. 

He flashed me a pearly white smile.

"If you are."

He had cleaned up better than I would have expected in a pair of dark wash jeans and a three-quarter sleeve flannel shirt. His brown hair was brushed up, and his blue eyes were sparkling with amusement.  

"Bye daddy," I said, rising up on my toes and kissing his cheek.  

"Be careful!" he called after us, as Collin and I headed towards his car. 

I laughed, looping my arm through Collin's, and he bent down and kissed my cheek.  

"I didn't expect you to make it on time," I said, as he opened my passenger seat door for me.  

"Never underestimate Collin Langford," he chastised, before closing my passenger door. 

And then, just to prove his point even further, he slid across his car hood before taking the driver's seat.  

"You are such a show-off," I teased.  

"Only for you Aubrey White." Collin responded with a wink and a smirk.

We have been together for two years and yet somehow he could still make my heart melt with a few simple words. We pulled up to the diner, the parking lot already packed and the music already blaring from the speakers. 

I stepped out of the car, Collin immediately enveloping my hand in his as we headed towards the door. The door swung open before we could reach it as one of Collin's jock buddies welcomed us. 

Collin bumped fists with him before pulling me inside behind him. We headed over to the counter, the party already in full swing.  

"And what can I get you two?" Jack asked, with a smile.  

"I will have the double burger, fries and chocolate milkshake," Collin recited, wrapping his arm around me.

"Will you order for me?" I asked.

"I have got to go find Kimberly."  

He nodded, turning to Jack and reciting my order. 

I headed out back, where the music was blasting, and people were dancing.  Kimberly was sitting in the back of a pickup truck, her legs swinging as she clapped along with the music.  I hopped up next to her, and she let out a squeal.  

"You made it!"  

"Of course," I said, bracing my arms behind my back.  

"Where is your other half?"  

"Getting our orders," I said, craning my neck to see if he had come out yet.

"I wanted to come out and make sure you were good."  

"Oh yeah," she agreed, flicking her hand around in the air.  

"Really? Because the text I got earlier disagrees."  

"Luca is such an a**hole."  

I rolled my eyes.

If she and Luca weren't having problems, then I am not sure the Earth would continue to spin.  

"But it's whatever, tonight I am going to dance with..." she trailed off, surveying the boys hanging around the diner.

"That boy in the blue button down and forget all about him."  

"Because that solves all relationship problems," I advised, patting her on the back before hopping off the back of the pickup truck. 

I headed over to our table, where Collin was placing our food down on the table.  

"Thank you," I said, leaning across the table and giving him a quick peck on the lips.  

"Anytime," he agreed, with a smile. 

I took a seat across from him, crossing my right leg over my left before dunking one of my fries in my milkshake, dropping it into my mouth.  Collin and I weren't alone for five seconds before his basketball buddies descended upon our table, unable to live without Collin's presence for more than twelve minutes. 

I let out a sigh, eating a couple more fries as my eyes searched the parking lot for Kimberly or one of my friends, basically anyone besides a jock.  But I was not having much luck.  

"...and I do not think I am going to be eligible to play," Dennis was saying to Collin, as I tuned back into their conversation.  

"Dude, you are a vital part of our team," Collin argued, sipping on his milkshake.

"Talk to Elisha about it."  

"I did," Dennis informed him.

"He said I can't bring up my grade without passing this book report and test."  

"So, pass it," Collin stated, staring at Dennis like he was an i***t.  Because let us face it, he is.  

"I do not even know what language the title is, let alone what the book is about."  

Collin's eyes flickered over to me, and I knew the words that were about to leave his mouth.  And there was not much I could do to stop them, seeing as though Dennis was his best friend.  

"I am sure Aubrey could help you," Collin volunteered. 

If looks could kill, Collin would be ten feet under. 

Dennis's eyes flickered over to me, giving me the same look of disgust, I usually give him. Dennis and I weren't on speaking terms, let alone tutoring terms.  

"Right Aubrey?" Collin added. 

I dipped another fry into my milkshake, trying to avoid Collin's gaze.  But I knew I would cave, because I could not turn down a student that was failing, even if it was Dennis Dickenson. I am not sure if that is his actual last name, but it suits him, so I am going to stick to it. 

"Yeah," I agreed, before popping the fry into my mouth.  

"See?" Collin said to Dennis, nudging him with his elbow.

"Come over to my place this weekend and we will knock out..."  

"Les Misérables," Dennis filled in, pronouncing it the way it was spelled. 

I wanted to face-palm myself but figured if I did he might feel more stupid than he already is.  

"Right," Collin agreed, flashing me an apologetic smile. 

Collin was not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he at least knew what Les Misérables was.  

"Let's go dance," I suggested to Collin. 

Collin nodded in agreement, finishing off his burger before disengaging himself from his jock buddies.  

"Sorry," he apologized, wrapping his arm around me as we headed out to the parking lot.  

"What for?"  

"I know you do not like them."  

"They are your friends."  

He laughed, shaking his head.

"Even when I am telling you it's okay not to like them, you are still trying to be polite. You are something else Aubrey White."  

Collin took my hand, leading me out to the makeshift dance floor as we reached the parking lot. I threw my head back, laughing as I followed him out. Collin could not dance to save his life, but he at least did not mind making a fool of himself, because in the end there's practically nothing he could do to actually damage his reputation. He was the shooting guard for the basketball team just like Kobe Bryant. That was like being some type of God in this town.  And so, we made fools of ourselves together, laughing all the while because that is how memories are made.

Collin and I danced for a while until the group decided it was time to bowl.

"Here," Kimberly said, passing me a disinfectant spray. 

I sprayed the inside of my bowling shoes before slipping my feet inside of them.  

"The amount of attractiveness radiating off of you right now is unbelievable," Kimberly informed me, whilst laughing. 

I laughed along with her, heading over to pick out my bowling ball.  I got the same one every time, a six-pounder and emerald, green in color.  

"Where did Collin go?" Kimberly asked me, as I placed my bowling ball on the rack. 

I shrugged.  

"Well lucky for you, you do not ever have to worry about him flirting with someone else," she said, looking over her should at Luca, who had his arm around another girl's shoulders.  

"He is such an a**hole," I repeated, shaking my head. 

I do not understand their relationship.  

"Easy for you to say, you have a perfect relationship."  

"My relationship is not perfect," I informed her, laughing at the thought.  

"Collin is completely in love with you and you are in love with him. It does not get much better than that."  

"We are just two kids trying to figure out the world together. And sometimes we get it right and sometimes we do not."

A smile formed its way across my face.

"But I wouldn't want to figure out this world with anybody else besides Collin Langford."  She sighed, shaking her head at me. 

I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist, and I let out a squeal as I was spun around the room, closing my eyes. Once my feet were firmly back on the floor, I opened my eyes into Collin's crystal blue ones. 

And then he kissed me.  

"What was that for?" I asked, breathlessly.  

"That was spontaneous," he informed me, with a crooked smile. "Every relationship needs a dose of spontaneity, it's healthy."  

"Did you read that in Popstar Magazine?" I teased, naming on the teen magazines you usually see on the shelves at the grocery store.  

"Ha, ha, aren't you just the comedian tonight?" he asked, wrapping an arm around my waist.  

"I'd like to think so."

He bent down to kiss me again.

"That was not spontaneous."  

"It was not?"  

"That was just because you look amazing tonight, and I could not resist."  

I shook my head, unable to wipe the smile off my face.

"You are so full of it."  

"Aubrey White, I will romanticize you until the day I die."  

I hummed in agreement, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"I will hold you to that."  

"Hey lovebirds!" Dennis called, cueing up our bowling game.

"You plan on joining us tonight or what?"  

Collin kissed me one last time before taking my hand in his, pulling me towards the bowling lanes.  

"I am going to kick your a*s," I warned him.  

"In your dreams."  

"That's not what I dream about," I whispered, seductively. 

He stared at me in shock, and I walked away from him to join my bowling team. That should be enough to keep him distracted and so the g**g and I went on to play a couple hours…two hours of bowling until my fingers were sore from hoisting that heavy ball with my fingers. When we just about had it, Collin and I departed from the group and made our way home.

The next day, I went over to Collin’s house to tutor Dennis. We were currently seated in Collin’s room, I was on the bed, while Dennis sat at a desk in the corner of the room. I was already frustrated with Dennis. He was like a lost cause.

I flopped my body back onto the bed as I exhaled heavily.

"You actually have to try if you want this to work," I informed Dennis.  

"This book makes zero sense."  

"That's because you have to actually have some sort of a brain to comprehend it."  

He clenched his jaw as Collin came into the room, handing me a sweet tea.  

"Thanks babe," I said, leaning over to peck him on the lips.  

"So have you guys gotten anywhere?" he asked, observing the papers spread across the table. 

Not really.  

“A little," Dennis informed him.  

"Good," Collin agreed.

"I am going to take Scooby out. Try not to kill each other?"  

"No promises," I said, flashing Dennis a smile. 

He flashed me a sarcastic smile in return. 

Scooby came trotting into the room, placing his nose up onto the table to see what was up.  

"Do you want to read some Les Mis?" I asked Scooby, scratching him behind the ears. 

The black lab barked as his answer, causing the three of us to c***k up.  

"Come on dude," Collin said.

"Crush on Aubrey later, you need to go out."  

Scooby perked up at the word "out", and he immediately took off running towards the door. 

Collin took off running as well, determined to beat the dog.  

"How can your boyfriend be so chill, and you be such a b***h?" Dennis asked me, once Collin was successfully out of earshot.  

"I could ask the same about you," I shot back.

"How could his best friend be such a d**k?"  

"Good one."  

"I try."  

Dennis opened his book again, flipping a couple of pages.  

"That's really not doing anything."  

"Neither are you by criticizing me."  

I let out a sigh, taking a sip of sweet tea to calm my nerves.

"Your book report is simple," I said, picking up the paper with the requirements on it. 

The paper that now also sported some of Scooby's slobber.

"All you have to do is give an overview of the book," I stated.  

"I am aware."  

"Well, we've spent the last two hours talking about the book. Did you retain anything?"  

He let out a sigh, massaging his temples.

"Some of it, yeah."  

"Why don’t you take what you remember and try and formulate it into a paper," I suggested, gesturing towards his laptop. 

He worked in silence for a few minutes, until the theme song for That 70's Show went off.  Dennis abruptly stood up, pulling his phone out of his back pocket.  And successfully throwing his wallet to the floor as well.  

"Sorry," he muttered, pressing ignore on the call. 

I reached over and picked up his wallet for him, his One Year coin falling out.  

"Here," I said, handing the two items back to him.

"Thanks," he said, tucking his coin back into his wallet.

 "Did you need to take the call?" I asked. 

He shook his head, tucking his wallet back into his pocket.

"Nobody important."  

Silence lapsed between us again.  

"Can I see your coin?" I asked, looking back over at him. 

He looked over at me in surprise, before nodding and pulling it out of his wallet, handing it to me.  I flipped his One Year coin in my hand a couple of times, studying it.  The coin stood for so much. It showed a year of struggle, a year of perseverance, and a year of hard work.  

"How long?" Dennis asked. 

I looked up at him.

"Until what?"  

"How long until Collin gets his?"  

I flipped the coin in my hand a couple more times before handing it back to Dennis.

“Four months."  

Dennis nodded before tucking his coin back into his wallet.  

"Does your boyfriend have a Mac charger?" Dennis asked, after a few minutes.

"Mine's almost dead and I left my charger at home."  

"Yeah, it is somewhere in his room," I said, standing up and land spinning in circles as I examined the room. 

Collin’s room was not particularly messy, but it had bits and pieces of random items strewn everywhere. I paused at the door, staring at his bed for a few moments. It didn't look like it had been slept in.  I let out a sigh before searching for Collin's charger for a few minutes. I headed downstairs empty-handed to search for it but still could not find it so I made my way back to Dennis.  

"I could not find it," I informed Dennis.  

"Well read over this," Dennis said, swiveling his laptop around to face me.

"And if it's a good enough start to get me a passing grade, then I will just finish the rest at home."  

I read over the beginning of Dennis's book report, and I had to admit that it was not bad.  

"Definitely passing grade worthy," I said, handing Dennis's laptop back to him.  

"Awesome," he agreed, closing his laptop screen.

"Never thought I'd say it, but thanks."  "Just try not to fail out."  He saluted me before heading out of the Collin’s room. 

I followed him out, heading into the living room where Collin was unhooking Scooby's leash.  

"You guys done?" Collin asked, straightening up. 

Upon a closer study, I could see the bags under his eyes, and even more were the light bruises indicating multiple nights with lack of sleep.  

"Yeah," Dennis said, with a nod.

"Thanks man."  

They did their bro-hug before Dennis left.  I plopped down on the couch, snapping towards Scooby, and he happily trotted over to me.  I began to scratch him behind the ears.  

"He loves it when you give him attention," Collin informed me, laughing.  

"I could not find your laptop charger," I said, looking up at him.  

"I had to take my laptop to the shop," he said, stretching out across the couch and placing his head in my lap.

"Some virus things, had to bring the charger too."  I stared into his eyes for a few moments before reaching over and tracing the bruises under his eyes.  

"It's not a big deal," he said.  "It is," I argued.

"How long has it been?"  

"Just a couple of days, no biggie."

"Maybe we should call your doctor?" I suggested.

"Or maybe even talk to your therapist."  

He flipped over, sitting up.

"I am fine."  

"You aren't sleeping."  

"That would be a side effect of being an insomniac," he teased. 

Scooby let out a whine, and I went back to scratching him behind his ears.

"If it continues, then will you at least consider talking to your therapist?" I asked, looking over at Collin.  

"I see him on Tuesday," Collin said, handing me an XBOX controller.

"If I do not sleep tonight, I will talk to him."  

"Thank you," I said, leaning over to kiss him.  

"Now let me kick your butt in Call of Duty."