Come Back To Me (chapters 1-9) - Paige569 (polar express read aloud TXT) 📗

past thirty minutes. My hair was pulled up into a chic polished bun and I was wearing the pale pink dress my mother had insisted on buying me. The fabric was soft and made my awkward teenage body that was still filling out, seem curvy and elegant. I wanted to take it off, throw down my hair and slip into my tattered sweats. Crawling under the covers and watching a cheesy romance seemed like such a better idea, but with everyone waiting down stairs; definitely not an option.

To say I was nervous was a total understatement, I was nervous as hell and every minute that passed only seemed to put me more on edge then before. I kept telling myself it was just a stupid dance, but I couldn't shake the thought that it might turn out to be so much more. That tonight could be the night. The night Dylan told me he loved me too, loved me more than as his little sister like friend and had since forever.

I knew it was more of a dream then a possibility, but like all fifteen year old girls I still thought dreams and reality were all one fairy tale that might just come true if I wanted it bad enough.

I stood up, running my hands over the front of my dress. If my mother saw a single crease I knew she would flip her lid and the last thing I wanted was to deal with her running the steamer over me again. She had spent a good hour on my face and it was the first time I had ever really worn makeup. To be honest I felt like a princess and if I were being extremely honest, I would have to say I looked like one too; minus the tiara. I hardly recognized myself in the mirror and I hoped Dylan wouldn't either. Maybe then he might think of me the way I thought of him.

I sighed heavily and walked over to my bedroom door that seemed to be growing bigger right before my eyes.

You could do this Kate. I closed my eyes letting my hand linger on the rim of the knob.

One, two, three and out the door I went, shutting it quickly so I wouldn't be tempted to run back inside.

"Katie! Come on already, every ones ready!" he yelled irritably up the stairs.

Okay I know I was taking a long time, but that was enough. He knows I have a short fuse.

"Dylan Scott! If you don't stop yelling up these stairs I'll never come down!"

"Alright, alright little Katie calm down I apologies your majesty," he grumbled lowly.

I could hear my father snickering.

"I heard that!" I shouted down.

Okay so this was getting ridiculous.

"Okay, here I come," I whispered.

Slowly and very carefully in my three inch heels; another torment bestowed upon me by my mother, I made my way down the stairs.

I nearly tripped on the first step and put my hand on the railing. My hand felt slippery against the slick wood and I noticed sweat building on my palm. Great Kate, sweat like a pig and you'll be sure to win him over.

"Honey you look Beautiful," my mother crooned as I rounded the edge of the stairs.

I looked straight past her to where Dylan's back was facing me as he talked to his two friends Dave and Jared who were standing with their dates Shirley and Emily; two senior girls who did not look happy to be kept waiting by me.

"Kate you look amazing," it was Jared Dylan's friend.

"What?"" Dylan said dramatically, "has the gracious Kate decided to finally come down stairs?"

I could hear the teasing smile in his voice.

When he turned around I could see the momentary surprise and something else that was hidden right away when he looked at me.

God why did he have to be so handsome? Just looking at him made my heart race and I tried not to let it show.

His hair was messy, but it was obvious he had tried to do something with it and he wore a black buttoned up dress shirt with slacks.

"Katie," he smiled, "You..." the way he was staring at me gave me goose bumps and I suddenly wished we were alone and not in this crowded room with our friends and family, "you're finally ready," he smirked.

"Thats sweet and all, but can we finally go?" whined Jared's date Emily.

"Wait, pictured first!" shouted both my mother and Mrs. Walsh at the same time causing them to giggle against each other. I swear those two together were like a pair of teenagers at times.

"Dylan sweetie," said his mom, "Stand next to Kate and scoot in for the picture," she said nudging him against me," first one with the whole group and then just you and Kate okay," she promised.

Dylan and I both sighed. Our mothers tended to take a million pictures with everything we did. We once had a mud pie bake sale...well, by the time they were finished, there was enough pictures to fill two whole albums.

Jared stood on one side of me and Dylan on the other, his date Emily was glaring at me over his shoulder. What was her problem? I know I was probably the only one in grade nine going to prom, but gees, she was staring lasers at me .

After about a reel of film it was time for me and Dylan's photo.

My stomach tightened and my dress began to feel stuffy. This boy was starting to give me an anxiety problem. Every time I was around him I felt nervous lately, like the walls were closing in.

Looking up at him as he tried to smooth out the front of his hair with his palm while his mother bickered about how he was supposed to cut his hair, I realized I truly loved everything about him. The way the left side of his eyes crinkled when he laughed or how his hair fell right above his eyes, just an inch shy enough to see the swirling depth of his bottomless brown eyes that were so warm and familiar beneath his dark lashes.

I wanted to touch his face with my hand and memorize everything about him. At the end of the year he would be going off to college and I suddenly didn't care how many pictures our mothers took because a thousand wouldn't have been enough. I wanted to remember this night forever.

Dylan smiled when he caught me staring at him and I quickly looked away feeling my cheeks burning, how long had I been staring? When I looked across the room I saw Jared smiling at me. What was it with that guy?

"Come on Katie, picture time princess," Dylan said as he grabbed my hand with his.

My hand felt like it was burning and I hoped he would never let go. It felt so right clasped inside his palm that was so much bigger than mine.

Like as if he could read my mind, he never let my hand fall and with the other he snaked it around my waist and pulled me against him. He smelled like soap and I leaned my head against his shoulder. He had grown at least four inches this past couple of years and it still amazed me.

"Okay just one more," said my mother.

Dylan leaned down and I felt his lips brush against my ear- I nearly keeled over right then and there from lack of breathe.

"You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen Katie," he whispered. His voice was low and hoarse, his tone held a certain amount of seriousness to it.

A second later I felt the soft texture of his warm full lips against the side of my cheek and a second after that the flash of the camera glared against us.


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I flipped my wallet closed and shut away yet another memory of me and Dylan. He hadn't confessed his love for me that night, but I guess I never really thought that he might. My eyes burned and once again my heart hurt as it pounded rhythmically against the inside of my chest. I wondered if I would ever be fixed or remain forever broken.

I didn't want to be broken.

When I touched the side of my face I could still feel the soft impact of his lips that had only stayed pressed against my skin for a matter of seconds oh so many years ago and a single tear slid down my face.

"Hey are you alright?" Jared asked as he pulled into an old beat up gas station. We were somewhere in the middle of nowhere and the air felt dry and hot as it pushed past the open window and against my skin.

"I'm fine," I said running a hand over my face.

He looked at me for a long time until he put the car in park and turned off the ignition.

I was glad he left in alone and wasn't being his normal self by pushing me with questions, but of course I thought that a second too soon.

"So, what were you thinking about?" he asked.

I looked down at my wallet and shoved it into my purse.

I steadied myself and took a deep breath shutting out the past and forgetting about things that didn't matter anymore. Dylan was as good as gone and he wasn't ever coming back to me no matter how badly I wanted it, I was grown up and knew reality and fairy tales didn't mix.

I licked my lips and cleared my throat before stepping out of the car.

"Nothing," I said with a week smile, "I wasn't thinking about anything."

I didn't wait for him to answer or ask a thousand other questions about how I was doing. Instead I walked out into the field across from the old run down gas station and took the wallet out of my bag.

I unclasped the lock and pulled out the picture of me and Dylan at prom looking at in one more time before tearing it into pieces and throwing it into the wind. The sun was hot and the sky was filled with white puffy clouds that looked soft and silky against the baby blue sky.

My voice was hardly audible baneath the rumble and engine of a passing semi streaming down the highway, but the words made me feel strong and have something I hadn't felt in a while, and that was hope. They were just five little words, but I felt five thousand times stronger hearing myself say them.

"I will not be broken."

chapter 9

The ride so far was long and...long.


Jared hadn't said anything about my minor breakdown back at the gas station and for that I was grateful. The last thing you ever want is to be reminded of something you are trying desperately to forget.


The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Jared was really proving to be a good friend even if he did get on my nerves most of the time.


Rolling up my window I snuggled down into my seat trying to get comfortable. I felt bad for not talking to Jared and keeping him company