Chapter 1

~

I sat there. In bed. LED lights on blue. Thinking. Maybe, if I sit here long enough, all the problems will be gone. Maybe, if i slept here long enough, i’d fall into some kind of reality. Maybe, just maybe, I'd be able to have a great life in some other reality.

I sat there, looking at the ceiling for countless hours until my eyes fell. Feeling like heavy bags on my eyes, pushing them shut.

•••

I saw a boy. A boy with black hair parted down the middle on a skateboard and a nice style. He seemed to be not very popular. He turned every which way on his dirty board. I sat there just watching him attempt many different tricks. I had no experience with skating so I had no idea what he’s doing. 

I sighed after watching him for a while and got up walking through the parking lot , passing him. His eyes trailed up causing him to land on his back. My eyes widened at the sight and quickly made my way over there. 

“Oh my god are you okay?” I say giving him my hand to take.

There was a silence of him looking at me until he cleared his throat.

“Umm, sorry uh, t-thank you” He stuttered with a pink tint on his cheeks. He took my hand and I helped him up.

“You sure you’re okay? You fell pretty hard” I ask tilting my head in concern.

“Yeah, see i’m fine” He says as he walks around but ends up groaning in pain.

“Yeah uh no, sit down”

“No no, i’m okay trust me”

I gave him a look of reassurance that I did not care that he was “okay”. He rolled his eyes playfully and sat down with a small grin. 

“You need to rest and I have nothing else to do right now, so what’s your name?” I ask not sure if he will respond to a random girl he practically met ten minutes ago.

“Devin” he pauses “Devin Miko, what about you?”

Something about the light smile he gave me made my face feel hot. “Destiny Grace”, I returned the smile. 

There was a silence, but not an awkward silence. It was comfortable and nice.

“So, you live around here?” Devin asks.

“Uh, yeah. I usually go sit on the big hill over there and do random stuff” I point to the hill. I usually went over there to paint or draw, think, or listen to music. It’s like my escape from life.

“I live close by too. I come to skate and listen to music, sometimes with friends.” 

We talked some more for a while till I got a call. 

“Yeah mom?”

“Come home now please”

“Okay i’ll be there in five.” 

“Thank you be save bye” 

“bye”

I put my phone back in my pocket and sat up.

“I got to go home now” I sighed.

“Awe okay, well can i have your number?” I blushed at his words but took his phone and typed my number.

“Okay thanks, nice meeting you Destiny. I’ll for sure text you.” Devin smiles as he gets up and stands on his skateboard. 

“See ya Devin, be careful on that!” I yell laughing as I walk away.

I made it home and put my bag in my room and walked back down stairs.

•••

“Destiny Chanel Grace, wake up now! You’re going to be late for school!” I heard my mother yell as she shook me.

 I groaned and sat up. Then shock hit me. That was a dream! My eyes teared up as I slammed my head back onto my pillow. I felt so safe with him but the whole time it was a dream. And the thought stuck with me the whole day.

A dream.

~

I walked home from school and the only thing on my mind was the fictional character my mind created. Devin. I zoned out all day because of him. I tried every second to convince myself to forget about him but I just couldn’t. This just made my problems worse, I wanted to escape them but he made them worse.

I put the code into the front door of my house and smelt brownies. I locked the door behind me and walked into the kitchen. “Hey mom”

“Hey sweetie, how was school?” my mother smiled widely as she kissed my head. I leaned into her warmth and leaned on her.

“Good” I smiled up at her. 

I sat on my bed. Yeah, I had homework but there was no point in doing it, I wasn’t listening in class anyway. I stared at the ceiling with my alexa lightly playing in the background of my thoughts. Suddenly my thoughts disappeared and I listened and hummed the song 

Drifting away -khai dreams

My thoughts went back and forth between the light song and my dream.

If it’s all just a dream, then I don’t ever wanna wake up

The way he was so passionate on the way he skated. The smooth turns. The excitement when he lands a trick and continues to ride around the concrete.

I think I’ve had enough of this life and,

His hair flowing with the wind. 

I could lay here with you, and

The random topics that we came across when we talked for the fifteen minutes after he had fallen. 

Watch the world turn

The song continued to play as my eyes began to get heavier as they did yesterday. I tried to stay awake as it was only three in the afternoon but I had no motivation to get up and stay awake so I let my body shut down.

•••

I carried my navy blue backpack up the big hill. The hill was beautiful. The pink and red cherry blossoms around the top of the hill. An nice oakwood bench with a perfect view of the city that was before me. The sun was going down giving everything a golden filter. I closed my eyes and sighed, then began taking out my notebook and pens from my backpack. I looked around me and began to draw this one building in the small town. It was a tan color with windows. The sign that read “library” at the stop was white and black. Vines went up the walls with cherry blossoms at the buildings side. People walked in and out the building with books in their hands. ‘I need to go there sometime’ I thought as a pump led into my pencil and began to sketch the building's walls. I put on some music while I drew the building. 

While I was drawing, I felt a tap on my shoulder that startled me, also making my pencil drag across my paper leave a long line. When I caught my breath, I looked over my shoulder and saw him. I smiled widely because I thought i would never see him again.

“Well, if it isn't Destiny Grace” Devin smirked and came around the bench and sat.

“Hello Devin Miko” I smiled wider. 

We both stared at each other, smiling until I realized what it was doing and my face turned red. I looked away and cleared my throat. “So, what have you been doing?” I ask looking down at my sketch trying not to show the obvious red tink on my face.

“Just skating, kinda waiting for you” He whispered the last part. “And I remember you liked this place so I came” He finished. 

I smiled and blushed because he remembered that conversation. I don't understand how im seeing him again but i'm happy I am.