My Heavenly Friend

Chapter 21 - Your coffee and chocolate chip muffin

I woke at six the next morning, climbing out of bed and into the shower. As hot beads off water hit against my back. As I scrubbed shampoo into my hair I mentally went over everything I had packed, making sure I had everything. A week worth of stuff. A couple pair of jeans plus my nice black ones, enough long sleeves for each day, a couple nice shirts, and I even decided to throw in a couple tee shirts and a hoodie. I planned on only wearing my gray combat boots while I was gone, but didn't have to pack them since they'd be on my feet. I packed my toiletries, a stench pad, pencil case and anything else that I'd need. Yesterday Sage had dropped by with my things that I'd left at the café before she had to go to the airport. I told her way I ran who know except for the scars because two people knowing was enough and she said that she never liked Leo, getting a laugh from me. When I finished showering I changed into jeans and a Twenty one pilots thin long sleeve, that I was in love with, and did everything I needed to before returning my toiletries to my small suitcase. Nodding firmly I zipped it up and moved it to beside the door. I plopped down on James back, since he was asleep on him stomach and heard him groan. Yep he was awake, mission accomplished.
"What?" He grunted out, annoyed.
"Max will be here any second. Don't you want to say goodbye to me." I asked making puppy dog eyes, even though he couldn't see me with his head buried in his pillow.
"No." He spit out. I scoffed, offended, but knew he only said that because of how early it was.
"Fine than." I said standing up, only to be pulled back down beside him. I rolled my eyes.
"Of course I want to say goodbye to you." He said contrary to what he said before. "I'll miss you while you're gone, I mean I'm very used to having you around little sister."
"Quit calling me that." I complained, "I'm older than you." He only laughed in reply while I pouted.
"But have fun. Try and enjoy your first Christmas." As he said that I realized that ever since I left I've been experiencing a lot firsts.
"I will." I assure him before we stand up together when there's a knock at the door. I take a step forward and swing it open, revealing Max.
"Hey, ready?" He asked.
"Yup. Just one second." I tell him before turning to hug James. "I'll see you in a week." I say to James.
"Mhm. I love you little sister." I glared at him, knowing he did that just to get bother me before rolling my eyes.
"Whatever you annoying being." I told him grabbing my satchel before leaning to grab my suitcase. I gave Max a restful smile when he stopped me, grabbing it and bringing it into the hall, "Alright, I'm off, don't break anything. Love ya." I say all this in one breath before smiling at James and leaving, shutting the door behind me.
"So what was that all about?" Max asked as we made our way down the stairs and out the building, towards his jeep and that was parked out front.
"What?" I asked, unsure what part he was talking about.
"He called you little sister and you glared at him. Why?" His tone was noting but curious as he put my suit case in the back with his. Getting into the seats I answered him,
"Well obviously we've grown close and I love him like a brother and he loves me like a sister but I'm older than him, by quite a few months so it bothered me." I say pouting again.
"You know angels live forever but can look any age. He probably is older than you." Max said without a second thought. I guess it really was true when he said his mother told him everything about the angel world.
"Ya but James really is eighteen. Just a baby angel." I add remembering what he said that first night we met. Max nodding in understanding and we continued on to the airport in comfortable silence. Once we arrived he insisted and pulling both our suitcases, even against my protest and the second we got to the counter he said his last name and we were given tickets. After the obvious things that needed to happen happened we were finally sitting out side our gate, half an hour till boarding. Our suitcases were long gone and the only bag either of us had was my satchel, so I insisted on carrying anything that needed to be carried, like passports, our tickets and anything else.
"I'm gonna get some food. Any requests?" Max says standing up and attaching his arms above his head.
"No thanks. I'm not really hungry." He automatically gave me a stern look before saying,
"You're eating something. I don't care what it is." Rolling my eyes at his persistence I told him,
"I like anything with chocolate. Oh and coffee, two milk." I added with much more eagerness.
"Alright, I'll be right back." He said before heading towards the little stores and cafés. I took that alone time to realize what I was in the midst of doing. I hadn't really really thought about it until now. I mean I was going home, well not entirely but still that town didn't have the best memories for me. And I was going back with Max. If you had asked me six months ago if I would go anywhere with Max I'd say no but now, I was going to be in the same house as him, for a week, with his family. Oh my god, his family isn't exactly rich but they might as well be with their money. I know I'm just Max's friend but what if they don't like me, what if they have really high expectations and shun me or whatever. I was getting my hopes up about my first Christmas but as my nervousness grew, that hope died out.
Until I saw Max walking back over to me. I was more than shocked to feel myself relax and the nervous buzz inside me fizzle out.
"What?" Max asked, most likely because my shock was written on my face.
"Huh, oh nothing. I was just thinking." I excused, sinking back into the chair.
"Okay? Well I got breaky. For you, your coffee and a chocolate chip muffin. Is that good?" He asked as he handed the deposable sealed cup and small paper bag.
"Sounds delicious. Thank you." I thanked him sincerely before sipping at my hot coffee. After we had finished eating it was time to get on the plane. After we had settled into our seats, we were lucky, the plan was almost half empty so we sat in the very back as not to be disturbed by anyone or disturb them. We had such nice flight attendants that they said it was alright even though they weren't our given seats. I felt giddy as the plane took off and couldn't take my eyes away from the window until there was nothing but clouds under us.
"So," Max said as I tied forward again. "Do you think we could use this time play a game of twenty questions." He wore a impish grin while shrugging his shoulders in what was supposed to be a suggestive manner. I couldn't help but giggle as I watched him before complying. Twenty questions would be fun, and a,x already knows more about me than anyone else, I didn't have anything to hide. Not really.
"Ladies first." He said, gesturing for me to ask hi a question.
"Okay, simple, favorite color." This was honestly my favorite question to ask anyone, and I had no idea why.
"Easy, black you?" He replied instantly.
"Gray. But like a really dark gray." I answered being very specific.
"Good to know. Um, favorite animal."
"Cat, well kittens but they're the same thing." I said answering at almost the same speed he had.
"Well than you're going to love Raven." He told me, only to earn a questioning look from me.
"She's my kitten. I got her a year before I left for Christmas last year actually so she's still little. I was sad when I had to leave her but I obviously couldn't bring her with me." I internally awed at the thought of getting to see this little kitten.
"So are cats you're favorite animal to?" I guessed.
"Actually no. I like wolves, which is weird since I'd rather have a cat for a pet opposed to a dog. Don't ask me how that works it just does." I giggled quietly again, still being careful not to disturb the quiet plane.
"Alright then." We continued to ask each other question going back and forth, even well after we had finished the twenty questions. With still three hours till we landed and a lack of questions I pulled out my phone and headphones, plugging them in. As if it were an instinct I held out the left headphone for him, placing the right in my one ear. He great fully took it while I entered into my music and pressing shuffle. We listened to two songs before hesitating then leading my head against his shoulder. I shifted slightly as I got more comfortable and neither of us continued to say nothing as I drifted back to sleep, the music lulling me.
I was woken by soft shaking and Max's voice calling me, saying that we were here. I instantly froze up, fright settling in me as I realized we were back. We were back in our home town, back in a place that only meant bad things to me. My eyes shit open and I looked up to see the plane nearly empty. In an effort to hide my fright and worry and quickly got up, grabbing my bag and stuffing my phone and headphones in it. I quickly made my way down the aisle, Max following behind me, when we were finally off the plane and into our local airport I told Max,
"I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be right back." Without waiting to see what he was going to say a made my way towards a sigh that said "restrooms." Once inside I shut myself in a stall and sat on the toilet seat lid. With my head in my hands I took a few deep breaths,whispering in my head 'it's alright you're not going back there, you're with Max and he won't let anything happen to you, nothing bad will happen, everything will be fine.' After repeating it quit a few times I flushed the toilet, even though it was unnecessary, and walked out to run my hands under cold water. Taking a deep breath I walked out of the bathroom and made my way to Max.
"All good?" He asked, although it was simple there was much more to it.
"I am now thanks." I offered him a small smile in reassurance.
"Okay, well the cars here so all we have to do is get our luggage." He told me. I only nodded in reply before following him to baggage claim. After we made sure we had everything we walked out to the front where a large black car waited for us. Before I could ask if that was the car he was talking about he grabbed my hand and pulled me over to it. My hand stayed in his as the driver got out and put our suitcases in the back. Max opened the door letting me enter before him.
"It's nice to see you again Mr Gilbert." The driver said as he got back into the front seat and pulled away.
"Charles how many times do I have to tell you to call me Max. We've known each other for almost all my life. Lighten up." Max told the driver, Charles before leaning back against his seat that was next to mine. Completely ignoring Max he said,
"I thought you told you're parents you weren't going to be using the second ticket but here I see you've got s girl with you." Max and I both blushed from what Charles was suggesting.
"Ya, well my friend, Ashton was going to be alone for Christmas so I invited her back to my place." He stressed the word friend, clearing Charles mind of any other ideas.
"I see." Was all he said before finishing the drive to Max's house. The whole while I stared out the window, recognizing certain places, some alleys that I painted in and then that was when we last the school. Memories flashed in front of my eyes and I saw myself on the ground in front of the school, Chris and two of his friends standing over me, Max no where to be seen. I remember that like it was yesterday. The air caught in my throat and then the school was out of sight a second later. Max was holding my hand a second later and asking,
"Are you alright?" Gently having noticed where my gaze was. I nodded silently as I tore my eyes away from the window. He slightly squeezed my hand and it sent a wave of comfort over me. I squeezed his hand back as if to tell him I really would be fine. Fifteen minutes later we pulled up to a house and I assumed it was Max's. I'd never actually seen it before but from the outside it was already so nice. It was massive with cream walls and brown roofing, the front entrance, the outside only, was elegant and I couldn't help but marvel at the architect of the place.
"Wow." I breathed out in pure amazement as we got out of the car while Charles grabbed our suitcases.
"I guess it is I but much." Max said sheepishly as his hand rubbed the nape of his neck and looked down.
"It's beautiful." I told him honestly.
"If you think that then you'll love the inside. C'mon." He said taking my hand as his shyness faded away.
"But what about our stuff?" I asked as he pulled me up to the front door.
"Charles will handle it. Don't worry about it or him. There's a reasons he works like this, I don't understand why but he likes it." Max shrugged as if it couldn't be helped before ringing the door bell. I hear the chime ring from out here and a second later the door was being opened by a gorgeous women. Beautiful brown hair ran down her back, fairly straight but still slightly wavy, and incredibly distracting hazel eyes. Her features were all so beautiful and she must have stood at my height. Max definitely got everything, except for the height, from her. They looked so a like she had to be his mother.
"Max!" She exclaimed, stepping out to hug him. He wrapped one arm tightly around her, somehow managing to keep my fingers laced with his. She pulled back and looked as his face before noticing me.
"Oh hello." She says, surprised by my being here. Good job Max, just bring me home but tell no one.
"Hi." I replied, a rare shyness overwhelming me. "Oh, um, I'm Ashton Reed, a friend of your sons." I held out my hand to shake hers but it was pushed away as she also pulled me into a hug.
"It's so nice to meet you." She said pulling back, "please call me Carly." I smiled at her and said, testing out her name,
"Thank you Carly."
"Oh you just must be tired from your flight, come in come in. We followed her in and a second later Charles was bringing our stuff in and taking it up the stairs.
"Honey, who was at the door?" I deep male voice called. It wasn't until a few months back when I learned about what Max was did I learn that the man I had thought to be hid dad was his step father. His mother had remarried and I was shocked when I had found out.
"It's Max and he's brought a friend." She called back. A man, who I assumed the voice belonged to, came to the top of the stairs a moment later before defending them. As he came to the bottom and stood beside Carly he said,
"Max." In greeting with a firm nod. Max returned the nod before introducing me.
"This is Ashton, a friend of mine."
"Just a friend?" His father asked skeptically as his gaze landed on our intertwined hands.
"Oh!" His mother exclaimed as if having just noticed, for all I knew she did just notice. I quickly let go of his hand from embarrassment while Max just said,
"Yes, a very good friend. That's all." His tone was slightly strained and we fell into a silence before...
"Alright, well it was a long flight you should rest." His father spoke before nodding at each of us then leaving, returning to whatever he had been doing before. When Charles came back he whispered something to Carly before leaving. Her face lit with understanding while he spoke before turning to rely the message of us.
"I'm afraid all our guess rooms are full with family members that will be arriving in the next few days. Charles has placed you're things in Max's room." She explained. I opened my mouth to speak when Max beat me to it.
"That's alright mum. She can stay in mine." Before I had the chance to say anything, protest, agree, or whatever it was I planned on doing, Max was dragging me towards the stairs.
"Thank you for having me." I quickly called over my shoulder to Carly as we made our way up the stairs.
"Of course dear." She said before we were at the top and turning in the opposite direction than the one his father had taken.