The wake [[Open]]

[ally marie norman]

They had buried her Grandpa today. It was something Ally was really struggling to get her head around. They had all gotten together in black, said some nice words about him and put him in the ground. He was really gone. After the funeral everyone had come back to her Grandpa’s house, well, her house now, for the wake. Why was it called that anyway? Wake. Wake what? But here she was, sat in the corner of the living room, as all Grandpa Charlie’s friends helped themselves to the small buffet she had set out, and glanced over at her every once in a while, sympathy in their eyes as they whispered among themselves words she couldn’t hear. Probably among the lines of her being alone now, or such a shame, or about her parents dying when she was younger. Truthfully? She didn’t care what they said. She just sat there, waiting for the appropriate amount of time to pass before people decided it was time to leave and she could go upstairs and crawl into bed.

Another concerned look fell her way and that was it, she couldn’t bare it anymore, she had to get out, she couldn’t go far she knew that, but she had to get out of the house! She felt like she couldn’t breathe in there. Standing up, she smoothed the skirt of the knee length short sleeved black dress, before heading towards the front door, fully aware of the number of eyes following her out of the door. Almost immediately after the door was closed behind her, Goosebumps appeared on Ally’s arms as they wrapped around her torso guarding against the cold, really she should have a coat or something in this bitter cold. Turning her head slightly to the left, she saw out of the corner of her eye Mrs. Pottersmouth, the elderly woman who volunteered part time at Grandpa Charlie’s bookshop in the mall, standing in the window looking out at her.

God, I just can’t get away! Ally thought to herself, before storming to the end of the front garden and walking down the street, the click of her heels echoing in the emptiness of the street as she made her way away from the house. Away from them. As she got to the street sign, Ally paused, leaning against it, and looked at the ground. Finally, she was away from all the eyes, all the whispers. A small breeze blew her hair around her face as she began to shiver in the cold.

[neysa morrison carrico]

It was strange; the one person that could make him smile was spending this day in misery. The only person Neysa had was his grandfather and brother, with his parents dead he felt he could relate. Now though, he felt he might be the lucky one. He didn't want her to feel alone though. He had to get out and see her. It was killing him right then. Withdrawing his phone from his pocket he thought twice. He didn't remember the last grievance text... it just didn't happen. When feelings were involved texts weren't what was done. They had buried her grandfather. He might look stuck up most of the time but he could put how he felt into words good enough for a personal visit. He'd never find someone he loved as much as her, he loved her more than anything else in the world. No matter how hard the situation was, it was important he went to see her personally.

His boss had been ignoring his requests for a raise for two years now so Neysa didn't feel it important that he was leaving work early, given the circumstances. Besides, his boss was fairly understanding if he missed work with good reason. This was definitely a good reason. With the cold weather he had to shift gears a lot while driving to the point where he almost decided it would be safer walking. Pulling up on the road next to the sign that Ally was leaning against, he called "Hey. You wanna come see a movie? There might be a french vanilla coffee in it to warm you up" with a small smile just for her. He supposed it would always be a bit of a mystery to her as to why she saw him act so hard-faced with others and yet she had never seen that side of him. Why she always got the last caramel hot chocolate even though those were his favourites.

He didn't like to brag but he treated her pretty much like a princess. He might not be sophisticated and hey, spent years in jail but he was very smooth about that. It just made him interesting, made him deep and complex. He could spend a weekend 'getting naughty in the district' but he could also be with Ally, having a non-commital and friendly time. Not that he wanted to be her friend. Ally was the only woman he said 'i love you' to and meant it.

[ally marie norman]

Ally looked up at the sound of a car, mentally preparing to tell whoever it was to go away- only with more... colourful language. However, seeing who was driving she quickly calmed her anger, offering the driver a weak smile. Neysa. No matter what, she could always rely on him to be there when she needed him, it was like he had some kind of in built tracking system telling him when he was needed or something. Glancing back to the house, Ally shook her head at his offer, “I probably shouldn’t,” a short pause as she thought of going back to the house, to the whispers and the looks, “but I will,” she added climbing in the car. Looking over at him she sighed quietly before admitted, “I doubt I’ll be great company though.”

Ally had always loved Neysa to pieces, he was her best friend in the whole world, always had been, since they were kids, he was the biggest thing she missed when she moved away. Sure, she missed her Grandpa etc but, nothing quite as much as she missed Neys. Ally shuddered, her arms tightening their grip around her middle, her gaze moving to look outside her window. “It was worse than I thought it was going to be,” she confessed after being silent for several minutes. She didn’t think it was going to be easy, by any means, but it was almost brutal. Since she came back from New York everything she did, everything she saw made everything inside her physically ache. Even living in that house; nothing seemed right anymore. It was too hard. The pregnancy hadn’t helped anything. She had tried to put it to the back of her mind. Deal with it later, take one thing at a time. But it was always there. A sickly feeling in the pit of her stomach. Okay so that was probably the morning sickness- which was the biggest misnomer she could think of at the moment... It should be ‘all-day- sickness’.

Her hand rose to rub her forehead. Dammit, she had a headache now. That was just what she needed on top of everything. “Hang on.” She realised turning to look at Neysa, “shouldn’t you be at work?”

[neysa morrison carrico]

As soon as she slipped into the car Neysa's arms engulfed her in a giant hug. He had a lot of fun just hugging her. When she told him to hang on Neysa grew worried she was going to cry or something. Instead she pointed out the obvious. Phew he thought, he sucked with crying women. Cuddling them was the only way to go. As long as he was reliable, which he always made sure he was. He'd always love her, and that was what men did for the women they loved.

"Oh, don't worry about that. Got, uh, laid off." in an attempt to press the pressure into the back of her skull for the time being. A lame attempt considering how long they'd known each other, but she didn't know the truth. He wanted to have fun at the movies with her, what was wrong with that? It perplexed him that she even had to ask why he wasn't at work instead of with her. It was her everytime.

He could hear the faint sound of music as he parked up outside the movie theatre. He looked at Ally with a small smile.

[ally marie norman]

Ally froze as Neysa’s arms went around her tightly. “Oh,” she breathed, it wasn’t that she was surprised that he was hugging her; they hugged all the time. She just wasn’t expecting a hug first thing she got in the car. Seconds later she relaxed into the hug, her own arms going around his torso as she blinked back the tears that threatened to fall she knew how he panicked around crying women, and honestly; she hated crying in front of people, so tears wouldn’t benefit anyone. Instead she just took comfort in being held by her best friend.

“What?” She asked pulling away from the hug sharply, “laid off? As in... fired?” She could still feel his hand on the back of her head, he was still there for her. They had known each other so long that even such a simple gesture as that spoke volumes, “how? Why? When?” The questions came shooting out quickly not giving him a chance to answer before the next question was asked. “You’ve worked there for like... ever Neys, why would they fire you?”

She looked out the window blinking rapidly as she realised for the first time that they had left her street, Woah, I hate it when that happens she thought to herself, looking out at the building a few seconds before looking back at the man to her left, “don’t think my disorientation has let you off the hook?! What happened?”

[neysa morrison carrico]

As Neysa quietly opened the car door, it took him a minute to notice that Ally had still dwelled on his 'laid off'. "Calm down Al. Just for today. It was nothing major" shaking his head with a reassuring smile he opened the door for Ally around the other side of the car. For some reason Ally had been ill a lot more recently, which instinctively made him feel like she was fragile and needed all the help he could offer. Besides, he wanted to help. If anybody was going to be the synthesizer in this situation it was Neysa. His worries were weightless as opposed to most. He wasn't much of a worrier. The slightest worry for Ally lately had her falling like a bowling pin. He wanted to tell her the truth about his work but he was hesitant, she'd probably tell him to turn around, go back to work and insist that she was fine. Neysa knew she needed him, even if only as a friend.

"I can't believe you'd think I'd get fired. I'm the best damn worker they have" he smirked cockily, helping her out of the car then putting his arms around her waist from behind. "Now relax ok? Just enjoy the movie." hopefully she'd accept that and have a good time, Neysa could never tell though. She might just freeze in his arms again, as if she didn't know that Neysa would hug her at every opportunity he got. Sure, it was a friend thing, but if hugging was the only closeness they had then Neysa wanted to take full advantage. Her version would probably be that Neysa was emphasizing their closeness, he didn't mind that she saw it that way either. It was probably safer. What was there in Neysa to love? Trystan always cooked around the house, he couldn't cook, couldn't clean, lived in a sleazy hotel selling drugs to keep his house from being foreclosed.

His head was echoing everything his coach had taught him in his senior year, that he would amount to nothing. Neysa excused himself from Ally at the food counter while he called Trystan to let him know when he would be home. His promiscuous status seemed to have doubled recently so Trystan didn't find it unusual at all.

[ally marie norman]

Ally nodded once, “just be careful,” she warned before letting it drop and smiling as she carefully got out of the car, “ooo, how chivalrous,” Ally teased as the pair made their way to the building. As she felt his arm move around her waist, she instinctively leant into his hold, rolling her eyes, “I will, I will... What are we seeing anyway?” She asked looking at all the movie posters on the walls.

As Neysa walked moved to phone someone probably calling Trystan he left Ally alone with her thoughts. And Ally really didn’t want to have to deal with them right now- they gave her a head ache. He was her best friend in the whole wide world. They told each other everything, always had since they were kids. She didn’t even know she physically keep a secret from him. And Ally knew everything about Neysa (at least, she thought she did). She really should tell him about the baby. She knew he wouldn’t judge her, would probably be happy for her. But what if he didn’t? What if he thought she was some kind of whore? Or what if he went to hunt down Alex and rip him apart molecule by molecule? As much as what Alex had done hurt, she didn’t want him ripped apart, she just wanted to forget about him and move on with her life.

Ally bit her lip as she watched Neysa on the phone. Truth be told, she did want to tell him. She wanted to share the news of her upcoming parenthood with her best friend- who wouldn’t? But every time she opened her mouth the words seemed to get stuck in her throat. “Dammit,” she muttered under her breath, her gaze dropping to the sticky carpet underneath her feet.

[neysa morrison carrico]

Admittedly, if it weren't for his well-kempt hairstyle, gleaming teeth and lean body he wouldn't have got as far as he had done with the women of Castle Resorts. He will always flirt but there was never anything more to it. Ally was really the only one he saw something more serious with. Something larger, more exposed. Not the theatre production type relationship that was showed in front of the world amongst misery. Not that Ally couldn't be in theatre productions, she dressed like a star. He really admired her. He was even more amued by her use of 'damnit'. His railroad language would've been far too much for her innocent voice. Maybe it would've been more awkward for them if she was the type to recite every bad word in the urban dictionary, he liked good girls.

He was fuming to find that Trystan wasn't answering his phone. The guy had the nerve to nag Neysa about answering his phone. Maybe he was too busy gazing at stars or something. He was deep like that. And creative. He supposed in a way Trystan was everything Neysa was afraid to be. He took Ally's hand, "Life As We Know It? I hear thats a good movie." he smiled, walking her over to the snack counter since she seemed nervous. Neysa ended up opening a chest in order to see a box full of random candy in the theme of Halloween. It was kind of depressing that they had put all the candy into one big pirate chest. Who was piloting that idea?

Neysa ordered a halloween-themed drink that seemed to be a very bubbling, very thick substance that was cerulean-colored. While it was being poured Neysa swore he could smell cucumber, but after taking a sip it was more like strong coconut. "Do you want anything? My treat." he offered, his wallet was pretty full the majority of the time. Anyone would think he'd been given a raise, nobody would jump straight to drug dealer.

[ally marie norman]

Ally thought for a minute, ‘Life as we know it’ she recognised the title but couldn’t place which film it was, “sure okay,” she agreed, “sounds like a plan to me.” She added eyeing the pirate chest warily, choosing not to even comment, “really? We’ll in that case I’ll have everyting and anything,” she teased taking his own Halloween themed drink from his hands and helping herself to a sip, surprised by the coconut taste, “oo, yum, I’ll have one of those, please and thank you,” Ally added a little curtsey and a small, albeit weak, smile.

As the pair made their way to the seats, Ally looked at Neysa, “hey.. Erm... I was wondering, do you mind if I stayed over at yours tonight?” She asked nervously starting to babble, “I’ll just take the sofa, and you know me I won’t be any trouble- quiet as a church mouse... I mean, if not, I guess that’s fine it’s just. ” her eyes dropped to the arm rest between them her hands fiddling with the star in her very own Halloween drink, “I just... I don’t wanna be alone tonight,” Ally finally confessed with a sigh. She hated feeling this way, but the thought of being alone in that big empty house, tonight just made her want to burst into tears.

In the seconds that passed, Ally was internally screaming at herself to take it back, to tell him that it didn’t matter and she would be fine on her own... More than fine. Her mouth even opening to begin but the other part of her refused and stopped the words from forming, she needed to be with him, her best friend. At least tonight. It wasn’t weak to lean on people at a time like this, and Neysa wouldn’t mind, wouldn’t rub her nose in it, wouldn’t leave her. She just really hated feeling this weak. All this time, and her gaze remained firmly on the armrest.