If And Maybe

The front door was pushed open with as much force as could be expected from someone who was trembling. From terror or excitement, it was hard to tell. Somehow, two hours later, nothing had changed. Except his position when the door flew open. "You wouldn't believe it!" Peggy said with wide eyes. "We were coming back from the mall right? And then this two cars just hit each other so hard. It was the scariest sound ever. And then another one crashed into them." She reported. Her brother's face changed from slight annoyance to worry. "Luckily we were a few cars behind so mom stopped the car. There was glass everywhere and a fire broke out. It was terrifying."

"Peggy go to your room and get changed." Her mother ordered. Shrugging off her jacket and putting her car keys on the table closet to her. Shaking with fear from what might have been. Peggy left immediately.

Tanner, the son and brother sitting and looking at them with concern was only more worried. "Mom." He called, looking her over.

She turned to him with a smile. "Have you been sitting here all that time? Playing games?"

Her sudden smile made him worry more. "Yeah umm... Tate and George came over." He had to call his dad and tell him.

"Oh that's nice." She scratched her head full of blonde hair, turning around, looking for something that wasn't there. "I'm going up stairs."

"Mom are you okay? What Peggy said-"

"Yeah. I will be. I just need a" She faced him. "I'm going to avoid my car and going out for a few days." She smiled again. She started to leave. Tanner nodded, watching her head for the stairs.

Up the stairs, in her room, "Shane, you wouldn't believe what happened."

"You guys are okay right?" Her older brother who was away his in college, in his first year, was just as worried. He's have to call Tanner and his dad and his mom. His mind raced with a million terrible scenarios before calming down with the fact that they were fine.

Peggy made sure to assure him as well. "We even got the stuff. They'll be brought in tomorrow and then they'll start."

Brave thirteen year old Peggy. Except for the time Tanner has told him about a cockroach she freaked out about. But she was eleven then. An hour after a scare she was still excited about turning the attic into her room. A fun project she called it. Still though, he had to call his brother and father...=

Noelle woke up, thanks to the uncomfortable position she'd slept in. One look around and she spotted Sawyer bent over his desk. She tilted her head, it didn't help her see more. Her heart still broke for him. It was quite the thing tonight. When she saw the post after calling and calling all those months ago, she'd wanted nothing more than to run to him and hug him and be with him like she'd done tonight. As she watched him, she promised herself to be with him through all of it. She heard the rustle of sheets and looked back, Otto was very much asleep and very comfortable. She hoped he made the same promise as well. She looked back at Sawyer and once again hoped he wouldn't shut them both out all over again.

It was like they were still with him. Peggy's voice in his head, her doing all the things he knew she would. She was alive. It made him smile. And the strangest thing, he felt his mother's arms round his head and her chin on his head like she use to do. He couldn't wait to put that down a thousand times. To write her smile, to make her unfinished work finished. Everything he is writing is what could have been and now will be. They are with him, here, in his room, in his head, in his new notebook where

=Peggy joyfully watched her room be done the way she wanted it to. She'd ran out of the car into the house wishing she was the flash so she could get there much faster. And when she did, she was beyond excited. Her new desk was being put in. Her bed frame has been carried in. In a few days she would have the room she'd been dreaming of. She squealed and ran down stairs. Monday, she'd call her brother and tell him everything on Monday.=

Yes. Here there was a Monday. Here she would tell him everything and send pictures of what she'd already drawn that was being created. Here she gets for finish what she started. They both do. Here there was no loss.

***

A shiver ran through her. Nervousness. What else could it be? She stood outside his room door, her hand balled into a fist ready to knock. She started pacing instead. She bit her lower lip, suddenly excited. What would happen when he opened the door? She's planned it out. Yet something told her the look on his face would wash it all away. Bravery, she encouraged herself, stopped pacing and finally knocked. Damn it! What if he wasn't in? The door clicked and opened at the end of her mental question. He was in and on seeing her, his face brightened, then he smiled. Way better than she imagined. And worse... she did forget the plan. He was looking at her expectantly and she was blank. Then finally, after almost thirty seconds, "Hi."

His lips parted with a scoff. "Hannah Bee." His smile turned to a smirk, he assessed her. "Hannah Barbra."

"Hi Sawyer." Saying hi again, really? She chuckled at herself.

"Hello." He ruffled his black hair. She didn't miss seeing it. "I was umm..." he looked back. "Come in." He cleared his throat and stepped aside.

"Thanks." She entered, freaking out on the inside. What's wrong with her?

"I was" he closed the door.

She went for the chair by the bathroom. The room looked just absolutely nothing like she imagined. Clothes everywhere. And clearly he owned his disorganization.

He followed her every look with a smile, then continued, "I was thinking of looking for you. But I couldn't go round asking for Hannah Barbra."

"You were?" Her head turned, more freak out.

He nodded. "It would have looked a lot like a Cinderella move." Laura asked him out, and she clearly was here to do the same... unless she forgot a book which she didn't. "You're here to ask me out aren't you?"

Oh come on! Did he have to ruin it? "Y-yeah."

"Would you like to go out with me?" He looked right into her eyes.

"Yes." She said immediately. Is this a spell? "But I pick the place." She forced the words to come out quick.

"Sure." He shrugged. "Make all the decisions." He smiled. "If you want."

"I want." She stood up. "Can I have your number now?"

He nodded, trying to remember where he kept his phone. "But I must warn you, I'm not very good at keeping up with my phone."

She smiled brightly. "We'll make do." He adjusted his glasses. Damn, did he know how hot he looked doing that? She licked her lips, not quite ready to leave yet. "I had it all planned you know? I was going to ask you out as a way of saying thank you for helping the other night." He might as well know, since he ruined it.

He raised his eyebrows for a second. "If you were going to do that, you'd be asking Otto and Noelle out as well." More Noelle cause he probably wouldn't have offered to help. He really hadn't thought to help her carry it down the stairs.

"Right." She scoffed.

"Noelle thanked us with breakfast. It was her idea after all. Plus, you thanked us remember? B for Barbra.

"There was that too." She nodded, getting up to finally leave. "So I'll text you." He nodded. "And I'll let you know when and where."

"Sure. It was nice seeing you again. And I can't wait to see you again... again." He flashed a smile. She smiled right back, perfectly thrilled.