Making it up as we go - (9 Parts)

[SomethingClever]

ohhhh I adore these characters! gotta love a resurrection

[Emily]

GYAH OMG ILAAHHYOOOU OMG OMG OMG

YEEEESSS

DID I MENTION THAT I LOVE YOU

NOW I DIDDDDD

I LOVE WATCHING YOUR WRITING EVOLVE WITH JUST TWO CHARACTERS TOO

is it sad that I know this story and "Never Back Down" like the back of my hand

but yes thanks for updating!

[everest]

You guys are so great. Seriously.

Part Eight:

After the talk with Jayden, I found myself somewhat lost in my own head. He always knew when something was wrong with me. It was annoying, to be honest. It was so much easier to ignore feeling sick when nobody was bringing it up. And he was always so concerned… I didn’t get it. I mean, sure, if he was hurt somehow I know I’d be concerned as well. But it wasn’t just brotherly; Jayden tended to get almost paternal whenever something happened to me. It could be the simplest of things, like having a headache or a sore back. The way he would act was almost… motherly.

In all fairness, it wasn’t as though we had a mother anymore.

I tried to change my thought path; I didn’t want to go down this road right now. It wasn’t necessary; this wasn’t the time. It happened five years ago.

I didn’t want to forget her.

When I was younger, I sometimes wondered what things would be like if my mom hadn’t died… if my father had never started drinking at the crack of dawn until one o’clock in the morning… maybe he wouldn’t have been so angry all the time. Maybe he wouldn’t have…

“David?” I felt a tugging on my pant leg

“What?” The tone I used was less than kind; it came out before I could snap back to reality. “What, Al-“

I broke off. She looked like she was about to cry.

“Hey.” I felt my knees crack as I lowered to a squat. “What’s wrong?”

She was looking at the ground. “I’m sorry.” She said. Was that… a tremor, in her voice? Oh, shit. What did I do now?

“Why are you sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for, sweetie. Everything’s good. We’re going to practice in a bit. Aren’t you excited?” My words were cautious. As much as I honestly didn’t want to see her cry, a more selfish part of me just didn’t want to have to deal with a hysterical four year old.

She raised her eyes so she wasn’t staring into my chin. At least we were getting closer. “Please don’t be mad.”

Please don’t be mad…

Those words were all too familiar. I’d used them plenty of times, when I’d messed up somehow, setting off my father’s temper. It never took much… nothing more than a frown when he stumbled home drunk yet again…

But this wasn’t about me. Not at all.

“What’s wrong, Allie? I promise I won’t be mad.”

“I was playing with Sam outside and-“

“You went outside? Allie, you can’t just run off on your own.” I ran a hand through my hair. How did I not notice this? Had I really become so immersed in my own self-pitying thoughts that I hadn’t noticed the front door opening and closing?

“You said you wouldn’t be mad!” And now, the toddler had started to cry. Fantastic.

I had no idea what to do. She wasn’t showing signs of stopping, taking in big, gasping breaths to accommodate her sobbing.

“Um… it’s okay, it’s…” I tried to calm her down. She wasn’t even listening to me. “Allie. Shhh, it’s okay. Allie, look at me. It’s okay, it’s…” It was like she couldn’t even here me. Maybe she couldn’t, not over the sounds of her own crying. I flinched as she let out a sort of whimper/shriek sound.

Christ, I had to do something.

Impulsively, I lifted her up into my arms, holding her against my heart. I began to whisper in her ear.

“Shhhhh.” I told her. “Calm down. It’s fine, everything’s fine. You’re okay. We’re okay.”

Miraculously, her sobs quieted. I kept talking.

“I’m not mad. I promised, remember? I’m not mad. Just ask me next time, okay?”

Allie sniffled.

“Okay?” I repeated.

She nodded. I set her down, this time sitting cross-legged in front of her.

“Okay.” I said, taking a deep breath, and letting myself sigh in relief. “Are you ready to tell me what happened?”

She nodded, sniffling again. “Sam and I were playing outside when a car drove by and-“

God, don’t say he ran into the road don’t say he was run over don’t say he was killed

“-and then Sam started to chase it, and I tried to follow him, but Daddy say’s I’m not allowed to leave the yard and Sam left the yard and I don’t know where he went!”

I forced myself not to react rashly, not wanting to set her off again. “I’ll find him. Don’t worry, I promise.”

“You will?” Allie looked at me, small face lighting up.

“Of course I will. Come on.” I led her to the door, and onto the front porch.

“Can you… hu’IISSH’uu!” The cold air assaulted my sinuses. “isSSHeh! Ugh…” I allowed myself a quick sniff. “Which way did he go?”

Allie pointed left.

“Okay. Good. Now go back inside. And please, stay there.” I practically herded her back into the house.

“I want to go with you.” She protested, holding on to my arm.

“No.” I told her. “You can’t. Just stay here.”

Allie looked sad, but didn’t start to cry again. Thank God. I was about to shut the door when her voice stopped me.

“Don’t forget your coat!”

“I’ll be fine.” I told her, shutting the door. Shivering, I started to jog in the direction Allie pointed, calling out the dog’s name even though I knew he probably hadn’t even learned it yet.

---

I should probably figure out something to do about the title, considering it says this story has six parts and that it no longer true.

Thanks for your feedback!

[ThatSneezyGirl]

Aw too cute! Love it

[VividBubbles!]

Ah David. Don't you know you not supposed to go out into the cold while you're sick? Especially without a coat on. Eh, I guess you'll just have to learn your lesson the hard way.

BYE!

[Emily]

mwhahahaha

-happy sadist-

not bringing his jacket, he's going to regret this but I sure won't

[obsessed]

Title is fixed ma'am.

[sneezychick93]

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I'M SO EXCITED YOU UPDATED AFTER SO LONG!! DAVID IS MY FAVORITE!! My favorite character in this story and on this forum!

[dragonko]

Omg! I'm loving this. Although I secretly wish it were Jayden (not sure why, but in my head he's cuter than David). But either way this is amazing!!! Can't wait for the next part!!!

[everest]

Thank you guys! I really appreciate your support. I still feel a bit awkward continuing a story after so long, but you all are continuing to inspire me with your support.

And obsessed, thanks for the title fix!

ETA: Oh wow, this is embarrassing. I completely forgot to say that I'm changing the point-of-view to third person, just because I'm not really a fan of first person writing in general as much anymore and it's easier to write this way. I'm really sorry if I confused anybody!

Part Nine:

“hi’GSSH’uh! Heh… i’ESSH’oo! Guh…” David sniffled back the sudden onset of congestion. He shivered hard, but didn’t stop moving.

“Samb? Samb! Please, come here!”

David wasn’t even sure that he was going in the right direction. The dog could have been anywhere by now. Even trying to look for him was probably pointless.

He considered going back to the house and getting Jayden’s car. It would be faster; he could cover more ground with it. But speed wasn’t exactly the key to finding something; Sam would be harder to spot if David was in a car. The car would be warmer, though… but then again, so would have been a jacket.

He should have just listened to the four year old.

It was probably best that he just continue as he was. Turning back now would hold no benefit.

David tried to come up with a list of possible places that Sam could have went. For all he knew, the only place that Sam had been around here was his house.

David shivered again, feeling frustration cloud over him. That was hardly helpful. He toyed with the idea of attempting to figure out where the car that Sam chased had gone…

Of course, for that, he’d need the license plate number, which Allie probably wasn’t paying attention to, and a lot influence with the Police, in order to track the car. All for a dog. David shook his head to clear it of the idea; it was absolutely ridiculous.

It would probably be pointless anyway; Sam couldn’t keep up with the car for long. He was just a puppy; he would have likely lost the car right away.

And then turned back and went to the only place he knew…

David smiled. It wasn’t exactly a sure thing, but at least he had an idea. Maybe there was a point in turning back after all.

He started to sprint back to his house, silently thanking anyone who could hear him that he hadn’t traveled more than a mile. Slowing to a brisk jog so he didn’t exhaust himself, David found himself hoping deeply that he was right on his hunch… if not…

Before long, he was within sight of the house. He picked up his pace a bit, not wanting to waste any time. What if another car had driven by?

When David finally arrived in his yard, panting, he immediately looked around for the fur ball.

David felt his stomach sink as he realized that there was no such ball of fur in sight. He sat down, feeling defeated. Jayden would be devastated. And he’d promised Allie…

He wouldn’t give up. He’d search all night if he had to. This dog was his responsibility, this was his mess, and he was going to clean it up.

Standing, David took a deep breath.

“Sam?” He called out, at the top of his lungs. He started to continue down the path that he’d just come from.

And then, a blessing.

Out of the corner of his eye, David saw movement. He turned towards the source; there was Sam, covered in dirt, wriggling out from underneath the next door neighbor’s bushes.

To his surprise, David found himself grinning.

“Sam!” He said again, pleased when the puppy began bounding towards him. He lifted the furball in his arms, feeling relieved. “We’re going to have to get you a leash.” Sam made a move to lick his face, but David pulled away, for more reasons than one.

“Hu’isSH! Hu’ISshuu! Ha’ESSHuu!”

A pause, filled with hitching breaths, and then…

“ha’EISCH’uh!”

Allergies. Right.

Lifting the puppy so as to be sure he didn’t lose him again, David crunched over the semi-frozen grass and earth until he reached the front porch. Twisting the knob and pushing the door open, he readied himself for an anxious Allie.

She wasn’t there. Feeling a moment of panic wash over him, David almost forgot to shut the door. Where the hell had she gone now?

“Allie?” He called out. “Allie, come… hi’EISHuu! Ugh, Samb…” David bent down, releasing the squirming puppy from his arms.

“eISCH’uh!” David sniffled back the congestion that was filling his nose, knowing that he couldn’t blame it entirely on the dog. “Allie!” he called once more, growing frustrated.

Thankfully, she appeared, walking down the stairs with what looked like a blanket being towed behind her.

“What are you doing?” David tried to ignore the hint of congestion that was clouding his voice.

Allie reached up, pulling the blanket- which he know recognized as the comforter from Jayden’s bed- up into the air. “I brought you a blanket. You shouldn’t go out without your jacket.”

David smiled, a little embarrassed. She was reminding him of her father.

“Thank you.” He told her, accepting the heavy comforter. Allie watched him expectantly, so he dutifully wrapped it around his shoulders.

“You got Sam!” She raced towards the puppy, giggling when he licked her face.

David moved toward the couch, his ability to walk somewhat inhibited form the length of the blanket. He sat, opening the blanket with one arm and gesturing for Allie to join him. The little girl’s eyes lit up and she ran over, hopping onto the couch next to David as he wrapped the fabric around her shoulders.

David flicked on the tv, smiling as he saw that it was already set on Disney Channel. That didn’t happen often in his and Jayden’s house. He sat back, relaxing into the couch. A glance at the time, however, made him sit upright.

“I’m so sorry, Allie. We have to get going, now, for practice.”

David sprinted up the stairs, changing quickly, and, remembering the freezing air outside, pulled on a layer of under amour as well as a t-shirt, then added a thick hoodie.

Racing down the stairs, he was pleased to see that Allie had already put on her coat and zipped it up. He helped her put on her gloves and tugged a hat over her head. Kneeling with his hands on her shoulders, David looked the small girl up and down.

“What’s missing?” He mumbled aloud.

Allie giggled. “Shoes!”

Shoes, right. David quickly located a pair of winter boots for Allie. They weren’t really necessary, as there was no snow on the ground, but David figured they would be warmer than the tennis shoes she had also brought. David wondered for a moment why Brandon had even packed the boots. He quickly let the curiosity die, hustling Allie through the house, into the garage, and then finally into the car.

[sneezychick93]

Awesome!! I love it so much! Btw I've been daydreaming about David for the last few days. You couldn't have created a more awesome character. Him and Jayden. I do miss Jayden a bit in this story, but oh my goodness I love them!! Great job!!

[Emily]

d'awwww David :'D he's such a cute guy, selfless and all, and forgetting about his allergies when he finds Sam heheheh

@sneezychick93: dude, omg I do that like all the time! I love Daviddd! this is like equivalent to my still-existent cartoon crush on Danny Phantom.

[everest]

Awesome!! I love it so much! Btw I've been daydreaming about David for the last few days. You couldn't have created a more awesome character. Him and Jayden. I do miss Jayden a bit in this story, but oh my goodness I love them!! Great job!!

d'awwww David :'D he's such a cute guy, selfless and all, and forgetting about his allergies when he finds Sam heheheh

@sneezychick93: dude, omg I do that like all the time! I love Daviddd! this is like equivalent to my still-existent cartoon crush on Danny Phantom.

You guuuyyyys! I had to reply to this right away, it made me smile so big. Knowing that people actually daydream about my characters makes me super happy. Seriously, I love the two of you for that.

I would love if I could make this little universe into an actual fandom. It would be like a dream come true, haha. Everyone could make their daydreams into stories or artwork and it would be amazing.

Side note: You both probably noticed that I randomly switched to third person in this last part. I just realized that I forgot to warn of that in the beginning, so I've edited my post, but I wanted to apologize if I confused anyone.

[Emily]

To be honest, if you hadn't picked up on this story again I was going ot ask you if I could write a continuation of it LOL I guess this means that can still happen?

:'D David is my favorite of your characters <3

in case I haven't said it a hundred times already LOL

[sneezychick93]

If I had more knowledge of soccer I'd really love love love to write a fandom. However things always seem better in my head then when I write them out, but I love it anyway! Would love to read more and more and more about them.

[tenderwarrior]

I thoroughly enjoy this! It's so addicting and I love how it combines allergies and sickness. It pleases everyone! Haha. I have a feeling that David is warming up slightly to Sam but I could be totally wrong with that assumption. Thank you for updating! I can't wait for more!

[everest]

Allow me to begin by letting all of you know that there won't be an update to this story in this post. I know, I've kept you guys waiting a while, but please allow me to explain.

I had the next part written out, and was actually quite happy with it. I decided to take the time to go through the new section and edit it, making changes here and there until I was satisfied. I then took a break, watched a video online and went downstairs to make myself dinner.

When I returned, my computer had taken the liberty of updating and automatically restarting. Needless to say, I lost the new part to this story. It wasn't auto saved, and can't be recovered. I know that I should have saved it, but I didn't. And now it's gone.

I know it's not the end of the world; I've lost projects before, and I'll probably be stupid enough to do it again. But I'm a little frustrated. Now I have to decide if I want to try and rewrite what I had from memory or just create and entirely new installment. This means that you'll have to wait a bit longer for an update- sorry for that.

Anyway, just wanted to let you guys know what's taking so long. Also, I wanted to respond to some comments.

First of all, thanks for the love, guys. Without you I would have given this story up a long time ago.

And, Emily and sneezychick93:

I do wish this was a fandom, for all the reasons I said before, but also because that would mean that more back-story was provided of the characters. I realize that if I were a more talented writer, or at least somewhat more patient, I could probably give that back-story, develop the characters and describe their world all in the pieces I've already posted to the forum. But that hasn't happened. So I'm not asking anyone to write these characters; I know I haven't given all that much to go off of.

HOWEVER. If you want to... I'm not opposed to it. I am a liiiiiiittle bit protective of these guys... I'm not quite read to call open season on them. Asking before taking is always good, and, if anyone does decide to write something, I'll help however I can, whether it's reviewing a plot of a story or suggesting how a character might react in a situation, or whatever. Well-developed or not, they are my characters.

I love all of you for being interested in these stories, and hopefully I can get you another update soon.

[Emily]

D: that sucks terribly...well it's not really much but if you need emotional and mental support for your loss I shall be here always V _ V I can beta read too ;D and offer tidbits of encouragement and love

in fact here's some love for you now:

YOU'RE ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITERS AND I TOTALLY REREAD A BUNCH OF YOUR STORIES /lame BUT UH YEAH. YOUR WRITING IS ALSO TOTALLY AWESOME AND I THINK DAVID AND JAYDEN AND NATE AND EVERYONE HAVE PLENTY ENOUGH BACKSTORY STOP TALKING YOURSELF DOWN YOU TALENTED WOMAN

edited to wonder aloud why my love must be expressed in call caps.

[sneezychick93]

D: that sucks terribly...well it's not really much but if you need emotional and mental support for your loss I shall be here always V _ V I can beta read too ;D and offer tidbits of encouragement and love

in fact here's some love for you now:

YOU'RE ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITERS AND I TOTALLY REREAD A BUNCH OF YOUR STORIES /lame BUT UH YEAH. YOUR WRITING IS ALSO TOTALLY AWESOME AND I THINK DAVID AND JAYDEN AND NATE AND EVERYONE HAVE PLENTY ENOUGH BACKSTORY STOP TALKING YOURSELF DOWN YOU TALENTED WOMAN

edited to wonder aloud why my love must be expressed in call caps.

Nuff said!!!

[graydarkness]

I have read the first story and this one, and I must say you are a talented writer. I love your characters so much! I can tell what and why they are feeling and everything seems to connect. You create nice heartwarming moments that aren't corny. ;P I'm sorry to hear the last part was lost. I hate it when I lose important data like that. Once again, this story is amazing! Please keep it up!

[4ever_Jeanne]

I really hope you countinue this. I was like in love with the first 1 and when I found this one It just put a smile on my face to know that there was more! I LOVE ur 2 characters they are amazing and I love ur writting! U r extremely talented and I really hope u continue this story because I am in love with ur stories involving jayden and David