MUSIC: I Miss You - Blink-182

Penny above^ (Kaley Cuoco )

/ / / / 

Amelia's P.O.V:

/ / / /

I wiped under my eyes as I pulled into the dingy car park. I looked around and everything seemed to be the way it was when I last came here. I double checked my make-up in the mirror before I left my car. I walked through the double doors and was greeted by the smell of ale and food. The walls were painted a deep red, and booths covered the back and side walls. A large, long bar was situated at one end of the room, with a door leading to the kitchen behind. The floors were laminate and there was a small dance floor near the back door,although no one was there. A quiet bell rung when I shut the doors behind me and a few old men turned to look at me but turned back around when I didn't catch their interest.  I sighed and walked to an empty space on the bar. I sat down and looked at the variety of drinks in front of me and decided to call the bartender. He had his back turned to me and was busy talking to one of the men further down. I pulled out my phone only to find that the only messages I had were from Derek.

I called for service again and the bartender turned around. He had short,pitch black hair, chiseled jaw and a long face. He was lean and muscular and over-all pretty good looking. But nothing compared to Ryan. He walked up to me with furrowed eyebrows and when he saw my face his completely lit up.

"Amelia?"He asked, and then I knew.

"Reece?"I asked and he grinned.

"That's the one."

"Oh my god, I didn't recognize you! You've changed so much!"

"I could say the same for you. How are you?" He asked and grabbed me a drink.

"I'm...Okay.How about you?"

"I'm good, yeah. I'm good." He said, as if trying to convince me of something. His eyes blazed into mine, it felt like he was trying to read me, but, there was nothing left for him to read.

"That's good."

"Yeah. How come you came back here after all of these years?" He asked as he dried some cups.

"No reason. So you and Penny still work here?" I asked him and he nodded.

"Yeah, we own it now, actually."

"Really? How come?"

"Our Dad died."

"Oh..Oh my god. I'm so sorry."

"It's fine. We're over it. After all the years of him being sick we think he's in a better place now." He mumbled and looked away. "I'll go get Penny." He muttered before he left. I sighed and banged my head on the table. 

Penny and Reece were family friends of mine. Their parents knew mine and we grew up together, kind of. Whenever my Mum and Dad could muster up enough money they'd take us to the pub that specializes in food just outside of town. Of course, they knew the owners (Reece and Penny's parents) and so we'd end up staying late. One day, Reece was there,and we became friends, then he introduced me to his sister, Penny,and we became friends too, despite how much older she was than me. We became such good friends that we hung out by ourselves and I managed to keep in contact with them throughout the time I was in care. When I first started seeing my Mum again she took me to the pub and we met up with Reece and Penny. In a way, when I think back, I guess it was like a reminder of all the good times we'd had at the pub throughout my childhood, so that when she left I would have something to remember her by. And when I first got fostered, Gilbert allowed me to go out a few times in the beginning and I visited Reece. I must have been 13 the first time Reece kissed me. I was confused and overwhelmed so didn't do anything about it. But when I left he kissed me again, and that time, I did do something...I kissed him back.

It became our thing; we'd meet up, spill our feelings about what had been going on in our life and then kiss.

But it all stopped when I was introduced to the gang properly. I know it broke Reece's heart but I didn't want to be the reason he was killed. We hadn't spoken since. He was the closest thing i'd ever had to a boyfriend.

"Amelia?"Someone called and I turned around to see Penny.

"Penny!"I hugged her and she laughed.

"God,you've grown so much!"She exclaimed and I laughed. "Ay,Reece! Where are the drinks?"

"Coming right up."

"Hey,since you're here, you want to do me a favour?"

"What kind of favour?" I asked with narrowed eyes.

"Serve the food with me today, you can still drink but we're short on staff." She asked and gave me the puppy dog eyes. I sighed but grinned and nodded.

"Anytime. Now, give me another drink."

====

I'd served a few tables when an order of 1 diet coke, 2 white wines, 2 beers and a bag of crisps came in.

"Amelia..."Penny pleaded as she went past with a tray of food. I sighed and nodded. I grabbed what was needed and walked over to the table. When I spotted Cindy I froze and went to hide but she'd already seen me.

"Amelia?"She asked and I nodded as I walked to her table. It was her, Ryan's Dad, Ryan and two women; an old one and a young one - who was wrapped around Ryan like a snake. One of her hands was on his thigh, her head on his shoulder and her other arm across his chest. I couldn't help the immediate glare that came upon my face.

"That's me." I said as I placed their order down on the table.

"I didn't know you worked here." Cindy babbled.

"I don't." I snapped and everyone flinched. "I had a... favour to a friend." I gritted and went to leave.

"Where are you going? Please, Cindy, introduce us." The old woman said.She was old but she looked funky, like she had some spunk in her and would rip your throat out if she needed to.

"Oh,right... This is Amelia. Ryan's Gir... Friend." She said and looked down in confusion before acting as if she'd never slipped up in the first place.

I glowered at the old woman with my arms crossed and hip cocked because she was scrutinizing me head to toe.

"Nice to meet you." She said and smirked at me, her hand held out.

I shook it firmly.

"And you."

"I still don't understand who you are." The young snake wrapped around Ryan said, a disapproving look on her face when she looked me up and down. I rose an eyebrow at her and she sneered. "If you're Ryan's friend how come he hasn't said two words to you?"

"Ana-"Ryan tried to interrupt but I beat him.

"Fine. You want the truth?"

"Yeah I do. And you're going to give it to me, bitch." The snake sneered and everyone gasped at her.

I rose my eyebrows and then my face sunk into a menacing glare at her.

"I'm Ryan's girlfriend and I could ruin your life with one look, bitch."I gritted, looking her dead in the eye, even when she tried to avoid the contact.

"Ryan,is this true?" She asked, but her eyes didn't leave mine.

"I-"He went to speak but I caught his gaze and didn't let my glare waver,effectively shutting him up.

"Well? Ryan..." The snake called but his gaze was locked with mine. He looked intrigued. Like he couldn't believe the way I was acting. "Ryan!" The snake pestered annoyingly but he didn't give her his two cents, for he just looked at me with a small smirk on his face. When snakey-bitch face pulled his arm he looked at her tiredly.

"Just shut up." He said simply, a bored expression on his face whilst her's fell.

No one said anything for a while after that so once i'd finished placing their drinks I bid goodbye, not once looking at Ryan in the process.

====

My shift ended and I simply sat at the bar chatting with Reece for another hour, making sure not to glance at his table at any point. I didn't even wave when they left.

"You know, I really missed you." Reece suddenly said, his eyebrows furrowed in a cute manner as he continued to dry glasses. I looked at him for a few moments before sighing.

"You know I would have stayed if I could." I stated whilst having a quick shot.

"You never did tell me the real reason why you left." He muttered and looked hurt.

"I had to, Reece. It was too dangerous. I knew they wouldn't leave me alone but I knew that if I left, they would leave you guys and everyone else I cared about alone." I briefly explained and he shook his head, leaning on his elbows in front of me at the bar.

"It's wrong." He said after a moments silence.

"What is?"

"That you had to go through so much at 14. That you had to go through what they did to you." He muttered, staring me straight in the eye.

"Yeah, well. You don't always pick your battles do you?" I asked rhetorically and he saluted me.

By this point we were the only people left in the bar, just Reece and I. For some reason I felt as if there was a tension between us, but I couldn't put my finger on what type. Once Reece finished drying up he removed himself from behind the bar and walked up to me. He stood in front of me and ran his hand down my head comfortingly.

"I missed you so much." He said and pulled me in for a hug, even though I was sitting and he was standing. My face met his chest and he continued to pat my hair. It felt weirdly nice.

"I missed you too." I mumbled, not quite sure if he heard me.

"Come-"He said as he pulled away, holding a hand out for me to take. I took it. "-I want to show you something." He said and lead me through a back door and up to the flat above the bar. He opened the doors and lead me to a small study room. The room was filled with pictures stuck to the wall, all of different colours, sizes and shapes. I stepped away from him as a certain picture caught my eye. I looked at it, and the others around it, realising that I was in nearly every picture on that specific wall. They were screenshots of memories, old and even older. Ones that had slipped my mind completely during the years.  I felt my eyes well up slightly as the memories flooded through my brain. There was one specific picture that stole the show, though. It was a picture of my Mum and I, the first time I saw her after being in care. I must have been around 8, and in the background you could see Reece, about 10, jumping around aimlessly, like little boys do.

"You kept all of these?" I asked him, turning to face him. He smiled at me as he nodded.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know... I just... I guess after I left I expected you to want to remove me from your life forever. Especially since I was such a bitch to you when I left." I said and he just shook his head.

He leaned behind me and plucked the picture of my Mum and I from the wall. He handed it to me before he gave me the sweetest smile.

"Amelia...I could never want to erase you from my life."

And then I did something stupid.

I kissed him back when he lips suddenly pressed against mine.