(Hehe, sorry about before! My bad!)
Chapter 22: Together
The last bell rings, sending a shock wave of nervousness up my spine. It didn't really sink in until the end of math that I now have a detention on my formerly-squeaky-clean record. I swallow hard. It's not that big of a deal. Some people get detention every two weeks. I'm nothing compared to them.
Do you want to be? a little voice asks. The one little question started a domino-like effect, sending louder and more influential voices into argument over what I want. Then, another quiet yet powerful voice shakes the whole situation.
Maybe I do.
The three words race through my mind just as Ms. Matthews classroom comes into view. I stop in my track immediately, as if I'm in some sort of trance. Then I clumsily spin myself around, almost as if I went into auto-pilot, and start marching right out of school with everyone else. Nothing big happens. No riots occur, no one questions my freedom, I'm not dragged back to detention, nothing.
I reach the doors and don't even hesitate to walk through them. Caleb has probably already left with Susan to go gods-know-where, which means I'm walking home. It's one of those sunny, breezy days where the world feels empty and only half-real. It's a perfect day of fakality.
Throughout the whole trek home I've had a mostly blank mind. My brain is telling me to turn back around and that this was dishonest and bad and all that other stuff, but my heart always responds with a clever "nah".
I'm on the sidewalk just front of my house when I realize it'd probably be a terrible idea to go directly home. The school has probably called my family and told them that I skipped out on detention, which will tick my parents off, which will lead to a long, boring lecture. Instead I whirl around yet again and start marching off towards the woods.
I jump over rocks and duck under fallen trees. The wind swirls around me, lifting the leaves covering the forest floor. The leaves flip over and bare their underside. A vague thought about storm winds echoes in my mind as I keep trod ding along to my destination.
There it is. The little rock in the little clearing that has come to be my sanctuary. I curl up into a ball on it and simply stare into the distance. I don't think nor do I move. It's like I'm simply releasing all the tension from the last few weeks in the calmest way possible.
Eventually it starts to rain and I give out a little hum of approval. The tranquil noise of rain tapping on leaves and branches swaying in the rain pushes me even further into my mind. Then, I finally start to think.
What has been up with me lately? Since when did I let things like petty girls get on my nerves? Things like girls stalking their crushes never used to bother me! I used to revel in such trivial things!
But, the little voice that started such a riot earlier nags, you've never quite been in this position before.
Why?! the rest of me screams at it. Why, why, why?! What position am I trapped in?!
After listening to the rest of my mind work itself into a panic, the little voice says a single word in an intensely smug voice.
Jealousy.
Then, a combination of silence and numbness overtakes me.
Or at least it would, if it weren't for the sudden, masculine voice that pierces through the air surrounding me.
"Beatrice!" Caleb's voice sounds out. I almost groan. If he's looking for me, so is the rest of my family.
I stay in my position, curled up on the little rock in the little clearing that has grown to feel like a safe, magical place to me. My teeth aren't chattering in the slightest and I don't feel cold at all. I just sit quietly and half hope he finds me.
My brother's figure then enters my line of sight as he stumbles down a hill into the clearing. He stumbled and almost falls, but he quickly grabs a tree root for support. When finally down in the clearing, across from me, he lets out a sigh and looks around.
"Of course you'd be here," he says. "I remember this place."
Memories of us running off to the woods together when we were young play through my mind. When my parents used to have dinner parties with stuffy, too-polite neighbors we would escape to our secret hideout beneath the rock I'm currently seated on. We would run and splash in the nearby stream, pretending to be pirates and adventurers in foreign lands. Back when he was my only and best friend.
"Yeah," I say quietly, looking him dead in the eyes, and I can see the ghosts of the past dashing about in his head as well.
"We used to love it here." He walks over and sits right next to me, our shoulders touching.
"Yeah, we did," I say, still thinking of times past. I smile slightly. "Remember that time where you had my bear?" He chuckles.
"And I climbed a tree and hid it?" he says, a smile forming on his lips.
"And I called you an evil witch until you have it back! You were so angry!" I laugh, almost choking on nostalgia. We lean against each other, gasping for breath as we remind each other of times we've had here in this sacred clearing.
Eventually we both silence again, and I notice it's no longer raining. The greens of the forest look so much brighter with the grey sky in the background, and my brother's dull appearance stands out brightly among it as well.
I feel a pressure pressing against my hand and look down to see Caleb's prodding at it, tentative and unsure. I take his hand in mine and enjoy the simple physical contact. With our hands linked and our bodies curled up next to each other on our rock life feels a little simpler and more familiar. It feels as though we're seven again and we know we can take on the world together with ease.
I close my eyes and remember that we still can, and that Caleb is still my brother and he still has my back.
We can still do this.
Together.
Oh my gods I am so sorry! I completely screwed that up the first time and I didn't even realize it! Sorry for everyone who tried to read it only to realize that they couldn't because I suck with technology!
Anyways, I just want to know how many of you had a little heart-attack at the title of this chapter? Or are you guys too wary of me and my trolling to even trust anything at this point? That would make me very proud.
Oh, and hi. I'm back. What is up? I missed you guys! How many of you thought I'd never update again? I'm gonna go ahead and guess a bunch of you thought that. Have some faith in me! I promised myself I would finish every story I started, regardless of how much I hated it! I'm still in the process of building up enough courage to go and face my other uncompleted stories, but I've always loved this one! And thus, here is another chapter!
Also, has anyone else seen The DUFF? They totally stole Bianca's rock from me! Definitely. Absolutely. Though seeing the movie with the rock and all gave me inspiration for this chapter. So thank the creators and then give 'em the cold shoulder for me, please!
Please review! I love the support and it really motivates me to write! And I also feel like a lot of you are friends of mine and it'd be great to know you're still alive!
Bye!