Over Again | ✓

L u e u r D ' e s p o i r

Chapter Eight

❝ true happiness...is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose ❞
;
Helen Keller

The rain pattered softly on our tents, waking me up only to find an empty space where Adam slept.

I couldn't risk opening the tent unless I wanted the rain to enter. So I stretched my legs and decided to look through my bag for anything. One road trip done, a whole lot more to go. Much to my dismay, there was hardly anything in the bag at all. Just a couple of extra shirts and a pair of jeans, underwear, hygienic things and granola bars. I decided to grab one and busy myself with it.

Something caught my eye as I took my first bite. It was a book- looking used and battered with half the cover almost gone. But I remember my mom saying the more used a thing is, the more you know it's loved. I flipped it around and read the back. "Hmmm, interesting." I squinted my eyes at the title, staring at it hard. I knew I'd seen this book before I just couldn't place my finger on it.

With absolutely nothing else to do, I settled myself comfortably on my sleeping bag, a book in hand and a granola bar on the other. As I read, occasionally commenting on how stupid and oblivious the main character was to everything, the rain halted and the skies cleared up, once again a beautiful shade of blue.

"He obviously likes you, you dumbass!" I screamed, throwing my hands up in the air in frustration. "That piece of shit didn't deserve you anyway!"

"Who didn't deserve who?"

"Holy Mary mother of Jesus, Pierce! Do you not know how to greet?" He eyed the book that I was holding, shrugged and crawled inside, leaving a trail of sand everywhere. I placed the book down my lap. "Where did you even go?"

"Ran to a store to buy us breakfast with Will and Alex." Then I noticed a slightly wet paper bag. "Yeah, well, it rained. Get cleaned up, we're going."

I took out a black floral shirt and almost- almost took my shirt off right in front of Adam who just sat there, fully aware of what I was going to do. I kicked his leg. "Dude, get out."

He smirked and crossed his arms, mischief glinting in his eyes. "Why?"

"I'm going to change, idiot." In emphasis, I waved my shirt in his face like a banner.

My friends' voices erupted from outside, screaming and squealing and joking everywhere. There was a scream. Vanessa's. Then several laughter and a bunch of colorful words. Something weighed in on my chest, like a strong tug of a rope, heavy and burdensome. I was going to miss this, this moment of swift happiness yet it leaves a mark that I knew I'll take with me forever. Shaking my head, I looked at Adam who sat there opposite of me, waiting.

"Get the hell out, Pierce. Or we won't be going anywhere anytime soon." Adam quirked an eyebrow, looking more than amused and still made no move to get out. "Graaaah," Groaning, I chucked all my stuff in my backpack and decided to get out our tent instead.

Adam's laughter was all I heard as I advanced towards Alex's tent only to find the dried burnt wood on our clearing with no signs of any tents excluding mine. Will saw my face and chuckled. "We cleaned 'em up as soon as everybody was awake. We're gonna eat in your car because our next destination is going to take hours before we reach it."

Despite my annoyance, relief coated me like hot chocolate on a cold winter night, comforting and felt like home. "Where am I going to change my shirt then?" So far, my only option was changing inside the tent with that insufferable bastard or here outside for the world to see.