Oblivious

Chapter 19

Things went back to normal for a few days, free of drama for once. Perhaps because we didn't broach the difficult subjects. It was a welcome change, regardless.

"Do you remember this one?" Ayden held up a tattered paper cover of a DVD we had ripped off the Internet many years ago. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, you want to scare me to death?"

Ayden just chuckled and placed the DVD in the player. For a moment, I wondered if it was still working, or rather, I was hoping that it wouldn't work. No movie had ever scared me as much as that one, and it was seriously silly. I guess it had to do with the fact that we saw it as kids. After that, I hadn't watched it.

He settled down in the sofa, pressed play and leaned back in comfort. I almost growled at him. He loved horror movies, and he had been the one calming me down last time. None of that calming would happen this time. I would die of embarrassment if he caught me closing my eyes or chewing my lip.

"You want me to hold your hand?" he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Fuck off, Ay," I snapped, but he just grinned.

"Your choice..." He was fucking laughing at me. The bastard!

The soundtrack started playing, and I forgot everything else. My body remembered the fear from my childhood, soaking my insides with adrenaline even if it hadn't started yet.

When the first mellow scenes were over, I pushed my nails into my palms to remain on the sofa. I wanted nothing more than to retreat into my room and forget about the dark forest and piercing cries that seemed to echo all the way from my childhood.

Ayden threw me a pillow. "Here's your teddy," he teased. I grabbed it and shot him a nasty glare.

"I'm gonna have nightmares, Ay, and it's all your fault."

Half an hour later, I was bathing in sweat and my heart was hammering with fear. I really shouldn't have agreed to see the movie. As the morons ran through the forest, searching for whatever was out there, I was right there with them—feeling the damp air, hearing the sounds of cracking branches. My imagination had always been too vivid, and I was almost drowning with emotions caused by the scene.

A scream tore through the speakers and I lost it. I looked away, staring right into Ayden's eyes. He stared right back, as if he had watched me instead of the movie the whole time. I swallowed down my fear and forced my eyes back towards the TV.

"Don't you dare," I said, worried that he would say something about how scared I was. I was afraid that he would mock me.

Ayden didn't reply, so I stole a glance at him again. He was finally watching the screen instead of me. Good. I relaxed, forgetting about the movie for a short moment until someone screamed again. I chose the worst possible time to look back. Something approached from the forest, making me jump in my seat. Ayden chuckled, and I almost threw a punch at his smirk.

"Hey, you want me to turn it off?" he asked. I couldn't tell if he said it to tease me, or if he was serious. Not that it mattered. I couldn't just chicken out from a silly movie. It didn't work that way.

"No, we'll watch this awful movie until it's finished," I replied, turning back to the forest.

An hour later, Ayden stretched out on the sofa, looking completely at ease after the movie. He wore a smug expression, probably as a result of my less than subtle reactions throughout the scenes.

"You're an ass, you know that, right?" I told him.

"Fine piece of ass if I do say so myself," he replied.