A Graveyard of Stars

Chapter Fourteen

"The hours between 12 am and 6 am have a funny habit of making you feel like you're either on top of the world, or under it."

-Beau Taplin

--

A bed is where most teenagers find themselves these days not because we're tired but because we'd rather be asleep than deal with our problems. I've never truly appreciated the comfort of my bed until recently. After a long day at school full of useless lessons and hateful glances, settling into my bed and wrapping myself in my cotton comforter really works wonders on easing my mind.

Of course, I'm sure the wonders work a whole lot better without Will Conway tumbling through my window.

It's not like him climbing through my window at eleven o'clock at night is written on my calendar so you can only imagine how it went down for me.

I'm tucking myself in when my ears catch the smooth sound of my window sliding open. I jump up so fast that I accidentally smack my wrist off the dresser by my bed causing my alarm clock to sway. For a minute, I forget about the possible murder, cradle my wrist and curse the dressers entire existence.

"Hey..." the figure whispers from the window, seizing my attention again. He seems to be stuck.

"Will? Is that you?" I whisper cautiously, still holding my wrist.

He pauses his struggle - which is becoming quite amusing - and looks in my direction. It's way to dark to make out his features. "You were expecting someone else?"

"No, and I wasn't expecting you either," I snap. "What the hell do you think your doing?"

"Shit," Will curses before finally tumbling through the window, landing on the carpeted floor like a sack of potatoes.

I quickly crawl over to the end of the bed and look at him as he picks himself up. "Wow. That was almost to pathetic to laugh at," I say, quoting what he said to me the first night we had a real conversation and he drove me home from Jared Owens party. "Almost."

Will glares down at my chuckling self. I get off the bed and walk over to the light switch by the door. Flipping it on, we both grimace.

"Danielle? Are you okay?" My Mom asks from the other side of the door.

Will's eyes widen.

"Uh, yeah I just fell off my bed," I lie. Will scratches the back of his neck and smirks.

I can practically feel my Mom's skeptical gaze through the door. When the door knob begins to jiggle, I snap my head toward Will, who is already headed for the closet. Has he done this before?

I ruffle my hair to make it look messy and slept on before leaning against the wall by the door as my Mom opens it. She jumps when she sees me so close and places a hand over her heart.

"Fell off your bed?" She echoes my words and raises an eyebrow.

I stand up straight. "I'm sorry I woke you Mom, but it was an accident."

"Uh, huh," she mutters, raising her chin and looking down at me. I stand my ground and cross my arms as if I'm upset that she thinks I'm trying to deceive her...even though I actually am.

After another swift glance around the room, Mom begins to leave. "Fine. Go to bed," she orders while pointing at me with a patronizing finger.

"Yes, sir," I mumble as she backs out of the room but of course, she hears. She turns and gives me a look of doom before letting it melt into a warm smile.