Night of the Living Bitches - 5sos

Chapter 22: Field of Wildflowers and Stone

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-Abigail's POV-

We have been walking for maybe thirty minutes when I stumble over a root in the ground. Clumsy me, I know. I slam into the ground, my palms pierced by brush and rubble, my cheeks flushing in hot humility. Jared, who has been walking in front of me, turns, his eyes bright with concern as he kneels down beside me, cupping my slashed hands in his own.

"I'm so sorry," I murmur, as he brushes my palms clear. His eyes lock onto my, questioning my apology, silently telling me that I didn't need to say anything.

"You're fine," he whispers back at me, grinning a little as he rips a small swab of cloth from his shirt and ties it around my right hand. When he is done, he gives me another questioning look, this time asking me if it feels okay. I nod, my eyes locked on his.

And then, from in front of us, I hear someone mutter.

"God."

We both jump, looking around to see Luke rolling his eyes at us, his arms crossed as he lounges against a tree. He's half smirking at us, half glaring.

"Sorry," I sheepishly mutter again. I hate apologizing to him, but I was being an idiot. We have a job to get done and I have no right to waste time on my own deluded imagination.

Jared reaches a hand to help me up, but I ignore it. I don't want any more crass reactions from Luke. It was bad enough what he did to me during that stupid game of truth or dare.

As we set off again, I find myself revisiting that evening in my mind. Luke's dare for Jared was totally overstepping it. Being manipulated makes me so angry- most of all, when it's by some pompous jerk who has been incredibly hostile towards my friends and me ever since me met. But when Jared kissed me, I ... well... I wasn't ready. I know my heart had always skipped whenever I thought about it, but, well, this wasn't how I imagined it. Not in front of strangers, not even in front of Jenson. And certainly not on some whim from an egotistical jerk who was only using us for entertainment. I feel my face darken with rage, my eyes boring holes into the back of the blonde boy at the front of our little procession. Who does he think he is? He's acting like a celebrity, like a stupid superstar. He isn't that attractive anyways, no matter what Kyleigh sees in him (or, well, what she subconsciously saw). That softens my glare, and I even smile a little, thinking of the sweet girl who didn't even see how hopelessly enamored this idiot was with her. It is almost enough to make me laugh.

All of a sudden, I slam into Jared's back. My mind has gone completely off the rails, and I look around in shock at the landscape that surrounds us. My breath catches as I take it in. There are gorgeous, emerald hills grown tall with waist high wildflowers and weeds, surrounded by wood and wire fences.

My mouth falls open with the beauty of the scene, remembering old dreams of running through fields like this like some Jane Austen character. I take a step towards this vision, when Calum swung his hand out and dragged me by the elbow back to the tree line. I look at him in annoyance and wrench my arm out of his grasp, but his eyes are faceted on something over the horizon. I turn, and my heart drops as I see the hoard of dark shapes topping a hill.

"We need to move. Now," Luke hisses at us.

"There's a farmhouse just east of here, I think," Jared whispers as loudly as he dares back at him.