You're Already Mine

Chapter Twenty-Three

TW: vague mental health mentions

Delta and Amphitrite Irving are the definition of goth. Both have blue hair and pale skin and wear something similar to what a punk rock artist would wear; fake leather jackets with silver spikes and studs and embroidered roses and fake zippers, black denim jeans that are torn at the knees and ankles, and black leather high-heeled ankle high boots.

Delta is the kind of goth girl who loves video games, horror, thriller, drawing, and writing, and has an account on a streaming website against her parent's wishes. She usually spends her time making videos for her account, chatting with her online friends on Discord (she never really specified whether they were people she knew or complete strangers), and sleeping.

Amphitrite is more of the fantasy grunge aesthetic. Sometimes, when not matching her sister, she wears fishnet tights with holes in them, leather skirts or black denim shorts (more of the latter), leather belts, and black graphic skull print t-shirts. Her big backpack is black and has a bunch of pins on it, her notebook is filled with sketches, and her nickname is Ami.

Both of them have that mysterious, tempting energy that's kind of difficult to stay away from.

It's half-past eleven at night and I'm on the porch again because I can't sleep. My finger hovers over the green Call button. I turn off my phone and set it down on the porch next to me. I sigh, put my head in my hands and rub my eyes.

In an instant, Lucas is next to me. I didn't hear him open the front door.

"Hey. What's up?"

I shake my head. "It's nothing."

"You sitting on the porch looking like you're about to cry in the middle of the night, just like you have every night for the past week, is not nothing."

I stay silent.

"Come on, talk to me."

"It's really nothing. I'm fine." (I realize at this moment that I sound exactly like Clover, and scratch my head.)

Now it's his turn to not say anything. When the silence begins to get awkward, I sigh again, and he asks, "Are you sure?"

Before I can open my mouth to speak, I hear the door open again. Cheyenne and Kylie are whispering to each other excitedly as they tiptoe out of the cabin in their pajamas.

"Well, you guys are up early," I say.

"We were just going to the beach," Cheyenne whispers to us. "Do you guys want to come?"

I look at Lucas and he shakes his head. "We're good," I reply.

"Suit yourself," Kylie whispers with a shrug, and they walk off, toward a few shadows of other campers. I hear them giggling as they prance through the woods, taking a trail that leads down to the beach.

"I'm just worried," I say, watching them leave. "About Clover."

"You have been these past few days. And it's totally valid, because you're together. You care about her a lot, don't you?"

I nod.

"I thought so. Have you talked to her about it more?"

"We talked about it early yesterday morning. But not since."

"Maybe you should talk about it more..?" he asks slowly.

"But what do I say? And when do I do it?"

"I.."

"Cameron!" someone whisper-yells. I realize then that Cheyenne has fallen behind and is looking at us from across the clearing. "Come on!"

"Well, I guess we'd better go," Lucas says. He stands up and runs over to our friends, motioning for me to follow him. I speed walk across the clearing and join them.