Horizon

[05]

          As she sat alone in her bedroom, working on a math quiz, her eyes grew blurry from the laptop screen. Her head led her chin into the palm of her hand, dazing away from reality. Anxiety's taunts were replaced with imagines with her and Carson as a couple. They were cuddling in the blankets that were covering the floor,  watching the Twilight movies they talked about during their second encounter. Occasionally, they would kiss passionately and giggle at each other. It was the type of fantasy that felt so real that you could practically feel the skin on skin contact.

          Carson picked Savannah up in the evening that day. It was when all her friends were released from school and finished up their homework. The day was Friday so it didn't take long for that to wrap up.  Currently, Carson was beginning to explain her friends to Savannah. "So first, is Zach. He is a huge stoner; be prepared to hear his dumb theories about the government and like, aliens. Jackie is a doll, would never hurt a fly and she makes the best edibles; her parents grow pot. Wes is actually homeschooled by his mom; she doesn't trust the school system, meaning she is overly protective which was passed onto him. He is paranoid all the time but when he's high, he's the coolest guy you'll ever meet. Then...there's Bianca. She is the mama bear of the group; badass, protective, etcetera. Getting through to her will be tough but I think we'll be able to do it. And if she doesn't like you, it's really hard to tell. She acts the same around everyone, you'll see."

          Hearing about Bianca made Savannah want to jump out of the car. People like her, with walls built around them that almost no one can break down, were terrifying. They were unreadable and did the unexpected. Never had she met someone like so but she's seen them on television and she hoped to not meet one. Boy, was her past self about to be disappointed.

          Savannah's stomach felt like she just ate several butterflies. Nerves crawled from her fingertips and traveled all over. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of one of Carson's friend's houses; Jackie. The group was a bunch of weed smokers and since her parents grew it, they allowed their daughter to share it with everyone (they were hippies).

          Noticing how jumpy her friend was, Carson gently rubbed the girl's shoulder as she knocked the front door. Answering was Jackie's father who was more than happy to invite Savannah into his home and even offered weed along with tight hugs. He and Carson chatted for a moment before he left them alone. Apparently, Jackie's mom was running errands so the two girls stood in the empty living room.

          Carson laughed lightly at Savannah's shy behavior. After having a few weeks to get to know each other, she discovered how much of a chatterbox her friend actually was. Seeing her bring up an isolated box around herself was a sight she hadn't seen since they first hung out. "It's going to be okay. They're gonna love you, I swear. Come on, they're in the basement."

          As Savannah followed Carson to the stairs that led to the basement, her fingers fiddled with each other. Deep breaths left her lips, a coping strategy she learned. Her eyes caught joyful pictures of the family on the walls. They looked so happy in every single one.

          Suddenly, she noticed Carson had abruptly stopped walking. Confused, she glanced down and saw one of the girl's hand; it was held behind her, the palm facing up. Her back continued to face Savannah, waiting for something. For a moment, Savannah tried to debate why she paused just before they strolled down the basement stairs. Did she want to hold hands or was she trying to give some kind of signal? If it was a signal, how embarrassing would it be if she tried to take it into her own? Slowly, the tips of her fingers left each other and touched the palm of Carson's palm. She prayed to any God that this wouldn't end with her having red cheeks and cruel comments from anxiety.