|| BXB One-shot Book ||

|| Solo. ||

High school parties. The setting was all too familiar. The muggy heat that filled the air, dark rooms illuminated only by multicolored lights. Shouting and grinding. Red cups and heavy bass.

And hordes of drunk, horny teenagers.

Riley Lait was a frequent attender of such, currently sitting on a u-shaped leather sofa in the corner by himself. He surveyed the on goings of the scene before him with a disinterested look. Riley threw his arms on the back of the sofa, sighing as he leaned his head back.

He came here as a distraction, to let loose and return to how it used to be, but the red cup of alcohol sitting on the glass coffee table before him lay untouched. By now, it was most likely warm, giving it an unpleasant sour taste.

Riley looked at it blankly, then up once more to the crowd. Surprisingly, there was no one eyeing him, looking to him for something “special.”

Not even when they were buzzed would anyone want him now.

His memories began to haunt him once more, causing an unbearable ache in his chest. Closing his eyes tightly, he leaned forwards, elbows resting on his knees. His hands gently pulled at his black hair.

He couldn’t do this. Not now. He needed to get away.

Why did he ever think this would be a good idea?

Riley stood abruptly, leg hitting the table. The plastic cup toppled over, spilling its amber colored contents on the transparent surface. Riley looked at it for a split second, then turned without a second thought.

Riley moved through the crowd, people making way for him. Before, it was out of some strange form of respect, but now… Now, it was more like they didn’t want to be touched by him. They were disgusted with his very existence. 

Riley didn’t care anymore. He didn’t care about the looks, about the whispers. Let them talk. He didn’t care.

Riley saw the door straight ahead, cool air seeping in from outside. Riley felt goosebumps raise on his arms, but he quickened his pace. He longed for escape from this hell hole, even if he was risking catching something.

The screen door was pushed open, swinging out into the darkened porch. With the force Riley had used, it swung so far it hit the wall with a loud bang! As the door slowly swung shut, Riley stood in the cold, staring up into the night sky.

The moon was a sliver in the sky, and as Riley looked at it, he began to envy the celestial being.

No one hated the moon. The moon couldn’t feel pain. It was pure. Untouched. Beautiful.

Riley felt the tears running down his face, anger welling up inside of him.

Weak.

Before he knew it, he was running. His feet slapped against the pavement as he fled the scene, like a criminal from his crime.

He couldn’t stop the salty tears flowing down his face, though he kept dragging his hand across his face. Riley stumbled, nearly falling on his face, but he refused to stop.

When he found he was struggling with his breathing he final halted, looking around to assess his location.

He took in the swings, the monkey bars, the slides. The moonlight sucked away the colors, but Riley knew. The swings were red with green frame, the shining plastic slides the same shade. The mulch was a reddish color, the monkey bars crimson.

Seeing all this…

What he’d been trying to run away from finally caught up to him.

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