She woke up the next day with a text blinking across her phone screen. She leaned over, rubbing eyes and looking at the device.
Stella - My parents gave me the cabin for the weekend! Party!!
She found a smile falling over her features, hopefully this would make Stella feel better after the slump she appeared to be in recently. She had to admit, her best friend hadn't been who she used to be the last few months, it was obvious. They had met so long ago, at six years old.
The young girl with the drabby clothes, the dirty glasses, getting bullied in the school yard by the other kids.
"You look like a rat! Like you rolled in the dirt!" one called, she didn't remember his face. They surrounded her like predators, backing her into a corner against the wall of the building, blocking any exit she could muster. All she could do was cower away, pressed against the bricks wishing to put as much space between her and them as she could. Like sharks in the ocean, circling her like carnivores. They yelled things, insults and hate. They hadn't even known who she was, it was her first day. Her way to learning the pecking order had been brutal. Then there was the image of young Stella, pushing between them, standing in front of Blake. Leaning down against the ground, crouched against the wall, looking up at the back of this girl, forcing her hands out like nailed to a cross. The sun placed a warm glow upon her, a halo of light and that girl, she looked like an angel sent from heaven. She hadn't even remembered what Stella said to those kids, but it was only moments before they backed away, angrily sputtering because their sadistic fun had ended. The girl turned, a smile on her features, leaning over to extend a hand. Blake just remembered staring at that hand, barely able to contain herself before she took it, a friendship formed that would last forever.
Nothing mattered to Blake more than Stella's happiness, she would do anything to make Stella happy. Because Stella made her happy. She was quick to pack her bags, begging Karl to go until he finally relented, setting her free. For some reason, she felt that weekend would be memorable.
When the honking outside echoed, she got up from the love seat, peering out the window with a smile across her features. She hurried into her sandals, nearly forgetting to shut the front door before she ran out, yanking her bag bouncing over her shoulder along with her. Jace was quick to follow, telling her to slow down. She was excited, she was happy. Sometimes she had dreamed just of being a normal teenager, doing those things that normal teenagers did like hanging out with their friends, having fun. It had been the first time she had gone anywhere. She struggled into the cab of the truck, holding her bag against her chest and doing up her seatbelt, leaning over to press a kiss onto Lucian's cheek and hand over the rest between them to grip his hand.
"Please keep the car PG-13!" Jace exclaimed from the backseat. Blake just found her eyes rolling, watching as they pulled out onto the road.
"As long as you give the same courtesy after we pick up Mikayla" Lucian retorted
"We don't have to worry about that" Blake responded to Lucian, patting his shoulder as he drove "Mikayla wouldn't let him anywhere near her without a dose of pepper spray in his eyes" Jace grumbled in the backseat, slumping back into a sulk to her amusement. He knew she was right. Mikayla hurried from her house to the truck when they pulled up, forcibly pushing Jace over to the other side of the backseat and spraying down where he sat on with aerosolized disinfectant before sitting down herself, shutting the door.
"This is our line!" Mikayla claimed to Jace as the car pulled out into the road, pointing at the one she had just made with flimsy scotch tape on the leather seat between them "You cross this line, even a toe or a finger, I'll fucking spray you and you know it!" She held up the spray can for good measure.
"Unbelievable" he muttered, rolling his eyes. Blake couldn't help but burst out laughing, glancing over at Lucian's amused features as he drove. It was only about an hour out of the city, in a beautiful landscape of hills and massive trees, blanketing the sky with shadowed leaves and twinkling flickers of sun between their ridges as the wind gently ruffled them. As the two bickered in the backseat, she just leaned against the door, watching the world fly by out the window. Lucian didn't speak, glancing at her every now and then from the corner of his eye, he didn't want to disrupt her. Blake was a quiet person, a contempt person. She didn't need conversation, she didn't even need other people. Her mind was so vast she could stare at nothing and live there for hours. But, the look of amazement on her features made him question whether she had ever left the city in her entire life. Was this the first time she was seeing true nature? A flock of birds flew by in the sky, and she looked so happy that he thought she might start crying again. A crystal lake, trees with leaves that danced. When she saw a deer grazing by the side of the highway they were driving by, her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. He bet she would have gotten up from her chair and started bounding if she could have. She put her hand on the glass, eyes of fascination as it drove past, flicked its ears and lifting its head as they drove past.
He knew Blake had been rather sheltered, not from the hate that the world could produce, but the goodness that also existed within it. He was reminded every time he glanced a scar on her body, the way she favored her leg over her right sometimes, every moment the panic took her features at any small thing or how she shook almost uncontrollably. When she hid behind her hair when she cried or turned away when she laughed because she didn't want anyone to see what she looked like when she did. He wondered if showing a smile was something she used to be punished for. She had told him how she grew up, at least some of it, but he suspected it wasn't near as much as she could have. She'd keep it to herself, he knew that, the memories that shaped who she was. Eventually they'd filter out one by one, only when she chose to tell him, and one day he would know everything. But, he suspected it would be a very very long time until that happened. So, for now he would settle with giving her new memories, better ones, rather than dwelling on the past she hid from him. There was nothing cuter than her eyes, the way they enveloped almost childlike qualities when she was happy, a twinkle he couldn't get enough of.
They pulled onto a gravel road from the highway, surrounded by trees lining the edges. She laughed when the car rocked slightly as they drove, holding onto the door and Lucian's hand. She gasped in disbelief when they came into the small parking lot, eyes widening at all the cars. Blake hadn't expected so many people, walking around with their gear in small groups. Up ahead was a rather large wooden cabin, with bright bay windows and dark brown trims. Stella had told her about this place in the past, she said she loved coming out here with her parents to be in nature, wandering through the woods for hours in nothing but the sound of life. It had a fair-sized section of grass, pathways that weaved under the cover of frees. There were other people, spread out on blankets and conversing. The air smelled different when she got out of the car, it smelled colder and sweet.
"I knew Stella's family was well off, but this is next level entirely" Mikayla claimed, looking out into the distance at the sight in front of her, falling to Blake's side as she took it in for herself. She noticed his blonde hair when he emerged from the covering of a few trees, his sunglasses over his eyes, dressed in a pair of cargo shorts and white t-shirt.
"Zac!" she called out suddenly, watching as he lifted his head, turning to look at her. She waved to him excitedly, watching as he waved back, talking to the group of girls surrounding him. She was happy there were other people she knew here, surrounded by the ones that she didn't. She felt a little uncomfortable, carrying her stuff in her arms, glancing at the beautiful girls and the glamorous boys. She felt herself cave into herself just the slightest bit, feeling nervous in her presence. It didn't help that Lucian appeared to know them all, waving and calling out their names as they walked past. She felt kind of stupid, and even more emberassed. She found herself unconsciously distancing herself from him as they continued walking down the path, hiding a little bit within the confines of her bag, just moving the slightest bit faster, looking a little smaller. I might have to distance myself from him this weekend. These were their people, not her people. Theory came upon a ridge that branched to two paths, one leading towards the cabin and looking over the slight bend, a small sloping walk that descended into a sandy oasis, situated next to what looked like a fair-sized river of running water. There was a fire pit too, already set ablaze and people surrounding it, laughing and conversing with one another. It was like everyone knew everyone, and the fact that she felt so shadowed and leftout wasn't exactly a good feeling.
"Lets drop our stuff off first" Jace claimed, referring to the cabin. They agreed, making their up the path to the white-painted wooden porch. Lucian pushed open the door, leading the others inside. Blake couldn't believe how big it looked inside, walls of beige with intricate wooden carvings that looked like they had been built into everything else. There was a living room with a chimney fire place, a kitchen, and a set of winding stairs that lead to the second level. Those on the second level could see the first level below, with a banister and doors to multiple rooms. Blake just felt herself gawk just the slightest bit, listening as Jace shut the door behind them.
"There you guys are! You show up, finally!" Stella appeared from the kitchen, smiling with a drink in her hand, a set of sunglasses across the ridge of her head holding her hair from her face. She wore a beautiful sundress, made from a material that looked soft to the touch.
"What's with all the people?" Jace asked.
"It really wasn't supposed to be like this-" Stella claimed, placing her fingers against her temples "I invited a few guys from the football team and...it sort of set on fire and ran wild..." her apologetic features were something else. "But, we are the only ones actually staying inside the cabin, so that's something" She insisted with excitement. She lead them up the stairs, giving everyone the bedrooms they would be spending the night in. At the last one at the end of the hall, the opened it, turning on the light to reveal a rather large king-sized bed.
"For the love-birds" she winked at Lucian, and Blake just froze solid. She watched as Lucian walked into the room, placing down his bags before glancing back at her.
"I'll let you guys get settled!" Stella said excitedly, and with her body still frozen, Blake watched as Stella fled back down the stairs, taking another sip of the alcoholic contraption in her red cup. Blake found her stomach jumping, blinking. She walked into the room slowly, noticing their large wood-carved mirror just above a connected dresser, a window to the right with more trees visible. She swallowed heavily, forcing her head to watch Lucian as he dug through one of his bags, appearing to be pulling out some clothes to chance into. Stella wants us both to sleep in here?!
It would be the first time she actually slept in the same bed as a boy, well except when she was younger and she used to sneak into Clay's room because she had a nightmare. Now, there was a beautifully made king-sized bed and she wasn't sharing it with her brother, but Lucian, her boyfriend, at least she thought he was. What if he wants to do...stuff? She felt ridiculously childish thinking that, but he was a boy after all. She hadn't thought she would have to tackle this situation this early, she thought she at least had a little more time before she would even think about what people who dated did together under the sheets. Her cheeks went hot red, walking into the room and placing her bag on top of the dresser, hoping to god that Lucian wouldn't notice how freaked out she was. Never in a million years would she think him capable of taking her by force, she knew that he'd listen if she said no. But, then she would have suddenly forced them into such a painfully awkward situation that would no doubt activate her fight or flight reflex. Oh Boy.
"Are you ready?" she lifted her head, turning around to find him by the door. He had changed his shirt and his shoes, waiting for her. She nodded quickly, nearly running to escape through the exit in front of him, watching as he shut the door behind them.
"You gotta let loose" he claimed, grabbing her shoulders and giving them a little rub. She was appreciative, she knew he was simply trying to cheer her up. "I know you don't like strangers, but just put up with it for one weekend, yes?" her eyes widened slightly, actually grateful that he wasn't aware of what she was really freaking out about inside her brain. She could pretend it was just the strangers, that was easier than admitting that she wasn't ready to have sex with him just yet. She smiled, attempting to reassure him. He held out his arm and she took it, wrapping hers around his. He lead her down the stairs and out into the sun, keeping her balanced and standing in the wrath.