‹ Prequel: Weather Patterns.
Status: Finished 4/08/2009. Do not read this. Please.
The Stars Are Fading Away
Chapter Fourteen.
You're paper thin
It's visible
Me and Mason talked for awhile, mostly about nothing. School, music. The usual. We avoided the topic of Wren, either by accident or on purpose. I felt so at ease, and that surprised me. Mason made me feel safe. He made me happy.
We talked for a long time, until it was almost 10:00. I was surprised at the time. I was afraid Wren would come looking for me, and I think Mason noticed. I changed quickly in the bathroom, rushing myself to get back where other people were.
I was getting paranoid.
Mason was already sprawled out on the couch, fiddling around with his iPod. He looked up at me as I climbed into his bed, as I had so many other times.
"Are you okay?"
Mason always noticed. He knew me so well, or maybe he was just uncannily good at reading people.
I sighed. "No."
He put down his iPod and came over, sitting down on top of the covers. He put his arms around me. I leaned into him.
"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.
"I'm… scared."
"It's okay, Amber. I'm here."
He rubbed my back and held me in silence, just like he always did. It was an effective way of comforting me. My anxiety faded away.
"Are you okay now?"
"Yes, but…" I bit my lip. "I don't know. It seems like this time is different to me."
"Maybe because he burned you with a fucking cigarette," he said harshly. I winced.
"Sorry," he murmured. He started getting up.
"No!" I said, without thinking. I bit my lip. "Could you stay? Please?"
"Of course, Amber." He smiled comfortingly.
He climbed into bed next to me and wrapped his arms around me again, careful to avoid touching the burn. I snuggled back into his chest.
"Good night," he said, kissing my head.
That surprised me a little, but Mason didn't seem to think anything of it, so I didn't either. I drifted off to sleep, totally relaxed in his embrace.
I woke up in Mason's bed, like I had so many other times. Too many times, it seemed like. Wren did it too often.
Mason's arms were still around me, loosely. He was asleep.
I laughed quietly at his sleeping face. His mouth had fallen open a little and his face was relaxed and peaceful. I wondered what Wren would look like sleeping. He always left before I woke up. Would his face look peaceful like this? Or would he look angry, like he always seemed to be now days?
I sighed and put my head back down on the pillow. Mason's arms tightened slightly around me and he shifted a little in his sleep. His eyes fluttered. He opened his eyes all the way and yawned.
"Good morning."
"You, too."
He rolled over on his back and rubbed his eyes.
"I need coffee," he groaned. He looked over at the clock. "Why am I up so early?"
"I don't know."
"Were you staring at me?"
"What?"
"I wake up when people stare at me."
I laughed.
"It's not funny! It's really annoying!"
"How so?" I asked, still giggling.
"You would not believe some awkward situations."
"Try me."
"One time I woke up to Derrick and Coby discussing the size of my–"
I clapped my hand over his mouth. "Okay, that's enough."
Mason laughed and removed my hand. "I told you."
"Yes you did." I straightened up, leaning against the headboard. All the blood rushed out of my head, making my see spots. I slid back down again.
"Blood rush," I groaned.
"I don't want to hear about your woman problems."
I smacked his chest. "That's not what I meant."
"Just don't get it on my bed," he said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, getting up and stretching.
"I was talking about OUT OF MY HEAD, idiot."
"Sure, sure."
"You're a pervert."
"Well if I'm a pervert, Derrick would give a run for my money. I swear to God–"
"YOU NEED TO LEARN WHEN TO STOP TALKING!"
He laughed and opened the door to his bedroom. He was greeted with a chorus of applause.
He looked back over at me.
"See what I mean?" he said, and I could hear Derrick chanting "MASON GOT LAID!" over and over again.
I laughed and got out of bed, too. I walked out the door intending to get breakfast, but Derrick blocked my way.
"WELL?"
"Well what?"
"WAS HE GOOD?"
I rolled my eyes.
He turned back to Mason. "MASON NEEDS VIAGRA."
"Viva, VIAGRAAAA!" Coby chimed in.
"I hate you all," I said, getting cereal and milk from the cupboards.
"Awww, not Mason." Coby said, laughing.
"MASON GOT LAID, MASON GOT LAID, MASON GOT LAID, MASON GOT LAID, MASON GOT—"
"SHUT THE HELL UP, DERRICK! NO ONE HAS ANY INTEREST IN WHAT MASON WAS ENTERTAINING IN HIS BED LAST NIGHT!" Bryce shouted from behind his closed door.
"Well, I do!" Derrick protested.
"YOU DON'T COUNT. YOU'RE A PERVERT."
I burst into laughter. I looked over at Mason and he was doubled over.
"Change of subject! Amber, your birthday's soon!" Coby said, smiling at me.
"YOU'RE TURNING TWENTY! YOU'RE NO LONGER A TEENAGER!"
"Yes, Derrick. Good observation."
Derrick seemed to deflate. "You're good at making people feel stupid, Amber."
I laughed.
"It's not that difficult, dumbass." Coby said.
"YOU GUYS ARE MEAN." Derrick shouted.
"HEY, DERRICK, REMEMBER THAT TIME WHEN I GOT 4 HOURS OF SLEEP? REMEMBER WHAT I DID? IF YOU DON'T SHUT UP, IT'S THAT TIMES 100."
"What did he do last time?" I asked Coby.
"Slammed the lid of the toilet down on Derrick's dick."
I laughed. "He has excellent tactics."
"No, dude. That was not funny. Don't even." Derrick grimaced and hands went protectively in front of his private area.
"I'm sorry I live with such perverted roommates, Amber," Mason said, laughing.
"No shit." I laughed as Derrick shoved me.
"Meanie!"
"DERRICK!" Bryce shouted again.
Derrick got a look of true fear on his face that made the rest of us laugh hysterically.
"I'm going back to my room now…"
I laughed and poured milk into my cereal. Coby grabbed a spoon from the drawer and sat down next to me. He started stealing cereal from me.
"NO!"
He laughed and stole a few more mouthfuls before I successfully got him out of the chair. Mason sat down in his place.
"You suck." Coby stuck his tongue out at me.
"You swallow," I retorted.
"I'm sure you did last night. OH!" He grinned at his own joke.
"Mason, you're not a pervert. I'm sorry, I just underestimated everyone you live around. It's bound to rub off."
"You got it." He smiled.
Mason dropped me off in front of my dorm. As I was getting out, he grabbed my arm.
"Don't forget, your birthday." He smiled.
"Yes, I'm very likely to forget the day I was born."
He laughed. "I'll pick you up at four or so?"
"What are we doing?"
"It's a surprise."
"Is that code for you don't know?"
He laughed. "Yes. Don't forget!"
"Okay. Bye, Mason."
"Bye."
It's visible
Me and Mason talked for awhile, mostly about nothing. School, music. The usual. We avoided the topic of Wren, either by accident or on purpose. I felt so at ease, and that surprised me. Mason made me feel safe. He made me happy.
We talked for a long time, until it was almost 10:00. I was surprised at the time. I was afraid Wren would come looking for me, and I think Mason noticed. I changed quickly in the bathroom, rushing myself to get back where other people were.
I was getting paranoid.
Mason was already sprawled out on the couch, fiddling around with his iPod. He looked up at me as I climbed into his bed, as I had so many other times.
"Are you okay?"
Mason always noticed. He knew me so well, or maybe he was just uncannily good at reading people.
I sighed. "No."
He put down his iPod and came over, sitting down on top of the covers. He put his arms around me. I leaned into him.
"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.
"I'm… scared."
"It's okay, Amber. I'm here."
He rubbed my back and held me in silence, just like he always did. It was an effective way of comforting me. My anxiety faded away.
"Are you okay now?"
"Yes, but…" I bit my lip. "I don't know. It seems like this time is different to me."
"Maybe because he burned you with a fucking cigarette," he said harshly. I winced.
"Sorry," he murmured. He started getting up.
"No!" I said, without thinking. I bit my lip. "Could you stay? Please?"
"Of course, Amber." He smiled comfortingly.
He climbed into bed next to me and wrapped his arms around me again, careful to avoid touching the burn. I snuggled back into his chest.
"Good night," he said, kissing my head.
That surprised me a little, but Mason didn't seem to think anything of it, so I didn't either. I drifted off to sleep, totally relaxed in his embrace.
I woke up in Mason's bed, like I had so many other times. Too many times, it seemed like. Wren did it too often.
Mason's arms were still around me, loosely. He was asleep.
I laughed quietly at his sleeping face. His mouth had fallen open a little and his face was relaxed and peaceful. I wondered what Wren would look like sleeping. He always left before I woke up. Would his face look peaceful like this? Or would he look angry, like he always seemed to be now days?
I sighed and put my head back down on the pillow. Mason's arms tightened slightly around me and he shifted a little in his sleep. His eyes fluttered. He opened his eyes all the way and yawned.
"Good morning."
"You, too."
He rolled over on his back and rubbed his eyes.
"I need coffee," he groaned. He looked over at the clock. "Why am I up so early?"
"I don't know."
"Were you staring at me?"
"What?"
"I wake up when people stare at me."
I laughed.
"It's not funny! It's really annoying!"
"How so?" I asked, still giggling.
"You would not believe some awkward situations."
"Try me."
"One time I woke up to Derrick and Coby discussing the size of my–"
I clapped my hand over his mouth. "Okay, that's enough."
Mason laughed and removed my hand. "I told you."
"Yes you did." I straightened up, leaning against the headboard. All the blood rushed out of my head, making my see spots. I slid back down again.
"Blood rush," I groaned.
"I don't want to hear about your woman problems."
I smacked his chest. "That's not what I meant."
"Just don't get it on my bed," he said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, getting up and stretching.
"I was talking about OUT OF MY HEAD, idiot."
"Sure, sure."
"You're a pervert."
"Well if I'm a pervert, Derrick would give a run for my money. I swear to God–"
"YOU NEED TO LEARN WHEN TO STOP TALKING!"
He laughed and opened the door to his bedroom. He was greeted with a chorus of applause.
He looked back over at me.
"See what I mean?" he said, and I could hear Derrick chanting "MASON GOT LAID!" over and over again.
I laughed and got out of bed, too. I walked out the door intending to get breakfast, but Derrick blocked my way.
"WELL?"
"Well what?"
"WAS HE GOOD?"
I rolled my eyes.
He turned back to Mason. "MASON NEEDS VIAGRA."
"Viva, VIAGRAAAA!" Coby chimed in.
"I hate you all," I said, getting cereal and milk from the cupboards.
"Awww, not Mason." Coby said, laughing.
"MASON GOT LAID, MASON GOT LAID, MASON GOT LAID, MASON GOT LAID, MASON GOT—"
"SHUT THE HELL UP, DERRICK! NO ONE HAS ANY INTEREST IN WHAT MASON WAS ENTERTAINING IN HIS BED LAST NIGHT!" Bryce shouted from behind his closed door.
"Well, I do!" Derrick protested.
"YOU DON'T COUNT. YOU'RE A PERVERT."
I burst into laughter. I looked over at Mason and he was doubled over.
"Change of subject! Amber, your birthday's soon!" Coby said, smiling at me.
"YOU'RE TURNING TWENTY! YOU'RE NO LONGER A TEENAGER!"
"Yes, Derrick. Good observation."
Derrick seemed to deflate. "You're good at making people feel stupid, Amber."
I laughed.
"It's not that difficult, dumbass." Coby said.
"YOU GUYS ARE MEAN." Derrick shouted.
"HEY, DERRICK, REMEMBER THAT TIME WHEN I GOT 4 HOURS OF SLEEP? REMEMBER WHAT I DID? IF YOU DON'T SHUT UP, IT'S THAT TIMES 100."
"What did he do last time?" I asked Coby.
"Slammed the lid of the toilet down on Derrick's dick."
I laughed. "He has excellent tactics."
"No, dude. That was not funny. Don't even." Derrick grimaced and hands went protectively in front of his private area.
"I'm sorry I live with such perverted roommates, Amber," Mason said, laughing.
"No shit." I laughed as Derrick shoved me.
"Meanie!"
"DERRICK!" Bryce shouted again.
Derrick got a look of true fear on his face that made the rest of us laugh hysterically.
"I'm going back to my room now…"
I laughed and poured milk into my cereal. Coby grabbed a spoon from the drawer and sat down next to me. He started stealing cereal from me.
"NO!"
He laughed and stole a few more mouthfuls before I successfully got him out of the chair. Mason sat down in his place.
"You suck." Coby stuck his tongue out at me.
"You swallow," I retorted.
"I'm sure you did last night. OH!" He grinned at his own joke.
"Mason, you're not a pervert. I'm sorry, I just underestimated everyone you live around. It's bound to rub off."
"You got it." He smiled.
Mason dropped me off in front of my dorm. As I was getting out, he grabbed my arm.
"Don't forget, your birthday." He smiled.
"Yes, I'm very likely to forget the day I was born."
He laughed. "I'll pick you up at four or so?"
"What are we doing?"
"It's a surprise."
"Is that code for you don't know?"
He laughed. "Yes. Don't forget!"
"Okay. Bye, Mason."
"Bye."
