365 Days.

I look into the mirror,
apply the bit of cream onto my skin in places where it is needed,
then pull away and exit the bathroom without a second glance.
There’s no need to linger on things that hurt you.

I return to my room and,
leaving the lights off,
head over to where my balcony is.
Pushing aside the curtains and opening the doors,
I step outside and lean onto the railing,
hands lightly resting on the cold metal.
Tilting my head back I look up at the stars.
They sparkle and twinkle down at me,
and probably also at the many other millions of people looking up at the night sky.
The thought of others looking up warms me inside.
They know what I’m feeling.
They know it’s beautiful.

The cool breeze ruffles my hair and I smile softly.
It’s wonderful.
If I really let myself think about,
let my mind wander and drift,
I can almost imagine that I’m flying,
light and free,
through the wind and in the clouds,
under the light of the moon,
bathing in it’s soft presence.
It would be nice and peaceful up there…

Something lands beside me and I jump,
abruptly throwing myself back into reality.

I look down at the object near my feet and in the moonlight notice it’s shape.
A small rock.
Another one lands beside it,
startling me once more.
I look up and down from the balcony.
It’s not hard to spot a lonely figure in the middle of the road.

A goofy grin greets me.

Chase.

He throws up another small rock,

it just barely misses my face.
I hiss at him.

Chase smirks and waves to me,
then gestures for me to get down to him,
as if I can just jump from the three floor building.

I shake my head,
folding my arms on my chest,
showing him that I’m not going anywhere.
Hell no.
Not with my face’s current situation,
and not with him at this time in the night.
Father would kill me.

~ * ~

It doesn’t take long for Chase to convince me.
I don’t know how he does it.
I have all my feelings telling me no,
all my logic and common sense telling me that going with him is a bad idea,
yet I obey his words.

What’s worse?
We’re hurtling down the highway on a motorcycle.
My arms are tight around his waist,
head resting on his shoulder,
eyes closed.

It’s nice here too.
Chase’s smell of cologne tingles my nose.

“Where are we going?”
I yell out over the wind.

For a moment,
Chase doesn’t answer,
then he turns his head back a bit and yells,
“You’ll see!”

I’m not satisfied with the reply,
but it’s better than nothing.
we hurtle on down the empty highway,
the moon high in the cloudless sky.

~ * ~

I slowly open my eyes and look around.
A soft gasp escapes my lips.
We’re on a beach,
with the ocean out in front of us,
the moon hanging over it and reflecting in the water,
giving it a calm and beautiful but eerie look.

“It’s beautiful,”
I whisper,
afraid that by talking any louder,
I’ll break the beautiful trance that we seem to be in,
the dream that I’m dreaming.
This can’t be real.

Chase’s arms slip around my waist and he pulls me into him,
resting his chin on my shoulder,
“You like?”

“Yes,”
I reply softly,
staring out at the water.
I remain silent for a few moments before turning my head to look up at Chase,
“Why did you bring me here?”

“To show you.”
He replies with a shrug.

“And?”
There’s something he’s not telling me.
I can see it in his eyes.

Chase only smiles,
leans down and kisses my lips.

At first,
it’s like I’m a little kid again,
back in second grade,
when one of the girls came up to me and gave me a kiss on Valentine’s Day.
I was stunned,
and didn’t react at all.
And just like then,
I stand frozen to the ground in my spot,
looking up at Chase with surprise.

Chase’s lips pull back a bit and he frowns down at me,
“Colorful,”
he murmurs softly,
“Is everything okay?”

I try to nod but fail.
Shaking my head doesn’t work either.
“I don’t know,”
I stammer and pull away.

“What?”
Chase’s voice isn’t soft anymore.
Something here clearly isn’t right.
He didn’t bring me out here just out of sheer kindness.

“You-I-this-”
I break off and sigh,
“You don’t need to do this.”

“This.”
I gesture to the beach,
“I’m not stupid Chase,
you think I don’t know anything?
Think I’m so innocent and cliché and believe in love at first sight?”

Stepping back,
I watch the confusion on Chase’s face turn to something else.
Annoyance.

“You don’t have to… you know,
go out of your way for this.”
I shake my head,
not knowing how to best phrase the sentence but I don’t need to.

Chase understands.
It’s his turn to step back now.
Disgust floods his face.
“That’s disgusting,
I’m not gay.”

I look up sharply.
“But…”
It’s my turn to be confused.
“You kissed me though,”
I protest.

“Yeah so?”
Chase snickers and glances to the side before returning his gaze on me.
“Nobody will ever be in a relationship with you Evie,
nobody wants to.
You’re so annoying,
I hope you do realize that.
You and all your goddamned innocence,
I hope you fucking die.
Take your innocence with you to your fucking grave,
live your bloody boring life of being the rich brat of some mayor.
Just because I kissed you doesn’t mean I’m gay,
and if you’re so interested,
I am bisexual,
Though I don’t do relationships with guys,
They’re just the occasional fling.”

“Is that all I was?”
I snap,
“An occasional fling?
Something you went to when you were bored?”
Tears rush to my eyes.
“You know what!
Leave and don’t ever talk to me again!”

Chase laughs.
“Jesus,
we’re not in a relationship,
don’t throw a fit,
I don’t even talk to you that much.”

The crack of a slap cuts through the night’s silence.
A hot tear runs down my cheek.
“You’re all the same,”
I hiss,
“You and Mickel and all your friends,
and you’re stupid pack problems.
Control your dicks and think with your brains for once.”

Chase’s hand lightly rests on his cheek,
Caressing it softly.
His eyes narrow at me,
“And so are you,
so the same,
like all the other girls.
Bitchy and selfish.”

I gape at him.
“Oh, so what was that?
Was I supposed to just bend over for you and do as you say?”

Chase rolls his eyes,
“Just shut up,
I don’t want to see your face right now.”

And with only the help to persuasion and threats of police,
do I manage to get him to take me back home…