The Sun Always Sets in Paradise

I was defeated. I had been for a few days now. Max had become severely concerned for me. Same went for Ellie and Drake. I was receding into my own mind like before. I was just distant now. As if I was waiting for something. Whatever that something was, I did not know.

Some days I thought it was the moment where I would experience horrific things. Death would be the next. Or else nothing at all. I was just... waiting.

Currently, I laid in my bed wide awake. Max, who was asleep, had his arm protectively hooked around my stomach, keeping me tight against his chest. Our legs were comfortably tangled together.

I flicked my gaze over to the alarm clock just in time for it to change to two o'clock AM. I exhaled heavily through my nose. My thoughts were focused on one thing.

"Why are you awake?" Max whispered. It startled me a bit.

"I woke up and started thinking. Now I can't fall back asleep." I told him.

"Thinking about what?"

"Europe." I whispered in hopes of keeping the fear in my voice undetected.

"You put in your name for the drawing, right?"

"Yeah, Ellie made me."

"Well you both might get picked."

"Maybe. Did you submit your name?"

"No, but I'll be going anyway. I don't need a so called "scholarship" to attend."

I turned around to face him even though it was dark. "So if you can pay for yourself to go on the trip, you can go?"

"Yes. I talked about it with our principle once the option came about."

"Does that mean that if I get picked, you're going?" My fear began to ebb to be replaced with a dull excitement.

"Of course. Even if you don't get picked, I'm still taking you to wherever in Europe if you want me too."

I briskly kissed Maxim. "You're to good to me." I whispered, beginning to feel sad.

My emotions were beginning to get the better of me and I knew that I had better go to sleep otherwise I was in trouble.

"I don't think that I have ever really left this stupid town." I mumbled against Max's bare chest.

Max said something but it fell upon deaf ears as I succumbed to darkness.

*^*^*^*^*

Max woke me up the following morning to get ready for school. At first, I had refused and forced him to lay with me a bit longer. I didn't need much coaxing because Max wasn't all that great of a morning person.

Eventually, though, Max picked me up out of the warm cocoon of my blanket and pillows.

"No!" I squealed playfully as he lifted me up.

"Yes!" He retorted playfully.

I wrapped my arms around his neck so that I wouldn't, for some reason, fall out of his arms. I lightly placed a kiss on Max's nose. "I love you." I whispered.

The words seemed to come out of my mouth on their own accord. I looked up at Max in self-horror as he stared at me in surprise.

"They slipped! I'm sorry. I-I didn't, ugh, I mean, well," words failed me. "Don't say it back..." I finally whispered while avoiding his gaze.

Max just held me tighter. "If you don't want me to, then I won't."

I nodded slightly. I had no idea why I didn't want him to say it back to me. It just put me into a silent panic when I thought about him repeating those three words back to me.

*^*^*^*^*

"He is absolutely amazing!" Ellie was gushing over some guy that was a friend of Drake's. "He has this amazing southern accent and charm."

She practically dazed out with this excited look in her glassy eyes. I shook my head with a chuckle directed towards her. "You are such a lovestruck goof."

Her head snapped over to me. "So are you!" She replied indignantly.

"I swear, I don't express it as much as you."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"Lies!" She laughed.

I rolled my eyes at her and dramatically took a bite out of my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Bread stuck out of my mouth, resulting in a booming laugh from Ellie.

"Oh God! I have missed this part of you." She gasped out.

I grinned in reply.

We were both unaware of the curious gazes we were receiving from a good portion of the lunchroom. Well, not all were curious. There was one loathing glare from a single male person.

*^*^*^*^*

I ran home again. Running had become my way of forgetting and feeling better. This had been the third time this week that I made a bet with Ellie on whether or not I could beat her to my house. I won the first time but she claimed that her art teacher had stopped her on her way to the car.

This time, though, I was cutting through peoples' backyards and through alleyway. I was practically parkouring the whole way home. I was absolutely exuberant by how much fun I was having by myself.

I burst out of the bushes only a block away from my house. I gasped for breath but an ear-splitting grin cut it's way across my face. Ellie's car was no where in sight yet. I must have been making good time. I started running across the street without looking out for cars.

Thus, I narrowly missed getting hit by a maroon Ford truck. I could hear the person's faint curses fade away but I ignored him. I was being reckless for once in a long time and I loved it.

I sat on the wet cement steps as I waiting for Ellie. While I was concentrating on controlling my breathing, Ellie pulled up. She remained in her car for a moment before leaping out.

"You need to come to my house!" She exclaimed in pure excitement.

I looked at her quizzically, "But I want to shower."

"No time! Now!"

I shrugged my shoulders and I proceeded over to Ellie's car.