Status: updating as I go along, let's hope I don't abandon this story.
December
Soft Skeletons
"Avery, what are you doing?"
My head snapped from my thoughts and gaze from the night sky, turning around to see Evan behind me. He looked like he just woke up, shivering in his pajama bottoms and an old hoodie thrown over his body. I shook my head, glancing down, then back up at the stars.
"I couldn't sleep." I replied with my usual answer. My eyes were fixated on the sky, hoping to see a shooting star. Evan shifted his feet in the snow, shuffling over towards me.
"It's freezing, and ... I have no idea what time it is, honestly. Where's your coat?" He asked, concerned as he glanced over my bare arms. I felt his eyes try to dodge the scars, but there were far too many to avoid. I crossed my arms, finally looking back at him.
"I forgot it, I guess. I just haven't seen the stars in awhile..." I trailed off, tugging at the end of my t-shirt. I felt extremely stupid now.
"C'mon, let's go inside so you don't freeze to death." Evan said, smiling slightly. He nudged me towards the door, and after stealing another quick glance at the stars, I walked back inside. Heat attacked my whole body, making my skin feel like it was on pins and needles. I threw my snowy shoes off at the door, running upstairs to hide under the covers.
"You have too much energy at this hour!" Evan yelled, joking. I laughed as I burrowed myself under the blankets on the bed, waiting for him to catch up and join me. After the longest 10 seconds of my life, Evan found his way back to his bed, crawling in next to me.
"Ave, are you going to explain to me what the hell is going on?" He asked as I shivered violently, trying to warm up.
"I couldn't sleep, and didn't wanna wake you up, so I went outside to see if the sky was clear. It's so beautiful tonight. It's been awhile... even when we were allowed outside at the hospital, it was only the courtyard, with a stupid plastic cover over the outside, keeping us in. I saw them sometimes, but only if they were bright enough to shine through the useless material." I whispered, curling into a ball, still cold.
"I woke up and you were gone, and maybe I'm just being overprotective, but it worried me. A lot." Evan said, gently taking my hands in his. I felt my stomach flutter. Not okay.
"I'm fine. I've made it this far, haven't I?" I said, forcing a smile. Evan's fingertips wandered up the skin on my arms, tracing all the scars. I shivered under his touch, and he must have noticed, because he pulled me closer.
"I haven't really seen your scars until tonight. I mean, you haven't worn long sleeves every time you're around me, but I never noticed until now." He whispered, and I could tell he was upset. I looked away, choking silently on my sobs that were forming.
"Evan, there's always something I've wondered..." I whispered, finally looking up at him now. His eyes fell into mine, completely curious and concerned.
"And what's that, Avery dear?" He asked. I felt my lip start to quiver, and I looked back down.
"D-d-do you think that possibly, the stars ever say we're the beautiful ones?" I whispered, feeling dumb as soon as the words left my mouth. I felt so childish and vulnerable.
Evan grinned as I looked back up at him, "I think so. I think they envy the beautiful ones like you, Avery."
My head snapped from my thoughts and gaze from the night sky, turning around to see Evan behind me. He looked like he just woke up, shivering in his pajama bottoms and an old hoodie thrown over his body. I shook my head, glancing down, then back up at the stars.
"I couldn't sleep." I replied with my usual answer. My eyes were fixated on the sky, hoping to see a shooting star. Evan shifted his feet in the snow, shuffling over towards me.
"It's freezing, and ... I have no idea what time it is, honestly. Where's your coat?" He asked, concerned as he glanced over my bare arms. I felt his eyes try to dodge the scars, but there were far too many to avoid. I crossed my arms, finally looking back at him.
"I forgot it, I guess. I just haven't seen the stars in awhile..." I trailed off, tugging at the end of my t-shirt. I felt extremely stupid now.
"C'mon, let's go inside so you don't freeze to death." Evan said, smiling slightly. He nudged me towards the door, and after stealing another quick glance at the stars, I walked back inside. Heat attacked my whole body, making my skin feel like it was on pins and needles. I threw my snowy shoes off at the door, running upstairs to hide under the covers.
"You have too much energy at this hour!" Evan yelled, joking. I laughed as I burrowed myself under the blankets on the bed, waiting for him to catch up and join me. After the longest 10 seconds of my life, Evan found his way back to his bed, crawling in next to me.
"Ave, are you going to explain to me what the hell is going on?" He asked as I shivered violently, trying to warm up.
"I couldn't sleep, and didn't wanna wake you up, so I went outside to see if the sky was clear. It's so beautiful tonight. It's been awhile... even when we were allowed outside at the hospital, it was only the courtyard, with a stupid plastic cover over the outside, keeping us in. I saw them sometimes, but only if they were bright enough to shine through the useless material." I whispered, curling into a ball, still cold.
"I woke up and you were gone, and maybe I'm just being overprotective, but it worried me. A lot." Evan said, gently taking my hands in his. I felt my stomach flutter. Not okay.
"I'm fine. I've made it this far, haven't I?" I said, forcing a smile. Evan's fingertips wandered up the skin on my arms, tracing all the scars. I shivered under his touch, and he must have noticed, because he pulled me closer.
"I haven't really seen your scars until tonight. I mean, you haven't worn long sleeves every time you're around me, but I never noticed until now." He whispered, and I could tell he was upset. I looked away, choking silently on my sobs that were forming.
"Evan, there's always something I've wondered..." I whispered, finally looking up at him now. His eyes fell into mine, completely curious and concerned.
"And what's that, Avery dear?" He asked. I felt my lip start to quiver, and I looked back down.
"D-d-do you think that possibly, the stars ever say we're the beautiful ones?" I whispered, feeling dumb as soon as the words left my mouth. I felt so childish and vulnerable.
Evan grinned as I looked back up at him, "I think so. I think they envy the beautiful ones like you, Avery."
♠ ♠ ♠
EXTREMELY SHORT AND I AM SO SORRY ):I'm not feeling the greatest tonight, but I wanted to update and thought this would be a cute and not so boring filler, but hey, I might be wrong.