24 ~ Calum
Thomas' excited voice broke the cold tension. "That was amazing!"
The soft sound of Valerie's caused warmth to fan across my body,watching her head tilt back slightly in laughter as she pulled down her hoodie.
Her hair fell to her shoulders as she pulled out her hair band, I watch as she ran a hand through the black and red strands.
She shrugged while Thomas grabs my arms, helping me back into my room. "I get on my roof all the time, without going through a window."
I glance over to Thomas, our eyes locking. Little did Valerie know, we've watched her dance in the soft gold light of the street lamp many times before.
My eyes fall down to just below Thomas' cheek. The purple and swollen skin making my heart sink in guilt. If we hadn't switched, there's a good chance that it could have been me who had the dark bruise.
It wouldn't have been me to talk to him like that, however. Not that I'd ever admit it, but that seriously impressed me.
"You should clean that up." Valerie says gently, reaching her hand up to run her thumb across it softly.
The warmth I had felt a few moments ago left as I stare at her, jealously knocking at the door, demanding to be let in.
"Yea, I should..." Thomas says, giving me a look before leaving the room. The silence was suffocating, my mind fogged with all of the things that happened to day.
Out if the corner of my eye, I could see Valerie resting against the window frame, her gray eyes on me, however mine were on the stars behind her. I didn't want to look at her.
Uncertainties swim around in my head, I wasn't sure why this girl standing just on the other side of this open window was slowly consuming all of my thoughts.
It was scary, how unprotected I was tonight, my walls were broken. Everything's just been so stressful lately. I would have never thought that I'd even be taking to Thomas or Valerie, let alone pretending to be him or falling asleep and blushing around her.
I've never felt more self loathing in my entire life. I always complained about my life, how I was so miss understood. I was so selfish that I never noticed that I don't have it that bad. Thomas goes through so much, I didn't even know the half of it, and I'm sure I still don't.
I hate how much I've under appreciated Thomas, and Mali if I'm being honest. She's always there to silently clean up my face, gently stitching me back with a small reassuring smile. I could see her as a school nurse one day, her warm eyes soothing small children.
I used to want to change everything.
Change can be good, but from what I've been taught, it is horrible. It throws you into situations you are unprepared for, making you uncomfortable, sometimes even in your own skin.
I close my eyes, the images of today playing on the back of my eyelids. I am so unbelievably tired.
I let the breath I had just taken in swirl in my lungs for a moment before releasing it, opening my eyes to meet pale gray ones.
I could just sit here like this forever, looking at this girl who seemed to have a complete trance over me, just looking at her small nose and thin, yet full all at same time, pink lips. The fiery red that was starting to lose its flare and fade to a subtle, soft red but it still popped brightly against the dark black of the rest of her hair.
All I knew was this was not normal.
It isn't normal for my heart to bang against my rib cage when I catch sight of her. It's not normal for my cheeks to warm and redden at the small things she does.
This just isn't right, These things just don't happen to me.
"Let me take you somewhere..." Valerie says, a small shine in her eye flashed that wasn't there before. "Come with me?"
She looks up at me expectantly, holding her hand out for me to grab.
I turn to glance at the door, wondering if Thomas or someone would walk through and stop me. "I don't know if-"
"Please?" She asks, causing me to sigh, glancing back one more time before climbing out of the window.
She smiles at me, and grabs my hand making my cheeks flush pink and become grateful for the dark of the night.
"Where are we going?" I ask, she was walking fast, practically dragging me behind her.
"Well," she pauses, sending me a cheeky smile. "It doesn't really have a name...its kinda like a little hideaway. "
We walk out of the neighborhood, her hand drops mine and I shove it into my pocket hastily.
She stops in the middle of the side walk, looking both ways before ducking in to the woods through a small opening.
"You want me to follow you in there?" I ask, nervous to go in to such wild woods so late at night.
"It's alright, I used to come here all the time." She shrugged, the flashlight in her phone flicking on and mine doing the same.
"Are you sure it's safe?" I ask, tripping over a root and stumbling slightly.
Valerie laughs. "Yes I'm sure, Thomas."
I roll my eyes, but couldn't stop the small smile that formed on my lips.
Just as I was about to give up to turn back and leave, we walked out into a small clearing with what looking like a small lake, or pond.
"Hold on," Valerie says, walking over to the side, looking for something. "I hope it still works." She says, grabbing what looked like a cord and pressing a button.
Fairy lights flickered to life all around me, strung around all the trees that surrounded the bank of the lake.
I look at her questioningly. She holds up the cord saying "Batteries." With a small smirk.
"Woah..." I breath out, the whole place was so beautiful, I've never seen anything quite like it.
"I know right." She says, sitting down in the middle, leaning on the heels of her hands.
"How did you find this place?" I ask, sitting next to her, the whole place had such a warm feeling, even though our breath was materializing in front of us from the cold.
Valerie turned to look at me, a grin on her face. "My best friend and I found it a couple of years ago, of course then I wasn't this close to it, it took forever to walk too, but it's worth it." She say, her gray eyes taking in the surroundings.
"Tell me more." I whisper, a grin on my face, her joy from the memories was contagious.
"Her names Samantha, but she went by Sam." She said, her smile grew. "She had blond- here I'll just show you a picture." Valerie pulls out her phone, a picture of her and a girl a few inches taller filled the screen.
Sam has long blond hair with piercing blue eyes, much bluer than Valerie's. She had a small sprinkle of faded freckles and such perfect teeth, she must have had braces.
The picture was taken at a hairdresser's, this must have been when Valerie dyed her hair red because Sam had dyed the tips of her hair red also.
Sam's arm was draped over Valerie's shoulders and both of the girls where laughing when this picture was taken, Valerie doubling over slightly.
"She looks nice." I say, handing the her phone back.
She nods. "You'd like her ."
And we sat there for who knows how long just talking. Telling each other stories from the past and random facts about ourselves.
And when I finally climbed back into my window, I feel asleep with a smile on my lips.
A|N
What do you think? I hope the chapter wasn't cliché or anything...
What do you think?
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