Eden and Bea (LGBT+)

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The sky was beginning to turn a dusty pink, as the golden sun continued to set, but Axel remained with me. This was not only because he was a good friend, but also due to the fact that my mother had promised to make him some of her famous chicken and parmesan pasta bake, if he did. Thus, it was easy for Axel to make up his mind. 

I was glad to have him around, too. I could definitely use the company after the day that I had. Aside from that, he actually had more of a clue with how to answer some of the essay questions on my literature exam than I could ever hope to have. 

My mother soon called for us all to take our seats at the table and we ate. 

While we ate, my father did the usual thing of asking what Axel's plans were for after we finished school. I knew that Axel had already told him many times before, but I was beginning to suspect that my father had a level of forgetfulness that arguably could have rivalled Mr. King's. Alright, so I wasn't sure it was quite that bad, but it sure was something. 

After he had finished school, Axel wanted to study a law degree. 

I, on the other hand, didn't have much of a clue as to what I wanted to do. It was ridiculous that people expected for you to have your entire life mapped out at only the age of eighteen, really! I tried to push that thought to the back of my mind because the pasta was actually incredibly delicious and I didn't want to damper my enjoyment of it. 

Once dinner was finished, Axel and I made my way back up to my room, so that we could continue to study. 

Of course, it was mostly I who was studying. I wasn't sure where Axel found the time to study in amongst all of his try-outs and football games, but somehow he did and I greatly admired him for that. He had always been athletic and he had the physique to match, that was why he was the subject of so many of the girls' attentions. 

"Axel...there is too much to study," I said. "I'll break it down into sections and cover one chapter each week, by the time I understand the material it'll be about...hm, let me think, Christmas next year." 

The Wests were all high-achievers. 

For the most part, the Hazels were too. I had a funny feeling that I could be the exception to that rule, and in truth, there was nothing that I feared more than that reality- the one of being a disappointment to my family and everyone that surrounded me. I believed that it wasn't that much of an uncommon concern, though. After all, we lived in a society that placed so much weight on doing well at school and getting into a good university. These things were easy if you belonged to certain families, of course, such as the one and only Eden Thorne. Nevertheless, I knew that I couldn't sit in my own pile of self-doubt and anxiety, I had to move through life no matter what. 

Axel's eyes flickered with sympathy, before he spoke again. "Don't worry, Bee-bee. I've got your back, now and always, so you won't fail. I guarantee it!" he said. "Axel Thomas West is here to make all of your self doubt and anxieties go away," he continued, as he playfully began to squeeze my shoulders. "Ah, yeah. You see, there's a lot of tension here. I recommend taking a break from all of this studying to come and play football with me," he said and I could hear the amusement behind his voice, but I knew that I couldn't take a break from studying right now. None of the material that I had looked over so far had sunk in. Not one bit. At least there was a chance that my grades in art and psychology wouldn't lead me to being considered a complete dismal failure. 

"Axe, this is a disaster. And we were going to celebrate your birthday this summer! If I fail...then I won't even be able to come to your party. I might've drowned myself by then," I said, which caused his eyes to widen in alarm. "That might be a little unrealistic, though. I've always had thalassophobia and you know as much." I sat and thought on it for a moment, before I spoke again, "Perhaps I could walk into the forest and get eaten by wolves..." I knew that I was being a complete drama queen now, but I couldn't help it. There were so many thoughts on my mind, and the only person that I ever truly vented to about them was Axel. Sometimes, I felt bad for him for having to put up with my eccentricities, but he didn't seem to mind one bit. That was exactly why he occupied best friend status, and always would. "Do sharks lurk in the English seas?" I asked. "Maybe I'll present myself as a snack to them."

Axel quickly took my hands in his. 

I felt my eyes widen at him, as I looked down towards our hands and then back up to meet his gaze. 

"Bea, you're over-reacting. The camping trip is going to be alright and we're going to work on your literature until you're writing essays that Jane Austen herself would be proud of," he said, with a kind smile. 

I sincerely doubted that much, but I was glad that Axel was being so supportive. It made me feel a little better, in amongst all of the doom and gloom, of course. I knew that I had to face facts- my fight or flight response was kicking in and this was one of those situations where I simply had to fight. The camping trip may have instilled some anxiety in me, but I needed to fight it.

"It'll be fine- you'll be sunbathing in the green field in no time and everything will be alright," Axel said. 

I tried to believe him.