Detention (DNF)

Fifteen

"Three."

I opened my eyes, and gasped. The sky was filled with a deep red, fading into orange and a bit of pinky purple where it met the darker parts of the sky.

I'd only ever seen some grey, blue and a bit of orange in the sky before, and thought people were overreacting. Now that I was looking at all these colours staring back at me, I knew why.

I felt my eyes start to tear up a bit. Sitting here with Clay, his arms wrapped around me, warm and safe, it almost felt like everything was okay. It felt like I had a home, people who cared about me, maybe even a family, even if right now it was just us two.

These past few years had been so stress-filled and fear-ridden, with all those nights in the winter alone and the occasional drunk passing into my path. More than anything, I hated the loneliness that came with it. Everyone else had a family to turn to at the end of the day, a warm home, people to be there for them when they needed.

Most times, I felt more alone than ever. Even with Louise, Karl, Alex and Bad supporting me, I knew they couldn't always be there for me. Sooner or later, I'd be on my own, and the thought terrified me.

I watched the sun slowly sink into the horizon, bringing with it most of the light on the water. Right now, I didn't feel alone. I felt okay, and that in itself, I was so grateful for.

"Thank you," I told Clay, leaning my head into his shoulder. "That was beautiful."

Clay noticed me sniffling, and pulled me closer. We stayed there for a while, and my eyes dried up, and I was back to normal again.

The sky was still beautiful, in a different way now. The red was blending with the dark blue, and the water was glistening subtly.

Clay gently grabbed my chin, turning it towards him. I looked at him, confused. Did I have something on my face again?

My breath caught as I looked into his eyes. He was staring with an emotion I hadn't seen before. He leaned closer, and gently pressed his lips to mine.