3:30pm

41: the dream

      <Where we're from, there's no sun. Our hometown's in the dark>

°•°•°•°

Stephen 

Absent-mindedly, I bounced the ball in my hands against the brick wall opposite me, my mind a blank void, free of thoughts. 

It was the first week into the two weeks break Springfield High gave us seniors, leaving only one more week ahead before school resumed and the endless cycle of lessons began once again. 

But returning to school wasn't the problem; the sooner I got my senior year over and done with the better. The bigger issue though, was the international deal Johnny had a week from now. 

The more I thought about it, the more I got—I had to admit—scared. For my safety. My mom's. Cleo's.

What if something did happen to me? What if Johnny doesn't get arrested? He escapes maybe, and then comes after me. Or the people I love.

These were the thoughts plaguing my mind every night I went to sleep, for the past one week, and honestly, I was tired. My mind was exhausted. If I was to dwell on the 'what ifs' for any longer, I might just go insane. So, it went without saying that I was more than grateful and glad when Nick called me over to play basketball with him in the basketball court at a corner of his ridiculously—no offense—gigantic house.

For nearly two hours, we interchanged between actually playing and just dunking the ball into the net, until finally we both grew tired and decided to give it a rest. 

I was currently seated with Nick on a bench a few feet from the basketball post, bouncing the ball absently, my mind clear and blank, because like I said, I was sick of thinking. 

"What do you think it'd be like when we open again?" Nick asked, all of a sudden, his attention although still on the phone in his hands.

I stopped throwing the ball against the wall and switched to bouncing it on the floor instead. 

"I don't know," I murmured. "Just the regular? Only we'll be looking at the upcoming match too."

"I guess," Nick shrugged. "But don't you feel it's weird? I mean, it feels like just yesterday I was a freshman, and now,  in three months time, I'll be graduating. Never expected it to be this fast, for real."

Yeah, neither did I. Two years ago, I had no idea who Marion was, let alone Johnny. 

Finally, I let go of the ball, giving it one last bounce that sent it flying to a corner. "That's just life, man. It progresses. From one stage to another. Okay, imagine a scenario where you remained in high-school forever. How does that sound?"

"Like bullshit torture," he replied. "Speaking of progress though. How's it going with you and Cleo?"

Relaxing back into the bench, I crossed my arms and looked at him. "What about Cleo?"

He dropped his phone then. "I mean, do you see you guys making any progress after we graduate? Because, honestly, I think I might just break up with Camelia after graduation, 'cause, I'm burned out already. Commitment is just not my thing, I guess."

Camelia was the girl he'd begun hanging out with after his party last year. 

Nick's words made me remember what Cleo had told me last week, on our way to Gregory's party. Her doubts about our relationship. 

"Commitment is not anyone's thing," I said, still looking at him. "If you're thinking it's mine."

"Well, it is, isn't it? You've been simping after Cleo for years, dude. What else is that?"