D A M A G E D • HS

10

TW: alcohol use

HARRY P.O.V

I sit in silence listening to everyone talk. Well, more like, listening to words being mumbled, as I can't make out a single thing.

There's a faint humming of music, some laughter and a lot of clicking glass.

I'm currently over at Felix's house hanging out with a group of people while we drink and catch up.

Felix, Hunter, and some of the other guys on the team all sit on Felix's couch, conversing with each other. Jane and her friends who are all on the cheer team accompany us for this group hangout.

After Arlo dropped me off, I rushed to get ready for practice. I was still a little high, but most of it had worn off. I felt slightly sick from all the food I ate, and was extremely tired.

Felix and Hunter hounded me with questions on my whereabouts today, since I wasn't at lunch, nor was I in class. I simply shrugged my shoulders and told them that I skipped.

I left out the part where I decided to skip and get high with Arlo Steele because they would definitely flip out and ask me even more questions.

They both know of her and all the common known information, but that's it. They mainly know that she's friends with two girls on the cheer team, has anger issues and a drug problem.

That's all Arlo is to everyone, a drug addict with anger issues.

The two of them would ask never ending questions as to why I got high, because they both know, I rarely get high.

It's none of their business what I do and don't do anyways. So what if I skip school to get high with some I hate, it's not anyone's business but me and that person.

Practice ran relatively smoothly for me being a little out of it. My performance was top notch as always. We ran through basic warm up drills and did a lot to prepare for our first game coming up in two weeks.

I'm excited to get back on the field and do what I love the most. The buzz I get from being in a competitive game, with people cheering for me, coach yelling, teammates working together, scoring points, is one of the best feelings in the world.

Club or out of school lacrosse is starting back up in a month. The team I play for club lacrosse is one of the best in our league. A lot of my teammates on the team are the same guys I play with at school. Living in a small town, means growing up and playing with the same people your entire life, up until college.

Even though I'm with the same guys almost everyday, I'm not close to any of them. No one knows anything about me besides basic well known information.

I don't open up to people ever, I keep what's going on inside my head inside. I've never talked about my feelings before...well that was until earlier today.

"Hey I invited two of my friends to come over." I hear Jane say.

"That's chill." Felix responds.

I bring the beer that's in my hand up to my lips and take a small sip as I zone back out, ignoring what is being talked about.

My mind won't let me wander off anywhere but to the events that happened earlier today. I keep thinking about rolling the weed, the lookout point, smoking, laughing, talking, driving, eating, all of it, especially a certain chocolate doe eyed girl.

My time with Arlo seems to be the only thing I can think about. I hate that it's her, that I experienced today with her. I can't wrap my head around what I did, and why I felt so comfortable doing it with her.