𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐎𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮

𝐶𝒉𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 5 - 𝑃𝑎𝑡𝒉𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐| 𝐴𝑣𝑎

"Dude," I whimper, "We've had to sit through detention and clean the bathrooms for 3 hours straight. How come you never get tired of talking, you fuck?"

Aiden gives me a look of mock hurt, "who? Moi!?"

I grumble to myself sipping on my bottle of beer which turns out to be the only good thing in this gathering. I snuggle against the window ledge as Willow comes up to me.

"Hey," I say, moving over to make space for her.
"Hi," she settles down next to me.
"I know I said I would kill you this morning but I just wanted you to know I- I missed you."

My eyes widen, "you did?"

She gives me a look, "is that so surprising?"

𝘠𝘦𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘦?

"I suppose not," I reply gazing at her as she looks down at her feet.

"Why?" She says suddenly

I swallow. "Why what, Will?"

We make eye contact and the sound of chatter dies down around us. It feels like I'm in headlights with the whole world staring at me. I start picking the skin around my fingers with my thumb, my chest tightening.

"Why did you cut us out of your life? Why did you just disappear?" Her voice sounds harsh but somehow, hurt too.

It's my turn to stare at my feet. What do I tell her? That they were better off without me? That I didn't have a life I could cut them out of? That I only had the hurt, the pain so I decided to spare them from it? That I tried to kill myself because I couldn't take it anymore?No. I couldn't. I wouldn't.

"Maybe I just got sick of you all." I look up, staring at all of them.

"You don't mean that," Nick says

"Maybe I do."

"Then why did you come back?" Jace snaps

My chest feels like it's about to burst. My fingers burn from the lack of skin around my nails. So I do the only thing I can. I run.
"I can't do this right now. Give me a minute."

I rush out of my room, slamming the door shut on my way out. I bring two bottles of beer with me from the fridge and sit down by the edge of the pool in the backyard. I look up at the sky, at my legs in the water, at my hands until my vision blurs.
My throat closes up and my tears start mixing with the water in the pool.

I hear footsteps behind me.

I flinch.

"What-"

I wipe off my face with my shirt and glance at the person behind me.

Jace gives me a look of concern. I scoff.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, the tip of the bottle attached to my lips again.

"Are you okay?"

My fingers harden around the glass.

I grab my beer again just to be cut off,
"I think that's enough, Ave. That's your 3rd bottle now. Stop." He says

I glare at his hand stopping mine, "Let go."

"No. You're being an idiot." He glares back at me.

I mock him, my hands making a gesture, "No. You're being an idiot."

He makes a face at me, "Fuck you."

"You wish!"

Exasperated, he throws my beer into the pool in a simple fling, "Whoops, my hand slipped. Sorry, sweetheart."