Keep An Open Mind {Lynn Gunn}

21) Using Words As A Comforter

I was awoken by a familiar voice calling my name and hands shaking me slightly. My eyes shot open as I recognized the person in front of me, who smiled warmly down at me.

"You're a heavy sleeper, Gunny." I rolled my eyes and stuffed my face back on the grass, trying to drift myself to sleep again cause I was tired. Wait... grass? Did I fall asleep on the cliff? It seems so. It was probably like, half past five in the morning, judging by the sky. I could still see some stars that hadn't faded completely yet.

I heard Jenna sigh and lay down beside me.

"When did you get there?" I asked, not looking away from the sky.

"Last night." She replied. I turned my head a bit to look at her, furrowing my eyebrows, to which she just chuckled.

"Why?" I asked, in confusion. She shrugged.

"Your parents called my parents, thinking that maybe you'd come over to our house. So my parents asked me if I knew where you were and I figured that the one place you'd go to acquire calm is here." She explained.

"And I couldn't show them this place, so I warned your parents everything was under control and told mine that I was sleeping out, and came here on my own." I looked back at the sky, processing her words.

"You could've just left me here. I'm okay. I don't need a babysitter." Don't get me wrong, I appreciated what she did. But lately she had been acting weird, as if I needed to be babysit, which I didn't. Something was wrong, but whatever. I was going to just shrug it off.

I wasn't looking at her, but I could tell she rolled her eyes.

"I know you don't. I wasn't only checking on you."

"Then why did you come?" she smiled to me.
"Because having a friend by your side is always better than being cold." I let out a small laugh.

"So you thought I would feel lonely." I stated.

"Well, also feeling lonely with someone is better than feeling lonely alone."

"That makes no sense." I said, chuckling and shaking my head.

"It does. Also, there's a huge difference between being alone and being lonely, I hope you know that." She responded and sat up, wrapping her arms around her legs.

I followed and smiled to myself. I never saw it in that light... But she was right. The cold wind couldn't hit my back anymore cause there was someone backing me, now. I wasn't alone, and I just realized that I had started to feel less lonely when I met the guys, and having this talk with Jenna.

Having friends felt nice.

--

Me and Jenna were not on the cliff anymore. We were actually in her room, laughing about some dumb joke she had heard.

But our laughter was soon interrupted when we heard a ringtone. I supposed it was Jenna's, since she had started looking for her phone dizzily. When she found it, she picked it up.

"Sorry Lynn, just one sec." she said and I nodded as she answered without looking at the ID (as always).

"Hello?" she answered, then suddenly her face lit up.

"Oh hey! What's up!" she said happily.
I busied myself fiddling with my fingers and looking around as Jenna talked into the phone. I didn't use to feel at ease pretty much anywhere, but this place was comfortable and it sure as hell was better than home.

From the window you could see this amazing landscape that sent you straight to the wood where we used to ride. I unconsciously began dazing off, picturing all the path as if I was riding my horse along the wood right now.