The Inceptive Flame⎪✓

❨12❩

♀︎

Dragging my feet across the empty hallways of Hetdale High school, I try not to cry because of the horrible night I have had. After getting my dad home and playing games, he had to go to bed, it takes a lot out of him to be active. When he was safely tucked in his bedroom, a huge sound came from downstairs. And when I found my drunk mother down there, I quickly realized where she had been hiding the entire day. 

"You are a waste of space and I cannot wait to be free of you," She spat at me. I could deal with some harsh words. But when she started puking everywhere in between the hurtful words, when she fell to her knees and took another dreadful sip of her bottle, even when she slammed and broke the bottle onto the ground after finishing it off, those things were too much for me. 

She hates me, but I still couldn't stop myself from helping her. She is my mom and she clearly can't deal with everything right now, so after giving her a shower and rinsing all the puke off her body, I tucked her in, too. Leaving some water and aspirin on the table next to her, I'm very thankful that my dad was asleep at the time. Cleaning her puke was definitely the highlight of my night, even when I had to remove shards of glass once again. I'm very annoyed by her way of dealing with this situation and she apparently takes it out on me.

But those things also meant that I fell asleep at 5 in the morning, so when my alarm sounded at 6:30 I was completely destroyed. I still am. If today can be as unexciting as possible, that would be marvelous. The mission today is to survive and hopefully not fuck anything up. The relief from not having practice this afternoon is out of this world, I can't deal with preppy girls trying to make me happy, not today, not any day actually. 

I need to talk to Relly, my priorities can't be on something as causeless as cheerleading. Not when my family is slowly, but surely, falling apart. The challenge is that I don't want her to know why Dani is the only one who knows what's going on and she doesn't even know all of it. The shame from my mother turning into an alcoholic is something I can't share with anyone, especially not when I know she will save herself someday, she has to, I just have this feeling in my gut that she will. This is only a phase. 

Finally reaching my locker, I lean my head against it. The fatigue from all the events is catching up to me, it will ruin me one day, but right now I'm not the one anyone needs to comfort. My dad is, my mom is, not me. I'm doing perfectly fine, especially once I get some sleep in my system. Sleepless nights will be the demise of me before anything else.

"Dakota?" A deep voice meets my ears, his presence is right beside me and as I dare open my eyes, I see a worried Elijah standing next to me. 

"Worrying gives you wrinkles," I murmur, lifting my head from the locker before opening it and grabbing my books. He doesn't say anything as he studies my face, small flutters grow in my chest but I force them away, "Do I have something on my face?"

"Yeah, a whole bunch of exhaustion and sadness," He waits, it's frustrating how his beautiful eyes seem to be staring into my soul it feels like I'm giving myself away to him, all my secrets.

Shaking my head I put on a strong face, if a stranger can detect it on me, I can only imagine what my friends will say, "That is most definitely a lie, I am fine."

"And that's probably the worst thing you could have said if you wanted me to let it be, no one is ever just fine," His insightfulness is intriguing, but I don't allow myself to dwell on it. 

"I have to go to class."

"Then let's go, we have chemistry together after all," The smugness to his tone baffles me, I had completely forgotten that one aspect in my fight or flight comment. Some urge in me wants to hug him, the feeling of being known and felt for at least a moment, but that would be remarkably eerie. I can get a hug from Dani. 

He gestures for me to go ahead and walks next to me when I do. His all-black outfit is exactly like mine, which I find quite funny. Our boots are the only things I can hear, no one is at school yet, I just didn't want to be home anymore this morning. A sudden thought pops into my mind as we step into class, sitting down in the back together. Throwing my bag on the floor I turn to him and meet his gaze, "Why are you so early anyway?"

A shadow falls over his eyes and I pick up on the slight change, he's ready to defend himself, "I like being early, the seats in the back are the best."

"Blaming it on the seating arrangements, now that is a lie."

"Then we are both liars clearly," He smirks, back to his careless and charming self. "I don't run around telling stuff to just anyone."

Lifting an eyebrow at him, "And you presume I do?"

"So there is something going on then?"

Shit. "No."

He leans in closer making my breath hitch, his piercing eyes are so much greener up close, "Why do I feel like you are lying to me?"

The faint huskiness in his voice gives me a short of breath, his gaze darkens and my belly drops in flame, "I am not one to kiss and tell."

"Want to test that theory, love?" He whispers and focuses on my lips, the heat from his body and the mint breath caressing my face is enough for my heart to flutter deep inside my chest. 

As our eyes meet and the tension grows in excitement I try to breathe through having him right next to me like this. Voices erupt from the hallway and I jump away from Elijah with enlarged eyes, the spell completely broken. What the hell am I thinking? Heat spreads to my cheeks as the jocks step into the room. Oh how rich if they had found us in here sitting like we did moments before.

Caspar is quick to spot us and he comes in our direction, his friends sit down at a table closer to us, but of course he has to announce his arrival in person. "Hey, freckles. I have been thinking about you for a while, and even though you have been plotting against me and getting me beat up, I would like to formally accept your apology. I'm ready to work for this because I can't miss out on that ass, it would be a shame."

Elijah tenses with obvious anger next to me and I know if I do not speak up, he will, and probably not with words.