The Inceptive Flame⎪✓

❨44❩

♀︎

"What did you pick, Kota?" Dani excitedly asks as her and Relly fall into step next to me, the three of us sit down on one of the bleachers. We just completed our last final and my head wants to explode, it's been an intense couple of days, but now we have graduation to look forward to. Before we head home today, we have to pick a piece of paper from a bucket and the paper will say what we have to do before we end our high school career, like a dare. It's a tradition here at Hetdale High.

"I have to declare something at a social event," I say and scowl down at my paper. "I literally have nothing to declare and I won't attend any social events."

"Of course you will!" Relly says. "I have to get the contact info of someone I've had minimal interactions with, now that one is a hard one."

Nodding along with Dani, we chuckle lightly. Relly loves everyone, which also makes it difficult for her since she talks to everyone. It's a small high school and she made a point of knowing every single person here. Maybe she can ask one of the mathletes, they never really wanted to converse with her. 

"What about you, Dani?" I ask. 

She looks down at her paper in wonder, "Mine is to admit something significant to someone."

I've heard rumors that half of the seniors never complete their dares, that statistic makes it easier for me to disregard my own. Mine is pathetic either way, it won't really help the reputation I've grown for myself during this semester. Perhaps I should comment on that, but then again, that would be pathetic as fuck. 

"Hey," A deep voice says, looking up at his familiar green eyes I smile. He sits down next to me, his proximity creating a warm sensation in my lower stomach, the girls greet him in return and he smiles easily at them. 

Brock joins us as well and Dani jumps into his arms unexpectedly, "Brock, you have amazing abs!" 

His eyes widen at her declaration, "What's that all about?"

She shrugs her shoulders as we laugh, that was her significant declaration? Well, she just completed hers, I'll just scoop under her dare and that's that. Snuggling into Elijah's arms, the warmth his body emits forms a little smile on my face. 

Brock and Dani sit down in front of us, their smiles bigger than ever before. My eyes catch Brock's as he asks, "Where are all of you going to college?"

"I'm going to a smaller college two hours away from here, what about you?" I smile. 

"Cool! I'll attend Trolluy College, they accepted me for a scholarship."

"That is amazing, Brock!" Relly says in surprise. "Dani and I are attending Welston College together, which I'm sure will be an absolute blast."

They talk a bit about how his scholarship pays for his dorm and the fact that he already met his two roommates, he seems very happy. Him and Dani have decided to cut all ties for college, they don't want anything to distract them from having a great time. It saddens her, I can see it, but she also means it when she says she wants complete freedom. Her and Brock are such a good match though, it's very hard on them to stay away from each other for so long. 

Their agreement urged me to talk to Elijah about it and we officially had that conversation, no matter how much I want him, there is no part of me that wants any ties to Hetdale and where my mom is. Without saying the words officially both of us agreed to enjoy our time here and live on, the stone in my heart hasn't left since that day and I know it's because of the strong feelings I have for him. None of us really knew what to say and for some reason splitting just ended up being the conclusion.