Yours | ✓

2 | Welcome to my Nightmare

Chapter Two: Welcome to my Nightmare

"when my friends ask how I'm doing, I say
I'm great now, but the truth is I'm getting
good at holding it in."
~ jojo

┉

M O N I C A

"I seriously don't know why I came here," I mumbled under my breath, my gaze continuously lingering on the red solo cup in my hand.

"Because you miss the people you grew up with?" Xavier offered next to me, causing a scoff to pass by my lips. "Because free beer?"

Finally deciding to look up, I met his dark brown eyes. He was currently dressed in dark shorts, polo shirt and flip flops. His attire could allow an outsider to think he was heading to the beach. Instead, he was at a bonfire.

Well, we all were.

It's now Sunday. The town had begun to organize a bonfire to celebrate the beginning of summer yesterday, so we were now in an empty field with a scorching fire in the centre. There was pull out chairs everywhere, along with towels so people could sit. I hadn't planned to go, but when the clock was hitting closer to seven, Xavier stopped by the house and asked me to go, so we could catch up.

In the moment, I just said fuck it, dressed in dark wash, ripped jean shorts and a loose grey tee-shirt. Before I left, feeling inspired by handle guy from a few days ago, I grabbed one of Chris' baseball hats.

"I didn't like anyone in high school," I drawled out when I focused back to Xavier, who tightly smiled in response. We both knew I was closed off-even he had trouble getting to me, despite our connections.

Suddenly, a deep chuckle left him as he looked to the grass, shaking his head. "Honestly, I was picky figuring out who I wanted as my friend. Clover and her little group were bitches, in the nicest way," he explained, and I couldn't help but laugh at his description. No one was really popular in high school. Clover thought she was, so she became a bitch after sophomore year. Pretty sure she had a crush on Xavier, but at the time he turned her down.

She and her friends were nice to your face, but didn't hesitate to talk shit about you behind your back. So when she tried to become my friend, I nearly laughed in her face before walking away.

Okay, that was a total lie. I definitely laughed in her face.

I had enough trust issues as it was. The last thing I needed was to let Clover Fernsby into my life. I didn't have the energy to make sure she wasn't talking about me or my secrets.

My eyes roamed around the field, seeing a few people from high school instantly. There was some older people-parents, who were grilling food for everyone. I should have found enjoyment in seeing many familiar faces, but I couldn't find it in myself to do so.

More alcohol was necessary in situations like these, but I hated warm drinks. Especially warm alcohol.

Xavier must have easily read the boredom in my expression because he suddenly reached for my hand, not giving me a chance to comment before he began to tug me toward the forest. "What are we doing?" I asked him, looking around us, but only seeing large, thick trees surrounding us.

The sky wasn't too dark, despite the sun being gone. The sky was at a good enough hue that I had the advantage of seeing around me.

"Oh my God," I let out a laugh when he stopped us in front of the lake the group of us commonly went to senior year. There was fallen logs near the water, that used to act as benches. There had also been a rope that we somehow managed to tie around a thick branch, so we could use it to jump into the water. "We haven't been here since..."