The Kingdom of Broken Glass

Shattered

Liza Grey

Flames sparked in front of her eyes as Liza watched the boys spin around the bonfire. It was a miracle that none of them had stumbled into the heat, but it was only a matter of time. Everyone here had the same dizzy expression, all of them lost to their own thoughts as they partied in a way that would get them all killed.

Liza stuck to the background and hoped that no one would notice she was here. Her friends had forced her to come, claiming that she didn't socialize enough. They were right.

What did she need to socialize for? Sometimes she wished she was a little more outspoken, but she didn't need to be. She had a steady boyfriend and a solid friend group. Nothing needed to change.

She gazed across the fire to meet Julian's eyes as he kept the potential creeps away from their friend. Julian always seemed to be watching her, no matter where they were. He looked at her as if she were a drawing that his hands ached to sketch out. This was the one person that Liza knew she could always count on.

Love shone in his eyes as he held her gaze and smiled.

Violet threw up her hands and squealed, trying to get out of reach of this one boy who seemed very close to grabbing at her. Julian smacked his hand away before getting quickly picked up and dropped to the ground. Liza winced at the sight, knowing that Julian would never win this fight. Violet seemed to know this too, as she helped Julian to his feet before starting over to where Liza was sitting on a log.

Julian and Violet were best friends. They had all grown up together, and while Liza became romantically involved with Julian, that didn't change the fact that he and Violet were like two halves of a whole. She knew they were only friends. Still, she couldn't help but be a bit envious of the bond they shared.

They each sat on either side of Liza, grunting to themselves in annoyance.

"Come on," Liza says softly. "What were you going to do? Hit him? Declan is just a bully, ignore him." She lightly grasped Julian's hand as he glared across the fire at the other boy.

"I know I can't fight him," Julian says. "I wouldn't try to. It would only end in more pain for all of us."

Violet shakes her head, "Why did we come here again? We could have just stayed at my home tonight."

At this, Liza can't help but gasp. "You said we had to go out tonight! You said, and I quote, let's go to the bonfire tonight. It seems like such fun. Nobody will bother us." She turned her voice up a couple of notches as she quoted what Violet had said to them only hours before.

"Yes, well," Violet mutters. "I was wrong." She seemed to deflate, making Liza feel a twinge of guilt for bugging her.

It hadn't been an entirely horrible idea. Every couple of months, all of the teenagers in their village sneak out into the forest to host an evening full of drinking and dancing next to a fire. It's a nice thought, or at least it would be if the boys from their village were not so horrible.

Their friend group was used to being picked on and tormented in the village, but they were hoping it would be different in a different setting. Out here, everyone was just enjoying themselves, so why did everyone still feel a need to pick on them?

"What was Declan even saying to you, anyways?" Liza asked Violet, though she could guess. The only person in their little group that didn't get horribly bullied was Violet, and that was because she was beautiful. With striking green eyes and tanned skin, she stood out in their village. Unfortunately, this did lead to some taunts from the more outgoing boys that they went to class with.

"He invited me to the after party in his bedroom later," Violet cringes. "I politely declined and he got mad."

"That sounds like Declan," Liza says. She looks down as she feels Julian start to rub his thumb over her wrist. "You told him to go away, I'm guessing?"