Forever and Always

sixteen

It was 8 pm and Atlas told me we were leaving at 8:15. I already had some makeup on and my outfit picked out. Atlas told me not to dress super crazy fancy or anything so jeans and a corset top it is.

Don't worry, I'm wearing a jacket over it so I won't freeze.

"Ready, let's leave before I get lazy," I walk up to Atlas who is sitting on his bed, playing Clash of Clans on his phone.

"I'm driving," he snatches the keys from my grip before sprinting out of the room and down the hallway.

I run after him, hoping that he doesn't drop my keys in that slit thing in the elevator.

That stupid slit scares the shits out of me. I've almost dropped my phone down it multiple times.

"Hurry your small ass up, Ariadne. We don't have all night," to be honest, I love when Atlas calls me Ariadne. My mom told me to go by it when we visit Greece for my graduation.

Well now, we don't get to go together, but I'll go one day and use Ariadne.

"My ass is not small." I scoff.

Atlas grins widely at me, dragging me into the elevator by my forearm.

"We should walk around with British accents so people think we're British," I propose. I've always wanted to do that. It seems so fun.

"Okay," Atlas nods, still smiling.

Am I obsessed with his smile? Yes.

Would I marry his smile? Most definitely.

"You know, fake proposing gets you free food a lot." Too much talking.

Bad Elliot.

"Well, I want free food so be ready for a big question," Atlas laughs at my antics.

We had made it down to the ground floor and outside when I noticed that the campus had a lot of people on it. Like, a lot.

"I'm not planning to drink," I say, truthfully. I honestly don't like drinking. It makes me want to puke and the hangover the next day is not worth it.

"Okay, neither was I if I'm being honest," Atlas rubs the back of his neck in an awkward fashion.

Maybe he doesn't like drinking either. I mean, he's 18 and is going to be at college next year so gotta get his shit together.

My only goal for this year to get as many credits done as possible, hopefully graduating early and going to a nice university.

~~~

Atlas decided to take us an entire hour away from Monarch because it's 'better in the city'. Augusta is literally 10-20 minutes away from our school. So i have no clue what 'city' we're going to.

"Why all the way out here?" I turn to Atlas in the car while we're passing a gas station that looks like it should've been demolished 100 years ago.

"It's amazing, just wait Ariadne," he puts a hand on my shoulder.

"I will bite your fingers off," I warn, before actually attempting to bite him.

Atlas just scoffs, removing his hand before my mouth gets too close for comfort.

"Have you ever been to Greece? Since, you know, you're Greek,"

"I've been once. When I was like 10 my family took me over the summer. But my mom promised to take me for graduation," I replied, getting solemn near the end.

"Here we are," Atlas announces after a minute of awkward silence.

I look out the window and we had arrived in the middle of the woods. There was a gravel and concrete patch that was meant to hold cars but nobody was here.