Box Flower

02 - Shut Down

Our group was definitely not an ugly crowd.
That's all I could think about while looking at all of them. It was 4 p.m. and we met at our spot at an empty park the world had forgotten. A little building of wood, built like other teens before us used it for the same reasons. Rain Haven. We called it that as a safe word, so no one else knew what it was.

We are all attractive and its kind of scary. Imagine seeing us all walk into a public place and you just get hit with 6 beautiful people all at once. Everyone in our group works out except for Avy. We all want to get stronger, and we each have our body goals in mind. We help each other achieve them with support and motivation. It's honestly like therapy and a great excuse to see hot half naked boys.

Regardless, we can't go somewhere and not get a couple looks or stares. I'm saying, weird horny fuckers.

"What are we here for?" Crew asks, seemingly annoyed.

"I wanted to ask how you guys felt about... the party tomorrow night?" Avy prompts. I fully expect what comes next.

"Absolutely not" Winslow.
"Nope" Caden.
"Seriously?" Avy.
"I'm down" Myself.
"..." Saige.
"No" Ottis.

"Oh come on guys, it's the end of senior year and we have nothing cool to carry with us from our high school experience." Avy tries convincing them to no avail. Poor girl.

"Yeah, some of us don't care about what others think should be apart of a high school experience. I'm just ready to get the hell out of this place." Caden ridicules.

Everyone is silent for a moment, "I just want some last minute things to remember before we all never talk to each other again." Avy mumbles. "Fine, suit yourself but I'm going to that party regardless." Avy says walking away from the little picnic table outside the building.

"Yeah you have fun with that!" Caden yells back. Soon after he walks off too leaving the other 4 of us to talk it out. Well damn..

"I wasn't going to go but, I might just this once. For Avy's sake. She needs this and I don't think it's a good idea for her to go alone." I finally say, breaking the silence.

"Seriously?" Winslow says, "You bought that?"

"Bought what?"

"She's just going to hook up with some guy and ditch you, you know that right?" Winslow calmly states.

"While that's a possibility, that's more of a reason why she shouldn't go by herself. She will pick the wrong one and end up pregnant or some shit." I replied.

"Do what y'all want but I'll be at home." Ottie states getting up from the table as well, leaving us too. He is never one to make individual decisions. He follows the crowd. By crowd I mean Caden. It's mainly because Ottis does not give enough fucks.

"I'll take it you're not going then?" I ask the two remaining with me. Winslow studies me for a bit. Saige just looks between us.

"No, I'm not. I don't like those kinds of things, and we all know what's involved. Drugs." Winslow concludes. He was never one to ever like the idea of drugs. We all weren't. But Winslow wouldn't go anywhere if drugs were even going to be present.

"Fine, if that's how you feel then." I said standing. I heard him sigh and turn the direction to his house and leave. Finally I heard Saige lift himself off the bench and walk home too. Saige does what Winslow does, because he tries to keep at a distance from me. Saying since Winslow is his best friend, he can only see me as 'Winslow's girlfriend' rather than just his friend too.

That leads him to follow Winslow, in order to avoid being stuck with just the two of us.

Anyways, I don't know why it's so hard for us to do things together now. The more we matured and grew up, the less we wanted to do things together or hang out. It sucks because we all are adamant on living out these last few months together before we split, but it feels like we are already separating.

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Arriving home, I walk up the stairs to my apartment. My family wasn't the most wealthy if you know what I mean. My mother was hardly ever around, my father had passed away 4 years ago and my brother was undisciplined & without respect.

My brother and I squeezed in a 2 bedroom shackle apartment. My brother and I shared a room while my mother had her own. Whenever she decided to pop in. Needless to say, I never had privacy. Which is why I always tried to find an escape from this hell house.

I called Winslow on the phone. Waiting for an answer, I prepared myself to shower.

Hey. He answered.

Hi, what's up? I asked him.

Nothing, about to finish some homework.

Gotcha, I'm about to shower.

If you're calling about the party-

I am, please go. I interrupted.

I was going to say I will go.

Wait really? What changed your mind?

Avyanna. She would not stop begging.

Yeah, that sounds about right. I chuckled, hearing him laugh on the other end.

Well, I'll let you shower, see you tomorrow Indie. His voice was smooth as he said bye.

Yeah, see you- I started to say before he hung up. "-tomorrow." I sigh.

What is with him. He never hangs up on me. Is he still mad about our disagreement earlier? No, he wouldn't have agreed to go to the party if that were the case.

Feeling the water was sort of warm, I hopped in washing myself off before hopping out, drying my body and wrapping the towel around my hair as I dressed. While I was brushing my teeth I heard my doorbell.

"Who is that at the door?" Aaron asks.

"I don't know, let me get it first." I reply to my brother.

"I don't knoow let me get it first." Aaron repeated in a mocking tone. I gave him 'the look' and he shut his trap. That's what I thought.

Opening the door, Odette stands smiling widely holding a tin of brookies. She makes the best brownie-cookies ever.

"Hey! I didn't know you were coming over." I greet her.

"Well, I figured I'd drop by with these. We need to have a chat." She greets back, stepping in as I part the door allowing her access inside.

"Let me guess, you and your boyfriend fought again?" I inquired.

"Quite the opposite." She says, wiggling her eyebrows.

Odette is very open with me. She shares anything and everything. When I say everything, I mean everything. She often overshares about her and her boyfriends sex life. No shame this woman has.

"Oh.. okay then." I laugh, shutting the door.

"So, who was it-" Aaron starts to ask before he exits our room and sees Odette. "Oh. I guess you need the room then?" He asks.

"Yes, we will. Here have a brookie for your troubles." Odette replies.

Walking into my room, Odette and I snack on the brookies she brought while I listen to her babble. Eventually I dose off, when she starts talking about how much she hates germs.

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Hey, how was this one?
I know this one was a little slow and maybe boring but tomorrow is the party :)
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed.
~Maeve