Hot Starry Nights

4:2 ~ Nathaniel

  I woke up to the bedroom light being turned on and Ward's bed moving. I fell asleep waiting on Ward to stop talking to Blake. Whatever. I mean, it can't be that late at night, can it? My phone says 1:37. Never mind, it's literally the next day. Fun times.

  "Naaaaaat. Are you awake?" I flip over and see Ward's light brown eyes staring into mine.

  "We should play a game. Iss called truth ordarr."

  "Can I go first," I ask, sitting up.

  "You mean, mmaaaayyy I?" He sits up too, but falls, just barely catching himself. He sits up and scoots in front of me, crossing his legs. There's less than a foot of distance in-between us.

  "May I go first?" He nods his head so much that he looks like a bobble head. I reach my hands out and put one on each side of his head gently, stilling his motions. He looks at me and puts his hands over mine.

  "How did you get so drunk?"

  "My sissy- did you know she used to be my brotha? Never really was though, not on the inside- gave us White Claws." Oh my god. Blake, you've got to be kidding me.

  "Trusor dare?"

  "Truth."

  "Do you like guys? Boys. Boys, boys. I kissed a boy, and I liked iiit!" What the fuck.

  "What kind of question is that?"

  "I doooo! I like guys. Like- a loooot. What about you?" He's not going to remember this anyway, is he? He pulls my hands down to his mouth and kisses them, effectively bringing butterflies to my stomach.

  "Yes, actually. I like boys and girls." He drops his hands, still holding mine.

  "I knew it! You tryna kiss me. Twice now, but you always look so scared. I would kiss you. Would you kiss me?"

  "Truth or dare?" He puts my hands on his shoulders, his still on top of mine.

  "Dare." I pull my hands from his and crawl onto his lap, wrapping my legs around his back. His hands immediately travel to the small of my back, and mine rest on the back of his neck. I'm staring down at his lips, but my eyes flicker towards his and I can't take them off.

  "Kiss me." He shakes his head no.

  "I can't." Tears begin forming in his eyes, and I wipe them away with my thumb as they fall.

  "I don't want t-to do that when I'm d-drunk, and I don't want to scare you away. I won't ki-kiss you until I know why me t-touching you this way scares you. Even n-now, you're scared." He's right. Just his hands on me reminds me too much of Iris. And . . . the other.

  "You being scared scares me, because you're so s-strong. You've been through shit I don't even want to imagine, l-let alone think about, yet you're still here. If someone so s-strong is scared, how am I supposed to be brave?" I lean forward, resting my forehead on his. He cries the rest of his silent tears, and I attempt to comfort him by rubbing his back.

  "Tomorrow, let's talk, yeah?"

  "Yeah." We lay down with him cuddling me, and eventually, his breathing slows. Listening to it calms me. My breathing begins to slow, and I eventually fall asleep.

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  "NAT! NAT! WAKE UP!" I feel hands on my shoulders, as well as in my hands. I feel clammy all over, and as soon as I open my eyes, I see Blake and Ward hovering over me. Blake, who was previously violently shaking my shoulders, is now backing up so Ward didn't run into her as he jumped on me.

  "Ward, I think we should talk."

>>>>>>>>>>>>> Extra >>> Nathaniel's Dream

  "HELP! PLEASE! NATHANIEL!" [-+@%;[ cries. Her voice rings in my ears, throughout rooms. I run to her, for her. The doors shut behind me, every single one. [-+@%;[ smiles, the grin reaching her eyes in a demonic way. She pulls me forward by my left hand, and suddenly Iris is pulling me by my right. [-+@%;[ has a pipe, similar to the one Iris is holding. I can't move. They play with me, their ragdoll, and begin undressing me. They laugh, [-+@%;[ sinks down on top of me. Iris' pipe meets my face, legs, chest. Everything hurts, there's blood, but they don't stop. [-+@%;[ finishes with a disgusting moan, yet I still can't move. Iris moves on me, grinding. She sinks down and I don't stop her, because I can't. [-+@%;[ steps forward, grinning. "I killed her. I KILLED HER WITH THIS FUCKING PIPE, YOU SAW AND SAID NOTHING! YOU'RE HORRIBLE!"