Fire's Catching

Chapter 1 - Evergreen

«Forrest, can you sit down?" Grey asks, sighing dramatically. They are sitting on the glass, placing the weight of their torso onto their hand behind them on the ground. "This is getting ridiculous."

"You say that, but this is a real issue," Forrest gestures with his hands. "How am I supposed to come back to school without a girlfriend? I have told everyone that I've had this amazing summer fling with a gorgeous girl, and now I'm screwed." He's pacing back and forth in front of us.

"Maybe you shouldn't have lied?" Grey suggests, chuckling from the sight. Forrest snarls at them, annoyed with the lack of advice or solutions. They just roll their eyes and lay down, looking up at the sky.

"What if-" I start.

"What... what?" Forrest asks eagerly. Grey groans.

"Let her finish, will you?" They say annoyed. Forrest looks ashamed. I turn red, feeling nervous about the attention. We have been friends since I started freshman year of high school, and still are now in college. Grey and Forrest have been friends longer, though. Forrest is twenty years old; Grey is nineteen. I just started college at eighteen. They have known each other since kindergarten. That's why I struggle with taking up space in the group. It's like I'm humans trampling on nature. At least that's what it feels like.

"What if you find someone that can pretend to be your girlfriend?" I say, hesitant. My whole body jumps when Forrest yells out is excitement.

"That's it!" He grabs my shoulders and shakes me. "You're a genius, Joy! Thank you, thank you!" I stumble away clumsily when he releases me. The words of affirmation make my cheeks blush, so I turn away slightly to hide it. Grey laughs at my embarrassment.

"But there's a problem here," they say. Forrest turns to them with questions in his eyes. "Who would ever want to be seen dating you?"

Forrest explodes in a rant of inaudible words and continues his stride back and forth, creating a trail in the grass. I start to think. Maybe, if I come up with a suitable person, they'll think I'm cool or valuable or something like that. I'd do a lot to feel appreciated. Especially by them. They're just both so cool. Forrest has a skateboard, and he's actually really good. He is also the oldest, which automatically makes him the one who makes decisions. At least he thinks he does. Grey has the coolest style I've ever seen, they make heads turn from their bleached buzzcut, piercings and baggy style. They also have a really androgynous face, so they can really represent their gender however they want that day. Even though they're non-binary, they still like switching between more masculine and more feminine. I normally just wear a plain t-shirt or sweater with straight-leg jeans or long skirts. I try to hide my hair somewhat with braids or a bun, even though the reddish orange color still shines through. I wish I was less shy, but I can't seem to find the words, or the actions. The whole time I'm quiet, I try to figure out what to say, or what would be the correct answer to something. Suddenly, I come up with something.

"Didn't your previous crush graduate last semester? Couldn't you ask her?" I ask. Forrest used to have a crush on this girl called Valentina. Everyone loved her to be honest. At least that's what I've heard: I didn't start at this college before this semester, so she graduated before I had the opportunity to meet her. Forrest gushed about her for at least a year and a half. How her long black hair reaches her lower back, how her figure is tall and slim, how her eyes pierce through you as if she's looking straight into your soul.

"Are you kidding?!" Forrest squeals. "She's like... the perfect woman. She would never go out with me. There's a reason why I didn't ask her out when she actually did go to our college." I bring my knees up to my chin and hold around my legs. I said something wrong again. I don't understand why you wouldn't ask out someone you like.

"We have to find an alternative," he ponders, looking at Grey suggestively. Grey jumps up in terror.

"No way, nuh-uh," they refuse. "I could vomit from the though. Even pretending with you would make me hate myself. Never." Forrest looks down, clearly hurt. Then his eyes light up and he looks over at me.

"Joy! Could you pretend to be my girlfriend?"

I freeze. Pretending to date someone would mean that I'd have to lie to everyone. I don't lie. Ever. Even if I didn't say it out loud, just me going along with it without it being real would be a form of lying. The only option would be to actually date Forrest, but I can't imagine being with someone so arrogant and explosive. That's the opposite of me. I would be crushed.

"I don't want to lie," I whisper. Forrest comes closer.

"Huh? You need to talk louder if I'm going to hear you, you know"

"I don't want to," I say again, slightly louder.

"Why?" he asks. He's now standing over me, leaning down, his hands on his knees. I cower under him. Grey is looking at us, humored at first, then concerned.

"Leave her alone, will you?" they yell at him. "Can't you see that she's uncomfortable?" They hit his arm so that he turns around. He mumbles something while they're giving him a lecture.

I don't want to be here right now. I don't know why, maybe because of Forrest and his aggressiveness, but I stand up and spin toward the trees behind me. I start by walking, then it turns to running. Leaves and twigs scar my skin, leaving trails of dirt and blood. The soil beneath my feet is dry, no signs of rain. The trees seem endless, but I still feel as if running away was the correct choice. I don't think the situation with Forrest was the main factor in my escape. I can actually imagine pretending with him, just to be nice, now that I've gotten away. No, the main reason why I had to go must be hidden engulfed in the scenery. Behind one of these bushed, or at the top of one of these trees. I feel it pulling me. A weird sensation, like I'm destined to be here, to run along this path that isn't a path, but just grass, dirt and rocks.

That's when I feel it. This warmth. It's as though my entire body is electrocuted with fire. You would think that it would hurt, but it's actually quite pleasant. I can feel the lightning spread all the way from the soles of my feet to the tips of my fingers. From the top of my head to the deepest part of my chest. It's getting stronger the further in I get, trees being more apparent and the sunlight disappearing shortly after. Even though the forest is completely dark, my legs know where to go. I reach my arms out to each side, feeling the leaves whip my palms. It feels good. Not like anything I've ever felt before. I feel... powerful. Invincible.

Theevergreens slowly but surely make space for the light, but also me. I meet aclearing. And there, in the middle, is a breathtaking sight. It feels unrealbecause I can't stop but think that it was made... for me.