Ditching Greek | editing

17| Bonfire (Part 1)

If I could get a dime for every time I'd been annoyed, confused, and infuriated during these two weeks, I'd most likely be a lot richer than my father.

Gideon poked his head out the window with the biggest grin I've ever seen on his stupid face. "Well don't you look sexy tonight?"

I squinted my eyes at him. Either Clyde wanted me to strangle his frat brother, or he—dumbly—thought I wouldn't mind the fact that Gideon was tagging along with us. In the smallest portion of my thoughts, I had hoped we were alone on the ride to the bonfire...but as it looked, none of the things I had imagined to happen would be happening on the drive there.

I peered past Gideon to find Clyde in the driver's seat, looking right back at me. In the slightest of ways, his eyes softened when we connected. The world seemed deeper—lovelier—in those small seconds between our gazes. The worlds pressure lessened, and the seas seemed to part for just us two. As much as I hated to admit it, I felt my heart melt at the pure sight of him.

Ugh, why couldn't he be hideous? (shallow, I know). I had said this before, but I couldn't help but think it again. Everything between us would be a lot easier if I wasn't so drawn to him. Liking him was such a hard job. One second I wanted to punch him, and then the next I wanted him to hold me.

I slipped into my seat silently, not saying a word to either of them. Clyde pulled out of park and drove out of the apartment complex. The rumble of his car echoed all through the practically empty streets. Gideon flipped on the radio, playing some rock station. His head bobbed at the loud song as we cruised through the streets. The longer Clyde drove—and the farther away we got from my apartment—I found more reasons to why I shouldn't have come.

This was a bad idea.

Just as that thought crept into my head, Clyde parked his car amongst other shiny vehicles all dotting up and down a dusty path that lead into the woods that wrapped around the back portion of our campus. I had only gone up here once with Hailey and Monica. It was Hazel's idea to go because it was a "serene" setting if you wanted a quiet place to think. In under an hour, Monica and I ran out of the place with our hands in the air. It was then when we learned that coyotes took shelter there. Lots of them.

Before I knew it, Clyde was outside of my door, opening it for me. I didn't even know he had gotten out of the car to begin with. Or turned off the car. I turned to the stirring wheel and saw that the keys were still in. Gideon reached over and pulled them out.

Clyde extended a hand out to me after yanking the door open.

I ducked my head out of the car. "You know, you can be nice when you want to be."

He winched at my choice of words. "Nice is something I never strive for."

"And why is that?"

He leaned in alarmingly close to me, moving his lips over to my ear. His stubble smoothed over my flushed cheeks, "Because Nabela, nice isn't any fun." He said before he took my earlobe between his teeth and gave it a small nibble. My heart expanded out of my chest and exploded into oblivion. It happened all too fast. Just as he did it, he suddenly stepped away from me—dropping my hand—like it never happened with a smug look taking form on his face.

I moved forward. My feet pushed me farther away from him. We were both safer that way. It was either walk away or...

Just walk, I told myself over and over again. Walk away from him and pretend it didn't happen—pretend. That was the best I could do right now, but as much as wanted to act like none of that happened, shivers ran up and down my back. I wanted to kick myself for the way my skin prickled and how there was a hunger grumbling in the pit of my stomach. I knew that hunger all too well. It was the same hunger that had appeared when we first kissed last week. The only difference between its first appearance and now was that there was a more of an urgency than before—stronger.

"Shut up, emotions," I whispered to myself and only myself.

"Talking to yourself now, I see. That can't be good," a voice chirped from behind me. Footsteps hurried along with the voice. I stopped abruptly and narrowed my eyes at whoever had spoken to me.

Gideon.

It was him running after me, trying to catch up with my fast steps.

I sighed, a little disappointed it wasn't Clyde. Alright so I was lying...I was very disappointed it wasn't him. I've always wanted a guy to run after me, beg. Brandon didn't beg. He shrugged, then apologized through halfhearted texts.

I grunted, "Go away, Gid."

"Oooh, you haven't called me Gid since the tenth grade, what did I do now?"

"You were born," I boomed toxically. "Now go die already."

He laughed—which wasn't expected. "I don't know why you came, Nabela."

"I could say the same thing about you," I said coldly.

"No really, Nebala. Why did you come?" he grabbed my arm and brought us both to a stop. He was a lot taller than me, and clearly stronger, but nothing about Gideon was intimidating until that very second. All humor had been wiped out of his voice and face. He was dead serious, just like when I saw him in the XIX frat house two weeks ago, warning me away from other hockey matches. "I don't think I made myself clear before. When I said to stay away from the XIX frat games, I meant everything that had to do with XIX. I thought you had learned your lesson after what happened at the party."

I yanked my arm away from him, "Are you saying..."

He barked another laugh, "I didn't bring you up to that room with Clyde and Amy in it because I cared about you." He craned his neck forward, invading my personal space. "Nabela, I showed for your own good. What you're getting yourself mixed up with is bigger than the both of us. Clyde, Monica, Hazel—all of us. We didn't choose this fate. There's a reason you're being shielded away. If your dad was around, I'm sure he would, too. He ran away from this life when he used to go here."

"What?"

He was confusing me more than ever. Everything he said didn't make any sense.

"Clyde's an idiot from bringing you tonight," he said simply, "That's all." He chuckled to himself and scuffed his shoe against the dirt path, "He's stupid to think he can hide you away from this world and keep you close at the same time. Monica and Hazel were dumb for bringing you to that game. You almost died. That wasn't accidental." 

Huh? How was Amy biting me...on purpose? That made less sense than anything he said so far. 

Gideon turned to walk away. "You're not leaving," I shouted and got a hold of his jacket. My expression hardened as I said, "You can't just fucking walk away after saying all of that nonsense to me. Y-you can't mention my family like it's all hunky dory," I stammered, "and then run off."

"You came here to get answers, right? Well there's Clyde," he motioned to Clyde, who was now making his way over to us, completely clueless on what we were talking to. He was grinning a delicious smile that could melt millions of heart in seconds.

"Go ask away," Gideon said. I dropped my hold on him and let him walk away. I gulped, thinking of what I wanted to say...but came up blank. What would I ask? Where was I meant to start?

The truth, a voice rang inside of me, demand to hear the truth.

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