The Night We Met by Ruero

Chapter 7: First Performance

Angelica's hug felt like a dream come true. Her arms wrapped around me, and for a moment, I was paralyzed with joy. I stood there, stiff as a board, trying to process the warmth and happiness radiating from her. But then, out of nowhere, she was ripped away from me, and before I could react, a fist connected with my face.

I saw stars. Hell, I saw entire galaxies. The world spun as I hit the ground, tasting blood in my mouth. Through my blurred vision, I saw Derek standing over me, eyes blazing with fury.

"I TOLD YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Derek roared, his voice echoing through the campsite.

Angelica rushed to my side, trying to help me up. "What the hell, Derek? Are you out of your mind?"

But Derek was having none of it. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her away, his grip like a vise. No one else seemed to notice the commotion. The rain was pouring down, and everyone was huddled inside their tents, blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding outside.

I lay on the ground, staring up at the cloudy sky, feeling the rain start to fall again. My nose was bleeding, and my head was spinning, but all I could think about was the hug. Angelica had hugged me. Me! Ethan, who couldn't string two words together without tripping over them.

The rain started to pour harder, soaking me to the bone, but I didn't care. I lay there, grinning like an idiot, blood mixing with rainwater and dripping down my face. Derek's punch had been hard enough to knock me senseless, but my brain was too busy replaying those moments with Angelica in the forest to focus on the pain.

I closed my eyes, feeling the raindrops splatter against my face, each one like a tiny, cold kiss. The whole situation was absurd. I was bleeding, lying in the mud, and grinning like a fool. But I couldn't help it. I'd spent the night talking to Laurine and the day getting lost with Angelica, and despite everything, I felt strangely... happy.

My whole body tickled from the memory of Angelica's hug. It was like my nerves were short-circuiting, sending little electric shocks of joy through me. I lay there, feeling the rain soak through my clothes, and just let myself smile.

"Hey, Ethan, you okay?" Sam's voice cut through the rain. He must have noticed me lying there, looking like a drowned rat.

I opened one eye and looked at him, still grinning. "Just peachy, Sam. Just enjoying the rain. Life is good ha-ha."

He squatted down next to me, shaking his head. "Dude what! you're bleeding. What happened?"

I shrugged, the movement sending a fresh wave of pain through my face. "Derek happened. But it's fine. Totally worth it."

Sam looked at me like I'd lost my mind, which, to be fair, wasn't entirely off the mark. "Man, you need to get up. You're gonna catch pneumonia or something."

But I wasn't ready to move yet. I wanted to savor the feeling of the rain on my face, the memory of Angelica's hug, and the fact that, for once, I'd done something brave—even if it ended with me getting punched in the face.

"Give me a minute, Sam," I said, closing my eyes again. "Just a minute."

He sighed but didn't argue. I could hear him rustling around, probably getting something to help me clean up. But for now, I just lay there, feeling the rain, the pain, and the inexplicable joy of a moment well spent.

Because sometimes, even when you get punched in the face and end up bleeding in the rain, life can be pretty damn good.

Back in our tent, I sat there, wiping the blood off my face with a damp cloth. Sam looked at me with a mix of concern and admiration.