Hidden Behind Walls

Chapter 15: Always the Dark Path

Welp, it's been 3 weeks since I updated. Three whole weeks, and I have to say it was all due to writers block. 

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Clayton P.O.V

When I woke up Rave wasn't there. I rolled over onto my back and landed on a plush animal. It squeaked, a weird deep broken laugh emitted from it which made me shoot up. I turned my head to see a multicolored teddy bear. I shoved it under the sheets and the laugh became muffled. I ran my hands over my face, trying to wake myself up. I stumbled off the bed and headed down the staircase. It was still early morning and no sunlight was poking through.

The kitchen's light was on so I turned into there thinking Lily might have gone down for a snack and left the light on. It wasn't like that at all. Rave was pacing around in the kitchen mumbling to herself. Her pajamas consisted of black spandex shorts that peeked out beneath her grey tank. Her hair was in two long braids. I knocked on the wall and her head whipped up towards me. Her gaze didn't soften, she didn't relax, she just stared at me, hard.

I made a move towards her, she stepped backwards. I started moving closer to her, she rushed over to the other side of the kitchen counter. What heck is wrong? I try again and she scrambles away from me.

"Rave, are you ok?" I ask cautiously reaching a hand towards her. She pushes herself further away from me.

"I need time to think" she whispers and I'm barely able to hear her. What could have possibly happened? She was shaking and antsy.

"What's wrong?" I whisper. Totally, and truthfully, I was scared that something inside of her had snapped. From what? I don't know. Rave was ephemeral and unique. She seemed unbothered by standards of the norm and that was just one reason why I liked her so much.

"How many times have you gotten high?" She asks, she's not even looking at me. I try to inch closer to her but she just flies over to another corner. Her elbow hits a pan, and the clang makes her jump. This is about me getting high. But, I thought she was ok with it. Obviously, she isn't dipshit. I sigh, thank you lousy inner conscience where were you when I was at the party. Nothing, mhmm, that's what I thought. Fingers snapped in front of my face and there was Rave scowling at me.

"Oh, sorry. I was having a conversation...with myself" I say slowly and it still didn't sound any better. Momentarily, it looked like a grin would spread across her face, the corners of her mouth twitched but it vanished.

"You didn't answer" she groaned. She was less tense now, and I relaxed a bit,not much. I took her face into my hands.

"Let's say the end of middle school and early high school was a wreck for me" I whisper. She stared at me blankly and then nodded her head.

"Well I guess it's story time" she quips. She takes my hand and pulls me out of the kitchen. I twist around for a second and switch off the lights. She walks us to the living room, turns the lights on and takes a seat. She let go of my hand, folded her arms in front of her chest and crossed her legs. She looks up at me expectantly. I sit down in front of her, on the floor.

"I'm not degrading you, you're allowed to sit on the couch" she says with a teensy tiny smile. I shake my head no.

"I'd rather be able to have a quick getaway. Not that it's too bad...I think..." I say becoming more uncertain as I continued the sentence. She raised an eyebrow at me. Her angry aura was gone and she sat there calmly. I took in a deep breath and looked down for a few seconds. Those few seconds while I tried to recollect all those things that happened and where to even start this whole conversation. I looked up finally and was ready to start this whole shit ton of baggage I was about to spill. Rave, on the other hand had started unbraiding and rebraiding her hair. I laughed a little at this, her randomness was relaxing.