Escaping Lights - A Greyson Chance Fan Fiction

Chapter 18: Blessed or Cursed

You don't really realize something is over until you are alone, and that's when every beautiful think sinks in all at once. This happened to me. As I lay in bed that night, I've never felt so relieved. In fact, it was the first time in weeks I ever felt like all was right in the world even just for once. I still couldn't believe that happened at the rooftop. The long and enlightening conversation, the fireworks, and most of all, our hands that held onto each other.

     I shifted my body sideways so it was facing the wall. I allowed my palm to run through the smooth surface. I knew Greyson was on the other side of this wall. What I didn't know was whether he was already asleep or not. But I smiled in spite of him. He was always there, listening to me, even in the deepest of night, and it felt reassuring to know that.

***

"Five, six, seven, eight!" Kirsten, the instructor and a member of The Cruciform as well, cried out. She clapped in time to the beat. Her long dark ponytail swung behind her, flowing through her perfect 17-year-old physique.

     I was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, watching the girls practice their dance. I, as an official-yet-kind-of-unofficial member of the club, hadn't taken part in any of the performances for Stardust. Instead, I became as a one of the props committee. I had just finished tracing stars of different sizes on cardboards. Now, Alex, the props-com head, had just told me to take a break since I had worked all morning. I found myself observing the practice then.

     "If I were you, I'd close my mouth," someone said. I looked up and saw Jared. He was carrying a pair of scissors and a bunch of cardboards. Yes, he was in charge of the props too. I figured that he wasn't really considered performer material. And I bet he also thought of himself as that. He sat next to me and set down the things he held.

     "I wasn't opening my mouth," I said.

     "Oh, but you were," he replied.

     "Whatever. You're just finding ways to annoy me again."

     He laughed a little, then proceeded to his job by cutting out the pencil lines that formed a star. Meanwhile, I continued watching the practice. I spotted Maddie on the left side, exerting a good amount of energy. She was moving around so gracefully. I never knew she was a good dancer. This girl sure has got a lot of talents that she never told me about. Jared was right next to me. How about I tease him a little, hmmm.

     I nudged his arm with my elbow. It caused him to yelp unexpectedly. "Hey, watch it! I'm doing something here. D'you want these stars to look like distorted triangles?"

     I suppressed a laugh. "Okay, I'm sorry. But look at Maddie, Jared. She seems really cool dancing, right?"

     He looked at the dancers for a second and back to his cardboard again. "I don't know."

     "You didn't even look properly! Look at her. She's so graceful. I wish I could dance like her."

     "You don't dance?" he asked.

     "Nope. I have two left feet."

     "In that case, high five. I suck at it too. In fact, I suck at anything. I don't think I even have a talent," he continued on.

     I looked at him doubtfully. "Of course you have. Everyone has a talent. Maddie says you like science and you read a lot."

     "Howell, reading is not a talent. It's a necessity to help you survive in this fast-paced world. You can't not know how to read. That's dumb." He spoke with his palms facing out, as if lecturing. Since when did he start calling me by my last name?