We Were Supernova

Grasslands

"So are you and Chris an item?" Sammy asks as we walk through the grasslands. I look at him and he's watching his feet as they move through the grass with his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

I don't say anything. I don't know how to respond. I like him. I know that I like him. He's acting like he likes me but he's not sober. I'm about to say no when he interrupts me.

"I just thought- you know. The way he's been looking at you."

"He's high." I say as I watch Chris and Lori, holding hands and jumping over who knows what in the grass. The sight makes me smile. I wish that I got along with my family so well.

"I've heard him talk about you before." He says quietly. Almost like he doesn't want me to hear it, but over everyone else's yelling I do.

"When?" I'm looking at him now with his head hanging low, like he's upset. For whatever reason I feel myself pitying him.

"Junior year. To Lori."

"What was he saying?" I ask confused because I didn't talk to Chris or Lori junior year.

"A lot. Mostly about how he likes you. Weren't you guy's friends?" He turns his head to look at me and his brown hair makes it hard for me to see into his eyes but I notice they're glazed over. Like newly cut glass. I look down at my shoes.

"No."

"He talked like you were." His voice gets lower as we approach the rest of the group.

"Sammy look!" Lori yells pointing to something. He looks at her and then he's running to her side along with Aj and Micha leaving me and Chris behind.

"I hear you used to talk about me a lot junior year?" I ask as our arms brush up against each other from walking so close. I might as well force it out of him now, while he's not sober.

"I did. Didn't I." He says thoughtfully.

I chuckle. "I wouldn't know. I wasn't there."

"Oh!" He nearly shouts. "Isn't that called gossiping?"

"Depends on what you were gossiping about." I say, trying to pry the conversation out of him.

"How beautiful you are." He smiles, his eyes close and then he stops smiling.

"What?"

"Walk in front of me." He says suddenly serious.

"Why?" I ask confused and a bit frightened by his sudden change of tone.

"Do it." He just shakes his head. I shrug and do as I'm told walking in front of him.

Sammy screams at the top of his lungs and kicks an empty beer bottle. I laugh as I trudge through the tall grass that could potentially have ticks. I feel my sweater start to fall off my shoulders and as I'm about to pull it back up, I feel Chris's finger tips brush my skin as he pulls it up for me.

I turn and smile at him but he's not looking at me. He's watching Sammy and Lori as Sammy lifts Lori into the air and spins her around. I don't realize I'm still looking at him until he looks down at me, his eyes full of amusement. I quickly look back at Sammy and Lori. They've stopped at a bridge where Sammy is pointing.

"Hey!"

The bridge isn't too far in front of us, but I walk just a little faster, curious to see what he's pointing at. He looks at it like it's a rainbow in the night. Once the rest of them follow his gaze they're facial expressions are all the same. I frown. Chris looks at me and smiles. He brings me to his angle and points at the bridge.