Stalls ✔️

T W E N T Y

2 0:

28th August, the day we planned to go home. My eyes fluttered to Riley moaning, groaning due to his future arrival back to Wakefield. Before he left, I'd make a promise to visit him in Wakefield over the winter, however he'd make a proposition that he'd be back home much sooner than we all thought. Something about his words clouded my heart with sympathy.

One by one, the abundance of cars broke open to signify the end of the festival. We scampered towards the food stall, and Caesar greeted us with a reminiscing smile, "home today, girls?" He asked, preparing the immaculate mountain of mouth-watering pancakes.

"Yep, 'fraid so," I replied.

"You'll have to pop back into The Hungry Hobbit some time, I can get you a discount," he flashed us a wink, before taking the change.

"Thanks, Caesar. Have a safe ride home." I commented.

"You too, girls. See you soon."

To eat out pancakes, we sat around the remains of the fire. The smell of burnt out wood and pancakes tickled my nostrils. "So, how'd you know the cute gay guy?" Hunter giggled.

"Funny story, actually," Wren responded, "our first date."

"That genuinely feels like months ago now," I stated truthfully, as it really did feel many blue moons ago. How time has slipped why, despite the lack of realisation. 

"Well, I guess we can make up for that," she chuckled mischievously.

"I'll pay this time, though." Without warning, I got to my feet, wiping the crumbs from my thighs. I swiped the plates from the girls hands, and paced back to the food truck.

"That's your girlfriend, right? The tall one." Caesar asked.

I nodded skeptically.

"You're cute."

After thanking him, I made my way back to the tent, which was deflated on the grass. Silver tent poles were scattered carelessly on top. A pair of hands grabbed the contents, and effortlessly packed them away. I knew then it was all over, and in a few days, I'd be returning to hell. This time, on the other hand, I was to live alternatively.

Before unlocking the car door, we unhooked the materialised roof, so pulling it down was more accessible whilst we were on the road. Why not?  The weather was the definition of glorious. We slipped inside: this time, I called shotgun. I pulled the straggly seatbelt over my waist. It pushed defiantly into the socket with a satisfying click.

We waded through the abandoned carpark. A hint of sadness crossed my mind, however the promise to myself remained. I was going to get better. I was.

The barrier raised. We continued into the countryside, the wheels creaking over patches of disgusting dirt and corn distributed sparsely across the path. Corn fields stretched further than the eye could see; the grand patches of eye catching yellow like a carpet across the land.

Surreptitiously, my hand drew across to the gear box between Wren and I. My fingers slipped under hers, none the less she was still able to change gear without any fatality. Our eyes met for a second, before she took a sharp left. A ghost of a smile hovered her lips.

"What're you smiling at?" I laughed.

"Nothing, nothing at all," she lied.

My eyes settled back on the road. I analysed the road, since I fell asleep on the journey there. We headed off the the motorway then, congestion building on the 4 open lanes we left behind.

Back on the main road, my head tilted to view the adjacent window, in which I noticed a crumbled tower. My mouth opened to speak, "Wren, can we pull the window down?"

"Course we can, babe," she said, her fingers motioning over the button. The roof automatically pulled from the front, retracting backwards. The sun shines down, kissing our skin in the most angelic way. As if God, if he were real, was giving us a personal smile.

"Turn it up!" Hunter and Rain yelled in unison. My attention snapped on to them. I noticed Rain's hair was in double braids down her skull, and continued down her back. Hunter's hair was dip dyed midnight blue, complimenting her dark skin.

Wren followed their request. Her fingers pulled from mine once more, as she turned the radio up fully. Dave Grohl blasted through the speakers in a deafening guitar and vocal duo. In seconds, I was fully consumed in the moment.

The wind screamed past the front window and scraped the sides of the car. My light hair, like vines, whipped wildly against the back of the seat. I smiled, and began to scream along to the lyrics on the radio. I finally understood what Charlie meant by, "We are infinite," because that one moment was the peak of my infinity.

The rush was getting to my chest. It pulled me back, sailing through time like nothing I've ever known. Such a defining moment.

Wren grasped the gear stick, pulling it to the highest setting. The engine roared, racing down the road like a speedster on velocity 9.

A blood curdling squeal pulled from my lips, vastly disappearing into the air. Such a moment, I've never known before. I squealed until my lungs were sore, until my friends creased up with raw laughter.

The journey was exhilarating; a true representation of the past couple of months. However, the journey had never been independent.

There had always been friends, regardless of my ignorance to their encouragement. I never would have believed them, those months ago, when they told me that I could come this far, for I truly believed I couldn't.

I truly believed I was a failure. But for those who fail, never grasp the satisfaction of succeeding.

I would've never have believed anyone. Not even the anonymous girl in the bathroom stall, whom I now love so dearly.

I had the determination now more than ever; I wasn't going to stand back to spectate my mental illness crushing me to oblivion. For I, Alana James, am indestructible.

T H E E N D.

🌿     🌿     🌿

I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who read the whole thing, and to everyone who gave me help, support and votes throughout. This is probably the first book that I've had encouragement to finish, and it means everything to me that I have.

The next chapter will be a bonus chapter, however the main story has been completed.
-Mable Faviago ©