You Anchor Me

The Full Moon

        The flames crackle and pop, licking against the dry sticks and leaves in the rusted trash can, and the wind howls through the thick woods. Tonight is the last peaceful moment I have before the full moon, so we decided to come out here and have a good time before the chaos tomorrow holds is unleashed. Tonight also acts as an excuse to get Scott out of his safe haven, his room. Since the breakups, he has been a mess. His already failing grades have became possibly unrecoverable. He locks himself in his room, lying in bed and reading comic books until the sun peeks its head over the horizon. I sit by the wall to the wee hours in the morning just to make sure he is still breathing.

        "Come on, Buddy," says a hammered Stiles, trying to force a bottle of Jack Daniels Lydia had stolen from her mom's alcohol cabinet into my brother's hand. Scott looks up from his previous grass gazing and shakes his head.

       Scott looks awful. His eyes support black, drooping bags that symbolize how much sleep he has been getting. His clothes are wrinkled from lying in bed all day. He has began to zone out, putting up a wall between his world and reality. I didn't know that these breakups would affect him like they did.

        "Give me some of that!" Lydia hollers, staggering over to the boys. Stiles hands her the bottle and turns around. Due to the alcohol coursing through his veins, he falls on the ground. Instead of getting up, he lays there in the dead leaves singing a Green Day song while Lydia tries to beat box. Stiles stands up and walks over to Erica and Boyd and takes a seat, lying his head on Erica's shoulder. Lydia smiles and take another sip of the whiskey. It won't be long until I have to take the bottle away.

         "They are going to be so hungover in the morning," I say as I take a seat beside Isaac on a husky, fallen log. I hand him the bag of marshmallows, and he puts one on my stick. I take it and hang it over the fire, letting the flames engulf it. " Do you think Scott is going to be okay?" I ask, watching my brother stare at the fire's flame. Isaac wraps his arm around my shoulder and looks at me.

            "I think he'll be okay one day, but it'll take time. I mean he was broken up with twice. He's hurt but time will heal all wounds," he tries to reassure me. I smile and press myself against him. "Sweetheart, you're burning it."

           "I like them burn't," I laugh, letting my head rest against his shoulder. I pull the marshmallow out of the sizzling fire, and bring it in front of Isaac. "Blow it out." He inhales and slowly blows out my black, mushy marshmallow. Once the gooey wonder is cool, I swipe my finger across the top and feed it to Isaac. He reaches down with my finger still in his mouth and gets a bit of the marshmallow, feeding me. Once we have eaten the entire thing, Isaac leans down and kisses me on the lips.

           "You look beautiful," he comments. "I forgot to tell you before we left." I smile and wrap my arms aound him. He tells me that everyday when I get dressed or when we meet at school, depending if he spent the night, and those simple words seem to make my day.

          "Thank you." I take in his warmth. He lays his head against mine. "I don't deserve you."

          Out of nowhere, words come out of his mouth that make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "I love you," he whispers. My eyes go wide and I can feel my heart thump in my chest.

         "W-what?" I stutter. It was the first time he has ever said that. I know he can hear the loud, nervous thumps of my heart, but I can't help it. I don't know what to do. No one has ever told me they love me like that. I mean we have only been dating for a month but we've known each other for years.

         "Shit," he closes his eyes, embarrassed. He removes his arm from my shoulder.

        "Do you really," I pause," love me?" He simply nods, looking like he could cry. My heart aches for him, because I know I do, but I'm scared to say it. What if he leaves me like everyone else?