To My Dearest Enemy

Matt the Insomniac

September 29

Alana looked across the lake as she sat on the dock beside Nolan with their feet hanging over the dock. She was thinking of a question to ask Nolan, as they were playing The Truth Game. Nolan had gone straight to her house right after he got out of school.

"Have you ever had your first kiss?" Alana grinned.

"Nope." Nolan said. It was a lie, but he replied so smoothly that Alana did not suspect a thing. She was to never know who Nolan's first kiss was; Stella. "Have you?"

"I kissed Matt in first grade for a dare if that counts." Alana replied.

"Nope. Ever been in a relationship before?" Nolan inquired.

"Hey, it's my turn. Have you ever been in a relationship before?" Alana smiled.

"Just hook-ups. You?" Nolan asked.

"None. No hook-ups or relationships." Alana stated.

"Never? That's really, really surprising." Nolan looked at her.

"Why?" Alana raised an eyebrow. And now it was time for Nolan to complement her.

"You're gorgeous," Alana blushed. "funny, smart, outgoing, caring, selfless, any guy would be lucky to have you." He smiled as he spoke.

"Well, I have been crushing on this one guy, I'm pretty sure he likes me too, but I'm not one hundred percent sure." Alana bit her lip.

"Well, he most definitely likes you and wants to be your boyfriend." Nolan beamed.

"And I most definitely want to be your girlfriend." Alana grinned. Nolan leaned in and planted his lips on Alana's. He placed his hand softly on her cheek as the two kissed. Alana had never been in love before she met Nolan. Now she knew what true love felt like.

———

Jill laid in her bed, facing the wall as she pressed her pillow into her ears, as if it would completely drown out the sound of her parents arguing. Once her father returned from work, her mother accused him of taking Jill's pills. They argued all night and stopped at two in the morning before going to bed and then continuing in the morning. Jill didn't want to believe her dad took the pills. He was fifteen years sober and had completely turned the page on that chapter in his life. JD had to have set this up. But that frightened Jill. That meant JD broke into her house, which had to have been done sometime the day before, since she wasn't missing any pills on Tuesday. Did JD break into her house while she was home? While her brother was home? While her sister or mom were home? That sent a chill down Jill's spine.

"Hey." Jill turned over to see Lucille standing in the doorway with Thomas in front of her. His hands were over his ears and his backpack was on his back.

"Hey." Jill sniffled as she sat up.

"I'm taking Mitchell to school, wanna come for the ride?" Lucille asked.

"Don't you have class?" Jill asked. Lucille attend Morrisville State University, just twenty five minutes outside of Maplewood.

"Not until one. Come on." Lucille said. Jill grabbed her crutches and stood up. Anything was better than listening to her parents argue

———

"It's a fucking urgent meet up and nobody has the decency to respond?" Matt asked as he paced back and forth across his bedroom.

"Jill just responded," Stella said as she sat down on the end of Matt's unmade bed. "she went with her sister to drop Mitch off at school and they're going to get breakfast because their parents are fighting. She says she'll tell me later."

"Okay well where are Alana and Ethan? M.I.A. still?" Matt asked.