Gasoline.

Chapter 2: Relighting the hidden Flame.

***

Chapter 2- Re lighting the hidden Flame.

Me and Grayson end up sitting on the carpeted floor by my bed. It's weird as I've never been in the same bedroom with a boy before, until twice today....

"Are you actually going to smoke?"

"No, Katie I didn't think you were stupid. Cigarettes cause Cancer."

"Then why did you buy them? Why did you bring them here?"

"Someone's a little curious. Wanna explain why?"

"Nope."

"Neither do I." He states and pours some of the drink into a glass and hands it to me.

"No thanks."

"You don't drink?" Well I did just say 'no' didn't I?

"I drink anything but alcohol, just like cigarettes, it causes Cancer." I reply.

"If you don't drink, I won't drink." He puts the bottles and cigarettes into a plastic bag underneath my bed and faces my direction. "Wanna get to know each other?"

"How should we do that?"

"Well, would you physically want to get to know me, or mentally?" He devilishly grins.

"I'd prefer to say neither." Boys, are gross.

"Hmm, I've realised that I'm talking to quite an anti-social person. You don't talk to anybody but me, you stay out of people's way, but somehow end up in the principals office more than three times a week. Why's that? And how does that even happen?"

He looks at me with that confused look that I've grown to know quite well.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Hmph, fair enough, we're not that close any ways." He looks at the bag containing the liquor and takes a bottle out, opens it and takes a gulp. He doesn't even use a glass...typical. "Want some?" He asks, handing the bottle in my direction.

"No thanks, I'm good. What happened to the whole rule about 'if I don't drink, you don't drink' please?"

"Well, Miss Katherin, if you don't drink, I don't drink. However, if I drink, you drink. Fair?"

"No, it's not fair. But, if you want me to open up to you, why not?" I ask and pour the strong liquid down my throat. I take the bottle away from my face and start coughing. Strong indeed.

"Guess who's woken up a bit now." He says happily.

***

We sat on the floor for at least a couple of hours laughing, talking and finding out about each other in the process. I found out he was from France,explains the accent to be honest. He's 18 and I told him that I'm 17. I told him who he should avoid in school and he told me about his past, about his old school. He had some crazy ex-girlfriends and one once burned the inside of his locker because she didn't enjoy the chocolates he gave her...girls are mad.

"So Miss Katherin,"

"Yes, sir Grayson?" Yeah we sort of started to act as if we were in the past for a bit.

"Would m'lady like some more drink?" He asks, holding up the last bottle of alcohol.

"Would it come with a kiss?"

"Nope, but the headache tomorrow will kiss you." He says looking at the floor.

Well done Katie, now you made everything awkward.

"Then give me another glass, please."

He takes my glass out of my hand and opens the bottle. Remember we're both kind of drunk so he's being quite clumsy, so clumsy that instead of pouring the drink in the glass, he pours it all over his trousers.

"Aww shit. You wouldn't happen to still want it?" He looks at me and then looks at his trousers.

"Maybe we've had enough for the night." I giggle as he tries to wipe everything up.

"That's a shame, I loved getting to know you."

"We still have six months." I reply.

"Yeah, that's true."

Grayson gets up off of the floor, taking all of our elements of the night with him. He turns around to leave the room but I stop him.

"Hey, Grayson?" He faces me, allowing me to finish. "Thank you for tonight, I haven't hung out with anybody like that for quite a while."

"It's okay Katie, you're really fun to be with." He smiles. "Maybe you should go out more. I bet so many people would love to know you."

There's a moment of silence before I can gather up my next words.

"I can't do that."

"Why not?" He puts the bag into his room and I follow him in, to answer his question. We end up sitting on the double bed, quite close for a new friendship.

"It doesn't really matter."

"Katie, you can tell me you know. Who am I going to tell? I have nobody else to tell."

I take a deep breath.

"I can't make new friends because I know that in the end, they'll leave. They'll leave in the most painful way possible." A tear pushes past my restraint and makes its way down my cheek. All of Grayson's attention is on me and there's a look of genuine concern on his face.

"Katie, are you okay to tell me what's happened?"

"I can't grow attachments to people Grayson. Everyone I've ever tried to with always leaves and it hurts."

"What about me?"

"You're not my friend Grayson!" I say, a little too loud. He looks a little bit hurt but I don't care. Yes, we had a good evening but all he'll ever be is my exchange student. He's lucky I didn't just keep walking away after shutting the door on his sculptured face earlier at school.

"Ouch Katie, why not?"

"Because there's no point in becoming close because you'll leave in six months." I sigh. "No matter how close we got, you'd leave and I would be in pain."

"You think I wouldn't be?" He tilts his head slightly.

"I didn't say that." I reply with a little attitude.

"Katie look, you're a really cool girl. I understand-"

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!" I scream.

I leap off of the bed, so does he, but I push myself away from the arm he tried to comfort me with. I walk out the door with such a pace that I slam the door on the way out. The house shook a little.

Why can't people just allow me to do what I want? Why do they have to re-light the emotional hidden flame I'm trying to extinguish?

I change and make my way into my bedroom, collapsing when I get to the bed.

And I drift into a deep sleep.

***