rockstar // post malone

chapter two: caroline

(A/N this is what Caroline looks like!)

-

(Caroline's POV)

My arms fold over my small chest while I try my hardest to fit in with the crowd that I was not-so-voluntarily brought in to. My best friend, Haley, is sat next to me - the main reason I was in my current situation. The scrappy log we sat on was digging sharply into the cold flesh of my bare legs. The smell of marijuana was heavy in the air as foreign people sat around other logs facing a campfire, passing around multiple joints and blunts. I could barely even tell which was a joint and which was a blunt, a clear sign that I was not where I was supposed to be. My knees were huddled to my chest as I held all the warmth that I could into my self as the chilly May air engulfed me and the others who didn't seem bothered by the New York breeze. It didn't help that we were right on the coastline where the ocean caused the air to feel ten degrees colder.

"Here Caroline, try this." I heard a voice say to the left of me. I turned to see one of Haley's friends who had taken the place next to me unnoticeably. In his hand was a thinly rolled joint and a small, green lighter. I gulped at the sight of it, subconsciously leaning away from the drug and its scent.

"No, thank you." I politely declined with a shake of my head and a shy smile. The guy, who's name I vaguely remembered to be Dustin, chuckled with a knowing grin before shuffling closer to me on the log.

"Oh, sweet Caroline, you're just so adorable." He grinned down at me, his heavy arm resting across my shoulders. I jumped at the contact, searching for Haley's eyes in the circle of people around the fire pit with a growing awareness to my own anxiety. She was preoccupied with her boyfriend, Cole, as she sat in his lap and giggled at whatever he had said prior to my search for her.

My wide eyes jerked back to Dustin's as I felt his clammy hand land slightly above my knee, one of his thick fingers drawing circles into the skin.

"What do you say we get out of here?" I felt his breath at my ears as his crude words were spoken. That was when I finally shot to my feet and out of his grip.

"Once again, no thank you Dustin." I huffed, wrapping my pink zip-up closer around my body.

His flirty smile soon dropped from his face as his mouth flipped into a sneer, accompanied by a roll of his eyes and a scoff,

"Prude," he mumbled.

My face turned hot with anger and humiliation. I could feel my fingernails digging into my palms as I collected myself and attempted to make my face morph back to neutral.

"Haley," I called to the brunette across the fire. She didn't seem to hear me the first time, too busy kissing Cole.

"Haley!" I cried out. Her face reappeared from the crook of her boyfriend's neck as she finally turned to me with concern.

"What's up?"

"I'm leaving," I stated. She immediately sighed with acceptance of my urge to go home followed by an accompanied emotion across her face which seemed to say that she was expecting this sooner or later. Oh well, she was used to my anxiety in these situations. I always tried to make an effort to let loose, but I just couldn't do it.

Everything considered "rebellious" simply didn't suit me. Alcohol tasted and smelled disgusting - I knew from experience when Haley took me to a frat party and poured me a shot, which almost came right back up my throat that September night. Although I've never smoked weed or even a cigarette, I knew my pure lungs would never accept the smoke. Along with these, sex was yet another one on the list of things that didn't sit well with me. I've been touched by a boy, but only over clothing. I've never let it go past that, although a few have tried very hard to do so. That was yet another reason why I didn't want to consume alcohol and get drunk - a boy could easily get past my clothing and I wouldn't be able to stop it.

As I walked away from the fumes of marijuana and the smoke of the campfire, I felt a slight amount of regret for leaving as I usually did. The wind whipped my hair around in the wind, causing goosebumps to rise on my bare legs. My arms wrapped around my torso as I attempted to contain as much warmth as I could. It got so difficult that I ended up having to run to my baby blue Volkswagen Beetle. Haley had ridden with me to the beach, but I had no doubt that she would be spending the night with Cole.

I sighed as I finally reached my car, sinking into the driver's seat and plugging my phone into the aux cord. Britney Spears' voice filled the car, instantly curing my mood and allowing my drive back to Haley and I's apartment to be much more enjoyable.

I was well aware that I had an anxiety problem when it came to scenes like the one I just left, which made my life very difficult since those scenes were usually where I found myself on weekend nights because I had nothing better to do. Haley was pretty much my only friend, no one else bothering to deal with my awkwardness and shy tendencies.

But as I drove home in that cold night in May, a foreign thought crossed my mind. Although I was always the one to be out of place and awkward, I had a strange feeling that someone would be coming into my life very soon who would make me feel that I was exactly where I needed to be.

(A/N so now you guys know who Caroline is! I'm so excited to see where this goes!! Again, please vote and comment - your support is deeply appreciated! x)