The Oblivious Oblivion

Chapter 1: All Good Things

"You know you don't have to do it if you don't want to." I tried to reassure her, sitting back against the grass. The sky was beginning to darken, still at that perfect time when the sun is gone and the moon is already in the sky, but it is not quite dark yet. The purples always make my heart ache because I know they make hers ache too.

"Screw you," She shoves me playfully, "I can do this." Her smile always wore her better than anything in this world and it had me wrapped around every inch of it.

"Take the hit already then!" I laughed right alongside with her, trying to keep my eyes on the beautiful colors of the sky instead of, well, hers.

"I am, I am, why don't you just take another hit." She finally said nervously, trying to prolong it.

"I will, but I want you to get a little high at least." The butterflies in my stomach started taking their shots at me once again, trying to break the wall and escape, I wish they could. I put my hand up in a way to signify I didn't want it and pushed her arm back. The brief touch of skin seemed to be enough to settle the insects inside. Finally, she puts her mouth on the paper roll and sucks in deeply, holding it just like I told her to, pulling the paper away, she begins to cough and we laugh. The way her eyes lit up, that will never get old.

"Holy hell!" She coughs out, I take the joint from her hands so it doesn't fall, taking another hit. "Yeah I know right!" She said laughing at my reaction.

"Damn, you took a really long hit are you okay?" I laugh with her once again.

"Oh hell yeah man, I feel great!" Seeing her like this, it warms me more than words could ever describe. "So this is what being high is like, screw me, man!"

"Huh, yeah." I laugh somberly looking up into the sky holding the join in my hand. The mix of deep blues, purples, pinks, and oranges all so mesmerizing, hypnotizing.

"You going to finish that?" She asks, slightly out of breath, wide-eyed. I stretch my hand out for her to take it and she grabs it quickly taking another hit and coughing after holding it in for a couple seconds. Right before she can take another hit, I jump in to stop her.

"I think that's enough for you," I say taking the blunt back but she snatches it out of my hand before I could properly react, taking another hit. I sit there for a second just watching her, this new her, smoking, minutes ago terrified even think of it. "Your mom is going to kill you."

She laughed lightly, "Then she'll kill me." She says with her head down, staring at her shoes. A sudden heaviness appears in the air, like molasses, thickening the atmosphere.

"I just don't want you to get into trouble." I finally say after a long silence.

"Haha," she says dryly, "that's rich coming from you."

"Clover, I mean it. If you come home high, your mom will know and you'll be in trouble."

"Screw off." She says getting up dropping the blunt to the ground, and walking away. It crumbles underneath my feet as I follow after her. She crossed her arms and stands stops underneath a large oak tree. Our tree. Our names have been carved into that oak tree since we were old enough to have knives, which wasn't very old. Where we grew up you didn't know what was out there, yet we were always prepared. The people though, we were a tight community, too tight for my liking, and Clovers. She's always hated living in a small town in the middle of "fuckville" Oregon, as she always said. I always knew there was so much more out there, now my expectations have just lowered.

"Clover, I'm just trying to look out for you," I say, lowering my voice. I reach a hand out onto her shoulder, she lets it sit there for a second before whipping around, visibly shaken now.