My Own

Chapter 1

My jeans grew damp from the wet grass as I watched the fireworks light up the sky, filled with peace I looked around, watching as my friends faces twisted in fascination and amazement when more fireworks exploded on the night sky. I leaned back on my hands and looked back up at the sky, a soft gasp escaping my slightly parted and chapped lips.

I had missed this kind of peace, the calm feeling that flowed through my body in that moment. My face stretched into a wide smile as I watched my friends tumbling around on the ground in front of me, I stood there for a few moments before I was pushed forwards by the little red-haired girl that seemed to always be by my side.

"Come on Eli, join in!" she yelled with wide sparkling eyes and a smile that covered her entire face. Laughing at her, I joined in on the playful fight in the damp grass.

The fireworks had stopped a while ago, but no one wanted to go home just yet, we didn't want to go back to school, family, drama. Which is quite understandable if you ask me. There was so much to worry about back home, but here, it's so calm, nothing to worry about, well apart from the usual 'what are we having for dinner?' or 'who gets the biggest room?'. Sadly, it did have to come to an end sooner or later, we needed to go back and finish the last semester of high school. We had to get back to work, other friends and family. I don't think my family even noticed that I had been gone for the past week, we don't really see much of each other.

Stepping into the room I had been sleeping in for the past week, knowing that this was the last night I'd be staying here, was hard. The sad feeling washed over me as I laid down in the big, soft bed, pulling the baby blue covers up to my chin as I sighed in content, I knew I'd be back home soon, so I cherished every little thing about the house. The homey feel, the warmth and the happiness that it seemed to have brought everyone on the trip. Sleep didn't come easy to me that night, I tossed and turned until I finally got up and trotted towards the kitchen. Setting over the kettle for some tea, I sat down on the counter and stared up at the moon through the window, a smile tugged on my lips as I heard a small pair of feet, sleepily walk towards the kitchen. Knowing who it was, I pulled out another mug from the cabinet. Just as she walked through the door, the kettle notified me that it was done. She slowly walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my waist, leaning her cheek against my back.

"Hi" I whispered smilingly, running my fingers over her arms, I could feel her smile as she pressed further into my back.

"tea?" she asked quietly with a yawn.

"yeah" I say as I turn around with a mug in each hand, her smile stretched wide as she took one of the mugs from my hand, holding it with both of her small, skinny hands.

We walked over to the small kitchen table, that was tucked away in the corner. I watched as she sat down the mug and pulled out a chair before carefully sitting down on it. Her eyes focused in on me.

"why aren't you sitting down?" She asked as she tilted her head slightly to the side. Smiling goofily, I pulled out a chair for myself, dumping down into it, I opened my mouth to comment on her tilted head but shut it again when she glared at me, I knew she hated when I commented on it, that's what it so much more fun.

We sat in silence, drinking our tea, not an awkward silence as it had been back so many years ago when we had just met, but a comfortable, nice silence.

"Couldn't sleep?" I asked her once she was finished with her tea and had placed it carefully back on the table. She shook her head softly, looking down at the table with sad eyes.

"I don't want to go home Eli" she whispered as tears swelled up in her eyes.

"I know sweetheart, but we have to" I said with a small forced smile "We still have to finish school y'know?"

She nodded softly but kept her eyes focused on the table.

"you still need to catch up with me" I said with a chuckle, referring to out unofficial competition about who could graduate with the highest GPA. We both knew that she would win, and she had been in the lead since we started high school. I wasn't dumb, but I wasn't as smart as her.

She giggled at the comment and looked up at me smiling.

"You know I'm going to win Eli" I huffed at her remark and rolled my eyes playfully. She burst out laughing at my reaction, I could feel my scowling expression stretch into a wide smile as I watched my best friend clutching her stomach in pain, her laughter filling the room.

"Fuck off" I say grinning as I turn my head away from her in mock annoyance. Her laughter only grew louder at that, tears now staining her cheeks as they flowed freely down her face.

Once she stopped laughing I grabbed her hand and pulled her into my ap, hugging her close. She tugged her head under my chin as her hands fisted my black t-shirt, pulling it closer to her. I held her close, leaning my chin on the top of her head until I felt her breathing even, indicating that she had fallen asleep. I slowly stood up, shifting her to my hip as I slowly started to make my way to her room, her legs wrapped around me and her arms made their way around my neck, clinging to me. I smiled down at her sleeping figure as I carefully opened the door to her room, making my way through the clothes scattered across the floor, chuckling at how messy she had been in the short week we had stayed here. I started to slowly place her down on the bed, her hands refusing to let go of me as her face scrunched up, her eyes fluttered open as she looked up at me with a slight pout.

"Please stay?" she whispered sleepily "Just for the night" she added a few seconds after.

I nodded and climbed into the bed next to her, watching her as she nuzzled into the side of my chest, keeping her firm grip on my shirt. I drifted off to sleep, with a smile on my face, thinking about what we had done for the past week.