This is Where my Demons Lie

Chapter 5

Chapter 5: You're cute
Reverie Lark
It wasn't anything new. Me leaving dinner, cutting and drawing on my skin, holding my bottle of pills. I would use these someday, when I wasn't too chicken to leave.
  I spun a star around, watching as it twirled across my ceiling. A picture of Marie and I when we were little was posted on my wall. It was my first day of kindergarten and I had my arms wrapped around Marie. My head rested in the crook of her neck and we beamed at Tammie's camera.
  It was too loud. I retrieve the bottle of whiskey I kept in my room and cautiously took a few sips. Burning down my throat, a few shots later, and I was high.
  I dragged a knife across my arms, whimpering in pain yet not regretting it. I probably wouldn't even remember this tomorrow. My phone dinged and I swayed as I picked it up, falling onto my bed, blood staining everything I touched.
Reverie: who's this
Nathan: it Nathan, Rev, we exchanged numbers before
Reverie: what are you talking about
Nathan: are you okay
Reverie: to hell with me being okay, I'm never okay! Gosh, I hate this place, fuck it!
Nathan: I'm coming over
  I didn't think about his message and paced my room, having a few more shots. The door suddenly opened and I backed away into a corner of my room.
"Reverie? Oh gosh, what happened to your arms," Nathan gasped, kneeling in front of me.
"What are you doing here," I said plainly.
"Rev, I just texted you..." Nathan trailed off when he saw the liquor bottle. "Have you been drinking?"
"Yeah, why do you care? You can't control me," I hissed, pulling knees into my chest. Nathan sighed and took the bottle away.
"Reverie, calm down. You're drunk right now, you aren't thinking properly. You should go to bed," he told me, gently pulling me off the floor.
"I like your hair," I stated. "It's red like fire. I really like fire. I burned myself with fire one time too. If I touch your hair, will I burn myself?"
"No, Rev, go to sleep," Nathan sighed, setting me under the covers.
"Nat," I whimpered, tugging on his hand.
"Yeah?"
"Can you... can you stay with me please? Like, in the bed...?" I asked shyly. His face turned bright red, almost redder than his hair, making me giggle.
"Uh, okay," he complied, turning off the lights and crawling into bed with me.
"I love stars," I mumbled wistfully. "They're so beautiful. I've always wanted to be beautiful like a star. That one's Sirius. And there's Regulus and Arcturus. Aren't they pretty? Can you see Orion?"
"You're more beautiful than the stars, Reverie," Nathan whispered. I yawned in response and faced him, wrapping my arms around his torso and hiding my head in his chest. Nathan tensed for a moment before hugging me tightly.
"Night," I yawned. Sleep captured me before I heard a reply.
"Ugh," I groaned, trying to sit up. However, I couldn't since a set of arms were snaked around me, one holding my waist, the other's hand in my hair. Upon realizing who was in bed and holding me, my face went red.
"Hung over?" he yawned, releasing me and sitting up.
"Y-yeah, bad headache," I stammered, biting my lip. "Did I hit you? Or did I um, try and screw you?"
"No, no, no, no, no," Nathan quickly assured me. "I would never take advantage of you like that. And you didn't hit me."
"Good," I sighed in relief. "Did I saw anything I shouldn't?"
"I dunno if this counts, but you were wondering if my hair could burn you and then you talked about the stars. Something about wanting to be beautiful, I believe?" he said, his hands clasped in his lap.
"Sorry," I murmured, hair falling in my face.
"Why are you sorry," Nathan asked, inching toward me and pushing my hair back.
"For dragging you into this mess," I explained, leaning against him. Nat stiffened. "Sorry, this is probably uncomfortable to you and you don't have to stay. I am so so sorry-"
"Stop apologizing, Reverie. I'm happy to be here for you and I don't mind, I was just surprised. I never took you as a touchy feely kind of person," he chuckled at my blush.
"Ow," I rubbed my temples. Nathan stumbled out of bed and, after some loud banging noises came back with a couple of ibuprofen. "Thanks."
"Anything to help a hung over friend," Nathan smiled brightly as he handed me a cup of water.
"How are things going with Marie," I said casually, glancing at him from the corner of my eye.
"Uh, um, I-" he fumbled his words, blushing madly. I smiled softly at this.
"You like her, don't you," I guessed, lying down.
"Yeah," he admitted shyly.
"My sister must be real hot, huh?" I elbowed him and smirked at his beet face.
"I, uh-"
"Oh, I have an idea! I'll set you up," I clapped my hands at the thought before frowning. "I feel drunk still."
"Why," Nathan worried.
"I feel overwhelmingly happy and it's making me dizzy," I said, clutching my head.
"Well, that's good, right," Nathan said, lying down and facing me.
"It feels weird," I whined. "I can't remember the last time I felt this way."
"Why do you think you're happy?" Nathan asked, his face close to mine.
Because of you, I realized. I blushed and lied, saying, "I don't know."
"That's okay," he said, hugging me gently. "Sometimes we just don't know."
"Nathan, thanks for coming over. Your mom is probably worried about where you are, though," I stood, pulling him up too. "You need to get home."
"Yeah," he agreed. "One question though. Why were you drinking?"
"It was too loud," I said quietly, looking down. I found myself enveloped in warm arms.
"Tell me when things are getting loud, okay?" he held me at arms length, hands resting on my shoulders, his brown eyes staring at me with sincerity.
"I will," I barely whispered.
"Good," Nathan hugged me again before leaving. "Bye, Reverie."
"Bye, Nat," I flopped on my bed when he was gone.
"You're cute."