Eternity

CHAPTER 1: THE WORLD WE WANTED

I sit alone atop the cliff, the cliff where we would always go to talk. We'd talk about the past, the present, the future. Back then we didn't know what that future was, didn't know what cruel tricks it held for us. I see it now. I see the end. I see what happens to the humans. I see what happens to the world. I see what happens to us. All an inescapable demise. I suppose I must explain how I got here, so, from the beginning.

Hi, my name is Alesia Martez and I'm seventeen years old. I have lived in Camden, Maine since I was 4. Before that...is irrelevant to who I am now. When I moved to Maine, in with my foster mom, I was traumatized by my past. I didn't fit in with anybody and was just overall...lost. On my first day of kindergarten, a little, golden-haired boy approached me and asked me to be his friend. I didn't even know what a "friend" was at the time, but I accepted anyways, afraid that he might murder me if I didn't. Although, low and behold, I'm still alive, and we've stuck together this whole time. The little blonde boy's name is Lawrence, and he isn't so little anymore. We're both in high school now. Unlike me, Lawrence is quite popular. He has lots of other friends, and of course the girls are all over him like an annoying rash, swooning over his Caribbean blue eyes and bright smile. Although, he ignores them, I'm really the only girl he makes time for. A prominent boy next to an invisible girl, what a divine pairing. At that moment, I lean against the lockers, waiting for him. We always sit at lunch together, and I hope the day I sit alone doesn't come anytime soon. Something pokes my ribs and I swing around to see him standing there, grinning from ear to ear. I shove his shoulder and he chuckles softly. "You're still ticklish?" I glare at him a little bit. "Sure, got a problem with that?" I smirk at him. He smiles, and just like always, my heart pick up a little bit, but he doesn't need to know that. "Come on, let's go eat. I'm ravenous." I start walking towards the cafeteria. "Ravenous, you say?" He mocks with a weird, British accent. I smile and shake my head as we walk.

Afterwards, I attend my last class of the day, sauntering quietly over to my locker. As I remove my backpack, my phone buzzes in my back pocket.

A text from Lawrence.

Hey Less,

Since we are both probably going to be "ravenous" after all our homework, would you like to join me at the peak for some noice sandwiches?

I close my locker and reply.

Sure,

But don't ever say "noice" again.

What time?

I begin my walk back to my house. He normally texts me around this time because he knows I hate being alone. He's told me before that he wished he could walk home with me, but that his soccer coach would kill him if he wasn't half an hour early to practice. Once I arrive, I stomp up the stairs to my room. My step-mom doesn't come home until around 10 o'clock and my dad...is a part of the past now. I fling open my door, drop my heavy bag on the floor, and flop face-first onto my bed. I grab my phone just as it buzzes.

Is 7 okay?

And NEVER...the word noice is.....noice.

I sigh and shake my head, but I can't seem to wipe the

grin off my face.

🙄 Yes, that's fine.

My eyes fly open, and I swing my hand over my face to check my watch. 7:15. I jump up from my bed, grab my phone from my bedside table and sprint out the door.

When I arrive, Lawrence is already sitting at the edge of the cliff waiting, "Sorry I'm late." I say, sitting next to him. He nods in response. For the next five minutes we sit in a comfortable silence, with only the sounds of crickets and the breeze filling our ears. We call this "The Peak" we've hung out here since we were kids. A cliff that hangs over an endless black abyss. Above, a black sky freckled with hundreds of stars. There are no street lights anywhere near, so they shine like little diamonds on a pitch black canvas. Something soft collides with my face. Lawrence snickers. I look down to see the projectile, a grilled ham and cheese...with Doritos of course. Not on the side either, in the sandwich. It's delicious. You should try it. "Ooh, thanks." I tear open the bag and bite into it. I sigh loudly, "It just gets better and better." I say, mouth full. No response. I turn, Lawrence stares down at his lap. I wave my hand in front of his face. "Hey, you're oddly quiet. You okay?" He jolts back to reality and it takes him a second to respond. "Y-Yeah I'm fine." He avoids eye contact with me and takes a bite of his own Dorito panini. I think even the stars rolled their eyes. "Uh huh.......what's wrong?" I set down my sandwich and tilt my head to look at him. His green eyes gaze sadly upon the moss. It hurts my heart. He looks up at me, and our gaze meets, "I don't know if I want to do soccer anymore." I raise my eyebrows so high that I fear they might disappear into my hairline. "What? But you've dreamed of going to the World Cup since you were a little kid!" His eyes somehow become even sadder, the pain in my chest deepens. "I know, but...let's be real Less." Less, the nickname he's had for me since elementary school. "There are so many others out there who are going to be a million times better than me. I'll never make the cut." He sighs, "You're right. Getting into the Olympics is just a dream." He rips his eyes from mine and stares at the horizon.