Just for Tonight (2021 Watty's Winner)

Chapter Four

Two Years Ago

9:03 p.m.

The three girls left for Maeve's girlfriend's apartment along with some of their other friends, deciding to begin the night a bit early. Scarlett was sure that the girls just wanted her to have the apartment to herself and not make her feel like she was about to miss out. She finished her dinner and at this point had about two glasses of wine, already having a light buzz. She turned to the nearest window and watched as the campus got more and more alive. It was intoxicating to watch. The sun would set and yet the city was flooded with bright lights and life.

It was nice to have the apartment to herself- it didn't happen often. She initially thought she would use the night to unwind and watch a movie, but the idea of being cooped up tonight made her feel itchy. The apartment suddenly felt small and she felt trapped. She wanted to be alone but couldn't stand the silence.

She didn't want to think tonight, she had to get away.

Scarlett got up from the couch and pulled her jacket back on. She would just go for a quick walk to get some fresh air. She pulled her brown hair out from the inside of the jacket, letting it fall down her back. Lifting up her wine glass, she quickly gulped down her third glass, grimacing slightly at the taste of her cheap rosé. She released a quick breath, grabbing her keys from the table, and made her way out of the apartment. She quickly sent a text to her roommates to let them know.

Scarlett Alvarez
just in case you guys come
back, Im going for a quick walk
to get some air

Maeve Coleman
do u have ur mace

Scarlett Alvarez
no I don't have my mace Im
just going down the street

June Yong
Be safe!! Let us know if you
wanna come over to the party :)

Aster Carson
And if u need us, let us know

As she stepped outside, she pulled her jacket closer to her body, feeling the cold air. Her alcohol buzz wasn't enough to completely block the cold air, unfortunately. She watched as people ran by her, all ecstatic for the night to come. She waved to a few people she knew as she began to walk away from campus. Initially, she was only going to do a few laps around the buildings near her, but it wasn't enough. Inhaling deeply, she revelled at the feeling of the crisp air filling her lungs.

She got to the edge of campus that was relatively empty. It was an area she liked to call The In-Between. It was just on the outskirts of campus but not quite in the city. There was a relatively large clearing of grass and some trees, an area where many students came to hang out. But since it was a Saturday night, most students were doing other things. Usually, there were so many students that she could hardly find anywhere to sit. But now, she had more options than she knew what to do with.

Scarlett made her way to the middle of the clearing and laid down. The grass felt scruffy against her body, tickling her face. The ground was cold and a part of her was worried she might get grass stains or dirt on her clothes while the other part felt peaceful. The sky was dark and spotted with stars. She looked for the one constellation she knew, somehow unable to find it. The stars glimmered down on her, twinkling with beauty. She wasn't sure how long she was laying there, time didn't seem to matter.

She forced herself to not think about her father or the rest of her family, refusing to let her emotions swallow her whole. She had done that for the past few weeks when they found out about her father's car crash. They thought he wouldrecover but he took a turn for the worst that very night, and only her motherhad time to say goodbye. They said it was painless, but it didn't make it any easier. Her mother was her rock through it all, she-