Nonexistent

~Chapter Fourteen~

Hey y'all! So sorry that I disappeared again! I got super busy and I had very little inspiration. This chapter was one that was pretty hard to write as I just couldn't get into it. But I am hoping to start posting regularly again!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tonight, Oliver was having a sleep over at his house. The Golden Boys would be there and Oliver had invited Harper, Skylar and me. Of course, Harper said yes, for the both of us, and Skylar agreed after Oliver pleaded with her. Both Harper and Skylar had to ask their parents, whilst I left a note on the fridge stating where I was going.

Harper picked me up and then we went to go pick up Skylar on the way to Oliver's. We blasted music the whole way and Harper sung along while I laughed at her expense. Once we picked Skylar up, she joined in my laughter as Harper continued singing until we reached Oliver's.

Pulling into his driveway, we stepped out and Harper practically skipped up the pavement. I gave Skylar a knowing look as I rolled my eyes at my best friend. "You're such an idiot," I muttered under my breath. Harper spun around quickly, "What was that?" I shook my head with mirth in my eyes.

Skylar took the initiative to knock on the door while Harper rocked on the balls of her feet. "It's open!" Oliver's voice could be clearly heard even through the door. Skylar's smile grew at the sound of his voice. Ah, why am I friends with such lovestruck dorks. Skylar walked in first and I followed, Harper taking the back.

As we entered, I noticed the huge staircase leading upstairs. There was a living room with several couches and a huge TV. There was several consoles already hooked up to the TV, and the boys were settled around it. They were spread out on the couches, each having a controller in the hand.

On the coffee table in the center, there were several bowls of popcorn and candies strewn on it. Hunter looked up at us as we joined them in the room, Skylar joining Oliver with Harper and I on the remaining couch. At first only the sounds coming from the TV could be heard. Everyone was stuck in silence until Oliver broke it, per usual.

"So... Anybody want a gummy bear?"

The entire room erupted into laughter. Even Logan, who was normally quiet, chuckled a bit. I watched as Harper's gaze flicked to Logan as he laughed. Once we all calmed down, Hunter was the first to speak. "Honestly, gummy bears sound pretty good right now. Throw me one?"

Oliver's eyes lit up with a spark of mischief as he reached for a gummy bear from the bowl on the table. "Sure, Hunter. Catch!" The gummy bear flew through the air and hit Hunter in the forehead. Hunter froze for a second, before blinking. Then slowly, he reached for the Skittles that were open, grabbed a handful, and chucked them at Oliver.

Chaos ensued. The teams ended up being boys vs girls. Oliver and Hunter had brought more candy and sweets out from the kitchen and were using mainly gummy items as their weapons. Harper had Skittles and M&M's and was pelting the boys with the candy. Skylar took a more stealthy approach, using bits of every candy available as her weapons and was great at sneak attacks. Her and Logan seemed to enjoy sneaking up and attacking silently.

I, however, was running around with a box of Rice Crispies cereal and was throwing it wherever I could on the boys. Our food fight lasted for around an hour before Logan and Skylar teamed up and dumped a whole bag of flour of the four of us, leaving us covered in the powdery substance. Everyone froze while the two cackled from the top of the stairs.

"Alright, you two win. Remind me to never challenge you two to a food fight again," Harper stated, muttering the last part of her sentence. We all began laughing at that before realizing that we were all covered in random foods and that the house was a mess.

"Uh... Guys? My parents are coming home tomorrow at noon... So we gotta clean this place tonight." Oliver remarked. Hunter groaned at the thought of cleaning and a small giggle escaped me before I could stop it. I slapped a hand over my mouth in embarrassment. Everyone stared at me before Harper cracked up, laughing at me.

"Okay! That's the first time I've heard you giggle, like- ever! I approve!" Removing my hand from my mouth I slapped it onto Harper's with an audible clap. A muffled 'ow' came from her before she licked my hand and I jumped before wiping my hand on my parents.

I looked up at Oliver, "So, showers first then cleaning?" Oliver nodded before showing us the bathrooms, all three boys allowing the girls to shower first. As I hopped into the steamy shower, after undressing of course, I allowed myself to relax. It was hard. Allowing myself to be me without thinking of any potential consequences.

Briefly, I thought about my mother. I wondered if she was already passed out on the couch or if maybe, just maybe, she was awake and cooking dinner for herself. Shaking my head, I knew the second idea was just that. An idea. A hopeless dream of something that could never be. Exiting the shower, I was quick to dry off and dress in my pajamas.

Before leaving the bathroom, I looked out of the window, seeing the moon cresting the horizon. It had a reason to rise, that was the nature of the world. To rise there must be a reason to rise above the horizon. One day, I thought, I hope I have a reason.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In light of the holidays, a chapter of this and a chapter of Secrets & Promises is being posted. Hope y'all enjoyed that decently long chapter! Have a good day and happy holidays!