Happy.

Chapter Two: Nightmare.

Garrett's POV

I watched Luana's face carefully, waiting for a reaction, but she gave me no other feedback save for a look of utter disbelief. Her eyebrows pulled together in the center and her mouth was slightly agape.

"You can't possibly expect me to promise that.You're being so melodramatic."

I groaned and rolled my eyes, bringing my hands to cover my face in exasperation. Of course she wouldn't take me seriously. She was a hopeless romantic, always humming a sappy love song under her breath as she went about her day. My face scrunched up in annoyance as I noticed the romance novels she held clutched against her tummy.

Gawd, she was such a girl.

She needed a serious reality check. I mean, Audrey did nothing but love everyone and look where that got her.

The thought made a sharp ache shoot through my chest as if a hole had been ripped in my heart and now it was splintering and throbbing around the edges. I scrunched my face up again, this time to prevent another round of tears.

"You need to stop making faces," Luana declared. "You're going to get wrinkles."

"You need to stop being so annoying. You're going to get banned from my house."

Luana punched me playfully on the arm and I felt a smile wiggle it's way onto my lips. Luana had always made me feel better. She had a calming aura about her and I appreciated her even if she did read stupid books. I felt my face about to scrunch up again, but I stopped myself. I didn't want wrinkles after all.Luana had always accused me of being vain, and I guess you could say she was right. The thought made me break out into another slight grin.

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Later that night, I sunk into the cool sheets and pillows of my bed and curled up into the fetal position. The ache in my chest had dulled to more of a burning sensation. I could feel nothing else. My mind felt disconnected, flowing and ebbing between unconsciousness and scattered memories of Audrey. The way her smiles were always shaky or forced, as if she was scared that maybe she wasn't allowed to smile. I very rarely witnessed a genuine laugh from her, but when I did have the privilege of seeing one, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. And in those moments I loved her.

But only then did I love her.

I found it difficult to love someone who couldn't even love themself but was hell bent on making sure everyone else felt good and at peace about themselves.I tried, but I just couldn't. The amount of self loathing she held for herself was suffocating. And I knew she could feel it. She could see that I was distancing myself in the final moments of our relationship. It was so obvious that she knew and I just couldn't understand why she didn't break it off with me. There were obviously other guys who could treat her better. Not to mention pretty much every guy at school had a crush on her at some point. Hell, even some of the girls had a thing for her. But even still she remained by my side. Even when we'd hug and kiss goodbye and exchange I love you's. Even when she could tell I didn't mean it. The most helpless look would flash across her light brown eyes. Just like a deer caught in the headlights. She could've walked away for good right then. But instead her arms tightened around me just slightly,the pressure barely noticeable but still there nonetheless. "That's okay," she would say, referring to the unspoken but shared knowledge that I didn't actually love her. All I ever offered in response was a nod.

And then my mind flashed to when I finally brought everything to the surface. I broke the tension between us that had been slowly building. I told her I didn't think I truly loved her, expecting nothing more than her usual shaky smile and another "That's okay." Instead she immediately turned on her heels and walked away briskly. A little out of character but I shrugged it off. I honestly thought she'd be fine. She was a tough kid at heart despite her fragile appearance and mannerisms.

But the next day...

Images of Audrey falling to the ground in the middle of the school hallway bombarded my thoughts. I remember running over to her, her eyes glazing over slightly as I tried to shake her out of it. The fear and adrenaline coursing through my veins made me feel almost euphoric, but with every high comes a crash.

And I'd been crashing ever since.