CelesteI sprinted the last few meters towards home, my chest heaving and my breaths short.Up ahead, the warm lights of home beckoned to me; but instead of being inviting, they felt like claws extending toward me. Jack was waiting inside, waiting to berate me for sneaking out. My trick hadn’t worked after all.
Celeste The next morning, the cold light of day accentuated the throbbing in my temples.My night had been restless, filled with tangled sheets and even more tangled thoughts. I had half a mind to bury myself under the blanket and shut out the world, but the jingling of my phone snapped me back to reality.
Celeste Sneaking out was becoming a treacherous endeavor, but the meeting with Matt was paramount.Jack had always had this uncanny knack for knowing when I had tried to bend the rules or escape from the house’s suffocating grip. This time, I needed a full-proof plan, and my meeting with Matt was encroaching. I had to figure something out, and quickly.
CelesteThe night had been calm, the serenity of the forest only disrupted by the chirping of crickets and the occasional rustle of leaves. But the sound that echoed through the trees was something else entirely—a growl, raw and guttural, the sound of a creature lurking in the dark.“Why do you want me to run?” I whispered to Matt, my voice shaking, the trepidation evident in my tone.
Celeste“I’ve thought about it, and... I want to be your girlfriend,” I blurted out, immediately regretting the decision.I couldn’t believe myself. Every fiber of logic, every sensible voice in my head had warned against it. Yet, in the midst of the adrenaline and the rush of the night, I found myself uttering words I hadn’t planned on saying.
Celeste“Celeste! What the hell? You can’t just play around with Matt’s heart now that you’re official!”“Shh!” I hissed. “Not so loud!”Fiona let out a sigh. “Sorry,” she whispered. Looking around, she spotted a bench off to the side in one of
Celeste The campus garden was a strange setting for confrontation. Birds chirped, a gentle breeze swayed the blossoms, and the world seemed far too peaceful for the tension that buzzed in the air.I sat on a bench, Fiona at my side, when Sabrina, with her predatory grace, began to close in on us.“W
CelesteThe warm afterglow of the confrontation with Sabrina left an odd mix of emotions bubbling inside me. The college quad, with its students lounging on the grass and chatting amiably, felt like a surreal backdrop against the internal tempest that raged.“Celeste,” Fiona began, her voice hesitantly optimistic, “I really, really hope you’re not planning on listening to Sabrina.”