>I feel a rumbling in my heart, or in my soul >Or, just the bed vibrating >Could be gas too, who knows man. >Guess i'm awake now. >I open my eyes to find two globes of green shining. >The tableside light on behind her. >She's been staring at me for however long >Mapping me out like i did her. >I wonder if her job as a cartographer is complete, or i should pretend to sleep just a little longer. >But her eyes latch to mine >She knows i'm awake. >I don't know what time it is >It doesn't matter >I've still got one of my arms around her, the other fallen uselessly to my side >Well, trying to be around her. >She must have pulled me off to turn on the light >That thought pangs against my psyche >I explain it away >Couldn't sleep maybe >The room is still otherwise dark, so i know its not morning. >But her eyes are still piercing me >Looking through me, as if i'm not actually there. >When i say we stayed like that, silent, for minutes. >We did, real, full, minutes. >Until she spoke >"I don't believe you." >Wow... >I didn't know what to say >That could be so many things >So many fake girl questions, or circular logical lies >But it wasn't >I knew exactly what it was >I didn't need to think it out >There was only one statement in my mind >She didn't believe what i told her earlier >She didn't believe that i actually loved her. >I don't know if that's a thing i can ever explain >Because if there's one thing you can't ever prove to anyone when you're asked on the spot. >It's that you love them >Not without telling them a story. >I was young >Dumb >Inexperienced >And all i knew was media and television, anime and stories i had read. >So i did what so many young men and women do when they're asked this question >I confused emotional love, with physical love. >I wrapped my arms around her and pulled raven close. >I pressed one arm into her upper back, and the other hand against her buttocks >Her chest to mine, her legs intertwined with my own >I told her that i wasn't ever going to let her go. >I told her that i would "Love" her all night >I heavily implied sex, as if that was true love. >[spoiler]But don't ever mistake those two anons.[/spoiler] >[spoiler]Sex may be something you do with those you love, sex may be a way you reinforce the fact you love your partner.[/spoiler] >[spoiler]But it is not the way you prove love.[/spoiler] >[spoiler]Too many of us had made this mistake this sleepover, and i was the last[/spoiler] >Her eyes glint with sadness >And she struggles >Pushing me off, pushing me away >The only contact left, her hands on my chest, my hands on her shoulders. >She had a look in her eyes i've rarely seen before >But i recognized it >Regret >When she spoke, it was like a thousand blades, whispering across my flesh. >"Those things we did... " >She didn't even need to tell me >Her tone had me hurting without another word >But she didn't know that, so she continued. >"I didn't... i wouldn't ever... i only did them" >She's struggling to come up with the right words >"For you... because you wanted them, because i wanted..." >Stumbling over each one, each pair until she can find what she wants. >"I wasn't ready" >Those are the right words >They hit me like they were the right words >Like an invisible wall of force comes up between us >Like we're no longer lying side by side, like the rain outside has stopped and i'm far away. >But i still hear that voice >Far off in the distance, as if it's yelling thousands of feet away. >I make out little bits and pieces over that long distance >"I gave you...." >"Took it..." >"....Threw it away" >"Slept with..." >"....Hurt me" >But my ears focus for the last line >"I can't take any of it back" >It's rather clear >I'm an Asshole >A real football head >The biggest fuckup the world has ever seen >And i'm here pretending it's all good, all fine >When its not >She bared her heart and i crushed it, then came back expecting seconds. >Really? she should get up out of the bed right now and leave >Never to return >And she tried, she shoved me off >Tried to get up and leave >But if there's one thing i'd learned this sleepover >Out of everything >I grabbed her arm, pulled her back >Wrapped my arms around the struggling girl, and pulled her close. >She was tense, shoving me away >Struggling, kicking, but i wasn't going to let her go >I just squeezed harder >And i told her a story Anons in the thread were treated to copy/pastes from the beginning of the story here. I'm sorry, stop throwing shoes at me. >It was an epic tale >With knights, dragons >Ghosts, and demon dogs. >Sinking ships and krakens >Princesses that hid beauty behind armor, the visor only showing sparkling eyes of green. >and a headstrong knight with that princess as his dear fighting companion. >About the allure of sirens, the kreening call of mermaids. >The talons of a harpy, and the battlecry of a true Valkyrie >and the fall of that Valkyrie, by the errant swing of the knight's foolish sword. >As he followed the harpy's alluring song. >The story was far grander than the one you read today, engrossing, and meaningful. >It was possibly the greatest story in the world. >This is just a tribute. >But the ending was the same >The knight, finding his warrior princess dead, her armor in tatters and true beauty shining through, takes his own life. >That's the story i told >So that she would know >And she did know now >She had long since stopped struggling, listening to the sound of my voice. >The calm ups and downs in the heroic tale. >She knew the truth >The reason i told her the story >Because my life wasn't worth living if i ever made her go away. >Sappy >Cliche >A shallow overused plot device indeed >But it was true >The only difference is that you watched it all unfold. >You understand why it was this way, why something so sappy and cliche came to be. >Instead of an awkward one-liner in a romantic movie. >And now she knew too. >But it didn't really have the intended effect i wanted >Even the greatest stories forget details >Or maybe i just told it badly >Because she was crying, and i never wanted that >She squirmed one arm free, and slapped me across my face >And she told me, malice in her voice >That she wished the knight had gone through with it both times. >That i never should have come through the door >That she should have cut deeper >And i wasn't alright with that >I wasn't sad, or depressed for her >I was angry that she could say those things >She wasn't talking sense, like i needed to slap her to make her understand >So i grabbed her cheek to stop her moving and brought back my hand >But i didn't, i froze >Her eyes locked on my upright fist >and she spoke a matter-of-factly tone. >"You can hit me." >"I deserve it" >But it was empty, meaningless >Like a little girl repeating the words her father had told her time and time again. >So i didn't >I lowered my hand and brought it back around her >and hugged >and squeezed >and didn't let go >For what must have been an hour >Our breath relaxed, but not deep and peaceful, both still fully awake. >I learned many things over this tale and one of them was to wait for her to talk first. >Very important, never forget it. >So i did >And eventually she spoke >It was soft, a whisper to my ear. >"I'll forgive you, if you forgive me" >Its a deal >Our hug changes to match the decision. >From a normal embrace, to a lover's intertwinement. >There is no difference between the two in position, angle or intensity of the hug. >What changes is how relaxed the participants are, both calm, completely and finally at peace >With no unwilling and tense muscles, or bodies to match. >We both lost all tension, and relaxed finally. >Drifted off into a peaceful slumber, in one another's arms. >But that would be the dream world >We relaxed sure, held on for another 10 minutes >But her stomach grumbled. >And we weren't very tired. >So i let go and sat up >And she did too >But her hand found mine, not the other way around >Moved out of bed, stood up and we were off >Raven led me to the door, to the hallway >We had another tiptoe adventure >Avoided all the creaky boards even in the pitch darkness. Stumbled over soft pillowy things in the hallway, but never stubbed our toes once >Never hit the sound landmines we did the night before >She's still beautiful in the moonlight >Her hair's not even a mess this time. >But we cross the entire house, end up in the kitchen. >Lights go on, Fridge is opened >We share soup, and the extra leftover french toast. >We're smiling, i hear a laugh as she deflects my fork from the last slice of apple. >Its strained, but real >It's lovely, i hadn't heard her laugh what felt like far too long. >And we filled up on our delicious midnight feast. >Or whatever time it was, it didn't matter. >We put the plates in the sink, the clatter echoing through the house. >No need to be silent really, who would care if we woke them up. >We're hand in hand again, arm in arm. >To the living room >To the couch >She hands me a controller >Turns on the TV >We end up sitting, arm and arm still intertwined on the couch. >Just enjoying one another's company >And playing video games >Just the two of us >I tell her to jump for the ledge. >We can make it if we try. >Throw down some blocks >Building castles in the sky >There was truthfully in my mind. No way i would have rather spent that last night of the sleepover than this. >And it was how we spent it, hours later found by glasses. >The early bird. >We were both peacefully asleep >Arm in arm, leaning against one another. >Controllers still in hand >It's a shame she turned off the console >We didn't save. >The morning of that day was a mess. >Cereal was the breakfast of choice, nobody wanted to cook. >We didn't even all eat at the same time. Blondie and Raven were never even in the same room. >There was enough blood throughout the house to make an animated blood golem or something. >So we had to clean all that up >Hide the water damage as well as we could in the bathroom (it wasn't really that bad) >Pick up every set of clothes in the house we had brought and toss them in the dryer. >Load after load >I must have handled every girl's pair of underwear atleast three times. All the pairs. >Floors are swept, beds are made, clothes and sheets folded. >It was like that scene from Snow White, where all the birds are picking up things and flying around tweeting at one another. >Except none of the girls were talking much. >I think everyone was angry, or busy or simply mellowed out. >But that's just what the day after a sleepover is like, that's how they all end. >Then that dreaded part came >The phone calls to parents >We were rather worried raven's mom would get scared. >Explaining my injuries >Raven's injuries >The bloodstained (Some of it) clothes >Head wounds >Strangle marks >That bruise on my back >Yeah we were fucked. >We lucked out there >Raven's mom was busy, her stepdad was at work. >We didn't bother begging or pleading with her. >We could hitch a ride with someone else, or stay longer. >No, i was done with the sleepover >Don't worry anons, it ends here. >So was raven, we made a call >Packed up our things, everything we remembered bringing >goodbyes were said. >well between most everyone, Blondie didn't seem to be around. >She didn't want to say goodbye, i could understand. >I had broken her heart, it wasn't going to be easy to get her to talk to me again >But i would try next time we were at school >So raven and i walked to the door. >And we left the house hand in hand. >Walking down the path, and whistling for the waiting cab. >But when it came near >Raven noticed the license plate said "fresh" >There were dice in the mirror >If anything, we could say this experience was rare >But i thought i'd forget it, we're going home to raven's house in Bel-air. >Pulled up to her house, not worried about being late >Yelled to the cabby "Yo holmes, smell you later!" >Looked at our kingdom, we were finally there. >To sit on our throne, as the prince and princess of Bel-Air. >[spoiler]I shit you not, that's where we used to live[/spoiler] >But we didn't notice. >behind us, peeking out of the trunk. >was a blonde haired girl >Three bloody scratches down her cheek >And a knife in her hand.