Hours after the mall lights turned off, Steven and I still stayed. We stared at the faint outline of the arch, intricately carved shapes blurred in the darkness. We lay there and talked. “Remember when you called Mr. Flader ‘Dad?’” I’m certain he blushed. “Yeah,” he mumbled. A pin dropped in the minute of silence. “I kissed Zion in ninth grade.” Steven did a double take. “Nah. You’re messing with me right?” “I wish,” I sighed. Another pin. “Did you know…” he began. “Did you know that Sam liked you when we first went out?” “No. I’m sorry though, I didn’t want to ruin your friendship or anything.” His hand clasped mine and he whispered, “you made it worth it.” The only thing I can come up with is a dumb, “what?” “I love you, Star,” he tickled my ear as he kissed my cheek. I breathed, calming my love crazy, speeding heart. “I… I love you so much, Steven.” I turned to look at the space where his green eyes would be. Touching his cheek, I said it again. “Will you marry me?” I could feel his smile, his hope, his protection by his breath. “I wouldn’t want anything more,” I confessed. “A million times yes, Steven.” We had had our own reserves, our own walls, but they crumbled deeper then. All that was left of those ugly walls were arches with their own beautiful carvings marking our future, trust, and love.

Draya didn’t bother to turn on the lights on in her bedroom as she could see perfectly well in the room, and I didn’t need light to navigate the room. I knew that room like the back of my hand I could walk through blindfolded. I sit down on Draya’s king size bed and Draya sits beside me, putting her arms around me. “Maybe we should break in those new outfits Haley got for us.” She’s suggested. “No, I’m not in the mood.” I say. “Well then maybe we can just cuddle and watch She-Ra.” “Cuddles yes but no She-Ra.” “You are saying no to She-Ra? Now I know something is wrong. Please tell me what’s bothering you?” “It’s nothing just something Ruby said.” “Did she say something to upset you?” “No.” “Really? Because if she did…” “No, it didn’t upset me, but it did raise some questions.” “What kind of questions?” “Questions about why we haven’t discussed the possibility of me becoming a vampire? And if you ever planned on discussing it at all?” Draya was silent at first then her arms wrap around me a little tighter and she pulled me closer “I have been putting this off for a while now. I guess I was worried about how you would react to it.” "Did you think I would react badly?" "I don't know, but every time I contemplated telling you I would think about the last time I made this suggestion to someone I cared this much about, and it nearly destroyed what we had and then I start to question and doubt myself and put off this conversation."
I was pretty sure she was talking about Shaylyn and although I was curious, that was a story for another day. “Well, we’re talking about it now so you can ask me and then I can give you, my answer.” "Alright..." she said taking a deep breath before continuing "Darling I have been meaning to talk to you about this for a while; I never thought that I would ever find someone like you, someone I wanted to spend eternity with, but the thing is you are human, and humans don't live forever so what I am trying to ask is would you consider eventually letting me turn you into a vampire?" "Draya, I love you and on the one hand an eternity with you is everything I could ever want but on the other hand I think we both know it's not that simple this isn't like you are just asking me to move in with you or something similar it's even more than a lifestyle change we're talking about an entire change in species here so I might need a little time to really give it some thought before I make my final decision. Although I am heavily leaning towards yes." "I completely understand. This isn't a decision the be made rashly and I was going to suggest you take some time to think about it...had you immediately answered yes." I smile glad and relived that we had, had this conversation. "Feeling better?" Draya asked placing a kiss on my shoulder. "Yes, much better I am Glad we talked about this" "So are you still not in the mood or has that changed?" "Could we watch the last three episodes or season three of She-Ra then we can breaking in the new outfits." Draya smiled and hugged me even closer, and I felt something hard in my pocket pressing against my thigh and that's when I remembered the little velvet purple box, I had hidden in my pocket all day. Draya disentangled her arms from around me and went to retrieve her laptop which gave me time to dig the little box out of my pocket then scooched back on the bed until I was resting my back against the headboard and awaited Draya. Draya returned to the bed with the laptop and settled in beside me opening it and logging into Netflix "Ready?" she asked me the cursor hovering over the She-Ra episode. "Actually, first I would like to give you this" I say holding the box in her line of sight "I wanted to give this to you when we were alone, but with everything that happened this evening I nearly forgot" Draya took the box and opened it reveling the necklace inside with a pewter pendent shaped like two sideways interlocking hearts connecting like a figure eight so that it resembled the symbol for infinity nestled in the center where the hearts connected was a yellow topaz and an emerald right next to each other "It's supposed to represent love everlasting" I explained "It's beautiful...will you put it on me?" she asked me I smile taking the box from Draya removing the necklace and clasping it around her neck the pendant comes to rest just above her cleavage she glances down at it momentarly before looking at me "Thank you, my darling princess, I love it." she said her gaze filled with love and adoration "You're welcome I saw it awhile back and I had to get it for you" at my word a glint of something appeared in Drays eyes; I knew that look all too well and it made my heart rate quicken in excitement and anticipation.
"You think She-Ra could wait until tomorrow? And we can break in the outfits Hallie got us next time?" 'Well, I suppose She-Ra isn't going anywhere and if we wait to break in the outfits, it will give us something to look forward to." Draya smiled and began kissing me with intensity thus the start of what was to be a very Passionate, eventful and pleasurable night.

THE END next story is titled Thanksgiving

I think this might be the shortest chapter I have written for this series there might be like only one other chapter that is this short or possibly shorter but yeah, this one is not as long as most of my other ones

Sorry for any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors; not my strong suits.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this and let me know what you think with some feedback thank you💜🖤😃

I was terrified of the dark, Shadows dance and blackness swallows. In the cloak of night, My imagination breeds its sorrows, Create monsters that could be lurking unseen.

So I turned on a bright, flickering light, Pierces through the dark, Revealing what lurks in the shadows, And confirming my fear, For the monsters that were once of my mind, Are now tangible, and is ever so more haunting.

The light is far Scarier then the dark, So I’ll quickly hang up The words that I dropped on her floor Back into my dark closet.

Black night surrouds us as we walk silently through the quiet neighborhood. I can barely make out the features of Maisie’s face that the darkness has hidden.

I take the opportunity to keep my head to the right, staring at the side of Maisie’s face. Even in complete and utter darkness she’s so beautiful.

We pass a flickering street lamp, and I force my eyes to look away from her. Luckily she doesn’t notice my quick movment and we continue, still in silence.

A few yards away I see what I believe is a park bench, but in this darkness it might as well be anything.

“I love it here,” Maisie says as we stop in front of what now is clearly a bench. “I’ve never told anyone that.”

My heart starts gaining speed as Maisie’s dark figure turns to look at me. I can see the perfect blueness of her eyes, from day one I knew those eyes.

“Now you have,” I point out, smiling as if she could see me.

Maisie laughs quietly, falling to the bench. I follow her, wrapping my arms across my chest.

Maisie shifts around, sighing. “Do you beileve in second chances?”

Maisie’s question hits me hard. I have no idea how to answer to this. If I say yes she could get false hope, if I say no she could lose what little hope she may have left.

I part my lips, trying to find words. All that comes out is a small grunt.

“I think I do,” Maisie whispers.

“How do you know?” I blurt out, as the question enters my mind. “If they’re real.”

Maisie moves, I can’t see her but I think she shrugged. “I’m just going off of my life. What I was like a year ago, what I’m like now . . . What’s changed me.”

My words get caught in my throat. Is Maisie trying to tell me something? Or am I reading everything wrong?

“Last year I could barely get a word out,” Maisie sighs. “I had anxiety that told me what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. I had no say in my actions, or my words.”

Maisie turns to look at me, and I twist my head to look at her. Even in the darkness I can tell her eyes are on mine.

“But then I met you,” Maisie whispers, I can hear the smile in her voice, and it makes me smile. “I can talk to you . . . I trust you.”

“Good,” I say when Maisie pauses. “Cause my favorite thing in the world is talking to you.”

I see Maisie’s perfect smile in my mind as her hand slowly brushes agaisnt mine.

“You’re my second chance,” Maisie says as her fingers wrap around mine.

I squeeze her hand gently, my heart racing in my chest. I want this . . . I think I need it. But I can’t let Maisie fall for me, I’m the one that killed her mother. Maybe it was a mistake to try and fix my mistake.

I pull my hand away, standing up. “Maisie . . . I . . . I forgot my brother needed me home . . . I was supposed to help with something . . . Sorry.”

Maisie stands as I start to walk away. I can see her face, the disappointment in her blue eyes, her fading smile. I killed her mom and now I’m not sure what I’m doing.

I’m doing all the wrong things but for the right reasons. And to say the least it sucks, all I want to do is be there for Maisie, and I can’t.

TW: depressive themes, SA, implied domestic abuse, alcohol

I was a corpse beneath the shackles of my blanket, staring dead-eyed at the cracking ceiling. I knew I should fall asleep, soothe the part of my brain aching for its sweet escape. But I didn’t. It used to be a masochistic form of self-punishment - aching for rest, I would force myself to stay up until the early hours. Now, I wasn’t even sure if I remembered how to sleep.

My tired eyes slid from the ceiling to the bed next to me. My sister lay on the bed, her golden hair dusk-colored beneath the moonlight. Her eyes fluttered slightly , and then jolted open. Her black eyes stared straight at me.

“You’re awake?” she whispered. Her voice wasn’t groggy at all.

“So are you.” I replied.

She sighed. A long, drawn-out sound.

“It’s too quiet at night,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “It…doesn’t feel right.”

We both lapsed into silence, remembering the chaos and rage that used to fill our house with noise even at night. Now, our mother drifted in and out of rooms, a ghost. Me and Sam, echoes of ourselves.

“But,” I started, hesitating. “Doesn’t it feel…better, like this?”

“Better?” Sam asked, looking at me.

“Dad, he used to… it was worse back then, wasn’t it? Before he died?” I was almost pleading with her, guiltily.

“He was our dad.” Sam replied.

She was silent for a beat. My heart swelled in my chest, strangling me.

“But,” she exhaled. “It is better.”

Suddenly, I could breathe again. This meant something, this had to.

“Do you know…” Sam looked away from me. “He used to come during the night. Sometimes, when he was really drunk. He used to… tell me how much he loved me. How much he cared about me. How proud he was that I was his daughter.”

Sam laughed then, an empty sound. A dark pit formed in my stomach.

“I was so stupid. I remember how his praises filled me, made me think I was worth something… and while he said all of that, while he called me his lovely child… he would touch me.”

A visceral feeling seized me then.

“It was my fault, Sam.” I stared straight into her hopeless eyes. That feeling, a mix of primal rage and love - it was the same thing I felt when I watched him choke on his bile, watched the tears fall from his eyes as he gurgled and clawed at his throat. “I could’ve helped him. I didn’t.”

Sam was still staring at me. She didn’t look sad, or relieved, or surprised.

Her eyes slid back to the ceiling, devoid of life. I watched her desperately, felt the secret leave me like a vital organ being removed. I wanted her to say anything, everything; I wanted her to comfort me just as much as I wanted her disgust.

“Go back to sleep, Toni.” was all she said.

Some things are easier to say in the dark Or over the phone Or never at all

Some things are easier to say behind backs Like, “I wish you’d call me back” “And I love you dumbass”

Some things you hold tight to your chest ‘Cause they’ll just laugh And they’ll never say it back

Some things are easier said than done Like asking you out Or saying “you’re the one”

Some things are easier to not do at all ‘Cause some things Just aren’t meant to be

This one is going to hurt…

Some things are easier to say in the dark. It’s where I do all my thinking. My best thinking.

Some things are easier wrote than said. How is it that I can write about it all… But when asked, I can’t say it? Why can’t I tell anyone straight?

Some are easier to show than say. Some things are easier to smile at.

No. I’m not okay. Thanks for asking.

No. I’m not happy. Blades are too close. Whispers are too loud. Thanks for asking, really.

It hurts me that I can’t tell you. I’m trying, I’m trying to be okay. I’m trying to find a way to tell you.

I know it’s hurting you, I do… But I don’t know how to stop it. I don’t know how to open up. And I’m sorry that I don’t.

I’m still your girl. Your wacky, twisted, horrible-humored girl.

I just don’t know how to tell you. I just don’t know how to slow it down. Mood swings, the voices, my past…

But one thing will stay the same; I still love you. Always.

“Some things are easier to say in the dark,” He started, “Easier to say because you don’t have to see the disappointment on anyone’s face if you said the wrong thing.”

“The wrong thing?” She questioned.

“Stuff like, I need help, or I can’t do it alone,” he paused, trying to hold back a sob.

“And why would that be the wrong thing?” She asked, once again confused as to what the boy ment.

“I don’t know,” he whispers, “It just always has been.”

“Well I think asking for help is a good thing.”

“I don’t think it’s bad either, but my parents think it means someone; usually me, is weak.”

“Well I think your parents are being stupid, being able to ask for help is really brave.”

At this he started to cry, “I’m not even brave enough to look at your face while telling you this, how could you possibly think that?”

“Because it’s hard to admit you need help and it’s good to tell others when you can’t do it by yourself, the people who tell you otherwise are the wrong ones.”

And with that all the walls the boy had built up crumbled as though they were saltine crackers as big fat tears rolled down his cheeks.

They just sat like that for a while in the dark the girls reassuring presence making the boy feel safe for the first time since he was 3.

I lie there, eyes wide open in the dark next to my beloved. He’s said good night, he’s turned his back. His breathing has become heavier, he’ll be snoring soon. If only it were so easy for me to fall asleep.

But I can’t, my mind’s reeling, my body is writhing. Im starved from touch. I desire him and his touch and his body. I’ve been counting the days since the last time we had sex or even just some kind of intimacy-42. But it’s the uncertainty. Sometimes it’s weeks, sometimes it’s months. Its the waiting.

I’ve tried everything.

I take a deep breath in. When i exhale, I want to say my piece. Then I think twice.

Things cannot just be said and left. They have to be reacted to. And once you've started, there's no going back. Long sleepless night ahead. Maybe if I can tell him about the times I’ve felt hurt then these thoughts won’t dance around in my head. They can be put to rest ; then i can move on from the rejection and just think about the love and the pleasure and be in the moment again like before, like in the beginning.

"I want you to desire me. Why do you always choose when we have sex? You just use my body. Why aren’t you attracted to me?”

"What are you talking about? Just go to sleep."

“Why are you even with me? You don’t even like me like that.”

“Shush! Go to sleep!”

My chest feels like there are splinters of glass coming out from my heart, pushing through into my chest. It hurts, it’s physically painful.

I have a choice now. Continue my point. Try and make him see how the rejection and his indifference towards me hurts me. Make myself heard. Or I can just leave it and let my feelings simmer inside me.

I choose the latter.

Tw Yes I’ve confessed before Made up secrets Told you mundane stories But This is my confession My final one This is my confession The one you must remember This is my confession Do you really want to know? I dare you I dare you I dare you to fucking listen Because life is so beautiful The sunny days Meaningless chatter The music I hum So begrudgingly Cause I don’t want it I don’t want this Do you not realise that? This is impermanence And life means nothing to me My words have faded There’s nothing left I’m done I’m done I’m done My will has left My rooms a mess Health it’s fucked I’ve given up Please god Take me back.