#bxnafide

          Sighing softly, Nick slipped his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and gave a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. He didn’t really have an excuse for what had happened during truth or dare, but he really hadn’t thought anything of it and he hadn’t been trying to hurt anyone’s feelings. It was just a game, and now Abi was upset and he couldn’t find where she’d ran off to in the woods. He’d spent a good twenty minutes searching and calling out to her before turning back to join the remaining bunch at the campfire.

            BENEATH   THE   SHARP   STING   OF   BETRAYAL,            there   is   an   understanding   that   𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚   𝙖   𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙢   𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙢,      attempts   to   soothe.               soothe   where   otherwise   he   might   just   blister   and   burn,      though   not   quite   with   betrayal   so   much   as   he   would   with   guilt.         a   guilt   that   hides   itself   cleverly   but   does   not   fail   to   make   itself   known   as   a   knife’s   wound   in   the   gut.            it   churns   every   time   he   pictures   𝙝𝙞𝙨   𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧’𝙨   𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚.            ultimately   the   fault   lies   with   caleb,      and   caleb   knows   it.               the   question   now   is,      does   ryan?            frowning   softly   at   the   other’s   visible   agony,      caleb   reaches   out   to   take   ryan’s   shoulder   in   his   hand—      𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩,      his   mind   says,      even   when   all   you   do   otherwise   is   cause   harm.         

           ‘ whoa, whoa, kid, this bad boy’s for the trees, don’t worry. ‘ the sight of a man billy’s size carrying a chainsaw would strike fear in most, but ryan seemed like the kind of kid who watched way too many scary movies. the chainsaw was held at his side as he shuffled to the storage shed, tucking it inside.

          ‘ you might’ve heard all that wind last night-- it knocked all sorts of stuff loose and i gotta make sure no branches fall and squish a fifth grader. ’

           ‘ ryan, it’s... i never wanted you to have to go through this. ‘ the night was inching dangerously close and he knew the transformation would be coming soon. he never wanted any of the kids to know, finding it better to just lock it all away where he wouldn’t hurt anyone else. that he let his family shackle him up like the wild animal he was.