Page 104 of The Scars Within
“You two haven’t hung out since the Burn Trials. Why?”
“Don’t change the subject,” I shot back.
She smiled, but her focus returned to the fire as she poked at the flames. “There’s no point wasting energy on negativity. No matter how much you hate something or someone, it won’t change your situation. Only you can do that. Change your mindset, change your life. That’s what my brother always taught me.” She paused, a small laugh escaping at the memory. “He said to look at things with a positive lens, even when all you want to do is punch the person in front of ya. And you know what? Ever since I started following his advice, I’ve just… been happier. Even on the bad days.”
“That’s easier said than done,” I turned my attention back to the fire.
“It’s not easy, but it’s worth it,” she added. “You have to wake up every morning and decide to be the person you want to be. You have to commit to doing the little things that person would do. Your negative mind will fight you, your inner demons will try to pull you back. But if you keep trying every single day, those demons will lose their power. Until they’re just… poof.”
She flicked her wrist, sending a small pebble skittering across the ground. The sound echoed through the cavern.
“So, you just… don’t have bad days?” I asked.
“Everybody has bad days, even me. But when I’m feeling down, angry, or upset… I go to my happy place.”
“Happy place?” I curled my legs up, wrapped my arms around them, and propped my chin on my knees. Even with the fire and my leather jacket, the chill was setting in fast.
“My happy place,” Laney said with a soft smile. “It could be an actual place, an activity, or something as simple as daydreaming. I love laughing with friends—that’s a place. I can get lost in a fantasy book—that’s an activity. And then there’s daydreaming—that’s me imagining my future bookstore-slash-plant shop.” She grinned wider. “Slash-coffee shop.”
I mulled over her words. It reminded me of what I do when I’m having a panic attack. I close my eyes and focus on my senses. What do I feel? What do I smell? What do I hear? Then I open my eyes and center on what I see. It grounds me, calms my anxiety—gives me a moment of peace to reset my mind.
It’s not a happy place, more like a darker, stressful version of one.
But maybe I could figure out what my happy place is…
“My rooftop,” I muttered under my breath.
“What?”
“My rooftop is my happy place.” As I said it, a warm, comforting feeling washed over me. “I love being up there, feeling like I’m on top of the world. And coffee. And reading… I really love getting lost in our fantasy novels.”
“There you go.” Laney wrapped her arm around my shoulders, and I leaned into her. “That’s your happy place. When you’re feeling down, when you’re pissed the fuck off or ready to cry, just go there. It’s yours, no one else’s.”
We sat there, embraced in each other’s warmth, until the fire started to die down. I added more kindling. Davis and Shayde were still perched at the cliff’s edge, quiet and mysterious but laid-back.
Laney broke the silence. “I need your help picking a name for the bookstore. You know, since you’re my business partner now and all. It has to be catchy. And punny. I love puns.”
“What do you have so far?” I asked.
“Well, I want it to be book-themed but totally unique. It’s not in the town square, but close. You take a left on the square’s east side and headstraight down that street. The alleyways I showed you are just a shortcut to avoid the crowds.”
“Left on…” I thought for a second.
“Left on Read,” she huffed. “That would be funny, like leaving your real life to read books. Oh!” She gasped, jumping up and turning to face me, her hands spread wide like she’d just had a revelation. “Left on Red. You—Scarlet—are the most unique person I’ve ever met. ‘Red’ could be a play on words, like your eyes!”
Her grin was infectious, and I couldn’t help but admire her creativity.
I glanced over toward the guys and noticed Davis patting Shayde on the back. They looked deep in conversation.
“I’m gonna turn in for the night,” I told Laney as I stood up and crawled into my bedroll.
“Goodnight,” she whispered.
I snuggled up, still wearing my jacket. I am grateful for the small fire but should’ve brought my winter cloak. Even with thick socks, my toes are freezing.
The exhaustion from the day must’ve hit hard because I was listening to the fire crackling one moment, and the next, I woke to the sound of metal clicking together. It was too cold to leave the warmth of my bedroll and check, but I could hear Laney’s voice, so I knew everything was fine.
“Let me try,” Laney whispered.
