DNA

Everyone in the group was 18 now. The field behind the woods was silent except for the distant sound of traffic. Leah sat on an old concrete block, kicking at the dirt while the others argued. Leah had joined the group only a few months before. She wasn’t scared of anyone—not even Phil. Beside her sat her boyfriend, Jake. He was tall, sarcastic, and usually managed to stay out of trouble. Usually. Phil sat quietly on the ground, staring into space. As always, everyone eventually looked at him. Leah hated that. The others treated him like some kind of genius because he occasionally said something clever. Leah sat on the cold grass with her boyfriend Jake beside her. The atmosphere was tense, like it always was these days. Lou and Danny were arguing again. The group fell silent. Phil sat quietly as usual, staring at the ground. Leah hated how everyone waited for him to speak. A week later, the group met in the woods one last time. The sky was grey, and the air felt heavy. After everything that had happened, they all seemed tired. For months she’d watched the group fall apart. The shouting, the lies, the fear. It had consumed all of them.