When the World Goes Cold

Chapter 5

The desk groaned as another chair was loaded on it, finishing the makeshift tower of furniture, with the bookshelf as the base.

Collecting and then adjusting half a ton of solid wood left my hair as thin blonde clumps in front of my eyes, and my wrists pulsing from the strain even after I stumbled back. Judging by how hard they were breathing, Atlas was just as tired.

The short curls on the side of their head stuck out like ferns, and their bangs looked even worse, with one side grazing their brow and the other half near touching their hairline. With the hot flush clinging to their cheeks, they looked like a child who'd just gotten an unwanted haircut from their older sibling. That was how Sam looked, at least.

"Whatcha smiling for?" they asked.

"Your haircut."

Once again, they pressed their hair down, only for it to stick back up when their arms dropped and they tied their flannel around their waist. "Okay, but—" They huffed. "At least I have a hairstyle."

"Mine isn't uneven."

"I bet it is, and that's why you always have it tied up."

Arching an eyebrow, I readjusted my hair tie to push back the strands which had fallen out, watching how their face lit up with anticipation and then fell when they realized I wasn't caving.They pointed an accusing finger, though their voice held more disappointment than confidence. "See! You won't even take it down now. You totally fucked up your hair too."

I couldn't stop a chuckle.

Atlas groaned. "I can do things myself. Look, I did my own piercing."

Following their gesture to the side with the long bangs, two silver bands wrapped around the edge of their ear. One ring was encrusted with clear gems, and the lower one had dips from where crystals had once been but picked out.

"Looks cool."

"You really think so?" A deaf person could've heard the hope in their tone.

I nodded. "I like that they aren't the exact same."

The redness drifted away from their cheeks, split by a soft smile, and their eyes dropped to the floor.

"Thanks. Yours is cool, too. I used to really want a lip ring, but then I realized it'd get in the way. Like, if you drink something hot, won't the metal burn your mouth? Or if you're kissing someone, they'll feel it press on their mouth."

"You can pop it out whenever."

"But that's not cool." They shook their head. "Besides, I've already settled on what I really want."

"Which is?"

"An industrial piercing. They're so sick."