lovely.

I

"What's this?" Belle picked up a letter from the desk.

"Oh.. it's nothing." Richie murmured hesitantly. It was something, just not something he had wanted to share with Belle yet.

Richie sprung up from his bed and snatched it from her hands. She flinched a little.

"Is it really that secretive? Why can't I know?" Belle crossed her arms.

"It's just... just drop it okay?" Richie said defensively.

"Okay. I'm sorry." She knew what happened when she pushed Richie's buttons.

It was beginning to rain, it never rained here. Belle rushed to the window, Richie behind her. Belle was going to stay the night at Richie's, they have been best friends since third grade. It's not often you see parents allowing two kids of different genders to sleepover, but Richie's mom knew Belle thoroughly.

There was a soft knock on the door to Richie's bedroom. His mother peeked her head through the opening.

"Why don't you two come out here to see the rain?" She suggested in a soft tone. Richie didn't like his mom much, he really didn't like his family in general. No specific reasons, he just didn't.

"No thanks, Mom." He didn't even look in her direction. Belle just smiled, not wanting to cause any problems.

"Okay hun." She lightly shut the door.

Belle waited a moment before saying anything. "What happened now?" She placed herself on the edge of the bed.

"Nothing new, really. Just.." Richie began to say.

"I get it." Belle nodded. She paused once again. "Are we going to the woods tonight?" Belle questioned in an attempt to change the bitter subject.

"Yeah, uh." "I can't stay in this house any longer." Richie replied.

"Good." The conversations between them always seemed awkward at first, but they were no strangers to that.

"Are you ever going to tell me about that letter that you seem so protective over?" Belle was playing with a loose thread on her jeans.

"You're never going to drop that, are you?" He smirked. They both started laughing. That seemed to break the barrier of awkward conversation.

"Well, you've got me intrigued now!" She pointed at him.

"Gah! If you're that persistant.. I'll tell you at the woods." He offered.

"Deal." She grinned.

Richie and Belle were the kind of friends that could go months, years even without seeing one another and meet up again pretending they never spent a day apart. The pair never really fit in anywhere, not at school, not at home. That's how they found each other. Two misjudged, lonely souls coming together.

Some time had passed, Richie didn't wish to attend dinner, so Belle followed his lead. Rich's mother didn't question it, she was most likely occupied by the workload that are his siblings.

The same soft knock landed upon the door again, a few hours later. "Goodnight." His mother beamed.

"Goodnight Mrs. Petrillo." Belle smiled back from the desk chair, fiddling with a pen. Richie barely batted an eye. The door shut again. The two friends exchanged a likewise look of mischevous.

They both bolted up synchronically. Belle threw on her dark blue zipper hoodie, Richie didn't bother with a coat. They always kept their shoes in his bedroom in an attempt to not wake the rest of the house to get them later on. Belle slipped on black converse, Richie, white ones. Belle backed up behind Richie to make room for him to open his window. He cracked it open, pausing to see if his mom heard. He nodded once, ensuring no one heard. He assisted Belle out first, then he was right behind her.

"All good?" He said halfway out, she was standing in the muggy grass.

"Yeah."

When he finally got out, he reached back up to shut the decrepit window. His room was luckily on the first floor, making it easy to get out. He tripped over an undone shoelace, reluctantly, his unsuspecting fall was broken by soft, mushy grass.

"Great." He said sarcastically, brushing himself off.

"Wow. Graceful." Belle held in her laughter.

"Shut up." He didn't hold his in. They both meandered onto their usual trail, sharing amusement.