His Identity

Don't give up

"Where are you?!" Marlene threatened me from the other end of the phone.

"I'm fine. Can you calm down?"

"You said 'I'm fine' fifteen times for the last two minutes! Just tell me where you are!"

"I'm just shivering and alone-" I sighed. "I'm fine."

"I don't care whether you are fine or not!" the other girl snapped. 

I was having second thoughts on taking this call in the first place. "Mar, I can't hear you properly. Might be the reception. Curr... furr... currr... curr... I'm hanging up." 

I clicked the 'end' option. I wasn't lying though. The reception wasn't particularly good on the roof of this abandoned building.

I didn't head to dinner after Alec left me behind, in the corridor. I was aimlessly wandering through the tunnels, lost in thought, when I found myself on the same rooftop where Jett and I did morning practices. It's simply a habit that brought me here.

I paced along the edge of the roofline, peering down at the dark alley below. Evelyn, a girl who has a great fear of heights, was doing this. Some might think I have a death wish.

My head started spinning and I got a sudden impulse to throw up, deep down in my stomach. Maybe walking along a roof, overlooking fifty feet from the ground was a bad idea after all. 

That's when I saw a figure emerge from the end of the alley, running while awkwardly clasping his arm, looking as if someone had been chasing him. Through the dizziness, I watched him run and frowned. I leaned over the edge to get a clear view of the boy before he could disappear from the other end.

"WHAT THE HELL?" shouted a shocked voice mixed with anger. I was pulled back by the arm, a bit forcefully than necessary. It was Marlene. "Evelyn Carson, what were you thinking?"

"Did you see that boy?" I asked.

"What boy?" Mar leaned over my shoulder to peep, but the boy had already vanished.

"Nevermind," I muttered.

"Eve, what are you doing here? I know you are afraid of heights."

"Just..." I searched for words. I have no idea why I am here nor what am I doing. I took a seat on the roof, avoiding the question.

"I wasn't hungry? was bored? was having a death wish?" Mar rolled her eyes. "Don't make those silly excuses." She sat next to me on the roof and shivered. "It's freezing here."

I didn't say anything, but blankly stared at the distance. The night was eerie quiet if not counting the sound made by crickets. The city lights chased away the gloominess in the atmosphere. The sky abounded with twinkling stars. "It's quite peaceful here, isn't it?" said Mar, as if reading my thoughts.

"Hmm..." I nodded.

"Eve, what's wrong?" 

"Just..." again I stopped with 'just'. I scratched my bandaged hand, thinking of words.

"What happened to your hand?" Marlene looked concerned. She was giving me that look, like I was a lost puppy. 

"It got cut from a piece of broken glass," I declared. "Also Mar, don't scrutinize me with pity. I am not going through mental trauma or something." 

"You look like you are," she admitted.

"No, I merely want a break from ..." you? Alec? myself? everything?

"How about Netflix and ice cream? We could re-watch Squid Game-"

"I want some time to myself," I firmly acknowledged.