✺ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 ✺- Josh Kiszka

Part 34

Our ribs ached from laughing so hard as the four of us lay across the roof talking and joking. Violet and I kept our eyes trained up at the sky for a majority of the time, hoping to catch a glimpse of a shooting star that might zip across the sky. Even if Sam did pick fun at us for it, we kept our eyes up.

After some time we all began to grow quiet–silently enjoying the cold air and company of one another.

I felt Josh shift slightly next to me, the arm he had propped under my upper back slipped out from under me. I turned to face him as he propped himself on his now free arm and faced me.

"I think Violet passed out," He said barely above a whisper as he looked past my shoulder. I craned my head around to see Violet curled up against Sam, her back facing me and her side rising and falling in slow, deep breaths.

I laughed slightly and turned back towards Josh. In the dim light, I could see a light blush of red across his nose cheeks from the cold air.

"Can I show you something?" He asked, his eyebrows tilting up slightly when he asked.

I nodded in confirmation, expecting him to pull something from his bag when he picked it up but was a little confused when Josh shifted again and stood up quietly with his bag slung over his shoulder. I took his hand as he held it out for me, and stood up next to him.

"Are we going somewhere?" I asked with a hint of a smile.

Josh just shrugged in response, purposefully not answering my question. I followed as he led me towards the rusted door Violet and Sam had come through but stopped when he was standing to Sam's side.

"We'll be back in a bit," He said quietly while Sam looked up at the two of us. He flashed a comical smile.

"I'll let Violet know if she wakes up while you're gone," He replied.

"Thanks," Josh responded and we walked closer to the door.

"Don't have too much fun," Sam added with a snide laugh before Josh could open the door. My face went warm with embarrassment at his comment and I saw Josh shoot Sam an irritated look before opening the door. It creaked loudly as it had before and Josh grimaced at the sound.

The two of us slipped past it and entered the stairwell. Josh let the door close gently until it clicked shut. I turned back into the stairwell and looked it over. It was pretty dark, save for light glinting in through occasional cracks in the walls, and the few, small-pane windows at every landing.

Josh dug through his little backpack and produced the small black flashlight. He clicked it on and the stairwell lit up in a harsh white light.

"It's only two flights down, so we won't have to be stuck in here for long," Josh remarked as I followed him down the concrete steps.

"What's only two flights down?" I asked when we came to the next landing. Josh stopped and turned his head towards me and shot an accusatory look.

"One flight now," he stated flatly and began stepping down to the next landing.

I smiled to myself and shook my head but followed quickly behind.

We came to the next landing and stopped in front of the metal door situated in the center of the back wall. Painted in the center of the door was a large, 19.

"I think," Josh stated, examining the door as if there was anything else on it besides a chipping number and some dents. "I think this is the floor," he continues with an assured nod.

"You think?" I jested.

"We'll have to see," he added and began to push open the door. This door was almost completely silent and opened up into a carpeted hallway, pretty similar to the one we had stepped into when we entered the building, except much cleaner. It looked almost fancy as my eyes looked over the walls and floor.