topics. [discontinued]

parker

I sat down on my bed in an extremely uncomfortable position. I had my back against the headboard and my legs pulled up to my chest. I turned my head and looked at the alarm clock on my bedside table. It read 3:30 AM. I knew right then that it was going to result in yet another sleepless night. I shifted in my bed multiple times trying to find a somewhat comfortable position but every move I made only woke me up even more.

After my countless moments of tossing and turning in the bed sheets I finally began to take matters into my own hands. What is sitting in my room going to do? Nothing, that's what.

I pulled open the window with ease. I had gotten more than used to this simple escape plan. My legs got themselves over the opening, one after the other, until my feet finally hit the fire escape. A loud crash sounded through the night coming from the rusty platform. I squeezed my eyes shut hoping to god that no one heard the noise.

"Are you okay?" I heard a voice shout from above me. I walked to the railing then turned towards the building and looked up. I saw my friend, Liam's head poking out through his window curtains. I put my finger to my lips, mentally telling him to be more quiet. He made an apologetic face and mouthed the words "I'm sorry".

I beckoned for him to climb out his window as well and join me down the fire escape. He shot me a few hesitant looks before he swung his legs over the windowsill and landed on the fire escape making a much softer landing then I had made.

I trudged my way down the stairs and stopped once my feet met the rough pavement. I looked up to see Liam still carefully going down each step one by one until he was right by my side. He was heavily breathing after having to go down all those stairs. "What're we doing now, Parker?" he asked between pants, slight concern sounded in his voice.

"Stop talking before we get caught and just come with me," I said before grabbing his hand and pulling him down the sidewalk. After several seconds of me practically pulling him along the path, he yanked his hand away from my grasp and caught up to my side.

We walked together until I stopped myself in my tracks at a padlocked gate with a "No Trespassing" sign attached to it. I turned towards Liam and saw him give me a confused look. His confusion was replaced with anxiousness when he realized what my plan was, "No! No! No!" he whisper-shouted to me, "We are not breaking and entering! We'll get arrested!"

"It's more so just entering then breaking," I muttered and placed my hands at the top of the gate and pulled myself up, my feet lodged in small hole's in the fence. "Besides, it's not a crime if we don't get caught." I pulled myself up fully and sat with each leg on either side at the top of the fence. I reached my hand out for Liam to grab. "Are you coming or what? This gate is hurting my ass and I'm not sitting up here for much longer."

He crossed his arms over his chest and bit his bottom lip, pondering his decisions. Eventually he gave in and took my hand. I helped pull him up and we hopped over the gate, finally entering the area. "The things I do for you," Liam mumbled groggily.

I laughed and wrapped my arm around his shoulder, "You love me." He rolled his eyes.

While we were about to walk away from the gate, I heard a somewhat familiar voice shout Liam and I's names from the other side. "Shit," I mumbled. I turned around and instantly felt relieved when Liam said that he knew the guy.

"Will, what're you doing out here at 4 AM?" Liam asked as he walked up the fence that blocked him and Will from each other. "I could say the same thing to you," he chuckled. The two continued to converse until we turned our heads after hearing footsteps from down the gravel pathway.

"Will!"

"Zack?"

Great. Even more people. Silly me for thinking I'd actually get time alone with Liam.

Minutes went by where the three of them stood there talking about why they were actually here while I stood on the sidelines observing. I crossed my arms over my chest and stood there quite annoyed. They kept their conversation up before the boredom finally had hit its peak. "Guys!" I shouted over the noise of their talking, "Let's keep walking." They gave each other looks before following me down a cobblestone pathway.

It lead us to a somewhat abandoned park although it was still filled with trees and grass that still had the slight green color although mostly brown. I walked them over to one of the remaining picnic tables and sat down. I couldn't count on two hands how many times I had been to this place and sat at this same table. Words from my younger self were still engraved into the table's wood.

Liam took a seat next to me and the other two sat down opposite of us. I folded my hands in front of me and looked around at all of the tall trees; the feeling of nostalgia consumed. After some silence, Liam finally took the time to say something, "Why'd you bring me- us," he corrected himself, "here?" I sighed softly and shrugged my shoulders, my eyes removing themselves from the trees and returning Liam's gaze.

After a few minutes of observation, the four of us got deep into an effortless conversation about relationships, grades, going back to school, the people in it, and such. Not once did any of us feel any sense of exhaustion or mutter a yawn despite it nearly being sunrise.

"He hurt me... Bad. And I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive him," Will muttered. We had somehow got onto the topic of Jordan. He was telling of us about how the two of them had talked again. Apparently, Jordan hooked up with one of his close friends only hours after their breakup, but Will refused to tell us who that person was. Liam also accidentally mentioned the fact that Bee was pregnant with Jordan's child which didn't lessen Will's discomfort.

"You love him, though," I spoke up.

"I do, but all of me wishes that I didn't," you could almost hear his heart slowly tearing with every word.

"Well... I think that love is a weird thing," Zack began, "And it can make you feel weird things. But if you tell someone you love them, you two can become one weird thing. Together."

We all sat in dead silence before I eventually cracked and burst out laughing, causing everyone else to join me.

"But in all seriousness Will," I said after calming myself from the previous laughter, wiping a tear from my eye, "You don't choose who you love. And the things you're feeling are... well, they're special. You don't want that to go to waste," My vision shifted to Liam and our eyes connected for a split second before I turned back to Will, "You need to hold onto the people you love because in reality, they're really all you've got. And you might never feel the same way for someone again."

Will bit his lip and nodded. We all sat quietly, simply enjoying each other's presence. The sounds of birds chirping soon filled our ears and I turned around to see the run slowly rising at the horizon. I removed my arms from the top of the table and hung both of them by my sides, my hands pressed against the bench. I looked down to see Liam's hand sneaking closer to mine and a slight smile brought its way to my lips. I placed my hand on top of his and looked out as the sun continued to rise.

— R.L