A Rooftop Encounter (Short Story)

chapter two.

"W-what are you doing?" I asked nervously, once again rooted to the spot. It had been a mere moment since the two of us had been simply watching the sun set below the horizon and now suddenly Smitty had decided that she wanted to climb to a higher up position.

There was a small part of the building that was built slightly taller than the part where we were stood. So she thought it would be a good idea to try and clamber up there. I, however, was very reluctant.

It didn't look safe at all. There were only small metal poles jutting out of the wall that seemed as though they could break away at any second. My stomach was doing wild flips as I watched her scramble up with ease.

She was definitely fearless. Another quality I really liked about her. But there was also a thin line between fearlessness and stupidity. I wasn't sure whether she had crossed it yet.

"C'mon, what ya waiting for?" She laughed, standing up on the raised part and peering down at me. I didn't like how close she was getting to the edge. It was making me even more panicked because I would be totally helpless if she were to fall.

I didn't really want to climb up there either. I wasn't great at physical exercise at the best of times. However I also didn't want to be seen as a wimp. If she could do it, then why couldn't I?

"Err... right o-okay..." I stuttered, removing my hands from my pockets and taking a grasp of the first metal pole connected to the wall. It was freezing cold and caused an icy chill to shoot up the length of my arm.

I didn't like this one bit. Knowing that I could literally fall to my death at any given moment was really making this very difficult. I had to remain focused though. I wanted to prove to myself that I could be just as fearless as she was. I almost craved her approval.

Shakily, I moved my hands and feet up each rung individually. My breathing getting heavier as I did, but I wasn't sure whether that was down to the fact I was struggling to climb or the fact we were so high up. The air was thinner here and therefore meant it was harder to breathe. That's what I tried to tell myself anyway.

Eventually, I managed to reach the top and quickly swung my leg up so that I was awkwardly sprawled out on the roof. I then rolled over sideways swiftly, so that I wasn't near the edge and instead sat up. What I saw next was simply incredible.

The view seemed so much better from up here. The sun had fully set now and the night sky was a deep purple colour. It was totally clear as well, without a single cloud in sight, which meant I could see the thousands of glittering stars up above. Of course they were slightly dimmed by the amount of light pollution emitting from the city below us, but it was pretty nice all the same. I gasped in amazement.

"This is fantastic..." I breathed, my eyes moving to Smitty who was now lying on her back, staring directly upwards. I noticed how her eyes were glowing from the moonlight, almost like crystal balls. Her eyelashes were beautifully long too. I decided then that I liked her eyes a lot. They were pretty.

"It is, ain't it?" She smirked, "I used to come up 'ere when I was doin' over-time and couldn't be bothered to do ought... No one ever noticed."

I noted how much Smitty mentioned skipping work. It seemed that she did it quite a lot. It was as if she didn't take her job seriously, which was something I didn't like about her. But this was only because she was making herself miserable.

I don't think that it was a problem. You can't like every single thing about a person because everyone has their own choices in life. Everyone makes good and bad decisions. I guess Smitty just had a firm understanding of who she was and what she wanted to be. In actual fact, I wished I was more like her.