Ruby Fridays

Chapter 25: Taste

Warning: R18+

━━━━━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━━━━━

N O W P L A Y I N G

» [ Strawberries and Cigarettes - Troye Sivan ] «

0:01 ─〇──────── 3:21

⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

━━━━━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━━━━━

───── ❝ K I L L I A N  W I L D E' S P O V ❞ ────

║ Gregorian Calendar ║ 01 - 13 - 2027 ║

║ Wednesday║ Class Day ║

"Mind if you light me up, too?"

I asked as I approached Ruby on the rooftop. The sun had set hours ago, leaving only the pale glow of the half moon and a few scattered streetlights below. It's past midnight already and the dark forest lay beneath us, a sea of blackness under the pale moonlight. 

Ruby turned to face me, in surprise as her newly-lit cigarette was still sitting between her fingers. And although her features were barely visible in the darkness, I see her lips curling into a sly smile as she took in my figure.

"I didn't know you smoke," She replied, her voice smooth as velvet in the darkness. I approached her, as she eyed me curiously, the night air felt heavy with anticipation. She sat at the edge of the rooftop, silhouetted against the inky sky as she exhaled a plume of smoke. 

I shrugged and walked closer holding out my hand, "I don't. But tonight, I feel like trying something new," I spoke softly but my voice still seemed jarringly loud in the stillness.

The school building loomed large, but above it all was the inky black sky, dotted with stars. As my foot hit the top rung, I pulled myself up and over the edge onto the roof. The sound of the wind rushing through the leaves of the forest that surrounded the school filled my ears. 

The trees stretched as far as I could see, their branches swaying in the darkness like long, spindly fingers reaching up towards me. Somewhere within that forest, an owl hooted, the sound echoing eerily. The shadows the trees cast seemed deeper, more ominous at night. 

I sat down next to her, our shoulders almost touching as my legs went dangling over the edge of the roof, and my blue jeans and black hoodie create a contrast of the thrill of being somewhere I wasn't supposed to be, mixed with the stillness of the night, creating an atmosphere thick with potential. 

Anything seemed possible up here, away from the rules and routines of the everyday. I felt alive, my senses sharpened by the darkness and the promise of the unknown forest below. 

Together with Ruby, we stayed still like that, almost lost in a few seconds in the air that passed. Yet, after a moment's hesitation, she pulled out another cigarette from her pack and handed it to me, her fingers brushing mine for a lingering moment. 

I placed the cigarette between my lips and leaned forward as she lit it up, our eyes locking. I took a long drag, exhaling slowly as the smoke swirled around us.