2 kids

Death in the morning.

Alex.

I watch Ace slowly take off the headphones, place them around the mic and exhale deeply.

Ever since he's gotten into the booth I haven't taken my eyes off of him. Keeping a close watch on both him and the man.

He shakes his head, reaches for the headphones again, but never grabs them. His hand stays in the air, midway. After a while it falls to his side. He never lifts it back up; he lets it hang there. I thought it would happen sooner or later.

He turns around, opening the door. When he gets out of the recording booth, he doesn't glance at either me or the man. He just simply takes a water bottle, his phone and leaves without saying a word.

I sigh and turn to the man.

I was expecting him to be staring at the computer, not paying any attention to us. But he's actually looking at the slightly open door Ace just left behind him. As always, I can't figure out what's on his mind. But I know what's on mine – this was a stupid idea. Too much to ask from us, but he couldn't know.

I shake my head, not caring that I'm showing my disagreement with his methods, and leave to find Ace. Knowing he won't choose any place inside of this building I head to the rooftop. It takes me a while to find the door to it. This place is huge, and it seems to be expanding each day.

I find him sitting almost on the very edge. People might get the idea we like to sit there cause one day we'll jump off. Perhaps one day when the world gets too hard to handle, we will, but it's really more just a challenge. There's adrenaline pumping through your whole body. You know that one bad move and you're flying down. It's about you, how much strength you have to keep yourself alive, on the safe side.

Without saying anything, I sit down next to him.

If he wants to break the silence he can. If he wishes for us to sit in silence, we'll sit in silence.

"You know," he breaks it eventually. "I thought he was a dick, but not this big."

I want to laugh, choke out a dry laughter, but it'd be too fake and too hard, so I keep it in. I steal a glance at him, but his gaze's fixed on the tall buildings over for us.

"Maybe it's not his fault, though," he continues.

I still don't say anything.

"Maybe I just thought I was finally over it all."

I want to say something now.

"Will I ever get over it?"

I have no answer to that. It's the same question I asked myself standing in that booth.

"Is it ever going to come to an end?"

I gave up on that question a long time ago, yet somehow it still creeps into my mind every once in a while.

"Are we ever going to be able to escape our past?"

I wish.

"Or are we forever going to be the victims of it?"

We'd die if that'd ever come true.

"This is driving me nuts, Alex." He turns to me. "We're a damn band now, we debuted a year ago. I thought that would put an end to it. I thought pursuing this dream would.... I don't know what, but I thought it would at least cure something."

I still don't say anything. Even if I knew what to say I know he's got a lot on his mind now and he needs to let it all out. Holding those words buried inside of him for twelve years, only adding to the burden, he needs to let it all out.