Beneath the Surface

Chapter 31 - When the stars align

The air is damp in my room, laying on my bed next to Joseph we are watching the hunger games in his laptop. Dinner was finished half an hour ago.

The time is a mystery to me, sensed by the darkening athmosphere outside it can not be far of 8pm.

My attention shifts as soon as an ad pops up within the movie we decided to find on a weird site.

Sounds of rain clattering against the window can be heard, more rapidly is the clouds travel over our city. The air even darker now the grayness hangs ip above.

Joseph seems to follow my gaze, his head turned to look out the same glass window,its place located at the front of my house, first floor.

"Do you want me to pause the movie?", he asks in a soft tone of voice before I realise we're past the advertisements.

"No, you can go on, I just got distracted.", I answer before shifting back my attention to the screen, alight with the vibrant colors of the scene's background.

But he doesn't follow my words, instead shutting of his laptop and putting it aside before walking over to the window and opening it fully. The door completely to the side.

"Wanna smell the fresh rain?", he sais as he holds his one hand out the window as it catches the many droplets falling from so high above.

I nod, walking over to him and finding my spot opposite to him on the windowsill. He fiddles with his back pocket, I am not certain as to why exactly.

"Would you mind a quick smoke?", he then asks, revealing the packet of cigarettes in his right hand, holding out one between two fingers.

"Go on, if you promise I get one too.", and I neglect the fact both parents are home, the door not locked and the possibility of one of them finding me smoke a bit too high for my liking.

"Didn't expect that question coming from you.", his eyes a little wide after my answer. "I need it after last night."

He nods and hands me a cigarette, before activating his lighter to light the addicting stick, cancerous yet therapeutic in hard times.

"So about last night.", he starts and I am quick to listen closely, wanting to know more about him and his past, his present  and his problems.

"Do you have panick attacks often?", I decide to ask right of the bat, wanting the heaviest part of thd conversation to be over the quickest. I put the one end of the stick between my lips and inhale its contents as I wait for his answer. Blowing out the smoke, he throws his words at me and my ears react fast to catch them. "Not a lot, I'd say atleast once a week but not always this heavy. Sometimes I am just a little sweaty and out of breath, sometimes I start to recite phrases like last night.", I nod after every word, picking up the details in his behaviour so I know when it becomes too much.

He brings his cigarette to his lips, head resting against the window frame so it is facing upwards a little before he exhales the smoke, his dominant hand holding the smoking stick, hanging next to his side and inside my room. His gaze is focused on the outside, looking out the window into the darkening street, the lanterns only just turned on and shining a yellow glow on the concrete below.

"Does anyone know about it?", I say, now silent and my own body opposite side of the frame, also resting against the white plastic casing protecting the glass withing its frame. He exhales smoke once again before sitting himeslf of more straight, arching his back to correct his porture before helping his answer with his hand gestures. "My aunt does, and I think my dad does too but he couldn't care less, and then now, you know too.", his baggy white shirt hangs loosely over his body, the black and red checkered pj pants follow the length of his legs perfectly, I am wearing the same outfit, same pants same colored shirt except mine is sleevless, spaghetti straps on my shoulders instead of short fabric sleeves. My top is fitting, perfectly wrapped around my waist, clinging to me.