Winchester High| 16+

Chapter 9: Refuge

We finally arrived to the destination. We were many blocks away from the school at this point, and even further away from my house. We were by the water at this dock-like area. We parked above it, so we had a view of it all.

"The docks?" He said, putting the car in park. There was no other place I loved as much beside my bedroom. We got out and shut the door behind us. The cold wind went right through my hair, and it smelled sort of fishy.

"You see those two buildings over there?" I came over to his side of the car, "they're abandoned."

"Nice." We looked at each other. The sun made the hints of his eyes glimmer.

We started walking down the big steps that led to the docks. I probably looked pretty moody with my hands in my pockets, and all, because Carlos swooped me up with his arm and held me by his side. He was pretty perceptive. But, I was only doing it because my fingertips were cold and I hate the texture of gloves. Anyhow, it helped.

"You're a wonder." I said facing forward, hoping he didn't think I was mocking. But he was probably smiling.

We came to the buildings that doubled in size once we got closer. There were two of them. One huge one, right in your face, then a smaller one to the left, sort of in the back. The little one was where we were headed. The whole lot was surrounded in barbed wire. They had the big, industrial ones in the front, but the ones on the side were more casual.
I explained it all to Carlos as we walked along the side of the fence. There was this part where a guess some cargo couldn't stand its own weight, and just collapsed right on the fence and ripped straight in to the thing.

"How did you find this?"

"I wander a lot." I responded,

"What do you mean?"

"Walking. It's not cryptic." I said, apologized being snappy. He didn't care.
I demonstrated the best way to get over the rubble to get inside. Carlos followed behind as I headed to the smaller building.

"Lux Co." Carlos said out the blue. Then I figured he was reading the side of the building. Probably reading all the no trespassing signs too.

"It was some furniture place." I explained

"And they just left it all?"

"I guess. Well, nobody's come back since I've been coming here."

"How long have you been coming here?"

"Nearly just as school started."

"Neat."

We got to the building and while looking at it from below only then realizing, or re-realizing, its size. Carlos led the way and held the door open for me which I was found funny, since he didn't know what was inside.
It was still light out, but nearly sunsetting, as light leaked through the skylight. It was an odd shaped building from the inside with one of those slanted roofs. And it was massive.

"Wow." Carlos said, strafing around the edges of the large colosseum sized room we were standing in. He was twirling with excitement. I wanted to giggle.

"I think it's a warehouse." He said, and he was right. The only thing here was the excessive amount of furniture that was stacked atop each other. A nivisphobia  inducing pile of wooden desks that lay in the center. The stark arrangement of school desk chairs that sat in front of the back exit doors.

"I can see why you like this place!" He started runnning, "couches!" And coaches there were, loads. Some stacked in sky-high towers and some not, with all different sizes, colors, and textures.
Carlos ran over and went and sat on one of the damn things. Dust flew around him, igniting a prolonged coughing fit which got me on my feet quickly to get him off the couch.
Eventually, his coughs dwindled into a laughter and I joined in.

"What an amazing place!" He ran again and kicked his feet in the air. I got a kick outta that. He ran in a circle and came back to me. He looked me, making me realize I forgot I was smiling. Then, he got to sitting down and patted the floor and when he did, so I sat too.

"Was it worth the drive?" I asked.

"Definitely" He answered. I could cry. I was pretty dramatic when it came to crying.

We talked for a while. I asked what he usually does after school, since I felt bad for dragging him here. He said besides basketball he works at this restaurant his older brother owned. He said one day he wants to be a cook. Then I asked if he'd make me something when we're older. He agreed.
He said he 'only' had 2 siblings. I reacted strangely to 'only'. Then he told me besides his older brother he had a little sister, and that she was all rainbows and butterflies and such. I pictured them coloring together.
We talked some more about some pretty random topics, getting up and walking around some too. He said since he came to Winchester it's been 'okay', I told him that he's got that down packed.
Eventually, after we took our laps we laid back down where we were before, and kept talking. All we did was talk.

Without realizing, the sunlight that pierced into my refuge began to crimson.

"I need to go home." I spoke, worried.

"We can't stay here forever?" Carlos said. We were on our backs at this point.

"Sadly, no." I leaned back up and Carlos came up to meet me.

I felt whole. He held eye contact for so long, I feel the sun go dimmer.

"I guess now would be a good time as any."

"Too wha-" I began. It was pretty dramatic. Our lips touched, and wouldn't part for a while. Carlos cascaded my back and neck with his hands sacrilegiously, as we did so. It was tango I was quite unfamiliar with, but to my surprise, I held up with perfect sync to Carlos' movements. At this point, I had him pinned, and we wouldn't stop, but it's not like we wanted to.

We stopped eventually, I guess when we realized we couldn't breathe, and I got off Carlos.

"This place is a secret by the way." I said, springing up. I felt like a new man. You couldn't tell me different. I nervously adjusted by hoodie strings.

"Yeah, well. We'll be back." The corners of his mouth tilted. I wanted to pounce on top of him again.

I wanted to rid my mind of my heinous thoughts at least before I went home. I'd like to have the choice rather than having my joys ripped away from me without my consent. Granted, I'd rather not go home at all.

Carlos and I went out the same way we came, back into the car. The water glistened a violet hue which complimented the grand finally of the sunset. It was fantastic. Before it all disappeared I reached over the back seat and pulled out my camera.

"Good shot." Carlos said beside me.

Click!

And it was.

We drove our merry way all the way to my block and we arrived at my birthplace.

"You did great." I said sarcastically.

"Oh, really?" Carlos jested back as I went out the car. He pulled down the windows to say goodbye.

"Tell me what happens with this whole graffiti thing."

"I will, thanks." I turned and started walking to the door. At this point, it was below freezing. And I wanted to leave quick before he noticed my racing heart beat. I couldn't wait to continue where we left off. I was grossing myself out at this point.

"Wait! Come back!" He said and I did so.

"You forgot your bag." My mind was definitely altered. Carlos reached behind the front seat to get my back and his arms look sculpted. DaVinci. Although, they were so very regular. I reached forward to grab it, but he pushed himself out the window just enough to land a single kiss on my cheek. I felt like a 50s housewife that just wanted to twirl and defend my skirt from the wind.

Amongst the bustling city ambience I could hear a suck of the teeth right above my head. It was Malik in the window, just before going back inside. I looked back at Carlos who saw.

"Bonehead." Carlos said, finally. I took a step back on to the pavement when he skirted off. We smiled a goodbye.

"Yo, come upstairs." Malik said overhead, who was apparently still there. There goes my night.