I put my car in park a few blocks from Rachel's. The city lights are bright, but as I walk east and the crime rates sky rocket, the lights begin to fade until all that's left is a single, flickering, lamp post.
Rachel is waiting for me in her bedroom on the third floor of a decaying apartment building, which I get to by climbing up the fire escape. Her parents don't exactly love me, because unlike Rachel, I live on the west side of town, which is the "richy" side, as Rachel would say. She smiles as I slide through the window and flop down on her bed tiredly. "Hi, Ley," Rachel greets me, getting up from her creaky desk chair. She has her wavy, blonde hair in a messy bun and is wearing sweatpants and a tee that says "Gold Cross Christian Academy", it's mine.
"Hey, Rach," I reply, finding her favourite soccer ball and throwing it in the air.
"You want to go on the roof?" she asks, standing and finding my hand to help me up.
"Yeah," I agree, knowing all too well what she's really asking me. I follow her back out on the fire escape and up to the rooftop. Rachel pulls her lighter and a joint from her pocket. "How's Jesus school?" she inquires, handing me the joint.
"How's public school?" I retort, knowing neither of us truly gives a damn about each other's other life. I lean in and place the joint in my mouth, holding it with my teeth, so Rachel can light it.
She falls silent and flicks her lighter open, letting the flame lick the end of my joint until it catches. Rachel is incredibly close to me, but soon the marijuana is in my mouth and I have to focus on the hit instead.
Knowing I have to drive home yet tonight, Rachel takes the joint from me and takes a drag herself. "It feels like school has been going forever..." she starts, looking out at the city lights in the distance.
I bump against her, my Sperries rocking as I regain my balance. "Cheer up, Rach, the weekend is almost here," I reply, my eyes locking on her petite figure. Having a joint always makes me think about Rachel in a differently, but I shrug it off and instead wrap my arms around my Abercrombie coat. It's a chilly night for September and I can only imagine how cold Rachel is in my school tee. Rachel takes another drag on the joint before stamping it out and shoving it back into her sweats pocket.
"We'll go to the Mountain this weekend, right?" she checks as we start toward the fire escape.
"Of course," I reply, heading down first.
The Mountain, is an acre of land in the hills an hour from here where there aren't "richies" or "scrappers"-- what the west-enders call the east-enders--, just people. It's a safezone where Rach and I can just be ourselves.
She grins at me and nods. "Righto," Rachel responds, hugging me when we reach her window.
"I'll meet you at Burnsley's around seven then," I tell her, hugging her back. "Good night, Rachel."
"Night, Leonie," Rach says softly, slipping back into her room.
