Midnight wanderer

Flashbacks

As Liv and Jake walked through the park the came to a set of very old wooden stairs, many were falling apart and termite infested but they trekked on anyway. As they were halfway up a stair broke under Liv's foot and she began to fall backwards. She had realized in this moment how terrible an idea it was and started thinking about what could have been done to prevent this. But as she was falling Jake grabbed her hand and pulled her back. He snickered, "Close one, hey?" She smiled back, "I wasn't even afraid, I was just testing your reflexes." And winked at Jake. He smiled and they continued on their way. When they finally made it to the top Liv realized she had no idea where they were but she trusted Jake and followed as he walked. Cars past and they could no longer walk in the middle of the road and both were not used to this. They walked along the sidewalk hand in hand until they came to an old school, no cars sat in the parking lot, no silhouettes of teachers preparing for students, no one had been here in what seemed to be years. But Jake continued towards it with Liv beside him. They walked around back and when no one was looking Jake opened a window that had seemed to be forgotten to be locked. They both climbed in the window and the desks were stacked along the wall. Nothing touched in years except a few chairs. Jake began to speak, "This is my old elementary school, sometimes I come here to think. It's been closed down for 8 years now." He to the ground and hung his head when he stated this. Liv moved close in, "Do you miss it?" Her voice was soft and calming, Jake looked up and sniffled. "Yeah, some of my most favourite memories were in these halls, these classrooms, I even miss being called to the principals room." His voice was low and his face was shallow. Liv wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled into his chest. "Tell me more." Jake wasn't sure what to say, no one in his life had ever asked about his past, he smiled softly, his voice still low but softer now he spoke. "Growing up my dad was never in my life, he was a stranger who's name I didn't even care to know." He took a breath not one to calm him but to ready his lungs for the talking he was about to do. Before saying the next thing he pulled out his pack of smokes and offered Liv one she took it, thanked him and lit it and also lit Jakes. After taking a drag he began again. "So not knowing my dad, the doctors diagnosed me with this thing called 'separation anxiety' or something stupid meaning pretty much I get very attached to people and when they leave I get very sad. The dad I grew up with was with me until I was about 5 and there from the moment I was born. He's still in my life but the doctors says that it makes my anxiety even worse. Y'know because He left, right. The doctors tell me all this stuff they never told me as a child at this school. The doctors appointments I went to when I went to school here involved a cold or something small. Now every visit is a prescription to help with my anxiety or the depression. My current step dad in my life has been with me for 12 years now and I know I'll never love him and I think it's because he's abused my mum. She means everything to me and all he does is hurt her. I have a separate prescription just for dealing with my  problems at home." He stopped and dragged his cigarette, he moved his head into Liv's shoulder and started silently sobbing. Liv patted his back and told him it was okay. He looked up, "This is what I'm talking about, I've known you for less than a day and I'm already worried you could leave." She looked at the window and thought about how easy it was to just leave someone. She reassured him, "I'm not going to leave, okay?" He stared at her with glossy eyes, "alright." He sniffled "Sorry, here I'll tell you a memory from this school I will never forget." He walked her around the school, past what looked like a childish chemistry lab, a computer lab with old dusty computers, past a few classrooms the doors all locked. Finally they made it to what seemed to just be an empty classroom, she noticed the posters and the animals playing instruments, the wallpaper had notes all over it, students hands all different colours also covered the walls. "This room was the music room." Jake announced with joy, "I learned how to play a recorder, xylophone and also a bit of guitar in here." He then took out a set of keys, "last time I came here I got into the principals office and found the old keys for the school." He took one and went over to a cupboard and unlocked it, he then pulled out an old xylophone and placed it on the ground. He took some sticks, Liv assumed these were used to play the xylophone. Jake then began playing a tune, it was slow and nice, but also very simple. "I learnt this in grade 3 and got to play a solo at a school Christmas concert, when I was finished everyone in the crowd, parents and siblings all stood up and clapped. This was essentially the beginning of my obsession with making music." He smiled and looked at Liv searching her face, she was bright and beautiful and quite. "Is.. Is something wrong?" Jake asked. "No, that's just beautiful." Jake smiled and so did Liv. Jake continued to play various tunes as Liv lit another smoke and they just sat laughing and enjoying being kids.