comfort {complete}

23

"Why are you here?" I ask, furrowing my brows.

"I'm picking up Lo," he says, sitting down next to me and resting his elbows on his knees. "But I'm early, I think. She told me four, so I don't know, but— "

"Yeah, school ends at four-thirty, I don't know why she told you four."

"Oh. Well, since I'm here..." He smiles and raises an eyebrow. "What's up?"

"I'm just being overdramatic. What's up with you?"

"Nothing."

He hunches over his legs and draws circles in the thin layer of dirt on his sneakers. I'm considering pulling out my phone and writing, or maybe my laptop, but then he would see what I'm writing and I'd have to explain how it helps me—and I don't want to do that right now. So instead, I turn to him.

"How are you and Lois so close?"

"We've been through a lot. Our parents are both kinda shitty people, and we've lived with them for the past—forever. I have my own apartment now, so Lo is pretty pissed that I've abandoned her, but she'll join me after graduation next year, I guess," he says, shrugging. "And I'm not around a lot because of school. But we love each other, and we understand the things we've both been through."

"My siblings and I just fight and scream all the time," I tell him, tucking my legs up against my chest. "About completely irrelevant things. It's ridiculous. We're ridiculous."

"I wish I had more legitimate siblings. It seems so fun."

"It's not. They're loud and annoying, and oh my God, I have to share a room with my thirteen-year-old sister— "

"Isn't she your favorite?"

"Yes, but she always wants to talk about boys, and I really don't want to talk about boys— "

"But isn't it your job as her sister to be willing to talk about boys?"

"Probably, but this one boy and I had a rough past and I prefer not to talk to or think about boys," I explain, running a hand through my hair.

"I'm a boy," he reminds me, knocking his shoulder with mine.

"Yes, but you're safe," I tell him.

He smiles at me, eyes twinkling like little diamonds, and rests his head on my shoulder for just a second before he lifts it and keeps talking.

a/n: i feel like it's too early for physical affection but i mean; head on shoulder isn't bad, so i'm gonna leave it. plus, it reminds me of "is there somewhere" so. OH MY GOODNESS--i can't stop listening to "i hate u, i love u" by gnash, feat. olivia o'brien. it is lyrical and musical genius and i want someone to sing it at my funeral.