Rising Smoke

|1|Ascent

This story begins in a building worth more than 2 billion dollars on the 81st floor, the very top floor. A young boy of hardly sixteen sits next on the arm of a chair more expensive than a small car. His eyes examine the people and automobiles going about their business down below.

"You know, today seems like a good day to be in there, not out here." A brunette with tall stiletto heels says entering the room from an office.

"Lucy!" He says in a quiet enthusiasm as he stands from the chair. "I didn't know you were here." She smiles and goes to hug him. "Why didn't you call me?"

"I guess I was just a bit pressed on time, what with the flight here and all." She looks out the long windows. "Besides you could've called me too, Xavier."

"I just didn't want to ruin your week."

"Your dad is dying." She says wearing a confused face. "I'm here for you."

"Yeah...I know. But it's just that today of all days I wanted to be alone."

Her smile grows and she turns looking into my eyes. "I just thought I'd drop bye, make sure you were doing well."

"Yup." He says looking down allowing himself to lose his posture a bit. "I'm swell." He smiles and looks through his glossed eyes back outside. "It's just...it's a lot."

"I know," Lucy says touching his shoulder, "I just needed to make sure." She slowly walks to the elevator.

"You came all the way here for that?" Xavier says coldly.

"Well yes."

"You're not going to stay around town for a few days? You just came to say hi and then ditch?"

"Pardon me?"

"You're pardoned, go ahead."

"I'm sorry, what happened to 'I'm swell'?"

"Nothing." He smiles. "I'm just swell."

She turns back to the elevator.

"Next time you want to come visit, I hope it's for more than to ask how I am."

She stops turning once more. "I'm sorry about your father." She says smiling.

"He's not dead yet." He says as she walks to the elevator.

He walks back to the small chair and sits improperly again. A small cab crashes into another as it turns. A woman hops out of her cab and starts to yell at the other cab driver and though Xavier can't see what she's saying he knows it's not polite.

"Lucy, wait!"

She turns with a dark look on her face. "What?"

"Would you stay?"

"Stay here?" She chuckles. "Right now?"

"Yeah, the building is big enough isn't it?"

"Well yeah, but it's not that."

"What?"

"Seriously?" She walks closer. "Really Xavier?"

"Well you can be elusive or you can tell me."

"Your dad is dying and you want a one night stand!"

"That is NOT what this is!"

"What do you want then?!"

"A friend." He says calmly. "I want a friend."

"Go buy one." She turns away. "God knows you have the money for it."

"What the h*ll is your problem?!"

"You have never wanted a relationship!" Lucy yells. "Things start going the right way and you break them off!"

"I know. I know that, okay? I don't think you understand what being in a relationship with me really means." He calms down a bit.  "When my dad dies I own all of this, starting probably today I'm going to own all of this, and I'm going to be responsible for all of this. You know people have held guns to my father's head? My mother's head? My head?" Xavier looks down. "You do realize that even if we are just friends you are still at risk."

"Then what difference does it make?!"

"If you get killed and we're dating then that's on me." He looks up and sighs. "But if you get killed because you hang around here too much then it's your fault for not leaving."

"I don't get it, you said you wanted a friend, then asked me to stay here. Now you don't even want me near here?"

"You're right, I shouldn't have tried to keep you here with the offer of being my friend."

She stares silently at Xavier in shock.

"You can go."

"So you have no interest in a relationship with me?"

"I-"

"If you don't want me to be here then you need to have security remove me." She says daring him. "If you do it then I'll leave and that will be that. But if you don't then I'll stay."

"Fine." He says. "Stay. But if you end up face-down on cement and covered in blood then it's on you."

"Fine."