Mediocre Boulevard

e l e v e n

Cloud held my hand as he led me down the open street of the shitty town we lived in. There wasn't anybody out and if there was they were either cheating on their spouses or helping cheaters cheat on their spouses for a nice price.

His hair was blowing away from his forehead giving me a clear look of his face. He seemed happy and carefree. "We're going to be misfits around town. We're gonna lay in the street and find a shopping cart to ride around in. Sounds like the perfect date to me," he smiled.

Date? Was this a date? Damn it, Cloud.

"Oh," I mumbled before tightening my grip on his hand. This was different. Going with the flow.

We walked further into town until Cloud suddenly stopped and sat down. We were on the sidewalk in front of the playground. "I was kidding about the shopping cart. This is really what we're doing. Just hanging out with nobody around. Children don't usually come to playgrounds at night unless they're fucking creepy," he laughed as I nodded and laughed as well.

"We could have sat on the curb in front of my house like always," I told him as he pulled me onto his lap so that I was straddling him. I wrapped my legs around his back and my arms around his neck.

"Sure but I prefer absolute silence. I could hear your mother laughing from outside when I came to get you," he smiled. That was true. My mother was loud when she was watching television.

"True," I whispered. Cloud nodded and kissed me slowly. I was sure that by now he knew that I enjoyed kissing him. That I enjoyed having him hold me and kissed my neck.

"Cloud," I moaned before pulling him closer. It was the first time I'd moaned his name and he showed his appreciation with a loud groan. Things were getting heated and I couldn't find it in myself to stop.

"So beautiful, Charlie," he whispered before sticking his hand up my shirt. I nodded and connected our lips again. I didn't care if Cloud touched me under my clothes. For some odd reason, I felt that it was his right to touch me. That my body was in a way his.

"You are absolutely fucking mine," he growled before grabbing my neck. I hadn't seen this side of Cloud. He was usually bubbly. Almost, like a teenage girl; a rainbow.

"Yeah," I nodded even though I didn't know exactly what that meant. His as in his girlfriend? His as in company for the moment with no interruption. Hell if I knew.

We made out and explored each other's upper bodies for as long as the streets light didn't flicker. When they did Cloud suggested that we walk home because when he'd looked at his phone and seen that it was almost 2:00 AM.

My mother was probably worried about me but then again this wasn't the first time I'd been out in the middle of the night and she's seen me leave.

Cloud held my hand as we walked back towards our neighborhood. It was then that it occurred to me that Cloud and I had never really gotten to know each other.

"So, where are you from?" I asked making him turn his head towards me in somewhat surprise.

"I uh, I'm from Florida," he responded. I had to laugh. A pale boy like Cloud from Florida? Unbelievable.

"What?" He asked looking down at me. I shrugged and decided to ask another question. "You said you moved here because you're different from the usual crowd. What happened back in Florida?"

He tensed up and took a deep breath, "There was this guy who lived next door and he accused me and my friends of breaking into his house. Said we he stole some junk. It was all bullshit. He was just a racist shit who got upset because my best friend is black and I'm white. Told us that a proud black man would never be friends with a group of crackers. How fucking ridiculous is that? What the fuck does skin color have to do with whether or not I can find a connection with someone?" He explained. Cloud seemed bothered by the subject. Racism.

"I wish someone would tell me that we couldn't date because of skin colors. So fucking stupid," he continued.

I never thought about our skin colors. I never thought about the fact that Cloud was white and I was black. It just didn't seem to matter until he brought it up.

"Have you spoken to any of your friends since you've been here?" I asked wondering if he had been completely ripped away from his old life.

"Yeah. I just spoke with one of the guys yesterday. I miss them all the time but I'd rather be with you. I don't have to fight for anyone's attention and you're honest as hell," he told me.

I nodded even though I hadn't been as honest as I used to be. Not with myself at least. It was as if I was split into two people. One that wanted to be with Cloud and one that knew I wasn't the kind of person to be in a relationship. To entertain company.

"What about you? I've met your mother but I've never seen your dad," he asked making me swallow loudly. I never talked about my dad because he never wanted anything to do with me.

"I never met him. My mom said he was some guy she met at a concert. They fucked and he didn't want anything else to do with her," I admitted knowing that I would be alright talking about a guy I'd never met. How could I miss someone I'd never known?

Cloud nodded his head and stopped us in our tracks. "I'm sorry I asked. That was shitty of me."

I shook my head and gave him a small smile, "It's fine. I would have done the same if you didn't have one of your parents around."

We started walking again and it was then that I realized we were almost home. It had to be about half past two and I was beginning to get sleepy. Cloud seemed to notice as he leaned down to kiss the side of my head.

"Let's sleep at my place," he whispered before leading me towards our neighborhood.

I wasn't familiar with the feeling being around Cloud gave me but I did know that sleeping next to him made that feeling scream inside of me.