Darkest City

Chapter 7.

For a convenience store named 24, because it's supposedly open twenty-four hours, for as long as I've worked here I can recall on one hand the amount of times it has stayed open for twenty-four hours. Now is not one of them! I could tell by a block away the store was shut, none of the usual neon signs were lit up and by half a block away I could tell all the shutters were down.

Coming to a stop at one of the two picnic benches outside. One side was busted in with splinters pointing out, so I ended up seated with my back to the road. It was a quite night and this part of town wasn't known for its nightlife. So chances of anyone seeing me were slim, to my relief.

My bare legs on the cold wood sent goosebumps over my skin. The sky opened up above me, letting the heavy rainfall hit the wooden surface around me. Pulling my hood up to shield my face from the down poor, a number of ideas were running through my head what to do next. Going to Sarah's wasn't one; I'd rather stay in the rain than run the risk of seeing Mikey. Jade's was the other side of the city and even if I did get there, the chance of anyone waking up for me wasn't a definite. I could jump on the Line, the crappy subway that tries to pass for a transit system in this city. I would be out of the rain. Only problem would be the amount of people that would see me not to mention the homeless community also shear this thought. What if someone for school saw me? The thought it's self scared away that idea away. Lastly was to just stay where I was until around dawn and it should be safe to head home. How long can the rain even last?

It could have been an hour or it could have been 20 minutes, all I knew was that I was cold tired and hungry. I laid with my head on my arm and eye's closed, trying to imagine a place far from here. All I could hear was the rain falling around me and distant thunder. The scent of wet concrete and earth filled the air. Rain landed on my hood and dropped onto my nose but I was past the point of caring, I didn't care that the puddle forming beneath my feet soak through my shoes and ruined my bandages.

Suddenly I know longer felt or heard the rain hitting my hood but the rain carried on falling around me. A bolt of lightening flashed over head as I opened my eye to look up. An umbrella was above me; the owner stood behind me with an angry look on his beautiful face! “What the hell are you doing out here?” I was speechless! Why was he here? He was wearing shorts and a nike jacket, it was the most casual thing I'd seen him wear. “Milan! Seriously, do you know what time it is?”

“After one?” My voice came out small compared to his. Why did he have to see me like this? He shook his head letting a sarcastic chuckle escape.

“Why are you not at home?” He seemed so serious and angry I felt like I was being scolded by a teacher. I noticed then that while he was holding the umbrella above me, only the front of him was sheltered from the rain, his back was getting drenched. Getting up from my position on the bench hurt but I did it as quickly as I could to stand close in front of him so both of us were fully under the umbrella. The frown on his face seem to deepen when he fully saw me.

“I just can't be there right now.” My face seemed to warm for the first time this evening. I could feel the heat coming from his body and I realized then just how cold I was, my teeth were chattering together; every time I clenched my jaw I felt my body vibrate harder. He was staring at me with his intense gaze, I wished more than anything I could read his mind, but he was an enigma.

“Follow me!” Before I could ask were to, he already turned and started walking across the road. A part of me it wouldn't be smart to follow a known criminal, but another part was desperate for that heat he gave off. I moved quickly to follow him and he slowed to make sure I was covered from the rain.

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Pretty short chapter.

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