Count The Stars

one

        I loved the early hours of the morning where it seemed like I was the only person awake. It was always chilly when it was dark, but the good kind of cold, like a breeze rushing past your face and keeping your tired eyes open for a few more minutes. No cars were driving and nobody was walking, and the only thing illuminating the pavement was the moonlight with a little help from the stars.

        I started sneaking out of my bedroom window some night last winter after a fight with my dad and a minor panic attack. I spent an hour on the cold tile of the bathroom floor, my eyes burning red and my head full of confusing thoughts. I didn't understand what was going on then, but I felt so nervous I locked myself in the bathroom and starting shuddering and sobbing like I never had before. I stayed there for an hour, then went over to my windowsill and waited for some sign of life to pass, but when I saw nothing, I realized that's where I wanted to be. I quietly jumped down and jogged down the street where I spent hours before deciding I needed some sleep if I was going to survive school the next day.

        I snuck out more frequently now as I started getting more nervous and afraid of everything that came my way. I made it an almost-nightly trip and I hadn't once been caught.

        I walked through my favorite park, letting the dew on the grass fly up and dot my legs and feet. I glanced around at the trees standing perfectly still and the giant fountain that hadn't been turned on yet. I used to come with my mum a lot and play by the fountain, but that didn't happen much anymore. Yes, I was nearly seventeen, but I still missed it.

        Suddenly, I heard a muffled cry coming from somewhere in the park, nearly causing me to scream. It was dead silent until then, but I knew someone was there. I spun in a circle, glancing around to try and find the source of the noise, letting my eyes wander around the park and notice things that I didn't see before. Like the shadows covering the ground and the sound the light wind made when it whooshed past my ears. My eyes landed on the newly-empty swimming pool that was locked up and I heard another sound, this time a cough.

        "Hello?" I asked from the pavement beside the pool, hoping I wouldn't get a response. I was too afraid if I peered over the edge, some lunatic would pull me in and I'd be done for. I was an athlete, but I wasn't built like one.

        "James? That you? Come down!" A voice called out from inside the deep part of the pool. Whoever it was didn't sound much older than me.

        "I'm not James... and if I fucking die my mum will sue," I warned the voice before poking my head out from the edge. Curled up in a ball right next to the drain was a boy with hair so dark it blended in with the night and pyjamas, but lacked any sort of trainers. He looked tall and lean, but still quite muscular, even when he was hunched over. I realized I recognized the boy, which wasn't unusual. We lived in a pretty tight knit town where there weren't many new people, so I was sure I knew him from school or something.

        The boy squinted up at me and hastily rubbed under his eyes when he realized I was not who he thought I was. "I'm not going to kill you," he chuckled, taking out the headphones in his ears, "probably."

        I rolled my eyes and went to slide down into the pool, but hesitated when my head started to spin. "What's your name? Also... do you not own any socks?" I called down instead, figuring yelling would be a bit better than tumbling into the dark, filthy pool.

        "I'm Adam. And I do, I just had to get out of my house really quick," he explained, only making me more confused. "Don't ask," he told me before I got the chance to. There was a hint of sadness is Adam's tone that made my heart hurt. Instead of pressing further, I nodded and tried to think of a reason to leave.