The Broken Ones

Chapter 5

Felix:

I didn't know how she did it. I didn't understand how a simple touch could affect me so much. To her, it probably meant nothing. Little did she know how much it meant to me. 

The narrow space between the stone walls was lit up with a few lanterns and candles, protected with a blanket hanging above the scene. I texted Taylor earlier, reminding her to bring the donuts and laptop, with, of course, all the blankets she could find. The alley truly did excite me in a way not many things could. I felt like a child when I would set up the area, which I didn't mind at all. It was a nice feeling.

As I waited for Taylor to arrive, I pulled up an ashtray to the area next to me, just far enough so the smoke couldn't travel into the fort. I took a moment to analyze the scene. Here I was, wearing a black leather jacket with a pack of cigarettes in my pocket in a worn-down alleyway, getting ready for a night filled with donuts, chick-flicks, pillows, and candles. It was enough to make me chuckle. "What's so funny?" I heard. I glanced up and found Taylor, standing with blankets thrown over her back, a few pillows in hand, and the box of donuts resting dangerously on her supplies. She reminded me of when she was younger, with her braids tucked behind her ears and her nose red from the cold. As always, she had on her Boston hoodie.

"Nothing," I replied finally. "You got the laptop?"

She lifted her arm slightly to reveal her computer tucked safely away. She walked over to me and crawled into the fort, throwing her blankets down, accompanied by her pillows. Carefully, she set the laptop in front of us, nudging the donuts in between our two pillows, and returning to the screen to set up Netflix. "Trouble getting out?" I asked her as I relaxed my body back on the sheets.

She shook her head. "He was dead asleep. Figured he wouldn't care."

"Hopefully," I said. She didn't seem at all worried about Walter, which wasn't too much of a shock to me. She never seemed that way. I hoped there was nothing to worry about.

I watched her as she scrolled through Netflix with a focused expression on her face. "Anything?" I asked.

"Mean Girls?" She looked at me hesitantly.

I gave her a look with raised eyebrows. "Obviously," I smirked.

Taylor grinned and clicked the movie, playing it on the screen. She quickly fumbled back into her blankets and pulled the sheets up to her nose. For the first half hour of the movie, she seemed wide awake, enjoying the movie as we finished off the remainder of the donuts. I noticed her eyes slowly flickering up and down, growing alert then relaxed. She let out a small yawn and cuddled into her sheets more. I couldn't control my wandering eyes, sweeping over her face every few moments then quickly darting back to the screen. Not that she would notice, or even care. Her eyes were already closed in a deep sleep. I figured she needed it.

I leaned forward and closed the laptop, tucking it safely away underneath a few pillows. The bed wasn't comfortable, exactly, but I guess it was more the feeling of being there, with Taylor, that truly made me feel at ease. Like always, I fell asleep to the sound of distant chirpings and the rumble of engines.

The next morning seemed to hit me in a wave. I woke to the blue sheet draped above us, the soft sound of Taylor's breathing, and the nagging ache in the small of my back. I could have sworn I just fell asleep. I tugged at my heavy eyes and took in a deep breath of the morning air, which seemed to be more disturbing than I meant to be since I heard Taylor stir beside me. I looked over and found her eyes slowly opening, the closing, then opening again, and finally, landing on me. "Hi," she said. Her voice was scratchy.

"Hi. How was your sleep?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Okay. You?"

"My spine feels like it's gonna snap in two, but pretty good."