Everything is Red [tyrus]

Chapter #6: Leaving

*Chapter by Smriti*

~

The streetlight lit up Cyrus' room in a golden glow as he turned over onto his side. Try as he did, sleep eluded him. For good reason. TJ may have walked away from that house alive that night, but the other guy didn't, and no matter how well evidence is hid and changed, and how well their neighbourhood's environment protected them, anything was possible.

Cyrus bolted up from the bed and got up as quietly as possible, shrugging on a hoodie and his shoes as he crept out of his window. He wasn't worried about his mother hearing him, remembering seeing her passed out figure on the living room couch, bottles everywhere. He crawled out, making his way down the street to where TJ's house was. He held his arms close, rubbing the sleeves, the cold making its presence known. He made his way deftly up the drainpipe, seeing the light pour out of TJ's window into the dark.

TJ was lying in bed, turning the page of a book he was mildly invested in, when he was startled by a rapping sound coming from his window. He pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose, peering through the foggy glass, and jumped up as soon as he made out Cyrus' figure in the hazy light. He unlatched the window, and Cyrus pulled himself into the room, as TJ ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm really sorry, I just," Cyrus started, but TJ didn't let him finish, pulling him close and holding him, as Cyrus let out a breath.

"Couldn't sleep, could you?" TJ whispered, and Cyrus nodded into his shoulder. "Come on," he said, lying down on his bed, Cyrus following him. He wrapped his arm around TJ's waist, laying a hand on his chest. TJ pulled Cyrus closer by the shoulders, resting his head on his.

"They came to our class today," Cyrus said softly.

"The cops?" TJ asked. Cyrus nodded slowly.

"Cuz Lester was our age, and Dylan one year older, right? Plus, some kids told him that they had seen him around school the day before he," Cyrus said, stopping himself before he could say "died".

TJ hummed, indicating he was listening to Cyrus. He looked calm, but Cyrus could feel his heart rate pick up. They were both equally scared, tripping over eggshells around their friends. They thought that the cops wouldn't be completely bothered, but 2 murders within a week was too much, even for a town like Shadyside, a town that lived up to its name in more than one way.

"You know," TJ said softly, and Cyrus lifted his head up to look at him. "High school ends in like two weeks."

"Yeah, so?" Cyrus asked, confused. TJ sat up, making Cyrus move from where he was lying down.

"And both of us are 18 now."

"Are you suggesting?" Cyrus asked, raising an eyebrow, an amused smile playing on his lips.

"We could do it," TJ said, a smile growing on his face. "I could take the car, we grab a few things, and we leave. Live in motels for a few days, and I could get a job at a gas station," TJ said, getting up and pacing. "Yeah, it'll be rough for some time. But we'll have each other."

"TJ as much as I love the idea of you and me running away together," Cyrus started, getting up and walking towards TJ. "I don't know how possible it is."

"It could be, Cy! We just need to make it work."

"You can't take your car without your dad finding out and killing you for it, maybe literally," Cyrus said, cupping TJ's cheeks. "And besides, we don't have any money to survive."

"We'll take some money," TJ said, his words verging on desperate.

Cyrus shook his head. "This isn't just money for the odd slushy, TJ. This is real shit."