The Missing Boy

Chapter 5 - Ridiculously Cliche

School life is so mundane. So typical and ridiculously cliche.

Axel hasn't gotten used to the waking up at 7 am schedule and doesn't think he ever will. He misses sleep terribly yet somehow he manages to muster up the strength to get up and go to school every morning.

Axel continues to hang out with Miles during school. They don't travel together though, because while Miles is an early riser and likes to be in school 45 minutes before it actually starts, Axel leaves his house as late as possible without being late enough to get a detention.

Axel keeps his promise to Miles and manages to have actual conversations with him this time around (nothing like middle school). Miles tries very hard not to bring up anything to do with him going missing and Axel appreciates that it hasn't become a topic of conversation. Now Miles can actually call Axel his friend. Best friend if Miles is lucky.

"You lucky fucker." Axel exclaims as Miles takes all of Axel's sweets after winning this round of cards.

"What can I say, I've got a gift." Miles says as he cheerfully pops a skittle into his mouth.

"Are you boys gambling in my classroom?"

"No Miss Nancy, why would we do such a thing?" Miles says innocently as he hides all his sweets with his book.

"Give me a Reese's Buttercup and we'll pretend this never happened." Miles laughs as he hands over the candy before putting the rest of his winnings into his bag. "I'm going to need you two to help me in the library tomorrow if that's alright."

"Yeah sure thing. Morning or afternoon?" Miles asks and Axel really hopes she's going to say the latter but grunts disapprovingly as she says the opposite.

"That's alright." Miles says and Miss Nancy thanks the boys before leaving.

"Did you have to be so rude?" Miles says as he slaps Axel's knee.

"I don't do mornings."

"Well you're going to have to 'do mornings' if it means we get to stay in here during lunch."

"Yeah, yeah I get it. Neither of us want to socialise. We both have social anxiety and can only be ourselves in each other's presence. Ridiculously cliche, I know."

Miles rolls his eyes, ignoring Axel's sarcasm. "Well I know of another place where we wouldn't have to socialise."

"Complete isolation? I'm listening." Axel jokes as he eagerly leans closer.

"While you were erm...gone they took down one of those stupidly tall buildings. They haven't completely demolished it yet. I think they will later in the year but sometimes I go in there and just look out over the town. It's quite calming especially at night time."

"I've always thrived in the night time." Axel states.

"Do you think maybe you would like to go?"

"Tonight?"

"I was thinking more like Saturday. It's a school night and I'm pretty sure Mr Goodmen is going to give us a pop quiz in Chemistry tomorrow. He tries to say that they're random but I've pretty much memorised his schedule and he does one every three weeks on a Friday. Can you even call it a pop quiz if we know when they come up? Maybe there should be another name for them? Maybe we should just call them quizzes, why put in the pop?"

"Ok." Axel draws out the second syllable and pauses Miles. "That was a lot of words and I stopped listening about halfway so today it is. Meet me between our houses at 8." Axel gets up from his crossed leg position on the table just as the bell rings.

"Ermm. Ok?"

•••••••••••

"You're tattoos are so cool." Miles says in awe as he and Axel climb up the steps of the stupidly tall building. The elevator seemed incredibly unsafe. Plus it didn't work.

"Thanks."

"Any particular meanings behind them?" Miles wondered since first seeing the snake head on Axel's neck if it had any sort of significance.

"Well actually it does. I picked them because they looked cool." Miles rolls his eyes while Axel laughs.

"We're at the top." Miles says, slightly out of breath from climbing the flights of stairs but not as much as he was the first time.

"This seems very dangerous." Axel says as he looks down the side of the building that currently has no wall. "I fucking love it." Axel walks right on the edge, arms out by his side as the night breeze blows through his night coloured hair.

"You know this is also very illegal right?" Axel states as he stares at the curly haired boy.

"I haven't gotten in trouble so far." Miles says and Axel smiles. Maybe Miles has changed a lot since 13.

"Please watch where you're walking. It's very easy to fall and I'm not going down for murder."

"Oh come on. It's fine. I'll be fine." Axel says as he continues walking across the edge. The exact way he lived life.

Axel pretends to lose his balance, tipping alarmingly to the side. "Nope, Axel that's enough. Get back here now." Miles exclaims nervously.

After laughing for a few seconds, Axel decides to take Miles' advice and moves to walk beside him instead. They end up sitting on the edge anyway, some scaffolding keeping them from falling.

They look out at their town. Although Axel doesn't really feel like he can call it his. The street lights give the illusion of stars and everything looks so small and far away. Insignificant. Axel is grateful that Miles showed him this place. He's grateful that they have a place.

Axel smirks at Miles and says "I'm waiting for you to yell something ridiculously cliche like 'I'm the king of the world' or some shit."

"Wow do you really think that little of me? How about this?" Miles clears his throat then yells "I'm a regular person!"

Axel throws his head back and laughs. He knows it doesn't apply to him but he yells it anyway. "I'm a regular person too!"

"There you go."

Miles looks at Axel. The inky colour of his hair and how it blends seamlessly into the night, the moonlight on his face, how Axel looks better under the moon than the sun, that he belonged with the stars.

Axel looks at Miles. His pink plump lips and his slender neck and the way it blends effortlessly into his collar bone and the vein that shows against his soft skin. Axel can't help the way his tongue runs across his bottom lip as he stares at his neighbour.

He pulls out a cigarette from his pocket.

"You want one?"

Miles, wanting to seem cool accepts the offer but ends up coughing violently after taking his first drag. Axel laughs, slapping him on the back, not too hard so he doesn't fall. Knowing this would happen, Axel takes the cigarette out of Miles' hand and places it between his full lips, smoking like it's second nature.

••••••••••

They end up going home late and Miles'  parents aren't particularly happy that their son came home late on a school night.

"You don't normally act like this Miles." His mother says. But right now Miles can't tell what's normal.