holding onto you

chapter eight

it was cold out and the centre of the city was filled with lights that lit up every street. the rain that stained the glassy roads reflected the gold and the silver. the road seemed gilded in the blackness. both hands that were wrapped around each other were cold. another friday night, luca had left his home. he climbed out of the window, onto the garage in his high collar jacket that muffled the cold as it hit him. his feet nearly skimmed the ground as he ran through the quiet roads. ollie had met him at the door. ollie stepped out. "didn't feel like math today."

the streets were quiet, with just a few people around after dark. ollie scrunched up his hands inside his sleeves and burrowed his head further into his sweater. there was a hole in the sleeve of the sweater that had been gradually growing in size since around september. the sweater was grey and white, with fraying in quite a few places. ollie had tried his best to hide the fact that most of his clothes were deteriorating with his large variety of shoes but this had so far proven unsuccessful, as not that many people ollie came across looked down at his shoes first. that was if they noticed him at all. he was short and was very good at not getting noticed. in school, most people didn't even realize he existed until he was off sick for two weeks with tuberculosis at the end of freshman year.

the further they walked, the brighter the streets got, until there were too many people around for them to be seen with their hands in each other's hands so they turned and sprinted down a narrow road, trees hanging down over it. the trees concealed them in a black archway of leaves. it was one of those long, dull roads in a semi-decent neighbourhood, each semi-decent residence clothed in dark immediately after six. 
there was not a single cloud in the sky jepardising the night. the day was now exhaused of energy and each soul awake soon wished for their eyes so be consoled with dark. ollie and luca turned a corner at the end of the road. it was the kind of time when there was so little to worry or think about, that they both erupted in laughter. with the laughter, sudden clouds of black covered the sky with a thick shroud. both  were too caught up in the sound of laughing that it was only broken up by a sheer rumble. it echoed through the silent street, bringing them to mutual silence. a loud hush filled the city of sacramento. it was like a holy battle had commenced in the heavens as the rain poured down upon anything that lay below it.

luca suddenly jolted, and pulled ollie to mental conciousness. he pulled the other boy up by his fist and they ran simultaneously against the harsh wind. it was as they entered their neighbourhood when no more words were spoken. ollie could sense the stiffness in the air. they left each other without a glance behind their shoulders or a word spoken. just as luca turned the corner, he glanced toward his companion. ollie's back was turned, and he didn't look back.