The next place is close enough that we can walk to it. We hardly pass by anybody, but neither of us seems to mind that too much. Especially Jax. Even when it's clear we're pretty much the only ones out at this time, he still glances around. I almost start to think we're about to do something illegal. Then Jax grabs my hand and pulls me down an alley, and I'm positive we're about to do something illegal.
"Should I be worried?" I ask.
Even in the dark, I can see Jax roll his eyes. "No. Remember--"
"The monkey bars. Right."
He laughs, nodding. "Right."
Jax pushes a trash can underneath an open window and boosts himself through it. I glance around before throwing my bag through the window and doing the same. Jax pulls me through and catches me before I hit the ground. Just like the monkey bars.
"So are you gonna explain why we just broke into a random building?" I ask, picking up my bag.
"It's not random," Jax says.
"It's not reassuring that you don't address the fact that we broke into the not random building."
"It'll be fine. Trust me."
Well if he's pulling the "trust me" card, I guess I have to trust him.
He pulls out his phone and turns on its flashlight. I do the same with mine. He leads the way down a few corridors. Everything around us is covered in white sheets, and when I sweep my flashlight around, shadows loom on the walls. With nearly every step I take, the floorboards creak beneath me. Jax doesn't even flinch at the sounds or shadows. Not even when we walk up some stairs that seem to barely hold our weight, so I try not to either.
I reach for the banister to steady myself. When I pull my hand away, it's covered in dust. Pretty much everything is covered in dust. Every once in a while, I see spiders dangling from the ceiling and spider webs in corners. I fold in on myself when I see them, hoping this is all worth being here. But then again, every place Jax took me tonight has been worthwhile, so this place shouldn't be any different.
Jax pushes open a door to reveal an auditorium with a stage and orchestra pit at the front of the room. He leads the way down the aisle to the very front and takes a seat in the middle of one of the rows closest to the stage. I sit next to him, sweeping my flashlight around to take in everything.
"Why'd we break into the old theater?" I ask.
"It's not breaking in when no one uses it anymore," Jax argues.
I scrunch up my face. "Sure..."
Jax sits back, putting his feet up on the chair in front of him. He shoots me an amused look, but other than that, he ignores my remark. "And I like the eeriness of it. I've never actually been to a play, but just thinking of all the noise and all the things this place has seen... It's jarring to sit in the silence when it used to be so loud here, you know?"
"You are totally the thoughtful type," I laugh.
He laughs. "What happened to brooding?"
"Thoughtful sounds nicer."
Jax rolls his eyes, shaking his head. I smile and let the silence ring in my ears for a second. The longer I listen, the heavier the atmosphere seems to feel. More pressing. Sadder.
I nod, turning to Jax. "I think I get what you mean. It's almost like feeling what once was." Like us--No. Not really. We're not just the past anymore. We're the present. "I can see why you come here. It's... eerily calming..."
He smiles. "I knew you would. You're probably the only one."
"You don't think anyone else would understand?"
YOU ARE READING
Night of Secrets (Night of Secrets #1)
Novela JuvenilAnother year, another three letters to write and never send. Since freshman year, Adeline Stargate has made it a tradition to write letters to each of her three friends telling them what she hated the most about them that school year. After her juni...
