What We've Become

Nobody

The room was dark and the essence of the room was gloomy. The only light was that of Arrow's phone screen. "Okay, well_" Arrow was cut off by the slam of the crappy front door.

"Arrow!" His mother's voice rang out, and Arrow tensed up.

"I gotta go T... Maybe she'll think I'm out," He whispered before he ended his call with Terrence. He knew it was super early to call, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to with his mom home, if he didn't want her to see him.

"ARROW!" She screamed again, and he sighed, shaking his head. That's when she began to beat on his door, screaming at him.

Arrow's body was so tense, his muscles ached. He quickly grabbed a shirt and some jeans, blind in the darkness. He pulled on his leather jacket and swiped his wallet from off of his dresser before pushing the window next to his bed open. The lock on the door rattled, and he knew that the knob wouldn't stay secure for long. Not wanting a beating, he pried his skinny body out the small window. He shut it behind him and crawled out of the window well before bailing into a sprint down the dark street.

After sprinting for three blocks, he slowed to a walk, panting. When he finally caught his breath, he began to look around. It was still dark out, but the streets were lit by the golden glow of the street lights. The air was crisp, his breath billowing in a visible smoke in front of him. Beginning to grow cold, he slid his arms into his jacket and zipped it up. It didn't provide the most warmth, but it was warmer than being in nothing more than a short sleeve shirt. He fiddled with his wallet, forcing it into the worn pocket of his black jeans before clipping the small chain to the outer side of it, so that it dropped in an arch on his upper thigh.

The walk continued, eventually coming to a convenient store. It was small and old, but it was clean on the inside and out. He made his way inside, going to the back where the cold drinks were kept in the fridges. He chose his favorite energy drink and picked out the cheapest candy bar for breakfast before trudging to the counter where a middle aged man was working.

"How you doing?" The man asked as he rang up the two items.

"You know, the usual... Getting out of the house," Arrow replied, counting the three dollars that he owed the store out of the five dollars he had in his pocket.

"Well, have a blast," The cashier said.

"Yep, you too Johnny." Arrow headed out the door, cracking open his drink the moment he stepped outside. He took a huge swig, trudging down the sidewalk again. He needed to kill time, as it was far too early to go to Kasey. So he settled for a walk through the slums of the town.

Hours passed as he walked, listening to his music to pass time quicker. Slowly, the November night's cold began to warm to being only cool, and the frost on the lawns began to melt. After hours of walking, he ended up at Kasey's doorstep, trying to convince himself to knock or ring the doorbell. By then, it was late morning, so he knew that Kasey would be up, though, so would his father and his wife.

Eventually, he unplugged his earbuds and shoved them into his hole-infested pocket and pressed the white button for the doorbell. Within a few moments, a man opened the door. He was tall, and his facial features were identical to Arrow's. His blonde hair was combed and neat, and his attire was expensive and new.

"Oh... hi Arrow..." The man mumbled unenthusiastically.

Arrow was silent for a moment, looking the man in the eyes. "Hi dad..."

The man shifted uncomfortably as he looked at his oldest son. "How have you been?"

The only response he got was a long sigh.