𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐲

Chapter 31

— Chapter 31 —
Mistakes

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N O A H

I didn't know what to expect at first.

Elliot didn't say much as he gestured for me to follow behind him, leading us down winding city streets. The roads were slick with the remains of a soft rainfall that had ended not longer than an hour earlier. It couldn't have been later than three in the dead of night.

Aside from the occasional drunk passerby or traveling car, the city around us was asleep. That didn't tire Elliot, though, who seemed to weave through the backends of buildings as if he knew the geography of Boston down to the last road sign.

"Where are we even going?" I asked him, my breath forming a thin mist in the air.

"You'll see," he answered cryptically. "This way."

I followed him curiously as we escaped into a dimly-lit alleyway between two apartment buildings. There was nothing to it aside from a dumpster and overflowing trash cans—the back half was blocked off by a chain-linked fence.

Elliot asked, "Can you climb?"

I gave him a look.

"You wanna jump the fence?"

He shrugged. "It's either that or we take the long way around, so... your choice."

I looked at the fence. It was probably double my height, behind trash bins and deserted furniture. It definitely wouldn't have been the first fenced I'd ever climbed over before, but... it was definitely pretty high up there.

"...Fuck it."

Elliot gave me a small smile in response. Heading over to the fence, there was a somewhat perplexed look on his face as he took a second to figure out how he was going to get over.

I began, "You sure you know what you're doi—"

I didn't get the chance to finish, though, as Elliot took a few steps backward. The plastic bag rested between his teeth. Running up to get some momentum, he jumped upwards and kicked his foot to a corner where the fence met the building. The force was enough to give him more height. Latching on at the top of the fence, he pulled himself up and managed to get a leg over onto the other side—sitting right at the peak of the barrier.

He made that look... way too easy, I thought, lips parted open in surprise..

Shaking out his pale-brown hair once he found balance, Elliot took a hold of the white bag as his hazel-colored eyes came to rest on me.

He smiled, "You coming?"

I muttered under my breath, "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

Watching as he jumped off of the fence down to the other side, I took a look at my surroundings to figure out how exactly I was going to do... whatever Elliot just did.

Copying his technique, I took a run-up to the fence and kicked out in the same way. Finally latching onto the top of the fence, I pulled myself up and got both feet over the side. My creeping fear of heights nagged at the back of my mind, seeing Elliot standing patiently for me to join him on the ground.