Misfits (#2)

17.

Violet.

"No."

I stand five feet away from him and stare.

"Why not?" He grins, balancing on one foot on the very edge of the drop.

We're on the roof of the theatre and his feet are half off the edge. Half of said ledge is deteriorating and cracked, whilst it's also a little windy up here.

"It's sturdy. Cross my heart." He says and then jumps to prove it. Nothing happens until a small clump of the cement breaks off and falls onto the pavement behind him.

I raise an eyebrow at him.

He shrygs, "Well, if we fall, I'll catch you. Or do that cool spinny thing where you're in my arms and I'll land on my back so you'll be fine. Cool?"

"Yeah, that's eased me completely." I smile sarcastically, "Falls account for three fourths of all fatalities in the roofing industry-"

"As sexy as it is, I don't need your nerdiness right now." He reaches out a hand to shut me up.

I look down to it and don't move. When I look back to Everest, he puppy grins and it makes his nose scrunch a little. Ugh. I give in, clasping my hand with his. First, I let him convince me to skip school today after everything that happened in the café and now I'm possibly letting him lead me to my death. Great.

Gently, he pulls me up onto the ledge until I'm standing right besides him. The drop's big because the theatre's a large building, even when derelict and I clutch his t-shirt as I peer down. I'm not scared of heights. I just don't trust this ledge.

The wind brushes against us and the skies darken above, a tell that it's gonna rain soon. I let the view sink in, just the tops of houses for as far as I can see. A scape of Kilned and the sky.

"Do you think if we scream loud enough aliens could hear us?" Everest asks, genuinely, "Especially if they're close to us right now."

"I think I see one." I squint at the sky.

Everest tries to follow my gaze as I fight a smile, "What? Where? I've always wanted to be abducted."

"There. Right there, idiot."

"You'd be horrible at giving directions." He holds up a hand to shelter his eyes and searches, "Dude, where?!"

"Follow my gaze." I say and when he looks down to me, I smile like a doofus. I'm looking at him.

His face scrunches up adorably, "Did you just call me an alien?"

I nod a few times and he's fighting a smile, "Oh, you're so proud of yourself, you deviant."

"Would it soothe you if I called you Stitch instead?" I ask, still smiling. Stitch, from the movie he likes, is an alien. I've never seen the movie but I know that. It works.

His grin lights up his whole face and he mumbles, looking away, "Yeah. I mean, I guess."

I laugh a little now and pull away from him, setting one foot in front of the other as I start to walk across the edge. Everest sits down so his legs are hanging over the theatre sign, on the front of the building. Most of the letters have fallen off and it's moments away from collapsing.

I smile as I keep taking steps, always having loved the thrill of doing something I shouldn't be. I could fall being this close to the edge. I keep my arms out and pick up my pace a little, avoiding any of the big cracks.

"Who's your first favourite?" Everest asks thoughtfully and I furrow my eyebrows, turning around and walking back to him.

"Huh?"