crack chapters

problem

"I got you your redbull from the store," Karina said placing a peach Redbull down in front of Silas. Silas looked up from his phone and then to the Redbull on the table.

"Thanks" It was dull tone of voice like he didn't even want to be there or around those people but hung around them anyways. 

"Fig apple Redbull" I muttered under my breath walking past Silas's table doubting that he even saw me. He tended to avoid my gaze or even my general direction.

He would take opposite routes and round corners just so he wouldn't see me. With how fast he would turn and drag whoever he was walking with I doubt he wanted anything to do with me.

"What?" Alexander turned to look at me. Black hair fell onto his face above his eyebrows. He was tall not as tall as Silas but tall. Alexander was more into sports then grades but his love for video games is what kept me around him.

He was dumb and a little quiet, but he meant well.

"Nothin'" I grumbled pushing the back door to the library open holding it so Alexander and walking towards the cafeteria. Maybe his taste had changed maybe it was peach Redbull now. I doubt it though when I had brought it up before he seemed disgusted by even the name.

What had happened between us as much as Silas would like to call it mutual it wasn't. I slipped up creating a rift between us without even noticing. Too far gone in my own problems to see what I had done to him.

Permanent scars that only we could see.

I was running in circles while he ran behind me trying his hardest to match my steps. It was hopeless the closer he got the farther I ran.

Silas pulled away, I let him he was chasing a lost hope that was unconventionally me. I knew it would happen at some point we both did but there was hope we would last longer.

We had built so much together and for it to be ripped away so quickly was devastating. We had sewn each other into each other's lives and it was hard to just cut one stream and watch it all crumble with it.

We were nothing without each other, but we also were something. Just because we weren't Silas&Theseus two people that together created a whole doesn't mean we weren't Silas and Theseus. We were our own person just better together.

Toast and butter, cake, and icing awesome together but also good separately. It just wasn't as good as when they were put together.

Together we were something complex with layers of trust that went deep into our bones. We were each other's bubble a safe place.

"Do you have my keys?" I asked Alexander who had his nose deep in his phone. His thumbs hit the screen repeatedly. His phone was vertical in his hand as he played COD Mobile which I always advised against during lunch because he was prone to short outbursts of anger, but he never listened to me.

"It's in your backpack the big pocket" I tugged my backpack off the floor and dug through the big pocket pulling out the lanyard from the bottom of the bag.

I looked down at the keys in my hand "you left them on the table, so I put them in your bag last period."

Thank the Lord for Alexander

"Thanks"

Alexander grunted in response.

--

I pulled my lanyard out of my pocket and grabbed the smallest key of the four on the ring. I inserted the key into the lock and pulled my cubby out placing it on the bench in its usual spot.

I picked up the shirt from inside the cubby and slipped it on over my hoodie. The awkwardness that surrounded Silas as he walked up to me holding my shirt in his hand was enough to make me want to run and never come back.