Rooftop /SALVIS / TWW

Roof

Sal pov:

I pull my hand up to the window and try to open it, it makes a sound as i try and fiddle with it that startles Travis. He sits up fast and moves over to the window cautiously. When we do meet eye contact i can see his face change to terror. He opens the window and

"Sallyface?? You shouldn't be here, you need to leave." he says between gasps of air.
He hastily looks around the room for his father, sweat clinging to his panicked face.
"Travis, I saw everything, I can't leave you here." I say trying to comfort him.

"No, no. You don't understand, you have to leave, he could hear you, and if he does he might kill you." Travis says whispering now. He slowly pushes himself out of the window, seemingly to make sure his father doesn't hear.

"Travis, come with me. You can stay with me until we find you somewhere safe to go." I say moving backwards down the tree trunk i came up on.

Reluctantly he steps towards the window before pointing upwards. My eyes follow his hand to the roof of his house.

"I have a place to go, follow me" he says.

He stands on the tree trunk and grabs a branch above him. Hoisting himself up with deep breaths. He pushes himself up with his arms, hips pressed to the side of his house. With his foot planted on the wall he manages to climb to the roof and crawl out of sight. For a moment it's silent before I see his blonde hair in view again.
"Are you coming?" he asks, gesturing to the tree.
~~~~~
His roof is mostly triangle shaped, i notice as i climb up with him. Towards the center there is a concrete pad that is completely flat. Travis is a bit ahead of me, moving fast on all fours. I'm struggling to keep balance with the shape of the roof as me knee's keep slipping. It's clear he's done this before.

"I come here sometimes" he says moving empty bottles of beer.

I move near the concrete pad he is sitting on and sit next to him. He doesn't make eye contact with me.

"Travis?" I say looking over at him.

He's sitting with his legs out looking up when he turns his head, knowing what i'm going to ask. This is the closest i've been to him before. I can see his face clearly, he has acne with isn't surprising, he is a teenager and based on his home life I doubt he has enough products to help with that. His teeth are crooked, the two front teeth, I notice have a gap. He takes a deep breath in and I see his adam's apple move with the skin of his neck. Before I get too lost in his figure I need to ask something.

"What.... was that? Does he do that often? W-" I start.

He cuts me off beginning to explain everything.

"He does this a lot. He thinks i'm a sinner, a fag, whatever. i've just come to terms with it at this point. Everytime i step out of line he finds a reason to punish me. It doesn't matter what it is. If he knew I was talking to you he would probably kill me."He pauses. "I mean that part as a joke, he probably wouldn't kill me. Anyways, that's why i come up here so often. It's nice when it's cold at night."

"Travis, I-"

"I know, Sallyface. There's nothing you can do." he says before laying down, still looking up. The sky is darkening and it is a beautiful night.

I lay down next to him looking up as the cool concrete changes the temperature on my back. Even in the silence it's comforting, I can see why he comes up here.

After a brief period of silence Travis speaks.

"I'm sorry about everything i've said, Sallyface. From freshman year."

"Please, call me Sal. I don't want to be enemies Travis. I was never angry with you in the first place and now I understand where that mindset is from."

"...Why did you follow me home.. Sal?"

"Well, if i'm being honest i saw you in the locker room and you just didn't look healthy.. That's when I started to notice other things. And when you gave me the umbrella I chased you here to return it."

"Oh, fuck. I had forgotten about the umbrella." He responded before looking down at his thin arms.

"Your not as mean as you try to seem Travis." I say trying to lighten the mood. His lips curl into a smile before melting back into reality.

"Thanks I guess.." he says. He hides his face from me, even in the darkness i can see he is embarrassed.