October (New Years Day fanfic)

We're Just Kids

I stuffed my hands in the pockets of my old leather jacket as I breathed in the crisp October air. I pushed the leaves with my feet as I walked. Fall was my favorite season. I loved the colors of the leaves, I loved the way the bare tree branches looked against the white sky. I loved Halloween the most, though. For one night, everyone was set free. The life you're forced into, it dissolved, and you became someone or something else for a while. I thought about what I would dress up as and how no matter what, I would give it my all, and no one would recognize me. I continued my walk through the park across town from my house until I got to the monkey bars. I climbed up the side and on to the top. I sat in the middle and looked around at the trees and the typical park stuff. Slides, swings, all that. It had been so long since I'd had time to myself. I released a long sigh of relief. I turned and laid down along the monkey bars.

* * *

Something hit my face. And then something else, and something else, and then my eyes snapped open. I sat up and looked around. Did I seriously fall asleep at the park? I shook my head but the scene around me stayed the same. I dropped to the ground through the bars and pulled my jacket tight against me. I began walking home, glad that it seemed that only an hour or so had passed while I slept. The rain didn't get any worse than a sprinkle.

* * *

My house was empty and silent. Both of my parents were at work, I'd be home alone until 11:30. I got my iPod and mini speakers and I crawled out my bedroom window and laid down on the roof. It was getting dark out slowly. I put my iPod on shuffle and I let my thoughts drift. My mind wandered to my best friend, Jake. He has been my neighbor my whole life. We were best friends ever since he put glue in my hair and I dumped glitter on him in kindergarten. We had our fights through the years, kind of like brother and sister. He was the type who never acted his age. Sometimes he acted like a child, but sometimes he acted like an adult. He was the only friend of mine who never forgot me or turned on me or judged me. We told each other just about everything.

I turned over on my right side and waited for Jake to poke his goofy blond head out his window. We were so close that we were like twins sometimes, for example, 99% of the time, he showed up right after I thought about him. The annoying part if it all was that people always thought that we were dating. I just couldn't see him that way.

Before too long, I saw the light in Jake's room turn on, and soon after that, he was crawling out of my window to join me on the roof. He wore the white and black flannel shirt that I bought him for his birthday.

"Man, why'd you have to wake me up like that?" Jake asked me, with a smile on his face. My gaze turned from the roofs of nearly all the houses in the small town of Ashwick Valley, to Jake's grin and his big brown eyes. I laughed at him and shoved him gently.

"What, couldn't handle my loud music at the terribly late hour of," I paused, checking my iPod for the time, "10 o'clock?" I laughed at him.

"No, no, believe me. That just gives me awesome mosh pit dreams. It was the twin thing, ya know?" Jake said, smirking. I nodded in reply and my attention was redirected to the rooftops and trees and street lights lighting up and reflecting off the wet streets. I couldn't wait to get out of that place, but at the same time I didn't think I could part with it.

"Where are you, Cam?" Jake asked, showing his adult side. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye.

"Home," I answered, knowing that he didn't mean physically, he meant mentally.

"Come on Cameo, what are you thinking? You have your sad face on." I didn't want to talk about it but I just couldn't keep anything from him. I decided to tell him everything, in as little words as possible if I could help it.