The Milkshake Project

Silhouettes

I stepped out of the car into the overgrown grass. The water tower loomed above, it's dark silhouette peering down and casting a shadow around me. Red had found a couple flashlights in the backseat, to which I was very thankful for. The night was still young, and the moon hadn't risen above the trees yet, leaving the world shrouded in darkness.

The rest of Rider's gang clamored out of the car after me. I was a bit surprised when I first got in the car and found Taz behind the wheel with Red and Alice in the backseat. To say the least, it made for an awkward car ride out there. Nobody said anything to each other, just sat there listening to my directions.

"Wanna flashlight?" Red asked.

"No," I sighed, "I won't be able to carry it up the ladder."

Izzy gave me a grateful smile, and I nodded back. I went over to the ladder and stopped at the base of it, gazing up the side. I took a deep breath before beginning my ascent.

I still couldn't believe I had let Rider's friends convince me to come out there, but I knew I couldn't back out now. As I climbed, rung by rung, I tried to figure out what I was going to say to him if he was at the top of that tower. However, I began to doubt the likelihood as I neared the top and noticed there wasn't an ounce of light or sound.

My heart then leapt in my throat as I saw a pale glow emerge from the darkness around the top of the tower. I swallowed down the lump in my throat and grasped the end of the ladder, pulling myself up onto the roof.

I braced myself against the ladder as I looked out over the water tower's rooftop. From there, it seemed that the darkness blended the boundary between the roof surface and the sixty-foot drop back to the ground. However, the rest of the roof was brightened by a lantern. Near the edge of the roof, sat a tall silhouette.

My heart hammered inside my chest, and my hands gripped tightly at the metal rails. I let out a shaky breath and cleared my throat.

"Rider," I said.

The silhouette shifted around and slowly rose to its feet. I could tell he was looking at me, but I couldn't see his face.

"Izzy says you haven't been home in a while," I said, "You've got her practically going ape down there."

His silhouette didn't move, just stood there watching me from afar.

"She had no idea where you were," I continued, "Nobody did."

I could see him push his hands into his pockets and nod in the dim light though he still didn't make a sound. Upon seeing him, all those questions I had for him had vanished from my thoughts. We stood there for a moment, just watching each other from either side of the roof. As he stood there without saying a word to me, I started to feel anger bubble up inside me. I turned to go back down the ladder, having said what I was brought to say, when I suddenly whipped around.

"I want to know why," I said, and Rider looked up at me.

My voice came out strong despite all that was going through my head. I stated the one question that had been burning my mind since that Friday night.

"I believe your sister when she said you're not some flake," I said, "So I want to know what made made you do what you did."

My voice wavered at the end as tears brimmed my eyes. Across the way, Rider shook his head.

"I- I don't think you'll believe me," he said in a small voice.

"At this point, I'll hear anything you have to say," I said, "You haven't exactly tried to tell me anything."

"You told me you didn't want to see me again."

"Because you kissed Chrissy, Rider!" I shouted.

"No, Eleanor!" Rider yelled back, stepping into the light, "Well... yes, but- No! I... ugh, I don't know what happened."