we pull apart the dark

chapter three

It was raining today. The clouds made their way into the sky, shielding everyone from the sunlight and gradually darkening in color. Frank remembered how much he loved the rain as a child, how many times he'd gotten sick from playing in the cool spray of water despite his mother's warning and disapproval. He loved how it felt on his skin, the way the air changed just before it rained, that specific smell everybody knew the meaning behind. When he was really little, he used to jump and splash in the puddles outside his house after the rain itself had stopped and soaking his new, dry clothing.

When the rain came down now, it was like the world wanted to torture the poor ghost even more and had decided he was entirely permeable. The liquid wouldn't even fall off of his skin, it would go through him. He couldn't feel it or touch it. Everyone else that got caught in the rain were soaked and Frank stood in the center of the field, dry as a bone.

It wasn't until he saw his new friend, Gerard approaching that he then began to panic. The storm had picked up now, rain coming down a lot harder and Frank hadn't had a single drop of water on himself. Why did Gerard still come to visit in this weather? They could have postponed. His friend was absolutely drenched, not having a hood or umbrella or any kind of covering to protect himself. His hair plastered to the sides of his face, his clothes weren't too soaked though. Frank moved quickly and stood under one of the trees in the cemetery, there were three big ones that were perfect to hide under from the sun or to get away from the rain and then a couple more scattered that seemed to be clinging on to life, leaves having fallen off and branches drooping. The branches from this tree were so dense and full, it made it difficult for rain to seep through aside from a few occasional drops. Gerard made his way to Frank, smiling at first before gaping at the boy.

"Hey! No fair, you aren't even damp!" He called out over the loud weather. "What gives?" Moving in beside the other, underneath the tree. Not noticing how Frank took a step back when he got a little too close. He loved having a friend and someone to communicate with but he was terrified of accidentally touching or for Gerard to go in for a high five, a handshake or maybe even a hug one day. Any kind of contact, really. Frank hadn't thought up the excuse to get him out of that situation without offending the other or pissing him off, having noticed the slight temper his friend had. So he did his best to keep his distance, hands shoved into the pockets of his black skinny jeans or buried inside the front pocket of his loose fitting, blue Mickey Mouse hoodie.

"I got here before the storm hit and waited out underneath this tree when it started raining. You should've brought an umbrella." The boy jokes, shrugging and eyeing the dripping man beside him in amusement.

Gerard just rolled his eyes, squeezing some of the water from his clothing and his hair before they sat on the roots of the tree that were protruding from the ground. The tree must've been at least a few hundred years old. It was beautiful, branches twisting up into the air and winding around itself, the roots had to have gone very deep into the ground but still some parts had risen and were visible on the surface.

After a few moments of silence, just watching the rain pour, Frank spoke up. His voice was a bit softer than before, but still loud enough for Gerard to hear over the rain. "I used to love the rain as a kid."

Which made the elder snort, he couldn't help it. Frank spoke as if he was a senior, reminiscing on the past. Gerard was clearly older than him, by more than a few years, but still remained blank on the knowledge of the other's age.

"As a kid? Aren't you still one?" He teased lightly, his attitude changing a bit the moment he looked over and saw the sullen expression on Frank's face. "Hey, hey. Wait, I'm just joking. You say used to, you don't anymore? What changed?" He asked, tone sounding genuinely curious.