Nathan Northwood is simply living the perfect life every teenage boy dreams of. He is rich, handsome, captain and star player of the basketball team, could have any girl he wants and is basically the king of EverGreen High. However, Nathan wears a c...
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NATHAN
"Where are we going?" I asked for the hundredth time as I followed Hope down the street that led to a more closed off part of the town. Soon, an old, abandoned factory was towering before us.
"For the hundredth time, it's a surprise," she replied. I expected us to go inside but Hope led me across an empty parking lot and towards a staircase.
She hadn't let go of my hand since we ran off from Jessica Aspen's house. Her hand wasn't small, but it wasn't huge either. It was only a few inches smaller and thinner than mine. Her fingers were entwined with mine, safe and warm.
Her hands were definitely different from Maya's. Maya's hands were smaller and used to be constantly covered with tiny crumbs of Oreo.
I looked at the endless staircase. "Do these lead up to the roof?"
She nodded as we started climbing all hundred-something stairs to the top.
"Seriously, Lance. What are we doing up here? I don't have all night. I have to go to bed. It's school tomorrow," I told her when we reached the rooftop.
She glanced at me, the cool wind ruffling her hair. "So?"
"Are you serious? Wait, of course, you're serious. You just skip school whenever you want to. But I don't because unlike you, I'm not-"
"-A failure?"
"Yes. Wait no, that's not what-Shit. Sorry. I didn't mean it like that."
Hope waved off my apology, dismissively. "Dude, chill. It's alright. I know you didn't mean it. And btw, I only skip school on Tuesdays because I have two periods of math which I despise and because Connor is in that class that day and I'm not that big of a fan of breathing the same air as him."
Suddenly, she tipped her face up the starry sky and inhaled deeply before a smile lifted the corners of her lips. "Besides, if the whole world is going to sleep all night, who is going to explore all these young nights."
I rolled my eyes. "Not me."
"It's just one night, Northwood. No biggie. Plus, I dare you to sit here with me and eat these brownies. That's part two of the dare."
I groaned. "I'm not hungry, but I'll sit with you."
We sat down on the roof, our legs swinging over the edge. While Hope dug into the plate of brownies (that miraculously survived a wild run through the night and a climb up approximately a hundred stairs), I took in the sight of our little town.
During the night, EverGreen looked kind of lost and abandoned, emptied of every living, breathing creature. Time seemed like it had slowed and stilled as the darkness descended upon the buildings and streets till it swallowed the whole town.
