Miscommunication (boyxboy)

Chapter Fourteen

~ Adam ~

From the garage to Raves, it was a twenty minute bike ride.

Adam closed up shop around ten o'clock but spent another hour in the office before calling it a night. One of the guys had filed the last service report wrong and it took Adam forty-five minutes to correct the spelling mistakes alone.

His worn backpack had a change of clothes inside. Adam never brought food to work let alone a mid-evening costume change, but Piper had demanded he show up without oil beneath his fingernails. That also meant she'd turned up on his doorstep yesterday with a Hollister bag and refused to take it back after shoving it in Adam's unwilling hands.

She'd also refused to let Adam pay her back, to the disgruntled boy's dismay. No price tag in the history of his closet had ever been over two digits. Of course, Adam being Adam made Piper swear she'd let him pick up the tab tonight in compensation. The blue-haired girl had rolled her eyes and demanded he go change.

There was no mirror in Marty's wretched bathroom out back so Adam checked his reflection in the office window. He'd never give her the satisfaction of knowing but Piper had a gift when it came to fashion.

She'd dressed Adam in a long sleeve tee with black markings up the side, made to breathe easy in a packed club scene. His jeans were dark and tight, tucked into a pair of boots so shiny Adam was sure they'd be worth at least three months rent.

Adam took one moment to observe his reflection and came to one conclusion.

He looked ridiculous.

The clock on the wall read 11:15pm. Adam had promised to meet Piper at Raves by 11:30 at the latest. He had to get going.

Winter in Spring Creek meant the night air was bone chilling and the world dark. Town council paid little attention to blown streetlights so the streets were dark until Adam reached the neon-lit bar.

The night scene at Raves was only just beginning when Adam pulled his bike to a stop outside the entrance. He stowed it away behind a dumpster to the side of the building and made his way inside.

Spring Creek was a small town, which meant Raves was the biggest hotspot for young adults on a weekend.

The late hour had brought out the town's riff raff. A band was playing on stage up front and the lights had been lowered to create a darker vibe. Shot glasses left a resounding clink on the bar top as they were emptied by eager mouths.

Raves was more of a house band kind of establishment but tonight most of its patrons were stamping boots and jumping around before the stage as a makeshift dance floor.

Adam let the feeling of alternative rock and second hand smoke wash over him as he made his way to the front of the room. He'd texted Piper of his arrival but her response was impending. That could only mean one thing.

The song changed into an allegro and a flash of blue caught in Adam's peripheral vision. Piper was the first to spot him. "Adam!"

He smiled as his best friend jumped over to him from where she'd been dancing near the edge of the floor. James' friend, Cole, was there too as Piper had promised. He followed in suit of the bouncing girl, hanging back in the darkness as Piper wrapped her arms around Adam's neck.

"You came!" she gushed.

Adam wrapped his arms around her but found his gaze drifting over to where Cole stood. The other boy stood aloof, hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans and dark eyebrows knitted together as he gazed into the nothing.