There's The Cat and Then There's Me [boyxboy]

Chapter Twenty: Beyond All Reason

Creepy, was possibly the only word in the English dictionary that could describe school at night. It was so impossibly empty even silence echoed in the dark halls. Every step I took further into the shadowed corridors reverberated endlessly, rolling off each surface, barely fading before the next took its place. It was so strange seeing it this way, usually the halls were so packed with people it was impossible to take one step without elbowing someone in the head. Imaginary laughter of students played across my mind, almost like a horror movie. I shuddered at the eerie thought, flicking my hair out of my eyes so I could see just a little better in the night.

Maybe it’s just the fact that you know this is possibly the last time you’ll ever see it.

How appropriate.

I sighed heavily, even the sound of air rasped noisily down the deserted school walls. Without the bustle of students and teachers the school seemed larger, as if it expanded in the time that people were absent. The grey walls loomed over the polished cement floor, their shadows hiding the worn scuffs marks and cracks. Blocks of lockers had been built into the walls at every few feet, the metal causing the echoes to sound creepier than humanely possible. I had no idea where to go from here; in fact it was possible to say that I had no idea what I was doing here to start with. But I knew, I knew all to well.

Accel.

Accel. I breathed in sharply, pushing away a jagged edge of pain before it could knife my heart. You had to leave him… you know you did. At the end of the large hall a door loomed, its metal frame shining in the moonlight. Scrunching my eyes closed I picked up my pace, pushing away the thought of Ace’s piercing glinting in the same light… the way he stood beneath the streetlight, furious, confused… dangerously alluring. Snapping my eyes open again my feet ate up the final stretch between me and the door, trembling hands slamming it open with more force than necessary. Cool night air rushed over me once I was outside, pushing deep into my lungs.

Leaning backwards I rested my head back against the cool glass, my skin burning where it met the frigid surface. Is it right to be doing this? Isn’t this just running away again? The one thing that you promised yourself you wouldn’t do and you’ve gone and done it anyway. Hypocrite. Sighing heavily my hands found the pockets of my grey hoodie, eyes cast downwards to the tips of my black and white converse. By the end of today it will all be over. For better or for worse right?

The school yards sprawled before me from where I stood on the worn pathway, the cheap tin roofing hiding the full moon. Pausing, I took in the still beauty. From the shelter of the pavement my eyes followed the hill that sloped gently from the railed path, before flooding into a huge open oval area. It seemed to stretch forever, but I knew it only appeared that large because of the night.

Nothing lasts forever.

On the left side lay a grandstand, stairs into whatever heaven there was left. Its shadow dominated the enormous grass space, the blackness almost made the grass appear white in the moonlight. The oval had always been my favourite part of the entire schoolyards. Although it was so big, there was always room to escape from heaving masses of people crowding the halls. Underneath it was where I was apparently headed.

Closing my eyes, I breathed in deep one last time before pushing myself away from the metal framed doorway. Away from freedom more like.

I never remember the path being this long, I thought, watching my lone shadow flow across the grass in time with my steps. Time kept passing so eternally slowly, trickling away one tiny grain at a time. Thinking about it made it worse, made the walk extend even further. Not that it t already feels as if I’m walking the green mile or anything. Deep unsettling sickness sank lower in my stomach with every unsure movement, my hands balled into fists and shoved deep into my pockets, shoulders hunched and guarding my soul from the world. I didn’t want them to see, I didn’t want the world to know. One look at me and they could tell I was hiding a deep dirty sin.