fragments

Smoke

                
              
Colors/Halsey

They both woke up from the loud thud on the door.

Mitch held a finger to his lips and Scott nodded.  The bottle was still between them, half empty. Or maybe half full.  Mitch decided he hated optimists.

He took a quick gulp out of it before tip-toeing to the door, the liquid strength washing out his panic. He felt Scott's nervous stare burning holes into his back as he crouched and looked through the tiny gap between the door  and the floor.

He sent a silent prayer to whatever existed out there, wishing he went to church more when he had the chance.

They couldn't afford getting caught with the room smelling like alcohol and Marlboro, not again. Not after what happened to Scott.

Heels. Kirstie.

He threw his head back and exhaled in relief before he opened the door.

Kirstie marched in, dressed in a light pink sweater and cream pants, and plopped on the floor.

She grabbed the bottle and took a swig before acknowledging them. It was bad.

"I got caught."

Both boys exchanged a quick look of relief.
It wasn't them. Not this time.

"What happened Kit?" Scott ran a hand through his hair and searched for a cigarette to offer her but Kirstie shook her head.

"I'm trying to cut it. You guys should too." She picked at her nail polish nervously before continuing. "I was just- I felt like a caged animal you know? I got one of my attacks again. So I left the rooms and took a walk in the garden. And they were just there. They followed me I think, but I never realized-I was so caught up." 

She covered her face with her hands and took a deep breath while pulling at her hair.

There was no chance she would know. The school had trained these people, they were spies. They called them "watchers". We called them assholes.

"I can't afford getting caught again. I can't. I had to beg them not to call my dad, you know how he is. He would tell me I should go home for Christmas or whatever and he would give me even more meds and even more 'life lessons'."

Mitch could relate to that.

As much as they wanted to get out,going home was never an option. The more time they spend in these houses the more of a chance they had to become like them.

He reached and rubbed her back, hoping to cause a bit of comfort while Scott hugged her.

"It's okay honey. Everything will be okay. You're not going home. It's fine."

Kirstie nodded but Mitch knew she was in her mind.

"One day Kirst. One day."

Scott's voice wasn't louder than a whisper and Mitch thought he was talking more to himself than Kirstie.

                                    ***

Later that day, he found them in the gardens. Kirstie was looking away, an empty look in her eyes as she drank her coffee mechanically.

Scott was writing down in a notebook, his phone on his lap and Mitch wanted to sigh at the sight of him.

He sat in between them and threw his head back, leaning into the tree and closing his eyes.

When he opened them again Scott was looking at him with a frown and Mitch just sighed.

"It was a long day."

Scott smiled sympathetically and Mitch took the chance to glance at what he was doing.

He had the calendar open on his phone while he counted the days they had left. On the notebook he was trying to finish an essay on a book Mitch hardly remembered reading but was pretty sure he had.

Kirstie seemed to have peeked as well because after a while she broke the silence by offering to help him.

"I could finish that for you. It's only a paragraph and I have nothing to do but sit and be miserable."

She chugged her coffee like a bottle of water and she stood up to get another one.

Scott declined, saying she had enough on her plate already and Kirstie nodded before leaving the boys in silence again.

He watched as Scott's face furrowed in concentration. He held his pain in between his lips like a cigarette while he thought and Mitch smiled. Scott was severely addicted.

Kind of like the way Mitch was addicted to him.

"Hey, could you come here and check this for me? I suck at essays."

Scott broke Mitch's train of thought and Mitch etched closer to the blond, almost sitting on his lap.

Mitch tried to focus on keeping his breathing steady while actually reading the essay.

It was pretty good but could use some better vocabulary,he concluded but didn't speak. He wanted to sit that close to Scott just a little bit more.

But he would never get enough of him.

"It's pretty good. Maybe pass it on to me later and I'll help with your vocab but other than that it's a solid A."

Scott sighed in relief and smiled, looking down at him. It dawned to Mitch how close their faces were and how easy it could be to close the space like he always wanted to.

And then, as if he read his mind, Scott looked down at his lips briefly before cupping his face and kissing him.

His lips were soft and his breathing was uneven and Mitch felt his racing heartbeat against his own.

He smiled into the kiss and Mitch took the chance to deepen it.

Scott tasted faintly of smoke and coffee and he smelled like it too and it was everything Mitch ever dreamed of.

When Mitch pulled back to catch his breath Scott was smiling and he leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"20 days."

*****

Yay for part two's? Maybe?

X