1

chemical changes

My parents were arguing again. In our small apartment you could hear every shout and conversation. My mother had come home drunk again, and my father was shouting at her for it while creating an unnecessary argument. I lay on my bed for a while, thinking about school tomorrow and how much sleep I would get this night. It was now twelve forty eight, on a Sunday. Technically it was Monday morning now. I sat up, rubbing my eyes and looking out of the small window that was in my room. Our apartment was above the main part of London. I slipped on my jeans and put on a black,  long coat I had found in the pile of clothes on my floor. Then, I slipped my vans on and listened to make sure my parents had gone into their room, quickly rushing out of the door and feeling myself get worked up and scared that they might catch me. Once I had appeared in the hallway however, the fear had gone now and I felt a sense of relief. I walked down the corridor with my hands in my pockets, reaching the end where a 'no entry' door was stood. I slowly opened it, hearing the familiar creek of the hinges as I walked through. I closed it quietly and walked up the metal steps, reaching a small door. My hand pressed on the cold metal and I pushed it, revealing the rooftop of my apartment. Someone was up here already, as normally I would have to pick the lock. The smell of fresh air and the sound of London made me feel comfortable, like this was where I was meant to be. I could feel my brown curls get blown out of my face revealing my features. Everything felt so familiar, and the anxieties of home and the constant feeling of danger had gone. I glanced around at the rooftop cautiously, until my eyes landed upon a small black figure perched over the edge of the building. All I could see was his knitted jumper and his short brownish hair on the back of his head. I walked over to him, but not too close to be alarming and cleared my throat. I didn't want to speak first. They made no attempt at any conversation, so I placed my hand upon the ledge and swung my legs around so they dangled down. I wasn't in arms reach of the boy, instead I was far enough away that I could escape if he was going to push me. I looked over at the city, and then glanced at the boy, then at his features. It was dark, so all I could see was the end of his nose and the increased darkness of his eyes. He turned his head slowly and looked at me with weary eyes.

"Is this your spot?" He asked, his British accent strong and his voice perfectly deep. I examined his face but the lack of light stopped me from seeing him completely. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked down where our feet were being drawn to the ground. Fourteen stories.

"No" I said, my voice barely coming out. It was more of a whisper than anything else, probably because of the amount of time I had gone without speaking.

"Good. It's a nice one" he said and I felt myself amused at his satisfied view. My fingers tapped on the edge of the building and I could feel the coldness snap at my face. A compete stranger was up on a tall building, inches away from instant death, and we were talking about the view of London, unaware of the dangers of strong winds and accidental falls. Convenient.

The air was now full of awkwardness and I could feel my whole body tense up. I needed the sense of adrenaline. I swung my legs back onto the building and felt the stare of my companion as I moved. Our eyes didn't meet, but I could sense his confusion about my sudden movements. I put one leg on the ledge, and took in a breath as I put the other one on, parallel to the other foot. I looked down, feeling my heart beating slightly faster. Reluctantly, I spread my arms out to the side, creating wings as my coat floated in the wind. My eyes were closed and I heard the movements of the stranger next to me. They snapped open and he was closer now, and I could make out his face a little more. His eyes were still dark, but there was evidently a lack of sleep from the darkened edges of them. His eyebrows were closer together, showing he was concerned more than confused now. I skimmed his body and took in everything I could.