Supernovas & Escapism

Chapter Thirty-Five

      "Thought I'd find you here."

     These are the first words I've said to Garth today. In a way, it feels natural, but at the same time it feels distorted. Out of all the things I could have said, I had to say that. It was already too late to take it back now.

     It's easy to make him out, mostly because he's wearing the same clothes he was wearing earlier. Also, there's the fact that no one else would even consider coming to this park so late in the evening. Caution drawn from parents seemed to trump the fact that nothing bad ever happened in this town.

     Well, at least nothing bad happened on the surface.

    With his head turned skyward it was hard to know if he was blanking me out, stuck in some contemplative thought, or if he was having a little bit of a power nap. Honestly, it wouldn't have surprised me if it was the latter.

     Tugging at the edges of my jacket, I moved forward through the clearing and into the park. As I came closer, I could make out the faded laces on his scuffed beyond repair sneakers. The wind was not as wild as it usually was, only rattling the chains of the swings slightly. Everything still managed to creak under the weight of that one errant breeze though. It sort of made me anxious in a way I couldn't even begin to explain.

     My feet crunched against the marshy, dead leaves underfoot, giving away my presence slightly. Still, the other boy did not move from his position, instead letting his arms fold across his chest.

     "There's a lady who's sure, all that glitters is gold," he softly says to himself. It's not in tune like one would expect. He's just saying the words as if they're supposed to have some meaning to this moment. If they do, it is completely lost on me. I'm not sure if Garth is just being complicated for the sake of being deep and complicated, or if there are actual thoughts flying through his head that would consume him whole if he spoke them aloud.

     Hands taking the railing of the merry-go-round, I place a foot on and then kick off gently. "And she's buying a stairway to heaven," I finish for him in tune as we spin in place.

     When I turn to look at him it feels like the lights are on but no one is home. Fingers drum a rhythm onto his chest, and I can't be sure if it's the song he was just singing or if it's just some random rhythm. The hazel of his eyes are so obscured by the black pupils as they stare skyward, as if expecting to see something there.

     The sky is dark, but it's not so dark that we'll actually see stars. Maybe if we waited a good twenty minutes or so, that would be the case.

     My foot kicks off again, spinning us round a little bit faster this time. We're weighted down by the feet that he has dangling over the edge. He makes this moat around the rim. The scraping sound almost sounds like a record revolving that hasn't felt the needle press smoothly against it just yet.

     Slowly, he turns to face me. "Do you believe in god?"

     The question came from nowhere, and it made my footing slip slightly. My eyes danced away from his, locking down at my feet in the excuse that I was trying not to stumble over recklessly. But even then that would only buy me precious seconds to process a response. Even without looking, I can tell his head is still faced towards mine and awaiting a response.