The space between

Chapter 1

Harmony grinned a playful grin, borderline a smirk. "Come on, wimp!"

Atlas looked at the girl in front of him. He'd had a crush on her since 4th grade. She was everything he wanted in a girl, free spirit, and beautiful, with glowing green eyes and dirty blonde hair, and light freckles dotting her lightly tanned face. He zoned out just thinking about her most days. He'd do anything for her. But today she asked too much of him.

"I'm not breaking into the creepy old government facility." Atlas told her. "Especially not for some dumb dog." He shuddered. The whole place was surrounded with chain link fence topped with barbed wire and the building towered over him at 3 stories. Everybody around here knew it had been shut for decades, and no one dared enter. The walls were cement but a discoloured green now from mould growing on it. 

"Please, Atlas!" She begged, dragging out the please. "He was hurt, we have to help him!"

"If it wasn't midnight, I might be up for it, but there's rumours that place is haunted."

"Atlas, have you ever done an exciting thing in your life?!"

"Well..."

"Exactly. Now Climb under the fence."

Atlas looked at harmony. She was dead serious. He sighed, knowing this was his only chance to look cool to her, and then wiggled under the fence where the dog had.

Atlas stood up and brushed off the dirt.

Harmony climbed under next. Somehow she got a lot dirtier than he did from it.

He looked over at the creepy place and Harmony took his hand and raced towards where the dog went off to.

Earlier that day, Atlas would never have thought he'd end up here.

Atlas sat in class, staring out the window. He was zoned out, counting how many times the clock ticked.

Suddenly, he was tapped on the shoulder. The whole class was looking at him, expecting.

Atlas looked around, trying to figure out what was happening.

"Since you're so zoned out today, and can't answer the question on the board, you might appreciate some reflection time, Atlas. Detention. After School." Spoke the teacher harshly.

Atlas just nodded at her and continued counting, glad that the classroom was no longer watching him.

He'd had detention before, so he was used to it. He preferred it to going home. Detention that afternoon was cleaning the school ball.

There were only three people at detention that afternoon, surprisingly. Harmony and someone Atlas didn't know.

Atlas got to work on stacking the chairs, minding his own business.

"What got you into detention?" Harmony spoke. She'd never spoken to him before.

"Me?" Atlas asked.

"Yes, You, silly. What's your name by the way?"

"I'm Atlas. And I'm here for zoning out in class all day. What about you?"

"Oh I was just caught drinking beer at lunch."

"That's quite serious." Atlas replied.

"I've been doing it for a couple years now and no ones noticed. I only got caught today cause I spilt some on my top and smelt like alcohol. Beer's not even that bad, like do you know Jessica?"

Atlas nodded.

"Vodka in her water bottle since she was 15. At least I'm not that bad." Harmony answered.