The Way This Feels

Chapter 13: Chlorine

Micah appears at my window that night around 10 dressed as a ninja, wearing a dark cap with a lemon sewn on the front, a soft charcoal gray T-Shirt, black jeans, and two splashes of black makeup wiped under both his eyes, like a football player. His eyes are wild and mischievous, a look I'm coming to recognize more and more often.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask. I've posed the same question the last few times he's appeared at my window, and I feel it would be bad luck to stop saying it now.

"Put some clothes on. I have a new adventure for us." His grin glows in the dark as I pop the screen out with ease and lean it against the wall. He leaps through, still grinning while I change into all black. I tie my shoes, shut off my lights, and he helps me climb back out the open window. I accept his hand held out to me. It feels rough, less sweaty than it felt when we ran from Charlie's house. He lets go just as quickly, but I feel my fingers tingling where he touched them.

It's comfortable outside, warmer than the cool inside of my house and a little muggy, but it's nice. We walk through the silent side yard, and if Micah wasn't there, I'd be a little afraid. The juxtaposition of my warm bedroom lighting vs. the complete darkness outside always brings up ingrained fears of kidnapping or mugging. He leads me out and to the right.

"Where are we going?" I ask him quietly.

"It's a surprise."

"How far away is it?"

"Kinda far."

"Hmmm."

"Don't try to guess."

"Ugghhhhh." I groan. We walk all the way to the end of my street, and up to Violet's house. "We're not stopping here are we?" I ask suspiciously.

"Is this Violet's?" He asks.

"Yeah."

"We can but it's not our final destination." So, we stand in the shadows of the corner opposite her house and we watch.

"Which one's her room?" Micah whispers.

"Don't be creepy." I respond. "That one there." I point to one of the few lit windows, but fortunately you can't see in from the latticework of blinds slicing up the glass.

"K well we did that." Micah announces, and we take off across the street. "How did you meet Violet?" he asks.

"Why do you want to know?"

"It's called: making conversation, getting to know each other. All that jazz."

I frown, feeling suspicious. "Don't make that face." he says. I frown deeper.

"We met in geometry class sophomore year." I tell him.

"Why?"

"Because Mr. Poisel stuck us together. I dunno."

"Did you guys date or something?" He teases. I scoff which makes Micah laugh. "Was it before or after you dated Charlie?" He asks me.

"Um, I started dating him around the end of freshmen year."

Micah nods in understanding. We turn the corner at a light and end up on the main square. He turns us down Arbor Lane toward the lake. "How'd you guys breakup?" He asks. I go silent, and he turns to look at me.

"He broke up with you?"

"...no." I say.

"Oh." he says. "Why?"

"Well I... I had feelings for someone else." I cough.

"Oh." Micah says again. "Who?"

"Why do you want to know?" I snap, I'm getting sick of the interrogation.