Sweeter Than Fiction | ✓

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

"Okay, seriously, who is it? Who the hell is nicking my stuff?" Kelly came out with one day in the locker room as she slammed her bag down into the metal compartment with various Teen Wolf cast members stuck to the door.

Rudy rolled his eyes, ignoring her. Miles on the other hand threw her a worried frown.

"Are you sure you didn't put it some-"

"No." She said defiantly."There's no way I'm misplacing that much stuff, I'm not that sort of person. My favourite cherry lipstick is gone, who the hell steals that and not my mobile?"

"Well, you did misplaced my heart," Mark joked heartidly, earning himself a slap.

"Shut up, you loser," Kelly laughed a little before composing herself."No, for real. I was fine with it until my lipstick went missing. If your weird obession with me has one boderline creepy, Mark, I won't stand for it."

"You wish," he said, looking out the back door and coming back in, his face unreadable."Is your umbrella missing?" He asked Kelly.

Kelly blinked before rustling through her bag and sighing. "Yes..."

Mark pulled out a blue, retractable one from his pocket."Then I've got you covered, come on."

Kelly smiled brightly, yanking out her bag and closing her locker before latching onto Mark's arm and shouting good-bye at the rest before they were out the door together.

Miles and Rudy stared after them.

"What'dya think is going on there?"Miles asked Rudy, Rudy shrugged, surprised anyone would voluntary like Kelly. The girl was a soul-sucking demon if there was one.

"A lot more than what's going on with you two, for sure," Denise cackled as she walked in and out into the store before Miles could open his mouth. He gaped at Rudy, turning red before closing his mouth and turning, slamming his hands about his locker. Rudy only shook his head, smiling a little.

"You ready?" He asked, slipping his jacket on and closing his locker.

"What?" Miles squeaked, turning. "Yeah- Yeah, totally let's go." He pulled over his jumper which had little dog's chasing each other's tails print on the bottom. Rudy wondered if there was some sort of hideous jumper store where Miles just lived in or had an old timer as a neighbour who Miles would steal from his washing line.

It was raining pretty hard outside, making the streets glitter in the dark from the hits of light from the lamps. It wasn't raining as hard has it had been that night Miles had came to his a month back, but it was pretty close. Even so, Miles leaned a little to the side, producing a long, black golf umbrella, hidden behind a locker, that was basically half the size of him and opened it with an explosive snap before they stepped outside. Miles walked carefully, his arm raised a little too high to be comfortable just so Rudy was under the protection of the brolly.

It was charming, and Rudy couldn't help but fight down a smile, almost losing the battle like he usually did around Miles with all his emotions and more that he made Rudy feel. Still fighting, he reached for the handle, wrapping his hand ever so slightly, begging himself not to make a sound as Miles gasped a little, just so that Rudy's pinky finger was covering Miles first and then shook it free a little from his grasp so Rudy could take the burden of the umbrella, letting Miles' arm fall a little to a more comfortable height but not letting go of the handle entirely.

The two boys continued down street after street, shoulders brushing at the proximity of sharing the umbrella, not minding that their other shoulders were getting hits of rain water.

Miles prattled on about a book again like he usually did but Rudy found his mind wandering a little, to miles unanswered life. Rudy knew about his mother, knew that he was living with his uncle because of it but he didn't know a lot else. He still had the conversation between Mr. Archer and him, about high school.

Rudy wanted to know, just like he wanted Miles to know about his past, he trusted Miles but he couldn't bring himself to bring it up. Not with miles smiling and beaming, not when Rudy thought that a smile was the best look on Miles face by far.

So he didn't. He walked Miles home and ran down the street before Miles could offer him the umbrella, waving an arm behind him and feeling he ghost of Miles' touch on his arm.

~*~

Miles wasn't working the on the Wednesday. Rudy suffered from customer to customer, keeping himself in check from mauling the next person that tried to complain about a dent in their book or not having the sequel in stock. He also banished the thought of bashing his own head in with one of the thick hard backs in the corner of the store.

Fred was next to him, not really saying anything, which Rudy was grateful for, until it got busy and he started to curse under his breath to everything Rudy was saying in his head and it sort of made Rudy want to snap his neck or pat him on the back in understanding. Mostly, though, he wanted to kill everyone.

He was thankful when it was all over, his shirt sticking to him and his hair deflating by the minute along with his whole being. He walked to the locker room in zombie-mode, resenting the whole travelling aspect just to get home while pulling on his trusty denim jacket when the back door was flung open with a loud clang, the sound of rain from outside hitting the ground repeatedly filled the room and Kelly was there, dripping wet, her eyes wide with mascara running down her face and her knuckles white as she grasped onto the door, taking in loud breaths.

Surprised, Rudy almost asked her what was wrong, his arms sort of outstretched for the girl in concern. knew she had already left ten minutes ago.

"Is Mark here?" She asked desperately.

"What? No, uh, he left just after you I think."

She made a pained noise and looked behind her quickly, as if something was there. When she turned back there was tears in her eyes. "Oh god."

Rudy walked over, taking her by the shoulders which were shaking quite a bit.

"Serves me right for being irrestitable," she laughed a little hysterically. She looked up at Rudy then."Mark has his driving yet today, of course he wouldn't be here, he couldn't walk me home but- but there was someone- someone following me. I know there was. I started walking faster and he did too and- and Jesus..."

Rudy rubbed her shoulders a little, remembering a time Rosie had been in the same state coming home one night. Rudy felt rage.

"I'll take you home, okay?" He assured her.

Her eyes went wide, looking at Rudy and then she sniffed and nodded. "Okay."

A/N: hola! I'm in Portugal rn and my parents are giving me looks bc I'm not interacting and being sociable and writing this instead. Haha idgaf.

I missed Gotham last night bc the villa TV doesn't have basic channels like bbc, channel 4, channel 5, ect. Like wth. It's beautiful though, and big. I got lost in it the other day. Found a rocking chair so all was cool.

Please forgive me for mistakes or whatever, I'm writing on my phone and can't check properly from my laptop bc I stupidly forgot it along with other severe needs like sunglasses and notebooks.

Anyway, I'll stop now. I hope you are all doing awesome. I will be dedicating this to someone when I get back home.

Don't forgot to comment and vote!