Sweeter Than Fiction | ✓

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Rudy felt Nora came to the bookstore every other day just to spite him... and to also actually see Miles because it seemed the two actually thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. She'd even resorted to sneaking around the store and hiding behind books to avoid Lyndsey as the manger she-devil had began to notice the loud girl's visits to the store and never actually buying anything irritating the hell out of Rudy while she was at it.

He ignored her most of the time but she was more persistent and ten times more annoying that Kelly was, and that was saying something. He said as much to Kelly when he was feeling particularly prickly and earned himself a slap and a forceful assurance that he actually loved Kelly very dearly.

The clouds were dark and and gray. In retrospect, it should've been pretty obvious that he Scottish weather would turn against them just at the second they left The Bookshop.

"Feels like rain," Miles said obviously, looking up to the cloudy cry through the gap of the alley only to flinch as one big droplet hit just under his eye. He scrunched his nose and wiped the water away furiously, slightly flushing.

Rudy had to hold back the fond smile that threatened to break through while looking at him before he too was hit by a droplet, then another and another until a layer of rain came down the alley way like stampede and drenched them in a second.

The two boys looked at each other then ran, trying to outrun the beast when it was already too late. The streets were filled with the continuous thuds as the rain and the slaps of Miles' thin shoes and clatters of Rudy's boots as they looked for cover. They both stopped at the nearest bus shelter and sagged against the hard plastic box, hair dripping over their faces and clothes pressed against them, soaked through.

Rudy looked as Miles shook his dark hair that was plastered against his face, shaping around his green eyes where rain water dropped from his heavy eyelashes like caught tears. Those eyes caught him and made it so that Rudy couldn't look away. There was also something familiar as he looked at Miles; drenched and pathetic looking but radiating positivity.

"Your hair!" Miles exclaimed, his mouth open as he stared at Rudy slightly. Rudy's hand went to his hair which was hanging over his face and to his neck on one side. He took one golden, dripping strand of hair and looked at it with disdain as if judging why it couldn't fight against the rain and stay up on his head instead of flopping like a limp noodle.

Miles reached out as if to touch it, Rudy froze watching him until he thought better of it and put down his hand again. "It's weird to see it down."

There was just the noise of the rain battering against the plastic shelter then the unmistakable whooshing and whining pull of a bus.

Rudy looks behind him and back again."That's my bus."

"Oh..." Rudy couldn't help but feel pleased at the obvious disappointed tone that Miles didn't even try to hide.

"Yeah." He simply said back, eyeing the bus as it approached slowly.

Miles shivered a little," I mean I- I was going to ask if you wanted to go for another... uh coffee? or something. Hot chocolate. But, uh, I guess if that's your bus then I guess-"

"Want to come back to mine?" Rudy asked before he could even think. He didn't want to say goodbye just yet. The bus pulled up.

Miles looks up at him, his green eyes glassy and wide.

"For hot chocolate... or something..." he added quickly. Rudy felt tingly and numb all at the same time spread through his entire body to his cheeks.