"It's raining, Ary." toi don't open your eyes as he approaches you.
"I know," toi said. toi can hear the patter of the rain on the rooftop. It's a soothing rythmless Muse to your ears.
"Wouldn't toi prefer to be inside?" he asks, standing over you.
"If I wanted to go inside, why would I be out here?" toi snap.
toi sigh and open your eyes. Alek stares blankly at you, letting the rain drops fall on him and soak his jacket.
"I'm sorry, Alek," toi apologize, shame forcing toi to look down at your hands. "I just..." toi trail off, the words dying on your lips as toi realized toi have no explanation. For once, toi have absolutely no answer.
Alek lowers himself onto the ledge beside you. He rests one hand on his knee, letting the other dangle over the edge. He silence helps toi collect your thoughts.
"I just get so frustrated sometimes," toi mutter, still staring at your palms. "This whole team thing is crazy. I l’amour it but..."
He looks over at you, waiting patiently for toi to find your words.
"Sometimes I just... I just want to scream," toi admitt finally.
"Then do it," Alek permits.
toi look over at him, your wet hair falling in your face.
"Really, go on," he prompts. "I don't mind. I won't even listen. See?" He places his hands over his ears. It's very comical.
toi shake your head. "I think that may scare the neighbors," toi say, meaning the occupants of the apartment building you're perched on.
toi listen to the patter of the rain as Alek falls silent once more, thinking over the matter.
"Alright," he says slowly. "Let me montrer toi something." He stands and reaches a hand down to help toi up.
toi look from your partner's outstretched hand to the ledge, searching for an excuse to stay where toi are. Why are toi looking for one? toi ask yourself. After all, this is Alek. Cool, calm, trusting Alek who would never do anything stupid and drag toi down with him.
Finally toi nod and take his hand, careful not to slip on the wet ledge as he leads toi off it. He releases your hand and leads toi to the firescape.
toi follow him down down down the ladder to the sidewalk below. Across the street. Over the avenue. And down the steps to the underground subway.
It is crowded down below, as usual. toi weave through the throng of people, keeping an eye on Alek's green coat. He leads toi to a door set in the mur at the edge of the crowd.
Alek punches in a sequence and the door clicks open. After a cautious glance over his shoulder, he grasps your hand and quickly pulls toi through. Before the door is fully closed, you're jogging down the empty, dimly lit corridor after your partner.
The hall suddenly ends. Literally. It's like someone cleaved off the rest of the corridor. toi follow Alek to the edge and realize it opens up to the tunnel.
"It's safe, I promise," he reassures you. Then he turns and climbs down a short ladder leading to a small platform. Beyond the platform are the tracks.
"The engineers use these gaps for repairs," Alek explains as toi drop from the gap to the platform.
"I still don't understand why we're here," toi remind him as toi dust off your jeans.
"Wait for it," he says simply, watching the tracks.
After a moment toi feel the floor begin to vibrate beneath toi feet. The silence is gone and is replaced par a growing roar.
"Alek," toi say nervously.
"It's the suivant train," he says. "Count to ten, then let it all go!"
toi finally understand. The roar of the train will surely cover any scream. It is an ingenious idea.
Not seeing any reason not to, toi shut your eyes.
1... 2... 3... toi think of every time you've been outsmarted. 4... 5... 6... Of every time toi have gotten annoyed, angered, frustrated.The floor of the platform is shuddering so hard it's becoming difficult to stand in place. The roar in your ears is defining.
7...8...9... toi think of every time you've wanted to slam a door. coup de poing a wall. Cry and yell and scream at the haut, retour au début of you're lungs, but didn't because it would be immature and childish. 10.
toi squeeze your eyes shut and scream as loud as toi possibly can.
It's like popping the lid of a fizzing bottle, only to have it explode. And that's what toi do. Explode.
toi scream and scream, adding to the thunder as the train rushes past. The sounds mix to a single voice.
toi scream and yell and scream scream scream.
Finally, toi feel the air escape your lungs. toi yell a final burst, then slowly open your eyes, panting. The end of the train comes and goes.
toi feel light as air. It's a new feeling. A great feeling. toi grin widely. Just because toi can.
toi look over at your partner. His face is red as a beet and he's breathing as hard as toi are. Alek had taken his own advice. He faces toi and grins as widely as toi are, his eyes glittering emeralds.
"Better?" he asks.
toi nod truthfully. "Much."