There is some yelling and shouting from the other side of the building. Jake had finally done it. His stupid ass had been spotted by the cops patrolling the school. "Fucking hell" Was all he had time to say as he booked it and ran. This wasn't even funny anymore. If he got caught, it was back with his parents. The thought made him shiver and helped motivate him to run faster. As he was turning a corner he smacked right into Lighter. "Son of a bitch!" He yelled as he fell on the guy.
Lighter cursed under his breath, the wind knocked out of him. “Where the hell are you going in such a hurry asshole?!” He growled in annoyance, looking the kid up and down. “Who the hell are you?”
He pushed him away, rubbing at his arms. He had definitely reopened a few wounds. “Asshole.” He growled.
Jake looked at Lighter, his head spinning a bit before everything went back to normal. “Sorry..” he muttered as he got up. He checked his pants and found that his gun was gone, he paled a bit. Then as he heard the cop getting closer he panicked. He needed a place to hide, now. He looked around frantically and saw a building that looked like a gym. He didn’t think twice as he grabbed Lighter and dragged him behind the building. “Look, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that but I’m kind of in a tight spot right now. I’m not even supposed to be here for crying out loud” he said directing the last sentence to himself.
Lighter panicked. He didn’t know what the hell this male was doing but he didn’t like it. “Hold up! Not supposed to be here? Again! Who the hell are you?” He asked defensively, pulling on his sleeve in an attempt to hide any protruding bruises or burns.
Jake looked from behind the building to see if the cops were gone. He seems to have gotten them off his track, for now. He turned to face the guy. “It doesn’t matter who I am. I just need you to stay quiet and I won’t bother you. I’m just…” he hesitated a bit, trying to find the right thing to say. “Passing by.” Was his final answer. “But if you desperately wanna know I’m just a run away, alright?” He was clearly on edge.
Lighter frowned for a moment. “Run away from what?” He asked quietly. If he could, Lighter would run away from his own life and family. He’d run away from the gang and the entirety of this school of He could.
He hushed himself, staring at the guy in front of him. “If you want out of here quicker and safely, I can help.” He grumbled.
Jake looks at Lighter. “Just a run away…from my family.” He looked away uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck, in an uneasy manner. Jake’s eyes widen when the guy said he would help him but he quickly stops himself, it could be a trap after all. “Yeah sure” he says casually, taking the risk of trusting someone he didn’t even know.
“Man you’re one lucky little…” he started, his voice trailing away. He shook his head. “You’ve got some nerve coming to this school.” He said with a soft laugh. Lighter ran his hand through his curly hair, sighing sadly. “You could’ve caught Marx in a bad mood.” He added, sighing softly as he grabbed Jake’s wrist and pulled him forwards and into the gym.
Jake narrowed his eyes at him when he started the sentence then looked away. "I didn't target this school specifically, I just ran to the most convenient location." He said as Lighter practically scolded him. Jake smirks. "Yeah I guess…" Is the only thing he says as Lighter takes him into the gym, he didn't argue, the last thing he needed was to anger the person helping him.
With a soft shiver, Lighter recalled the last time he had caught Marx in a bad mood. His shoulder still ached from the abuse he received. “Why’d you run away?” He asked with a light frown, releasing the guy. “If I could run away I would. I probably can. I’m sure people would want me presumed dead.”
Jake stared at the guy as he asked the question. "No reason." Was all he said. "Just didn't like my family. They're a bit much sometimes. I kind of had enough." His expression turns a bit dark as he remembers his cousin and what had happened but it passes just as quickly as it had come. "You? You wanna run away? Well, it doesn't sound like a bad idea, as long as they don't catch you that is. Maybe we could get out of here together" He jokes at the end. He was insane to already be cracking jokes with a stranger.
“If your father hit you every time you breathed the wrong way then you would want to leave too.” He growled lowly, trying a door. It was locked. He cursed. “This is usually open. It’s got a good enterance to the basement.” He glanced at Jake. “Family not so good huh?”
Jake was taken aback that this guy could admit that so easily. Maybe it wouldn't have hurt to tell him a bit more but then again he was a bit prideful in that aspect. He didn't like anyone knowing that he came from a twisted broken family. The less they knew, the better. "Yeah, I probably would have packed my junk if I was in your position. That's why I decided to run away last minute before-" he stops as Lighter asked the question. He chuckles a bit. "As you can tell, it wasn't a very pleasant place." He seemed to zone out, looking at the door that Lighter had tried to open, then snaps out of it and looks away. As if he had been caught doing something bad.
Of course he could admit it so openly. He just did not care anymore. He didn’t care Who found out and who didn’t. It wasn’t like he was going to be around for his eighteenth birthday.
“Doesn’t sound too pleasant.” He murmured, pulling a lock pick from his pocket. Marx had given it to him. For when he needed to sneak back into the house to avoid being beat once again.
Jake looked around. He wondered why he would even help him. Maybe it was because they were both in similar situations. He probably would have done the same. He goes back to watching Lighter trying to open the door. He didnt say much else, there wasn't much to say anyways.
Once the door was opened, he gestured for Jake to go through. “I never got your name. They call me Lighter.” He said, following through the door. A soft sigh left his throat. “There’s another door that leads to the basement. I know a way out from there.”
Jake looks through the open door. "Jake." He said plainly when Lighter asked. Then riased an eyebrow when he said his name. "Lighter? Sounds cool" he said as he stepped through. There were a lot of doors for just a gym. "Use this often?" He asked about the seemingly secret route.
“It’s a nickname.” He explained. The room was cooler than the outside. It felt good on his face. “I do. I use it to ditch.” He frowned deeply. “More than I care to admit actually.”
"Well nice nickname Lighter" he said, liking how it sounded as the name rolled off his tongue. It didn't come much as a surprise to him that Lighter would use it to ditch his classes. He had done the same only a week ago at his old school. "Well, I'm not about to lecture you on how bad it is to skip classes because that would be hypocritical of me"
For a fleeting moment, he smiled. “It sounds nice until you realize how I got it.” He pulled on his sleeve again. “You skipped to?” He looked Jake up and down. “You seem the type to skip. That’s not meant to be take offensively by the way.”
Jake notices how Lighter would pull on his sleeves. Jake didnt seem like it but he was the type to notice the smallest of details. "Well then how did you get it?" He asked before Lighter moved on to yet another question. Jake let out a chuckle. "No offense taken, but unlike you I wouldn't skip so much. I made the mistake of skipping one two many days and my folks heard about it. They didn't take it too well. I guess that was one way to keep me in school. I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't so bad" he said nonchalantly as he shrugged.
“School still sucks.” He said with a laugh. “I got my nickname because I used to be a hardcore arsonist.” He grinned crookedly. “I love fire.” He paused for a moment. “It’s also my self-harm method.”
Jake smiles. "I won't argue with you there" he says shoving his hands into his pockets, listening to what the guy had to say. "So basically you're a pyromaniac?" He questioned, though that much was clear. He froze when he hears the last part. "Self harm method? You mean you burn yourself-" he stops himself before he can finish the sentence. He shakes his head. "I won't judge"
“I am. Hardcore. I carry a lighter on me actually.” He pulled it from his pocket, showing it to Jake. His question caused him to pause. A slow nod answered it. He pulled his sleeve back to show him the blackened skin. “I feel something when burned.”
Jake nearly jumps out of his skin when he sees the burn marks on Lighter's skin, he quickly pulls his sleeve back down. "I-It's alright man, you don't need to show me. I know how it feels" Jake seemed flustered like he didn't know what to say or do in these situations. After a few seconds of awkward silence Jake pat's Lighter's head. "S-so umm where are we going again?…" He says quickly retracting his hand from Lighter head like nothing had happened.
“Skittish or squeamish? I didn’t take you for one to fluster over six small wounds.” He grinned back at the other male. Lighter had seen much worse things.
As they walked in silence, Lighter counted their steps. He knew they had a little bit more of a walk before they reached the other side of the school.
At his question he grinned, pulling his new-found partner-in-crime along with him. “To the corner here.” He says simply, pulling a large board away from the wall. There, hiding at the top corner, was a single latch. Lighter pulled on it, opening what appeared to be a cellar enterance. Light Poured into the dusty basement. “And just like that, we are at theother end of the school, near the back gates. Super easy to dash that way and hop the fence.”
Jake shook his head. "Not skittish or squeamish, just not used to seeing stuff like that…it makes me feel for you y'know?" Jake said trying not to sound soft but failing miserably at it. It was true, whenever he saw things like that, he couldn't help but want to help the other person. He really disliked that side of him since he couldn't even help himself. Why couldn't he just mind his own business and let people kill themselves if they wanted to? He huffs, annoyed with himself as Lighter shows him the way out of the cellar. Jake smirks. "Right of course and I suppose you spend the rest of your day at bars picking up all the cute ladies" He jokes as he looks around.
Lighter glanced st him curiously. He didn’t understand. Why would someone care what he did? “Don’t feel too bad about it. It’s my release.” He said with a straight face, climbing up and out of the basement.
“You’re not far off, Jake.” He smirked. “Though it’s true I can get a date rather well, I prefer to just drink when I can.” He snickered. “You’d think seeing my father I’d stay away from drugs and alcohol.”
Jake sighed. "Yeah, I know how the mentality of people like you work, no need to remind me" He mutters at the end, but not with ill will. He follows Lighter to the top, climbing out of the basement himself. He laughs as he hears Lighter's remark. "I figured as much and I don't blame you with the few drinks here and there" Jake gives Lighter what seems to be a small heartwarming smile. "Yeah? You'd also think that seeing my family I'd want to completely reject myself as a person but there was almost nothing I could do once they become a part of my personality" He gives a light-hearted laugh though it hurt him to say those words. He wanted to have nothing to do with them and he would destroy himself trying to get them out of his head if he had to. Even if it was the only thing he did in his life.
Lighter brushed off his words. He let the conversation drop away. He was a little tired of talking about it. His depression sent him into so many spirals of self-hate and suicidal thoughts. Just recalling those emotions made him desperate to stop feeling completely.
“Mm, Don’t think just because you’re a part of your family means you are your family. My father is abusive but you don’t see me hitting him. I only drink like him.”
