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.”
Jake raises an eyebrow when Lighter finally answers. "Are you trying to make me feel better? Or are you just saying that because you didn't like what I had to say?" He laughs, also letting the whole thing drop. He wasn't a fan of discussing topics like that with someone else, he only let himself wallow in those thoughts. No need to push it onto someone else. "So where now from here? Home?" He teases.
“It was meant to help you feel better.” He mumbled, glancing st this kid. He was vaguely familiar now he got a good look at him. Maybe just his mind trying to convince him he was some dangerous person.
Lighter scowled. “What home?”
Jake smiled then busted out laughing at his question, having lost it. "Relax, I'm not trying to trigger you, just trying to make friendly conversation" Jake had to admit, he enjoyed messing around with Lighter. "Besides, we both know that we don't have a home. At least not for now but I like to dream even if it's just to make myself feel better" He finger gunned at Lighter. "Because that's always the way to go"
Lighter rolled his eyes. The scowl remained on his face for awhile after. Home didn’t exist. Not for people like him. “Dreaming huh? I’ve not really tired that.” He replied, stumbling slightly on a loose rock as he started towards the gate. He cursed, kicking it away with his twisted leg. “I’ve never met anyone like you”
Jake still wore that giant smile on his face even after Lighter looked slightly triggered. "You should try it sometime, it's like drugs except you don't have to take any mushrooms," He said as he nudged Lighter playfully. The smile froze on his face when Lighter said his last statement, his gaze softened from his usual joking mood. "Yeah, I bet. I'm pretty abnormal for your usual wants-to-kill-himself kid" He laughed softly. "You're not so bad yourself, you just need to learn to lighten up a bit, even when they're trying to stab you" After that his mood seems to go a bit down "But don't get used to it, I'm not usually like this, this is just one of my good days. Running away and all y'know?" He seemed to be really happy. He had to be honest, he had never felt like this. Not one day in his life since he was born. Hell, he even cursed the day he was born but now, things didn't seem so bad. All he had to do was get away as far as possible. Talking to Lighter also seemed to have some sort of effect on him, like he could speak his mind. It was just nice having someone around who understood the hardships even if they never said it directly.
He laughed, shaking his head. “Mushrooms are disgusting.” He said with a soft grin. “So I’m glad it’s like drugs without mushrooms.”
Lighter studied Jake’s face, his eyes narrowing. “Abnormal? I’d say you’re perfectly fine even if so. Well you know, minus the ‘I-want-to-die’ mentality. But I have that too, so you know.” He paused for a moment, staring at the ground. “We all have ups and downs… some more dramatic than others.” He admitted, pretending like he didn’t just try to hurl himself from a building two days before.
Jake laughed at his disgust for the mushrooms. "Yeah no kidding"
Jake glanced at lighter as he studied him. "I guess you're right…it only matters what you do from here on out. Whether you decide to change how you do things or just make a decision for your own good" He said as they kept walking. It was nice to be called "normal" for once, even though sometimes he would scare himself because of how morid and gruesome he would get without flinching. It sickened him in a way.
“Exactly.” Except Lighter himself had chosen to follow the drug path. Not a good way to go, he admitted. “So I say, run away from your family. Hell, maybe I’ll Join you.” Lighter liked the sound of that. He could run away too. All he really had was his violin.
“Do you smoke?” He asked suddenly, pulling his lighter and box of cigs out. He needed nicotine.
Jake smiled at Lighter's suggestion. "I won't complain if you decide to tag along" He turned to Lighter as he took out a pack of cigarettes, then nearly scoffed at his question. "How do you think I've been surviving? On pure sheer will?" He laughed. "Though, it depends on the type you have. I have what I like to call the American spirit" he laughed at his pun as he took out a pack that said Natural American Spirit, the box was a grey color. "I'll usually go for these heavier ones with a drink- which taste heavenly by the way- but I like my smooth flowin' cigarettes too" He took out his own lighter which was half way empty.
Marcus shrugged. “Usually I have a different brand but today it’s the classic Camel pack. I like the brand my moter used to smoke but I can’t recall the name. They’re sweet.” He recalled, smiling with a soft laugh. He enjoyed the sweeter side of smoke.
Jake noded in acknowledgment, though he preferred a heavier harsher bitter taste to his cigarettes, they usually felt nice and solid once he inhaled them. "I guess you take after your mother, yeah?" He said taking out a cigarette from the pack and lighting it.
Lighter’s entire body seemed to sag. Just hearing the word hurt him. He growled a few curses under his breath. “I did.” There were no more words or phrases added. It was just a simple ’did.’ He didn’t want the conversation to sway this direction however.
He lit his own smoke, taking a rather long drag from it. The bitterness of it caused him to make a face. “Any alcohol preference? I personally prefer vodka or EverClear. Sometimes tequila.”
Jake just observed Lighter's actions. The word 'did' resounded in his head over and over again. He didn't know what it was like to lose someone he loved. He never had anyone like that so it was a bit difficult for him to imagine. He lets the whole situation drop, because by the looks of it, it was a heavy topic for Lighter. "My usual goto is a brandy but I'll also take bourbon whiskey. I guess I like my alcoholic beverages sweet and light…" He trailed off as he shrugged. "I'm a light weight in that aspect, as surprising as that may seem"
Lighter laughed softly. He could take a pounding. “You wouldn’t do good with what I drink then. I’m a heavy drinker.” He admitted. It was never one drink or one shot. It was always a full bottle at most. “It’d Probably kill you.”
Jake snickered. "I doubt that in a literal sense but when it comes to alcohol you got me there" he took another drag at his cigarette, letting the feeling wash over him. "Any particular place we're headin' to?" He asked after a while, having lost track of the time.
