Dust and Shades of Grey
number eight.
WiL had taken me to what seemed like an old garage. At least I was wrong about him staying out all night, even if the garage was freezing.
Because of that fact, wiL had let me keep his jacket - he’d caught me shivering again.
I slid down the wall and sat on the floor, watching wiL mirror my moves on the opposite wall. Nana stood in between us, looking at wiL, then me, then wiL again before finally dropping to the floor.
The three of us sat there in silence.
The rain was still pounding the pavement outside and the storm had moved so that it was right above us. Lightning frequently turned the dimly lit garage an electric blue color.
WiL seemed to be enjoying the weather. Sure, I liked storms too, but I was way to cold to really acknowledge it.
We sat in silence for ages and I was aware of every minute that passed. I was waiting in suspense for wiL to speak – I refused to break the silence this time.
And the minutes ticked away again…for a long time.
Even after sitting there for at least half an hour, I shook with the cold. My clothes were kind of dry, but still damp…and cold.
A violent shiver ran through my body again as I sat there, staring at the grey concrete floor. My head snapped up as I heard a noise, wiL was laughing. I looked at him with a quizzical look, but he smiled and shook his head.
But that wasn't the end; he spoke this time, which I was surprised to hear. “Where were you planning on going, anyway?” He asked me, nodding to the duffle bag partly hidden by the trench coat.
I opened my mouth, but shut it again. Where was I planning on going? “The park.”
Again, to my surprise, he laughed, but not the laugh I’d grown used to in my time with the new wiL, it was a real laugh that lit his entire face up. “The park.” He repeated, still smiling. I nodded. “Excellent idea,” he laughed, “sleep in the park while it pisses down and hope you survive the hypothermia.” I exhaled and went back to staring at the floor.
“You always were so easy to annoy,” he said. I looked at him again, he was staring into space. He smirked. “I could get anything I wanted if I annoyed you enough.”
I blushed and wiL caught it. I quickly drained the red from my cheeks.
“And you didn’t take advantage of me? Wow, wiL, I have to admit, I’m impressed.”
“It was always tempting,” he admitted, a playful smirk on his lips. “I could take advantage right now, you’re alone, weak.” His eyes grew darker. “You’d be safer at home, Rhianne.”
“I am not going back there.”
He sighed. “You want to stay with me, an irritating, obnoxious git?”
“You’re not obnoxious,” I said seriously. He smiled.
“I can be.”
And we were back to the silence.
We sat there for so long that the storm passed right over us and was well on its way to Bellevue.
“Why did you leave?” WiL asked curiously.
I smiled to myself. “Chris.”
“What about him?”
“He’s been so…weird lately.”
“How so?” He looked genuinely interested.
“Overprotective.”
WiL snorted. “There’s nothing wrong with that,” he paused, “given the circumstances…”
“What circumstances?” I asked. He merely shook his head. I glared at him but let it drop.
After a while of more silence, wiL spoke again. He was being very talkative…
“I missed your birthday,” he beamed at me, but his smile faded when I gawked at him. “What?” He asked me, frowning.
It was my turn to smile. “You remembered.”
His smile returned. “Of course.”
“I missed yours, too,” I laughed lightly.
“You remembered?”
“Of course.”
We both smiled at each other as a loud banging came from the door.
“WiL?”
WiL froze and looked at the door. I tensed up too, I recognised the voice from earlier in the park. Nana noticed the change in atmosphere and barked at the door defensively. WiL stood up and crossed the garage to the door. "Grab Nana and stay still," WiL muttered.
I nodded and whispered to my dog. "Nana." She came over to me and I hooked my fingers through her collar.
WiL opened the door a few inches when he was sure Nana wouldn't give away my presence.“What, Deryk?” WiL said, not bothering to show any manners.
“Thought I’d come and see my old friend,” I could hear the smile in Deryk’s voice.
“He’s not here,” wiL said bluntly before slamming the door. The banging continued.
“C’mon, wiL!”
“Go. Away.”
Deryk didn’t listen and the door opened.
“Shit.” WiL repeated as he lurched forward and slammed his body into the door. Deryk was too strong, although I don’t know how anyone could manage to keep the door open after wiL had ran into it, and the soaking wet figure stepped inside.
Because of that fact, wiL had let me keep his jacket - he’d caught me shivering again.
I slid down the wall and sat on the floor, watching wiL mirror my moves on the opposite wall. Nana stood in between us, looking at wiL, then me, then wiL again before finally dropping to the floor.
The three of us sat there in silence.
The rain was still pounding the pavement outside and the storm had moved so that it was right above us. Lightning frequently turned the dimly lit garage an electric blue color.
WiL seemed to be enjoying the weather. Sure, I liked storms too, but I was way to cold to really acknowledge it.
We sat in silence for ages and I was aware of every minute that passed. I was waiting in suspense for wiL to speak – I refused to break the silence this time.
And the minutes ticked away again…for a long time.
Even after sitting there for at least half an hour, I shook with the cold. My clothes were kind of dry, but still damp…and cold.
A violent shiver ran through my body again as I sat there, staring at the grey concrete floor. My head snapped up as I heard a noise, wiL was laughing. I looked at him with a quizzical look, but he smiled and shook his head.
But that wasn't the end; he spoke this time, which I was surprised to hear. “Where were you planning on going, anyway?” He asked me, nodding to the duffle bag partly hidden by the trench coat.
I opened my mouth, but shut it again. Where was I planning on going? “The park.”
Again, to my surprise, he laughed, but not the laugh I’d grown used to in my time with the new wiL, it was a real laugh that lit his entire face up. “The park.” He repeated, still smiling. I nodded. “Excellent idea,” he laughed, “sleep in the park while it pisses down and hope you survive the hypothermia.” I exhaled and went back to staring at the floor.
“You always were so easy to annoy,” he said. I looked at him again, he was staring into space. He smirked. “I could get anything I wanted if I annoyed you enough.”
I blushed and wiL caught it. I quickly drained the red from my cheeks.
“And you didn’t take advantage of me? Wow, wiL, I have to admit, I’m impressed.”
“It was always tempting,” he admitted, a playful smirk on his lips. “I could take advantage right now, you’re alone, weak.” His eyes grew darker. “You’d be safer at home, Rhianne.”
“I am not going back there.”
He sighed. “You want to stay with me, an irritating, obnoxious git?”
“You’re not obnoxious,” I said seriously. He smiled.
“I can be.”
And we were back to the silence.
We sat there for so long that the storm passed right over us and was well on its way to Bellevue.
“Why did you leave?” WiL asked curiously.
I smiled to myself. “Chris.”
“What about him?”
“He’s been so…weird lately.”
“How so?” He looked genuinely interested.
“Overprotective.”
WiL snorted. “There’s nothing wrong with that,” he paused, “given the circumstances…”
“What circumstances?” I asked. He merely shook his head. I glared at him but let it drop.
After a while of more silence, wiL spoke again. He was being very talkative…
“I missed your birthday,” he beamed at me, but his smile faded when I gawked at him. “What?” He asked me, frowning.
It was my turn to smile. “You remembered.”
His smile returned. “Of course.”
“I missed yours, too,” I laughed lightly.
“You remembered?”
“Of course.”
We both smiled at each other as a loud banging came from the door.
“WiL?”
WiL froze and looked at the door. I tensed up too, I recognised the voice from earlier in the park. Nana noticed the change in atmosphere and barked at the door defensively. WiL stood up and crossed the garage to the door. "Grab Nana and stay still," WiL muttered.
I nodded and whispered to my dog. "Nana." She came over to me and I hooked my fingers through her collar.
WiL opened the door a few inches when he was sure Nana wouldn't give away my presence.“What, Deryk?” WiL said, not bothering to show any manners.
“Thought I’d come and see my old friend,” I could hear the smile in Deryk’s voice.
“He’s not here,” wiL said bluntly before slamming the door. The banging continued.
“C’mon, wiL!”
“Go. Away.”
Deryk didn’t listen and the door opened.
“Shit.” WiL repeated as he lurched forward and slammed his body into the door. Deryk was too strong, although I don’t know how anyone could manage to keep the door open after wiL had ran into it, and the soaking wet figure stepped inside.