6:18 AM.
Cade woke up.
Didn't remember falling asleep. That bothered him for a second. Then it didn't.
The stain on the ceiling was still there. Still shaped like a cloud. Or maybe that was just habit.
His right hand was numb again. He'd slept on it wrong.
He shook it out. Pins and needles. Up the wrist. Halfway to the elbow.
"Idiot."
Not sure who he meant.
Kitchen was empty.
He stood there longer than necessary. Listening.
Water running. Bathroom.
Good.
He made coffee. Instant.
It tasted like hot brown regret.
He drank it anyway.
6:41 AM.
Lira came out. Hair wet. Different shirt. The blue one.
Didn't look at him.
Lira: "Did you sleep."
Not a question. Not really.
Cade: "Yeah."
Lira: "How much."
Cade: "Enough."
She opened the fridge. Stared inside like it might apologize.
Closed it.
Lira: "There's no milk."
Cade: "I know."
Pause.
Lira: "You didn't buy it."
Cade: "Forgot."
The fridge hummed. Loud. Or maybe the apartment was just too quiet.
Lira: "I have money. From my part-time."
Cade: "You're not working part-time."
Lira: "You can't decide that."
Cade: "You're fourteen."
Lira: "Almost fifteen."
Cade: "Same thing."
Her jaw tightened. That same sideways lock he gets when he's about to say something worse.
Maybe she learned it from him.
Or maybe it runs in the blood.
7:04 AM.
Walk to school.
No cereal. No complaint.
That was worse.
Lira: "You're quiet."
Cade: "Always quiet."
Lira: "Quieter."
He didn't answer.
There was a man at the corner. Grey jacket. Hands in pockets.
Watching.
Cade's chest tightened.
Don't.
He looked away. Counted steps. Eight. Nine. Ten.
Looked back.
Gone.
Lira: "What."
Cade: "Nothing."
She slowed slightly.
Didn't push.
That's how she pushes.
7:19 AM.
School gate.
Lira: "Bye."
Cade: "Yeah."
She walked in.
He counted to thirty.
Didn't know why thirty. Just felt right.
Then he left.
7:41 AM.
Corner store. Broken awning.
Ash wasn't there.
Cade leaned against the wall. Jacket still damp from yesterday. Smelled faintly metallic. Rust. Or blood. Hard to tell.
A car rolled past. Slow. Windows dark.
His chest tightened again.
He hated that.
7:52 AM.
Ash jogged up. Out of breath.
Ash: "Sorry. Overslept."
Cade: "Okay."
Ash: "You eat."
Cade: "Coffee."
Ash stared at him.
Ash: "That's not food."
Cade shrugged.
Ash looked at him longer than comfortable.
Ash: "Something happen."
Cade: "No."
Ash: "You get that look."
Cade: "What look."
Ash: "The one before you do something stupid."
Cade almost smiled.
Didn't.
8:31 AM.
Behind the old laundry. Smell of detergent and metal.
Three guys waiting.
Ren. Scar above his eye.
Jun. Cracks his knuckles too much.
Min. Doesn't look up.
Ren: "This him."
Ash: "Yeah."
Ren scanned Cade like he was a receipt.
Ren: "He don't look like much."
Cade said nothing.
Ren: "He talk."
Ash: "When he needs to."
Ren snorted.
Cade's right hand started shaking again.
He shoved it into his pocket.
Problem solved.
9:04 AM.
Territory walk.
Ash talking like this is normal. Like this is civic duty.
Here's where Jackals pushed out the last crew.
Here's where someone got stabbed.
Here's where you don't stand too long.
Cade listened.
Jun: "You fight before."
Cade: "Yeah."
Jun: "Where."
Cade: "Street."
Jun studied him. Then Ash.
Ash nodded once.
Conversation over.
11:27 AM.
Rooftop.
City stretched out. From up here, The Hollows didn't look rotten. Just small.
Ash: "What do you think."
Cade: "About what."
Ash: "This. Us."
Cade looked at the sky. Flat grey.
Cade: "You think this works."
Ash: "Got a better idea."
Cade didn't.
That was the problem.
2:13 PM.
Home.
Empty.
He sat on the couch. Didn't turn anything on.
His hand was shaking again.
He watched it.
This is who you are now.
The thought didn't scare him anymore.
That scared him more.
11:08 PM.
In bed.
Ceiling dark. Stain invisible. Still there.
Phone lit up.
Ash: you in or not
Lowercase.
Cade typed.
Deleted.
Typed again.
Deleted.
Sat there.
Then:
Cade: In
Three minutes.
Ash: good. tomorrow. same place.
Cade put the phone face-down on the floor.
Didn't sleep.
4:02 AM.
He woke up on the couch.
Didn't remember moving.
Neck stiff. Hand numb.
Apartment silent.
Too silent.
He sat in the dark until light started leaking through the curtains.
Didn't count this time.