Solitude (Co-Authored)

[Adam_the_Kat]

_{Co-Authored by Adam_the_Kat and Stormy_Seas.}

Odd-numbered chapters will be written by my partner here, even-numbered chapters will be written by me.

As normal with my stories, this is not a happy-happy friendship story, etcetera, etcetera.


<sub>Chapter Listing:

Chapter 1: Clipped Conversations
Chapter 2: The Joys of Fire
Chapter 3: Climbing Ladders and Building Bridges
Chapter 4: Playing With Fire
Chapter 5: Tell Me Twice</sub>

[PuppyLuv]

:DDDDDDD

[Adam_the_Kat]

_{That's too many D's, Beth.}

[PuppyLuv]

No it isn't.

[Adam_the_Kat]

_{Okay then, keep using those D's.}

[PuppyLuv]

:DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

[Adam_the_Kat]

_{-laughs diabolically-}

[Stormy_Seas]

It's up.

[Adam_the_Kat]

<sub>Yes, it certainly is up.

Post the first chapter whenever you want.</sub>

[Stormy_Seas]

Sure. I've just got to re-read it to check the grammar, spelling, etc.

[Stormy_Seas]

Chapter 1: Clipped Conversations

"You know, I don't really understand." I reply into my cell phone that I was holding up to my ear.

"I know you don't, Tyler, but that's just the way these things go." I here my friend reply on the other line. "How are we supposed to understand our parents anyway?"

"Or siblings for that matter." I add before sighing and scribbling down a number on my maths homework. I roll my eyes as I hear a distant argument on the other line. "Look, I really don't feel like doing my homework right now. You want to do something?" There was silence on the other line and I briefly wondered if Clarke had even heard me.

"Yes, please save me from this hellhole." Clarke replied with a tone heavy on anger. I practically threw my pen down on my desk in relief,

"Meet me at the usual spot... In say, ten minutes?" I say before standing up and glancing at the clock on my dresser. It was 10:52PM, much later than my parents would have liked me to go out. But I shrug off the guilt and walk over to my window and grab a jacket. I pull the jacket on before opening the window quietly. Then I jump.

I land with a grunt and a swear word before standing up and walking away from my parent's house. Aren't I glad that it's just a single-story? The usual place was a river by the woods at the back of my house, it wasn't anything special but it was a nice place to get away. I'd rather get away than have my anger explode and end up getting into some real trouble. Clarke knew about my anger issues, and he was the first person I knew that was cool with it. My parents on the other hand, they sent me to a variety of different shrinks to try and get me to deal with my 'bottled up anger' and try to teach me to 'get rid of it in a healthy way.'

But I wasn't going to wallow in the self pity of being 'different' or 'unusual.' So instead, I learnt to deal with my anger by leaving. That or I'd set fire to something. Call me a pyromaniac, or a firebug, but it was actually Clarke who taught me the joys of lighting something up in flames. I guess that was when my parents decidedly branded me as trouble. Big trouble. I'd usually shrug it off with a roll of my eyes and another escape to the river.

I'd made it to the river in ten minutes, right on time. Clarke was there before me, which either meant he's sprinted his way here, he had a thing for running when he was angry, or rode a bike. Either way I wasn't planning on asking. The good thing about our friendship was that we didn't have to talk, not constantly. We were just two average guys, me with pale skin, honey brown eyes and red/brown hair and him with slightly-less-than-pale skin, green eyes and blonde/brown hair.

But that night didn't end being just 'average.'

There you have it, the first chapter.

[phoebestar909]

That's... FANTASTIC! I loved it.

[Adam_the_Kat]

_{I have a lot to live up to now, thankyou so much.}

[Stormy_Seas]

<sub>I have a lot to live up to now, thankyou so much.
[/quoteI

Haha. Good luck, Adam. And don't worry. I'm sure whatever you write will be brilliant.</sub>

[Adam_the_Kat]

_Thanks.

[Alexandra4621]

 

The first chapter is great !

[Adam_the_Kat]

<sub>Revived.

Sadly, Chapter 2 has been postponed until I can re-write it. I had quite a bit done, except my computer had a virus and we had to have the memory wiped.</sub>

[Stormy_Seas]

Yep. And so soon as that's up, I'll work on Chapter 3. Can't say much for regular updates, but it's life and stuff happens.

[Adam_the_Kat]

<sub>Such as bloody computer viruses!

How long does it bloody take to fix a bloody computer? Apparently it takes as long as building a space shuttle.</sub>

[Stormy_Seas]

Hahahaha. That too.
Space shuttles... I want one.

[Adam_the_Kat]

_{Oh don't worry, I'm sure you can work the main characters kidnapping a NASA scientist in to the story.}

[Adam_the_Kat]

_{Since I can hardly revive this without posting something, here is Chapter 2 to make up for the wait it's been. I apologise for the computer virus.}


Chapter 2: The Joys of Fire

You know, when two people who have never met go ahead and meet, people say that their destinies change. I don’t believe that nonsense, of course, but it would sum up my friendship with Tyler rather well.

“You know, I don’t really understand.” Tyler was calling me about some family troubles he was having. Quite like my family, actually.

“I know you don't, Tyler, but that's just the way these things go.” I was taking two calls at once, one from the principal threatening to send me to jail for being a ‘pyromaniac’ and the other from Tyler. “How are we supposed to understand our parents anyway?"

“Or siblings for that matter.” Tyler seemed to be irritated. “Look, I really don't feel like doing my homework right now. You want to do something?”

Hmm, let me think. An arguing family, with more screaming than your average D-grade horror film, or the river? "Yes, please save me from this hellhole.” I answer.

“Meet me at the usual spot... In say, ten minutes?” Tyler then hung up, but I knew what I had to do. Of course, with my family having a terrible attention span, I could waltz out the front door unnoticed. But where’s the fun in that? Instead, I jump out the window, onto a tree, and over the fence.

I grab my bike, ride it there, and hide it so it won't be stolen before walking to our meeting place.

People always said that I was a pathetic freak. Sure, I might have lit a couple of things on fire, such as furniture, trees and even a petrol tanker or two, but we all need a way of getting our anger out. Some people take up boxing, or sports, or they just keep it inside.

Me? I light things on fire.

Fire is brilliant. It is the only technology from ancient times that is still around today, it is useful for everything from cooking to science to explosions, and it is actually fun to use.

I met Tyler when I was about... twelve? I don’t remember, my memory is terrible. We met when I was sitting by the river that I always sat at – it had plenty of wood and grass nearby for when I needed to light something on fire.

He went through tough times at school. The teachers hated him for having anger issues – something I can completely sympathise with. So, after we got to know each other (we had quite a lot in common, surprisingly), and I introduced him to the joys of fire.

We don't have to talk. We can just hang out, and be the average best friends with a passion for fire. That night would be a normal night.

Well, it should have been.

[Stormy_Seas]

Wel well well, look at us. We're on a roll here.

Chapter 3: Climbing Metaphorical Ladders and Building Metaphorical Bridges 

They all say that time would heal a broken heart. Well, I've been waiting two and a half years for this 'mending' to begin and I'm yet to see any. But, self pity aside, Clarke was still there - and he was feeling the same way I was. Bitter, sarcastic and haunted. It made sense that we'd sell our families houses and move into a small apartment together - call it closure or the extreme unwillingness to move in with an aunt or uncle.

We were fourteen at that time - too young to make real decisions and too shaken up to care about anything but getting the  away from there. But hey, the memories still followed us all the way from there to here. I guess that's the only thing you can't get rid off - well that and nightmares. 

In some ways I was extremely glad that Clarke and I had decided to move in together - because then I wouldn't face the terrors alone. And he understood simply because, well, he was going through the same stuff. That's one good thing about having one event affecting two close friends, you don't even need to explain anything for them to understand. But even then, we refrained from talking about That Night. 

I don't really know how we got away with moving in together, I guess Social Services got sick of telling us what to do and our distant family could only stand so much bitterness before they left us on our own. To this day, I still can't remember how we survived. But that morning I was walking into the bathroom we shared, when I heard a shout. Disregarding my toothbrush and the running tap, I walked over to Clarke's room briskly. 

He was tossing and turning in his sleep - never a good sign. And I only made the bad decision of waking Clarke up from a nightmare once, it ended with my nose being broken. I stood there and reached out for the glass of water on his dresser, then I poured it on his face. It was a strange method but extremely effective. He jolted up with wide eyes. 

Realization clouded his face as he regarded me with a stare, 
"...Thanks." He murmured, wiping his face and hopping out of his bed simultaneously. I shrugged indifferently, 

"No problem." He would have done the same for me - and he did on several occasions. Cold water had a strange way of waking us up - and maybe that was because it was the total opposite of fire. But we still yet to build the metaphorical bridges and climb the metaphorical ladders to the point of getting over That Night. 

I didn't mention his nightmare as I walked back to the bathroom - and Clarke remained silent as he walked into the kitchen. There was no talking, but there was understanding.  Neither of us would talk until we wanted and most of the time we didn't - silence was one of the best method for forgetting and we both knew well enough not to bother each other. So we didn't attempt false and idle chitchat with the hopes of brightening the day, it was already too late for hoping that our circumstances would change. 

Maybe it was the fact that we'd stayed silent that allowed us to survive so long - well that and the lighters that sat on our dressers and in our pockets if we went out. If there was one thing that we didn't argue about, it would have to be fire. We understood the fire as well as we understood each other - and there was little we could to change that, even if we wanted to. 

Grammar and spelling mistakes may still be found. But anyways, read, enjoy and review.

[Adam_the_Kat]

_{Yes, we are on a roll here.}

[Stormy_Seas]

_{Oh don't worry, I'm sure you can work the main characters kidnapping a NASA scientist in to the story.}

Oh awesome!