Monday greeted the morning with a gray sky and tumultuous weather. The maple trees stood out against the gloomy horizon, their twisted limbs clasping onto their last leaves as rain pounded the pavement. Zach’s sneakers sloshed noisily through the puddles and the wind responded by whipping through his hair. Wet clothes hung over his body like a soggy cocoon. These were the days where he wondered why he got up in the morning. All this work just to graduate and get MORE work? Today was so stormy even the office staff didn’t wait by the gate to scrutinize the in-coming students. Zach wondered how they got to their offices in the first place, and played with the notion that the janitor put them away at the end of the day along with the mops and brooms. It was funny for about a minute, until the blaring whine of the tardy bell cut through the storm.
Zach heaved a sigh. Late again. Taking a deep breath, he pulled his backpack over his shoulders and started to run across the slippery schoolyard pavement. Something hit him flat in the chest, and as he fell he vaguely registered having run over someone. His shoulders tensed up as he meekly looked down at the body beneath him.
Those amber eyes had never looked more annoyed.
“What is it with you, Zach? Do you generally lack direction or is it just when I’m around?”
“It has nothing to do with you. You’re the last person I wanted to run into.”
“Then get off me.”
Zach clumsily pulled himself off Gentry, stealing a sideways glance and noting the redhead wasn’t wearing anything but jeans and a flimsy black t-shirt.
In this weather?
As Gentry sat up, he sullenly noted that he hadn’t just fallen on any tile--- but the Cursed Tile. The Tile next to the trash can that he had successfully avoided since Freshman year, and would have avoided until graduation if it weren’t for---
“Zach. Have you considered quitting swimming and joining the football team? Your unique talent of crashing into things might just be appreciated there.”
Zach sighed and guiltily and reached out a dripping hand, impatiently waiting for the other boy to take it. Instead Gentry stared at it like a dead fish, glanced up at Zach, then grabbed it and swiftly pulled him face-first to the ground.
“Fuck you Gentry! What was that for?”
“Being clumsy.”
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