Snippet #2756650

The heat was oppressive, and the humidity even more so. Even the breeze was stale and stifling. Elijah had lived his whole life in hot, humid weather it seemed. He laid on the porch of his family's house, melting into the perfect gray wood slats with his bare feet on the steps. His eyes closed as he dreamed of a thunderstorm, thick and cool and angry, to chill the wind even just a little.

His father was at work still, and his mother was on bed rest for the week. Elijah'd spent most of the day taking care of her, bringing her whatever she asked for, but she'd finally fallen asleep, allowing him his own chance at rest. His phone buzzed. He groaned, but he checked it anyway.

From: Alex
Hey, dude, I'm off this afternoon if you want to come grab a coffee!

His heart rose up into his throat, but his hands were already typing up a reply without permission.

To: Alex
I can be there in 10

His steps were soft in the house. The air conditioning felt heaven-sent, but not good enough to keep him inside. The note he left for his mother on her bedside table, careful not to wake her from her sleep, was simple:



He pulled on his shoes, hopped on his bike and took off toward the coffee shop.

Willow tapped her fingers on the faux-marble counter top of the box office. The tiny fan and the AC box cranked noisily as the last couple minutes of her shift wound down. The thick cotton polo was too heavy and dark to be wearing in the summer, as were the black slacks and thick-soled shoes. If she had known she would be working in the box office that day instead of behind the concession stand, she would have worn shorts and flip-flops instead. The customers could never see lower than her torso from behind the glass.

Voices came through robotic and muffled as the last hipsters she would have to serve today requested tickets for some pretentious indie French snore-fest of which the theater had decided to give a limited showing due to the few but very constant and annoying requests. Willow handed over their tickets with a plastered-on smile, all but bolting out of the stuffy box as soon as they walked inside the golden double-doors. She made a beeline for the break room to punch out. The clock read two minutes past her shift's end. Her phone beeped softly. She never bothered to turn it on silent at work because of her bosses' lenience.

From: Ricky
Hey there you! :p doing anything later on today?

She smiled to herself and gathered her bag from her locker. She typed quickly as she practically skipped to her car.

To: Ricky
Just got off work. You got ideas?

Her car took almost no time at all to cool down, the air conditioning blessedly pumping out fresh air like its mechanical life depended on it. She was home in less than 10 minutes, and she changed into her sundress of the day and collapsed onto her bed, phone in hand.