It was a long, humid and sticky night when the sounds of smashing sounded throughout the entire block. The source of the sound was due to the sounds of glasses and plates flying towards a scrawny, pale and blonde haired teenager. The young boy was trying his best on avoiding the collusion of the items on his body as he stumbled to his left and right.
A women with long, flowing brown hair with smeared eyeliner and wiped away lipstick around her mouth, kept on hurtling item after item on the poor boy. Tears were rolling down her face and the words that she were screaming were so slurred, one might mistake it for actual gibberish.
Once the sobbing Caucasian noticed that she no longer had any objects to throw, she dropped to her knees, clutching onto her hair tightly and started pulling at it.
"Mom!" the seventeen year old yelled, worry clearly shown on his face as he rushed towards his mother and tried pulling her hands away from her hair. But the mother refused. She began slapping at the helping boy's hands; scratching and clawing at it as if she was some sort of angry cat.
"Get away from me! You, you disease!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, crawling away from the boy with tear filled eyes.
"Mom, it's me! I'm your son, Steve!"
The woman placed her hands against her ears, in total denial and disagreement to what she was hearing.
"No! You are not my child! My Steve loves his mother! He would never harm her!"
If anyone were to walk in, people would think that the brown haired lady had completely lost it! Which of course, is correct.
The boy, or Steve, had a look of hurt, pain and worry scattered all over his face as he tried to approach his own mother and failing as the woman screamed as if someone was after her and wanting to finish her off.
A single tear rolled down Steve's pale cheek as the feeling of frustration grew within him. He wanted to stay and help his mother but he also wanted to leave her be before she woke up the entire neighborhood!
But, knowing the area they live in, probably most of the residents were awake; some rolling their eyes, grumbling that they're not the only ones facing difficulties and hardship in life, while others tried to distract themselves from the fight.
Steve clutched his head tightly, mimicking his mother's action from just a few moments ago, before turning around and dashing up the stairs and pushing the door that led to the roof top open.
The blonde haired boy's breathing came out harshly, the same way whenever runs away from a group of bullies. If you could squint your eyes a bit, you could see tiny beads of sweat located on Steve's forehead as he walked to the edge of the rooftop, a hand running through his hair while gulping loudly.
"Rough night?"
Steve jumped at the sound of a curious voice. He turned to his left to see a tatted, tall man blowing out the smoke he took from the cigarette that was between his fingers.
Steve had never noticed his neighbor, James Barnes, standing on the rooftop of his own house. To be honest, Steve had not actually taken notice of his quiet neighbor.
James Barnes, or Bucky as he prefers it, is a 24 year old drop out. He, like many others, never had any sorts of interests in the educational life. Always thinking about parties, girls and having endless fun.
Bucky Barnes is considered as a bad influence, a bad seed, but in the outskirts of San Pablo, California, he's just your everyday Joe. People around here are used to kids like Bucky, so they never bother with scolding them or lecturing them about how school is important, about how getting his Diploma and then his Bachelor's will get them places in life. They've tried that before but, alas, it was all in vine.
"You could say that." Steve sighed, lifting his head upwards and allowing his gaze to get lost in the sea of shining stars. Unlike the city, you can actually see the stars and the moons clearly without the tall and flashy buildings blinding you.
The air around the neighborhood is somewhat fresher and purer than the air that floats in the city. Pollution lazily swimming between people and slowly slithering into them through their noses to start their slow and hidden attack that will instantly kill.
"Wanna… talk about it?" Bucky asked, looking awkward and uncomfortable as he scratched the back of his head.
"No." Steve shook his head lightly.
The air between them is comfortable. The quite night and chilly air allows the two to just gaze far, far way to a world that they can only see. One world is filled with adventure, the rush of adrenaline and excitement while the other world is filled with misery, unanswered questions and depression.
The two have been standing like that, just gazing into the night sky for about two hours until Bucky stretched and emitting strange cat like noises. The popping of his bones caused a strange reaction of satisfaction for the tatted man.
"If I were you," Steve was broken from his trance once that husky voice filled his ears once more. "I'd run away." Bucky continued before walking away.
Steve laid on his bed, wide awake.
After Bucky had left, he stayed on the rooftop for another half an hour before going back inside and going down the stairs. He let out a hopeless sigh at the sight of his mother's body lying on the kitchen floor with a bottle of whiskey besides her.
He crouched down beside her and took her in his arms. He tucked her in bed, removed that annoying piece of hair that was covering her face before kissing her forehead and silently wishing her a goodnight.
Sleep had refused to join Steve in their adventure to dream land. Which is why Steve is still wide awake at the ungodly hour of three am. He lay shirtless, in navy blue cotton pants and the blanket thrown to the ground after many turning and tossing before Steve letting out an angry growl and throwing it to the ground.
Steve knew the true reason on why he could not sleep but he preferred to childishly blame it on something silly. Such as; the bed isn't comfortable enough, the side of the pillow is too warm now to sleep on and the weather is too hot.
But he knew very well that the thoughts running inside his mind, gleefully, is the true reason on his lack of sleep. Thoughts, regardless of them being important or not, just ran freely and without a care in his mind.
Why can't I sleep?
Why was I born this way?
Why does mom have to overact and turn things into a huge drama?
What is Bucky Barnes hinting at by running away?
Thoughts similar to those can be spotted inside the seventeen year old's mind. He knew that he should not stress himself with all the thinking but, he just could not help himself! His life is no walk in the park.
Finally, at four am Steve was able to sleep. Mind a complete blank and his face scrunched up at the dream he's currently having.
A dream where the whole world is black and he's the only human roaming it. Wandering around aimlessly hoping to find someone, anyone besides himself.
He sees a small glint of light a few feet ahead of him, it seemed as if the light was flickering. Steve ran towards the flickering light, hope growing within him that there might be another human. As he reached his hand out to grab for the light, it flickered out. Leaving Steve in total darkness. The blonde haired teen couldn't take it any more as he let out a maddened scream.
Steve awoke with a start, gasping for air. Beads of sweat rolling down his face, hair sticking everywhere and heart beating fast.
Steve's blue eyes darted all over the room, making sure that he was not in that dark, black world. He calmed down the beating of his heart, evened his breathing and ran his hand on the side of his face.
Bucky Barnes was standing in front of the kitchen sink, looking out the window and sipping idly on his coffee. He thought that he might need something to wake him up after staying up for a bit.
It was when Bucky placed the frozen waffle in the toaster did he hear the banging of his front door. Curious, Bucky walked to his door with narrowed eyebrows. He stole a glance at the clock hanging on the wall, and wondering who the hell would be knocking on his door at nine am during a summer holiday?
"What do you mean by, 'running away'?"
A sly smirk grew on Bucky's face at the sight of the frowning blonde haired boy, hair disheveled and eyes sunken due to the lack of sleep.
"Come in." Bucky moved aside, with that creepy smirk on his lips, making Steve doubt his decision on visiting his neighbor and finding the truth behind his words.
But, too late now seeing as he already has been invited by the tall, tatted man.
"What do you mean by running away?" Steve asked once again as he took a seat on the dusty, maroon old couch.
Bucky's house was small. The kitchen taking half the space of the living room, a table big enough for four laid in the middle of the kitchen besides the oven where a sink is located to its right that was filled with water and Steve thinks that it's filled with dirty dishes.
The living room is painted in yellow. Some parts of the wall had a mix of yellow and a grey color due to the old age of paint. There was a small box TV on a small coffee table just a few feet away from Steve that was on mute and showing a 60's game program that the white haired teen did not know the name of.
On the far side of the living room, a book shelve was placed by the window that had daisy patterned curtains. The book shelve had three shelves; on the highest shelves, there were three picture frames. The first one had a wedding photo of a woman with strawberry blonde hair with snow skin and blue eyes. Next to her stood a tall man with sandy hair and slightly tanned skin, a warm and loving smile on his lips. Eyes almost into crescents. The next photo frame had a picture of the same blonde woman with a new born baby in her arms, she was looking down at the baby with her hair matted on her forehead. She looked exhausted but a proud smile was resting on her face. And the last frame had a picture of a slightly tanned boy, who looked about to be four years old, looking at the camera with spaghetti strings connecting his mouth with the plate. His eyes turned into full crescents.
"Are those your parents?" Steve asked, as he looked at another picture carefully. He felt his heart tighten in envy, how he wished he and his parents were like Bucky's.
"Yes. They were." Bucky answered as he sat on the single brown couch on Steve's right.
Wait, were? Then that means…
They were mugged and stabbed to death." Bucky answered, eyes lingering on the picture frame that had his parents smiling.
Steve bit his lower lip as he thought on what he should reply to that. He shouldn't have asked that question in the first place. But he was curious as to why no one was by the stove, cooking breakfast or why no one was laughing at whatever the TV was showing.
"I'm sorry." Steve whispered, looking down at his lap as he fiddled with his fingers.
"Don't be." Bucky grunted then standing up and heading to the kitchen and towards the once white refrigerator that had dust on the bottom of it.
Steve followed behind quietly, staring at Bucky's bent figure.
"Beer?" the elder asked as he held up two cans of the alcoholic beverages.
The teenager shook his head, "I'm underaged."
The tatted male just snorted. "You got to live your life early sometimes." He walked over to the teen and shoving the drink in his hands.
"Bottoms up." He muttered after opening the can and taking huge gulps out of it. "Ahhh." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and sat on the kitchen chair, putting both his legs on the table.
Bucky gestured with his hand for Steve to take a seat. The boy looked between Bucky and the empty chairs before taking a seat on the head of the table, sitting directly in front of the older.
"Drink up." He urged the white haired boy staring intensely at him. As if Steve drinking the alcohol beverage would prove Steve's loyalty or honesty.
The boy hesitated before he placed his hand on the top of the can and pulling back the folded edge. He brought the can up to his mouth, taking a deep breath, before taking a big sip and gulping the liquid down his throat. Hissing afterwards at the sting he felt in his throat.
"Thought you'd chicken out." The elder chuckled at the, now, blushing boy.
"Will you please answer my question?"
Bucky remind silent for a few moments, his index and middle fingers tapping a random beat on the top of the can.
"Have you ever felt that you don't belong in a certain place? Like, whatever you do or whoever you meet, you just feel out of place? Have you ever felt that someone or something calling out to you? To return to them and feel happy, content and relaxed?"
Steve allowed to lose himself in the hands of his mind to process Bucky's words carefully. Sure, he had always thought he had never belonged in San Pablo. For starters, this is not his birth place. He always felt that he was out of place, never once had he felt that he was with crowd. Instead of collecting baseball cards like most boys at the age of ten did, he collected comic books. Enter teenage years, instead of trying out for the school's sports team, Steve would go and join the science club.
The seventeen year old furrowed is eyebrows. What was Bucky trying to imply exactly? Sure, everyone has a favorite object or place but Steve had a feeling that the elder had meant more than that.
Bucky smirked at the expression on the younger's face. He had him right where he wants him.
"Steve, if you want me to answer your question," Bucky started, staring down at the blonde haired teen. "Answer me this first, where does your heart yearn to be?"
The younger averted his gaze and brought it to the brown and scratched table. He had a very special place in mind but, for personal reasons, didn't wish to reveal them to the elder. But he needed to know what Bucky meant by run away.
The younger let out a deep sigh before he answered, "The Borough of Churches."
"This is what you meant by running away?" a frown settled on pink, thin lips as he took in the sight of the auto mobile before him. The car was a 1970, Cutlass Convertible that was painted white with blue top. The door for the passenger's seat had been replaced with a red and rusted door. The car itself had many dents all over it. The biggest one being on the driver's side door.
"Ain't she a beauty?" Bucky asked, a proud grin on his lips.
"Let me get this straight." The pale skinned teen asked, walking towards the auto mobile and placing his hand on the hood. "You mean to say is that this piece of junk is going to drive all across North America?"
"Yup! Old Betty can handle it!"
"Won't Betty break down?"
The tatted man walked to the front of the car and lifted the hood up. He gestured for Steve to follow and pointed at the engine.
"Ya see that?" the elder asked, "This baby can drive for days and can stand the heat. I've driven her enough to know what her weaknesses are."
Steve noted the form of affection towards the Cutlass. Perhaps it had sentimental values for the elder?
"Are you lending the car to me?"
It would make perfect sense because a) Steve is seventeen and has his license already and b) The elder said to run away meaning that he needed a car to do so and that's why he is showing it to the younger.
A howl of laughter brought Steve out of his thoughts as he stared in utter confusion as to why the sudden burst of laughter from the older man.
"That's a good one, Steve-o!" Bucky wiped the tear from the corner of his eyes with his finger. Taking in a huge amount of air and soon calmed down.
"No, you punk." The elder answered as he took the ten steps separating him from the teen and standing in front of him.
"You and I are both going to run away with me driving old Betty." Bucky spoke as if he spoke to a child with mental challenge. Which was a huge blow to Steve's pride seeing as he had high marks in high school.
"Are you in?"
Steve started thinking, did he really want to leave San Palo? Did he actually want to return to his home across the country and leaving his mentally unstable mother behind?
Bucky's offer is very tempting and Steve knew that he would have an adventure of a life time. He would return to the place on earth he calls home. The place he had dreamt of ever since he and his mother left it all those years ago.
Steve wanted to accept Bucky's offer but the problem is that Bucky didn't know if he could trust the elder or not. For all he knew, he could be a serial killer, a molester or even a rapist.
"I'm in."
In the end, his guts told him to trust the guy and that he had nothing to lose. Well, except for his virginity and his life.