Alden sat up, dazed and disoriented. Yawning, he felt a warm body press against him more firmly, hands wrapping around his waist and a face burying itself on his back.
His face flushed red before looking behind quickly to his best friend cuddling him from behind, looking at him with those adoring eyes that made him question if he was as straight as he claimed.
Alden scrambled out of Caleb's arms, flustered and blushing. His eyes drifted back to the bags they packed and stood up, he composed himself and looked out the window. It was the dead of night that crickets could be heard loud and clear but there was one problem... There was a party in full swing just across the road, colorful lights were flashing and it was seen clearly that the people inside were drunk
A hint of reluctance crossed Alden, should they wait until the party winds down or should they go for it and run? It may be their only opportunity to run into the woods but the ones partying across the street might see them and once they go missing report what they saw if they waited the party might end a day when people would be roaming around. He was torn between this and that. Should he risk it or should he wait?
Noticing Alden's troubled stare, he stood up from the bed and put a hand on Alden's shoulder
"Is there anything I need to know?" Caleb asked quietly with a gentle tone and worried eyes
Alden sighed and nodded his head to the party just across the street
Caleb's expression turned thoughtful before sighing "It's now or never right?" Caleb joked and pulled his hand away from Alden's shoulder
Alden chuckled and punched his shoulder playfully "That's my line!"
"Let's go!" Caleb said
Alden was just about to get his bag when he noticed 3 drunk men walking out of the house, a malicious and unstable grin on their faces that sparked unease in Alden.
He watched them closely, his eyes following the drunk men. They didn't seem to be causing trouble just stumbling on the street with bottles in their hands
Alden didn't think much of it and took his bag, following Caleb out and to the streets.
"Walk or run?" Caleb asked
"Walk, the drunk men don't seem to be paying attention to us" Alden replied.
Caleb nodded and looked back to the shortcut to see it blocked by cars and motorbikes, right, the party.
"Goddamnit, we'll have to take a long way," Caleb said
Alden's expression became exasperated, his mind hurt with all the thinking. Running away isn't supposed to be easy but nobody told him it would be this hard, he didn't expect any casualties to happen.
"Let's just take the long way," Alden said, starting to walk
The drunk men seemed to notice the two walkings, they're grim growing wider as one approached Caleb
"Hey... You seem young... Wanna go over to my place?" The first drunk man said
"Um... I'm not interested" Caleb said hurriedly, Alden eyed the man up and down judgingly
"We're minors why are you asking such questions???" Alden questioned with an accusatory tone.
The first drunk man rolled his eyes "Minor or not, that isn't stopping me"
The second drunk man chuckled and got closer as well as the third one.
A strong sense of unease shot through Caleb as he pulled Alden close
"Disgusting!" Caleb shouted
The drunk man's face turned red as the others backed down "You brat!" He yelled
"At least I'm not a pedophile!"
"You're gonna pay for saying that! Come here!"
His hand shot out to grab Caleb's wrist when
Another hand came crashing down with a knife in it, impaling it into the man's fat belly, Alden had gotten his knife out while Caleb and the man were arguing
"AGH!" The man yelled, stumbling to the ground and staring at Alden with wide eyes
The second drunk man's eyes widened with fear while the third expression darkened with anger
"Alden what—" Caleb was cut off as Alden grabbed his hand abruptly and started running, fast.
Adrenaline coursed through his veins as Caleb just ran with wide eyes, they ran and ran when they noticed the third drunk man chasing them. Panic crept onto Alden and Caleb's expression when they finally saw the forest in view
"Finally...!" Alden thought
Caleb ran beside Alden, making the other hand let off of Caleb's wrist
"We're almost there!" Caleb said
They got to the edge of the forest when Alden got yanked back by the back of his shirt
"ACK!" He said
The third drunk man tried dragging Alden away when Caleb started throwing rocks.
Not weakly but hard, very hard.
"Ow! Stop it you brat!" The drunk man said, getting distracted, loosening his grip on Alden's shirt.
Alden took this opportunity and ran to Caleb, grabbing his hand, they ran together into the forest hand in hand, Caleb's heart pounded in his chest but a cold sweat broke when he remembered the man Alden stabbed.
He let go of Alden's hand abruptly and stood there awkwardly
"Alden... That man you..." He started carefully
Alden stopped and turned to look at Caleb "I had to" he said in defense
Caleb sighed and started walking ahead "You didn't have to"
"Maybe I wanted to," Alden said, catching Caleb by surprise
"What?" Caleb asked, more to himself than to Alden
"You heard me" Alden turned his head away
"There has to be something more!" Caleb insisted, he knew Alden. He wouldn't do anything irrationally just because he wanted to.
"Fine! I was scared! I was scared they would do something to you, to us!" Alden admitted, facing Caleb
Caleb sighed and wrapped an arm around Alden's shoulders
"We already ran away, there's no going back now, now that you stabbed a man and I threw rocks at a man as well" Caleb chuckled
Alden sighed "You are such a crackhead..."
"Where are we gonna stay again?" Caleb asked
"The abandoned school I told you of course!" Alden said confidently, navigating the forest.
Caleb chuckled and followed "Whatever you say"