Chapter 4: Cracks in the Wall
375 Words
The following weeks blurred into long days and heavier nights.
Adrian’s father had grown stricter, scrutinizing every grade, every action, as if waiting for him to fail. His mother offered soft smiles but no shield. Adrian felt suffocated—trapped in a life that wasn’t his.
Meanwhile, Lucas’s schedule grew harsher. Between school, late-night shifts at the convenience store, and helping his mother, he barely slept. He joked about it often, but the dark circles under his eyes betrayed the truth.
One evening, Adrian climbed up to the university rooftop, seeking silence. The city lights glimmered below, the air cool against his skin. He hugged his knees to his chest, staring at the stars, but they felt too far away.
The sound of the door creaking startled him. Lucas stepped out, carrying two cans of soda. “Thought I’d find you here,” he said, sitting beside Adrian without waiting for permission. He pressed a cold can into Adrian’s hand.
Adrian didn’t speak at first. The words were heavy in his throat, almost too heavy to let out. Finally, his voice cracked. “I’m so tired, Lucas. Tired of pretending. Tired of being who they want me to be.”
Lucas turned to look at him, his expression softer than Adrian had ever seen. “Then don’t pretend. Not with me. You don’t have to.”
Adrian’s chest ached. He glanced at Lucas, expecting mockery, but found only sincerity.
Lucas leaned back against the railing, staring at the stars. “You know what I’ve learned? People always expect something. They want you to be stronger, smarter, better. But at the end of the day… you’re the one who has to live with yourself. So screw the rest.”
Adrian let out a small, broken laugh. “You make it sound easy.”
Lucas smiled faintly. “It’s not. But it’s easier when you’ve got someone by your side.”
Their shoulders brushed, neither pulling away. For the first time, Adrian allowed his walls to crack. He let the silence between them settle—not as emptiness, but as comfort.
That night, when he finally smiled—a real, unguarded smile—Lucas looked at him like it was the most beautiful thing in the world.
- Writer
