100

  100th post! Counting the drafts I never posted. 

Ezgi forced encouraged me to post this here, though it was my idea at first. 

I usually write little short stories every two months, about an idea I get. This time I was slightly reflecting on myself and details of my characters. This 2 page story is about Adrian (who you meet in the first chapter of my book) and his best friend, Onime (who you meet in chapter 2). Adrian and Onime have such a beautiful friendship. I'm terribly jealous of it. 

Little bit about the characters:

Adrian is Oran's older brother. Their father, Flavian, died in a plane crash (he was a pilot) when Adrian was 16 and Oran was only 6. Adrian is usually very calm and happy. 

Onime, when Adrian first met him, was like his reflection in a mirror. It was like they were friends with themselves. But of course, they had their differences. Then Onime had an accident with his plane (pilot. that's how they became friends in the first place) and he changed a lot. He became angry and pessimistic, but next to Adrian he was still his old self. 

Anyway, this story is more poetic than any other story I have written, so...I like it. 

Enjoy, and listen to Coldplay's "Fix You" as you do. 

___________

   This night was only a plain one for Onime. He was sitting home after a long day of boring Tower duty. The house was quiet. His father sat across him. Onime stared out the window, and his father stared at a wall, both very silent. Occasionally a slight noise was made when one of them shifted their weight. 

   They were always this quiet. Ever since mom had passed away, they didn’t talk much. There was nothing to say. 

    This was a plain night, with the stars sparkling as they did, the city lights competing with them. It was more colourful at night, the view. As darkness fell, lights lit up and the whiteness of the city left its’ place to the glow of the colours. 

    Quiet. 

    More quiet. 

   Onime stood up—rustle, rustle—and walked to the kitchen. His large ears could pick up the smallest of sounds. As he poured himself a drink, he heard rushed footsteps outside their door. 

   Then a knock. 

   More knocks. Fierce, hard, quick knocks.

  Onime hurried to the door. He opened it—click, shhhhk! Standing in front of him, was Adrian. Adrian visited him a lot, usually just to mess around, on plain nights. This night, though? This night, Adrian looked horrible. 

  Adrian’s eyes had dark marks around them (no sleep?). His nose was a bright orange (illness, cold, sadness?). His shoulders hunched, body shivering, Onime was going with sad and cold. The pouring rain would explain the coldness and the wet hair, but the rest?

“Adrian!” Onime said in shock, “Come in, I’ll get you a towel, come this way...”

Onime began walking to his room.

Adrian sniffed, “O-Onime...”

Onime looked back. Adrian had stepped inside, and seemed to be holding back tears. He ran back to his orange friend. Adrian let himself fall into Onime’s arms, who held him tightly. They stayed like that for a while, long enough for Adrian to burst into tears. Onime dragged him into his room. He sat Adrian on his bed and quickly pulled out a towel to wrap around him. Then he pulled him into a hug. 

  Adrian was cold. He felt like ice under the tips of Onime’s fingers. Adrian grasped the back of Onime’s neck, and sobbed with his face buried in his sweater. Onime knew he had to let it out first, so he only stroked his hair and his back. 

  If one knew Adrian enough, they wouldn’t be surprised to see him break down like this. He was always happy-go-lucky, cheerful, definitely not serious, and it seemed like nothing could upset him. But Onime knew the truth of it. Although Adrian always appeared happy, he had this hidden depression within him. It had settled in the depths of his heart, and Adrian knew well how to keep it there. But there were days when he just couldn’t contain it. Days like this, when he ran away from home and threw himself at Onime’s door. He didn’t want Oran and Kael to see him like this. He wanted them to look at him as an example, as a guy who never seemed to back down from anything, someone happy, someone strong, dependent, maybe like a father figure. A father Oran never really had. He couldn’t look weak. He wanted to keep things stable for them. A simple daily routine, no big changes, no absent fathers, no sudden deaths, and definitely no emotional break-downs. 

   Adrian wasn’t crying. Crying was only when tears rolled down your cheeks. You could cry from happiness, from even small reasons like not having enough sleep. 

  Adrian, was weeping. His body trembled. He sucked in air. Occasional gasp or hiccup—hhck, haahh...hick! Other than that, he was completely quiet. His face was tense and wet with tears. Onime gently dried his cheeks with the edge of the towel, but the tears kept coming. Adrian’s now drying hair slightly curled at the tips. 

 What affected Onime the most wasn’t the tears or the weeping. It was how Adrian grabbed the back of his sweater. Desperately, as if he was clinging to the edge of a cliff. His fingers dug into Onime’s back, which he ignored. What moved Onime more was the way Adrian’s entire body shook. With every sob, he shivered from head to toe. 

  Onime moved his fingers through Adrian’s messy hair. His head was heavy against his chest, but Onime didn’t budge. Adrian was sniffing again. He had calmed down a little. 

“Adrian,” Onime whispered softly, “what’s wrong?”

Adrian held onto the back of his sweater tighter. 

“Tell me.” Onime said. 

Adrian shifted so that his head was now resting on Onime’s shoulder. Onime could feel his breath on his neck. He turned his head slightly to look at Adrian’s face. His eyes were red—it really looked awkward with his lilac irises. His nose and cheeks were a dark red, bringing out his concealed freckles. 

“I—hick—I dunno...” he said. His voice cracked. Onime stroked his head. Adrian continued;

“I’m tired.”

“Go on.” 

“Oran is—sniff—he’s always so sad...I—hick—dunno how to make him happy anymore.”

A pause. 

“And Kael’s always so confused.” 

A hint of a smile. 

“I miss you in the hangar.”

He looked down. 

“There’s more to this, though?” Onime asked. 

Another pause. 

“I—hick—I miss dad,” Adrian’s eyes filled with tears again, “I miss him so much.” 

He started crying again. Onime simply held him like that, in silence. 

“S-sometimes I don’t want to live—sniff—anymore. I don’t want to. It’s too horrible.”

“Don’t say that.”

Silence. 

Onime realized Adrian wasn’t going to say more. “What would Oran do without you? Kael, your mom, what would they do? What would I do? ” 

“That thought is exactly why I’m still alive.” Adrian said shortly. 

The words hit Onime like a hard slap across the face. He tensed. Adrian was quiet again. No sobbing. Onime slowly dropped Adrian to his bed. He wiped the last of the tears from his face, and continued stroking his hair. 

“Don’t think bad thoughts. Shhh, sleep, it’s okay. You’ll be okay.” Onime murmured as Adrian’s eyes closed. 

Onime sat there until he was sure Adrian was asleep. Then he ruffled his hair, and went back next to his father. 

   Sure, a plain night.