The rain drowns out my cold, frozen t e a r s,
I want to feel again, loving the nights, but there's only fear.
"Well, even if I do get sick, I doubt it'd matter much to my dad. What doesn't kill you can only make you stronger. Thanks for the concern though." He smiled again, cheerful and awkward in all the right ways before turning back to face Edward. "That's good. I was worried that I'd offended you. I mean, I've never really gotten the chance to talk to you before. I didn't want to blow my first shot at a conversation."
Shoving his hands in his pocket, Alex propped himself casually against the wall, eyes gazing out at the curtain of rain. It matched his eyes, in a way, that shade of particular gray. Gray was a particular favorite color of his, the way it was muted and silenced. "If you need any help with moving things, I'd be happy to help as well. Once the rain stops though, I'll have to get going. I've got bills to pay and a job to get to. It's hard to come by with enough pocket money these days." His tone was a bit wistful, but the teenager made no motion to particularly clear up that aspect.
College was expensive, and as intelligent as Alex was, he knew that it would be difficult to get out and see the world. He smiled forlornly to himself and tilted his head up to look at the darkening clouds.
'People like us, Alex. People like your mom and I, we were born here and we'll die here. It's a place that you can't leave. You'll graduate from high school and college here, you'll find some job here that'll bore you, and then you'll marry some kid from here. Forty years after your wedding in this town, you'll die here. And you'll be buried with the rest of your family's generation.'
'Can I be special, dad? What if I leave?'
'Leave where? The world won't accept some country boy. No, it's better to stay here where we accept you for who you are.'
'But I'm smart enough, and if I work hard, I can do it. I'll even get a scholarship! I will!'
'You're too kind to get out there. They'll just crush you. They'll step all over your dreams and backstab you and you'll drag your defeated form back here eventually. It's just a dream, Alex. A dream and nothing more. Go back to work, that guy's car needs cleaning.'
Outside, it continued to rain.
In a world where nobody's special, and everyone's a lie,
I will be born and then I will d i e.
I will be born and then I will d i e.
