I Just Wanted to See the Window Shatter

Our laughter echoed off the cobblestone and sifted itself through the foggy midnight air of London slums. The usual distant yells of domestic violence and popping gunfire of criminal activity was drowned out by the sound of quickly paced heart beats as we ran, my nose numbed by cold rain and lightly sprinkled drops running on strands of my hair, some of these strandsclinging to my neck. Leander stopped short and pulled me into him to stop me as well.

"No, come on!" I laughed, "my mother will kill me. It's way past my curfew!" Leander's soaked arms slid off of my rain drenched shoulders as he walked casually up to the cast iron gate next to us, sliding his arms through the bars, his breath visible in the cold air. "You're doing that strange silence again." I smiled through deep breathes as my lungs caught up with my pulse an joined him, following a steady gaze to the brick building in front of us. "Mother Mary's Orphanage" sat safe, sleepy, and silent. Leander's gaze narrowed but a mischievous smile remained. He took a few paces back and began to scan the ground until he found a large stone and picked it up, tossing it up and down a few times in his hand. "Leander, what are you-"
He didn't give me any time to finish before the stone catapulted off a strong arm and crashed through a glass window on the second floor. Screams and crying came immediately after as one by one, the home lit up, window by window. I watched on in horror, my hands drawn back to cover my mouth. "Leander," I gasped and shifted my eyes to him, my brow sinking from shock to anger. He was lost in thought, staring into the shattered window before his attention caught into me and I took a step back. He had realized.

"Aw, Bells, come on." He went pull me into him but I smacked his hand away. "I just wanted to-"

"Yeah, keep justifying what you just did." I walked past him, shivering a bit in the rain now which pelt down harder than before, or maybe I just hadn't noticed.

"Bells!" I heard him call and then fast paced footsteps of old brown boots on the cobblestone street. I began running. I didn't want to talk to him. As I neared Miller's Court, I ducked into an alley way and say against the brick wall, crying a bit but wiping it away. He scared me sometimes, Leander. I wasn't afraid of him, but sometimes he scared me; whether it was something he'd say or something he'd do. I wiped raindrops off my brow and turned my head towards the entrance of the alley. There he was. "Let me just explain what happened." He was as soaked as I was, light brown hair plastered against his neck and forehead and a raindrop falling from his nose. He sat down next to me and I shot up but he only followed and turned my around to face him. I hit his chest and he stepped back a bit.
" I could tell you what bloody happened! I know what bloody happened!" I shouted and he put his hand over my mouth only for me to bite it.

"Ow! Bells!"

"Fine, what happened, Leander. You tell me," I demanded and he glanced from his hand to my glare. I crossed my arms.

"St. Mary's turned me and my brother away when we went to them for help. Said they were full. All of the orphanages said they were full."

"So you throw a rock through their window? Do you really think they'll get the message from some anonymous arsehole throwing a rock through their window and possibly hurting an innocent child in the process?" I asked.

"No," he answered, "I just wanted to see the window shatter."