The boys spent the rest of the day together like they always did, but didn’t say a single word to each other. Instead, David immersed himself in exercise and pirated anime at 240p, while Adam alternated between drawing anyway in his sketchbook and revising his homework. 10 PM rolled around, and both went to sleep without wishing the other good night like they used to.

David woke up in the middle of the night with his heart racing, his brain quickly erasing his nightmare before he could even try to recall it. He heard what sounded like bones rattling and sniffling. He turned around and looked out the window. A snowstorm had formed outside. The orphan looked towards the sound. Adam was trembling under his bedsheets.

“Are you cold?” David asked.

Adam turned his head a little and went back into fetal position while pushing the bed’s covers over his head.

David sighed and got up.

“Come on, there’s no need to put yourself on penitence like that. I deserved that slap…”

“I know… But I still feel like shit.” His voice wavered as his teeth rattled. 

David sat on the edge of Adam’s bed, putting his hands together and his elbows on his knees.

“It’s fine, really. I put us in unnecessary danger… We could have just gone to a phone booth and left an anonymous tip to the police. They would probably close the hole in the fence, and we would have to make a new one… But now we’ll probably have to make a new hole either way. After they stop searching the area for gang activity.”

Adam didn’t answer.

David got up and went to fetch his bedsheets and put them over Adam’s, then he lowered the blinds and verified if both the window and door were firmly locked.

He got into Adam’s bed; the other orphan had already made space for him; and covered himself before making sure Adam could breathe while being covered as much as possible.

“Comfy?”

Adam got closer and snuggled against his chest. He was trembling like a chihuahua. David looked at the shaking blinds and hugged his friend.

“Hey, David?” he called, hugging him back.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry for hitting you.”

“I know…” He rubbed his friend’s back, trying to warm him up.

“Thank you for not running away and leaving me there.”

“Thank you for taking a bottle for me.” He shivered and adjusted the blankets “I don’t get it; just how expensive it is to turn on the heating in this fucking place?!”

“Expensive enough to prevent the director from buying another liquor bottle for his collection I bet… I hope his liver fails...”  

“Me too...” He pushed him closer “But then they would just replace him with an even bigger crook...” he said, patting him on the head twice.

“I know…” Adam sighed, disappointed. “Hey, do you want to go to Joan’s after going to the thrift store?” 

“The thrift store? Oh yeah, we have to replace our jackets and such...”

“I liked that jacket; it was warm and had inside pockets.”

“Yeah, it was a cool jacket.”

“You know how hard it is to find good clothes? Half of them either don’t fit me well or just look like trash...”

“I know... All the pants out there are either too short or too large!” he complained “Oh well. Sounds like a good Saturday plan anyway.” He closed his eyes and snuggled against the pillow.

“Hey, David?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too...”

“Thank you...” he said, looking up at his friend.

David didn’t answer; he was fast asleep. Adam closed his eyes, and he fell asleep in a matter of seconds.