The cold breeze hits my face as soon as I stepped outside of the building. Pulling my scarf up over the tip of my nose, I huddle into my coat and head off down the road. As I turn the corner into the high street, I spot a glimmer of light at the end of an alley. Each time the wind blows, the light goes out, then returns.

A car drives past behind me, and the headlights flash down the alley. I catch a glimpse of a figure in a coat, huddled over a match and a small handheld box of some kind before the area is abruptly doused in darkness again.

I turn to continue walking, but I'm stopped in my tracks by a voice.

"Hey."

My entire body freezes.

They saw me.

"Don't worry." The voice says casually. "I don't bite."

I can't leave now, can I.

Shit.

I start to walk down the alley.

"You live down here?"

I nod, then realising that they can't see me.

"Y-Yeah."

I can kind of make out the figure's outline as they turn to face me.

"Why are you stuttering? You scared or some shit?"

I shake my head frantically.

"Gimme a second."

The handheld box is taken out again.

"The wind's died down..." They mumble to themselves, picking out a match.

"Keep that scarf up, there'll be smoke in a sec."

As they light a cigarette, the light from before returns.

"You look terrified." They state, pulling down their coat hood.

That haircut.

They're a guy!

Crap.

Their dark brown eyes focus on my crystal blue ones in the cigarette light, and then they scan my face.

"What road do you live in then?"

I gesture towards the nearest block of flats. "There."

"I said what road, but okay."

I breathe out deeply which causes a cloud of warm air to erupt from my nose and swirl about in front of our faces. The guy next to me lets out a few smoke rings and chuckles.

"Mine were better."

I mask a giggle within my scarf.

"You smoke?" He asks, offering me a cigarette. I shake my head and push the heart-attack inducing object back towards him.

"Those things will kill you."

He shrugs. "I know. I'm trying to speed this shit up."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "So, you want to die?"

He pauses, then nods.

"Pretty much. I don't have much to live for."

"What about family?"

"Oh, please. My parents are dead and I've never shagged a girl for the 20 years I've lived for."

I swallow, not expecting the conversation to take this turn.

"So, you're a virgin?"

He turns back to the wall and closes his eyes, taking in a deep breath of tobacco and smoke.

"What's it to you? Was I supposed to be this stereotypical young adult in the alley, on drugs and addicted to smoking, raping girls with every chance they get?"

I take a step back and he opens one eye to look at me again.

"N-No. I never said that."

He sighs, and smoke comes out with it.

"You hinted it."

"You mentioned drugs." I say quickly.

*silence*

"What's it to you?" The guy repeats, relighting his cigarette again after another gust of wind. "I was talking about the stereotype, I never said I took drugs."

"But are you?"

"Am I what?"

"On... drugs?"

He throws his cigarette to the floor and stamps on it.

"For gods sake! I'm not on drugs!" He yells. After a couple of seconds, he moves his shoe and stares at the remnants of cigarette on the ground. I try to think of a way to start conversation, but my mind goes blank.

"Kai." He says it so softly, I have to lean closer to hear him.

"What?"

"Kai."

"What's that?"

"My name. I thought... you might want to know."

"Oh. Umm, (name)." I reply, holding out my hand.

He doesn't shake it, but leaves his empty cigarette box in it instead.

"Keep it. As a memory." He says, and then starts to walk towards the high street.

I stand completely still as he reaches the end of the alley. He turns, nods to me, pulls up his hood and then walks away.