INJUSTICE

Chapter 2: Aftermath

The drive back was short but boring for Ryan. The two talked about Ryan's encounter but he purposefully failed to mention the girl knowing Ezekiel would question what he did, but in a good way. In his opinion Ryan should've escorted the girl out of there but, he obviously didn't. He rode his bike out to the city so it wouldn't take long for Ezekiel to drive back to their neighborhood. Ryan just passed the time by staring out the window mesmerized by the beauty of the city but the harshness of the life in it. After a while, they arrived at Ryan's house.
   "Aight, we're here" Ryan continued staring out the window and responded
   "I ain't getting out". Ezekiel winded down Ryan's window interrupting his gaze.
   "What the he-" he was interrupted,
   "Come on, you've faced your folks before this won't be the first".
   Ryan arrogantly corrected him, "It will be the first time I come home from the police station, dumbass!"
   Ezekiel didn't give even a glare to Ryan. Ezekiel sighed
   "Just get out of my car, you'll be just fine, and stop being such a fucking pussy!" Ezekiel shouted.
   Annoyed, Ryan stepped out of car and leaned on the window seal. He looked at Ezekiel,  
   "Fuck... you" he said slowly.
   Ezekiel sped off. Ryan walked to his front door and rung the doorbell nervously. He was wondering who would answer the door. If his mother answered he would get a hard slap on the face and be told what a disappointment he was. Even though this couldn't be far from the truth, his morgen loved him after all. But if his dad answered he would be told he was a menace to society which also, wasn't true. But low and behold, his little sister answered?.  
   "Sarah?"
   Before he could walk in a palm met his face. She slapped him as his mother would've.
   "Hey!" Ryan shouted.
   Sarah sighed "What was it this time?".
   Ryan put pressure on his cheek, "I got into a fight..." he said ignorantly,
   "with who I may ask?" Sarah demanded, "
   "Some fucker who was trying to violate a girl". He walked in
   "Did you fuck them up?" She asked,
   "As well as I could..." Ryan responded.
   Sarah wasn't a bad little sister. After all, she was only 14-years-old and was pretty understanding about Ryan's mishaps. She knew him better than their parents after all. She would let him sneak out in the middle of the night and not snitch on him when he did. She welcomed Ryan in and told him to
   "get to bed before mom notices you were gone".
   He complied knowing his mother would have his ass if he didn't. He walked up to his room, too-toeing past his parents bedroom. He entered his bedroom and laid his head on his pillow. But he couldn't sleep, he could only think about the boy, the girl, and what all of it would mean for him, tomorrow.
                                        *
"Yo! Come on we're late!"
   Ezekiel was ready to pick up Ryan first thing in the morning after the incident. Everything went back to normal that day. It was like his encounter with Xander and his group never happened.
   "Alright alright, I'm coming!". Ryan jumped into the car and they drove off.
   Ezekiel and Ryan had been friends for years ever since middle-school and their friendship was tight as a knot.
   "I wonder if that girls ok..." Ryan said under his breath.
   "What'd ya say?" Ezekiel asked curiously,  
   "nothing!" Ryan's words seemed to dart out of his mouth. 
   After a short drive, they arrived at their high-school and went on with their day. Their schedule was, purposely, arranged the same, since they worked well together and they were close with their principal. It was arranged as so: Science, Math, PE, Language Arts, History, and they both took art to pass the time. They didn't have any notable hobbies besides chilling and talking about girls and what they would do if they could leave the city but, that would never happen. After all, all citizens are trapped in the city. But Ryan and Ezekiel did try to escape, once.
  Ryan remembers it but Ezekiel, not so much. They were only 12 at the time when they both had bicycles. So, they made a plan to sneak off in the middle of the night and ride to the edge of the city to at least touch the concrete wall they lived in. Once they got there, they fantasized about life outside New Kaiser, or if there even was life on the outside. Maybe it was just a wasteland or a vast expanse of people and buildings but, they knew they would never find out. They both had a sense of euphoria after touching the wall. it reminded them of the life they live and the sadness of how they live it. Was it even normal? Or were they different from people living their day to day lives outside the walls. New Kaiser was a cage they thought fondly. A cage to imprison us and our loved ones. They didn't understand that this is how they're government wanted it. They thought this was the only life they would know and they thought that this life was fair. But they were absolutely wrong...