Different colored minds

Sniffly nosed Avery

MAVERICK POV

I'm sitting in the bathroom stall. Outside of it I can hear students trading vapes and making deals. The walls stained a litany of different colors. I take a deep breath. I just want to get out of this day okay. I'm opening the door to the stall when my ears catch a familiar voice. Someone standing in front of the mirrors in his football jersey.

Steven is buying something off of one of the school dealers. I try not to make eye contact as I make my way to the sink.
"What are you doing, loser?" The sniveling voice of the dealer slurs. I pretend I don't realize he's talking to me.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" I feel a hand press into my shoulder, hard. I work to steady myself. My hands are still dripping wet from the sink.
"Avery, chill, there's no need to react like this."
"What if he's a snitch?" The boy named Avery spits each word.
"Who would he snitch to? Look at him," Steven points at me. I know he's saying this to protect me, but it still doesn't make me feel good. I do look like a snitch.
"Just let him go," Steven continues calmly. Standing next to Avery now, Steven towers over him, covered in rippling muscle. Avery glances at me, then at Steven and then sighs.
"If we get caught because of that dumb ass I'm skinning him alive," I can hear the sound of metal against metal as my eyes catch onto a small blade.
"Alright, I'll keep an eye out for you," Steven says dutifully. Avery squints skeptically at Steven before finally storing the knife in his pocket.
Then I can feel Steven's hand wrap around my arm tightly.
"Come on Man, let's head to gym," he smiles at me as he leads us into the hallway.
He lets go of my arm and walks slowly beside me.
"So, you do drugs?" I look up at him.
"I smoke weed to focus but that's all. Eventually I want to find a long term release medicinal kind of weed so I can stop smoking all together and conserve my lungs."
"That's it?" I'm surprised. I didn't expect that from Steven.
"Yeah, I don't do it to get numb or whatever. If I wanted that I could just live in my own head for a day. But I want to be able to feel responsible for my actions. To feel like I'm really going through what I'm going through. I want to make sure I'm doing my life the right way the first time. And weed helps me do that."
"Still, have you ever considered something prescribed by a doctor?"
"I could never. My parents don't believe in medication."
"Even though you has to resort to weed to focus?"
"They think it's just because I'm not trying hard enough."
"So you've never been allowed to?"
"Pretty much. But weed helps a lot. And after senior year maybe I'll find a doctor and I can get some help finally. That way I can go to college and be even more successful," there's a glint of hope in his eyes as he says this— like there's some bright thing right beyond his reach. Something he's striving for that nothing in this world can replace.
"And you're not worried your parents will find out you smoke weed?"
He begins to laugh.
"I'd be dead if I was caught with the devil's lettuce but I don't really have any other options."
"So you'd risk it all..."
"So I can pass high school? Of course. A diploma means freedom. And I need that more than anything else." And with that we turn into the gym, ready for class.

I can't look at Steven the same now that he's saved my life from sniffly nosed Avery. It means a lot to a kid like me. Bullying is what happens to me on the daily. Now I will admit I've never been threatened with a shanking before but there's a first time for everything. Either way, the talk is not new. Someone standing up for me, especially on the football team, that's new. Maybe I wrote off humanity too soon. Maybe there are still some good people in this high school that I can befriend. Maybe, now this is just a maybe, I won't always have to be alone anymore.

The thought carries me all the way home to my house.

"How was school?" My mom begins.
"Good, here," my mom hands me a warm plate of muffins. I sigh. She's always like this. My dad won't give her attention because all she does is nag, and I can't get her to stop nagging, so there's no point in me hanging out with her either. Only, she looks so lonely. She's not an easy person, but she's all alone like me. Maybe that's what this school shit is about. I'm scared of becoming my dad, but most of all I'm scared of becoming my mom. Someone people avoid just so they don't have to hear them talk. Someone they can unload on and give their burdens to freely, and never do anything in return. My mother lives in a deficit. She gives and she gives and she gives expecting one day that this all is worth it. I don't know if she's right or wrong in that assumption, but it means I should care about her more. Someone has to care more. Because her husband already gave up on her a long time ago. But I think my dad gives up on a lot of things. Sure he works long hours and has great business sense, but he loves his dreams more than he loves mom or I. Those are what he lives for and the rest of it is filler. For entertainment when it's convenient. Some might call it neglect, I think of it as emotional abandonment. Either way I wish I didn't have to go through it. It must be easier for others. It has to be easier for others. There has to be a family that functions good somewhere out there.