The Hanging Tree ( Kohnnie )

Chapter 2: New Kid

"Hi, I'm Kyle..." The boy smiled at me as he approached. I started fidgeting around with my bracelets, why is he talking to me?

His hair was a light shade of brown and looked really fluffy and his eyes were a deep brown. I saw dimples when he smiled and a brown freckle on the top corner of his lip. He was about the same height as me, and skinny but not as much as me.

"J-Johnnie." I choked out.

"Why are you up here?" His head tilted to the side, still looking up at me. I shrugged in response. "You up here often?" I nodded. "Okay?"

He stood and I sat in an awkward silence until his mother called him in.

"Um, I'll see you tomorrow..?" He said in a questioning voice.

"Uh okay, um... Goo- I mean uh-Okay." I choked out again. Smooth Johnnie, real smooth.

Kyle smiled at me again before heading back to his own house. Before he went through the door he turned around and waved at me. His mum then shut the door after he went in.

I sat still for a while, still on my tree until I decided to go to bed. It was now dark and I was getting sleepy, although I didn't feel tired. I stared at my blank ceiling for what seemed like hours, I wasn't thinking of anything in particular but the occasional thought of school or life and death came up as usual. I've always wondered what really happens when you die, and that's probably why I haven't done it yet. I don't know where I'll go. Sometimes I do believe there's a heaven and sometimes I'll believe you start a new life. But sometimes, usually, I think you just disappear. When you die, you die. The one I hope though, is that you go up to live amongst the stars. The city in the sky, that's where I want to go when I die.

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The next morning, I woke up to my phone alarm buzzing at 5:30, before anyone else is up. I get up so early so I can go for walks before school, Jack and Julie (my adoptive parents) and Bryan don't know this but I guess they don't care when they don't see me at breakfast because they never ask me about it. I get out through my window and down the tree so they don't hear me wake.

I pulled on a My Chemical Romance t-shirt with a grey hoodie and I put on a few wristbands and string bracelets. My jeans are ripped because I like to tear them, it gets my anger out. To be honest, I think they're pretty cool. To finish my look, I wore some old converse that used to belong to Bryan and I brushed my hair and put a little eyeliner on. I'm not a girl but the eyeliner totally completes my 'emo' look, as people tend to call it these days.

I checked myself in the mirror one last time and sighed at the sight of a failure looking back at me. Why did I turn out like this? If my real mother could see me now, she'd surely be disappointed. Or maybe she would of been a supportive mother... Probably not- as she did abandon me. Meh.

Grabbing my bag and my phone, I climbed out of the window and jumped down from the tree. I made my way out of the gate and into the street.

It was still dark, but that's the way I like it. The dark is comforting, there's something about it that makes me feel safe. It's like I blend in so no-one can see-

"Hey, where are you going at this time in the morning?" A somehow familiar yet unrecognizable voice interrupted my thoughts.

I looked up at the house opposite me and in the window was the new boy, Kyle, who I met last night. Ugh, what does 'he' want?

"N-no w-where." I stammered and looked down at my feet-well shoes-which had suddenly become really interesting.

"You must be going somewhere!" He laughed. "Hold on, gimme about five minutes and I'll come down."

He left his window. I rolled my eyes, I didn't want to but I leant against my tree anyway to wait. Why does he want to talk to me? Has my weirdness not scared him off yet?

Five minutes later he came down surprisingly dressed with his fluffy hair brushed and a backpack on his back which I'm guessing was his school bag. That was quick.

"You like MCR?" He pointed to my shirt. I nodded. "Cool."

"Do you?" I asked, my voice breaking again.

"Huh?"

"Do you like M-My Chem?"

"Hell yeah!" He grinned. I kept my head down. "I think we'd make good friends."

That word surprise me a bit.

"Friends?" I looked up with a shocked expression on my face.

"Uh, yeah?" He gave me a questioning look which soon turned worried. "Friends?"

"Um oh-okay..." I tried to put on a smile but I probably looked like an idiot.

"You not have many?"

I shook my head, tears filling my eyes. I wiped them away, smudging my eyeliner a bit but that won't matter much.

"Oh..." was all Kyle replied with. He put a hand on my shoulder, making me look up again. "How come?"

I didn't want to tell him but I can't see our friendship lasting long and I'll be dead soon anyway so...

"I get bullied..." I mumbled.

"Why?" He sounded shocked and gave me a sympathetic look.

"Um.." My eyes darted around awkwardly. The story is kinda embarrassing.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to..." I nodded and he smiled back.

"I'll tell you another time..." Kyle gave me an understanding nod and I started to walk down the road with him by my side.

"Your parents don't mind you leaving the house so early?" Kyle asked.

"Uh, they don't care..." I wanted to say 'they don't care about me' but I don't want to depress Kyle since I've just met him.

"Okay..."

"What about your parents?" I asked, trying not to ignore him too much.

"Um, my mom sleeps in 'till afternoon and my dad left for work just before I got up." He explained.

"How come you're up so early?" Thank god I didn't stutter.

"I couldn't sleep."

"Same..." I lied.

We stopped talking and carried on walking for a bit, just randomly. Kyle is now relying on me to not get lost because he doesn't know the area very well.

"Do you know anywhere cool we can hang out before school?" He broke the silence.

I stopped walking and thought for a while. Should I show him my special spot? Or should I find somewhere else?

I thought about it until I came up with my decision.

"I know the perfect place." I said, probably sounding creepy but I don't care. It's just a matter of time until he finds out who I really am and hates me for it.

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Comment what you think of this story so far?

So do you guys think Johnnie's gonna take Kyle to the cliff or not?

Also what do you think Johnnie's 'embarrassing' story of how his bullying started? You probably won't get it but take a few guesses :3