Down My Path

Chapter 2

Getting home is inevitable. I hate getting home to see the place all messed up because my dad doesn't give a care in the world about what the place looks like. All he ever does is sleep and drink his damn alcohol every single day after he gets home from work. And yet, I'm expected to do the chores he doesn't do? It seems quite unfair to me. As usual, I do the dishes and clean up the place before my mom gets home to throw a fit about how I'm so irresponsible and how she has to do everything around here. Today, for once, I didn't mind cleaning. I was more concerned about that guy, Adam, crossing my mind. I didn't want to start liking him but then at the same time I didn't mind if I did. Cleaning helped me get distracted from him.

Going to bed after finishing most of my homework was stress relieving. It takes off such a big weight of my chest knowing that I can leave most of my day behind me. As I lay in silence in my dark bedroom with my eyes shut, I can't help but picture Adam's face. As the night moves along, I can hear rain start to fall. I eventually just focus on the noise and fall asleep to the soft patter of rain that hits the roof.

The next morning, I woke up earlier then usual. I looked in the mirror and thought, what am I doing with life? I don't do anything anymore like I used to. I was amazing at theatre, I was involved in a lot of events at school and now I don't even dance. I got ready for school and when I got there I realized how much I didn't want to be there. I looked around to see if Melinda was there but as usual, she was late probably buying us drinks. A strong cold wind came and it made me shiver. I hugged myself and started to rub my arms as I walked into the hallway. "Cold much?" I looked to my side and saw Adam walking alongside me. He smiled at me. "Where did you come from?" I kept walking and smiled too. He didn't say anything as we walked down the hallway. "Are you still mad about yesterday, I mean I totally understand if you are but I really didn't mean to you know, almost kill you." I looked up at him and smiled. "If you came up to me to apologize, forget about it. I'm not mad." We stepped to the side of the hallway. "Oh ok, good. Do you want a ride home after school?" I looked down at my phone and then up at him. "No, I'm fine. Thank you though." I smiled at him again and we said good bye. 

As the day dragged on, it finally reached lunch. Melinda and my other friends Damian and Luna sat at our usual table. "So who was the guy you were with in the morning?" Melinda asked. I stared at her knowing she was already trying to see if he was a guy I was interested in. "The guy that almost ran me over yesterday. He was just apologizing." She stared at me trying to see if I was telling the truth. "Is that why your face looks like who did it and what for?" Luna was usually the one to find out about my day and mood. "No, I just couldn't fall asleep last night." The bell rang and I walked to class.

At the end of the day, it was pouring and I, unfortunately, had to walk home. I threw my hood over my head and covered my books and stepped out. I was walking as fast as I could to get home as dry as I could but, obviously that wasn't going to happen. I hopped over puddles at the edge of the sidewalk and tried to get under roofs that I passed. I wasn't even halfway and I was starting to feel my clothes become heavy with water. A car horn started coming at my way and at first I didn't give a care for it but then I turned to see what was happening and there, in the driver's seat was Adam. He parked on the side of the street and unlocked his car door for me. I immediately ran to his car and jumped inside.

"I thought you didn't want a ride." He smiled at me and started driving. "I mean, it is raining." I laughed to try to not sound as awkward as I felt. "Hey so where do you live?" I explained to him how to get there and soon we started talking on the way to my place. "So exactly what do you do at school? Weren't you like a theatre person or something?" He seemed very curious about me. "I was into theatre, yes but that is now the past and I don't think I'm going to be doing that anymore." He parked outside my building, undid his seatbelt and sat more comfortably in his seat. "Why is that? Sorry if it seems like I'm prying." He stared into my eyes and we became silent. I stared back and it seemed like I could look into his crystal like brown eyes forever. "Well there was a guy I was dating months back and he meant the world to me. Whenever I was feeling down he would lift me back up. He would always make me feel like I was good enough and it gave me that boost to perform onstage you know? Then when he broke up with me, it felt like he took all that he gave me during the relationship away from me. Like I was just empty and it made me not want to do shows anymore. That and the fact that life at home got busy for me as well."

For a while he was quiet. I could tell that he was trying to think of what to say. "Has he talked to you recently? Like, has he tried to be your friend?" He suddenly seemed concerned and irritated by something at the same time. "Yeah, he did try but then we talked for one night. Then after that night he never texted me at all. He even said he missed talking to me but I guess not. Unless it's me that isn't trying but, I honestly don't really know anymore. I just try to ignore it." I looked down at my hands and realized how much I had told him about myself without even knowing him for long. "Look, Diego,  it's definitely not you. If he really did miss talking to you he would work for your friendship and trust back. Honestly, don't let someone like that just take something away from you like that." He smiled at me again. "Thank you."  I smiled back. I started to say good bye and grab my things to get out of the car. As I got out of the car he did too. He walked up to me and hugged me tight. I could feel his muscles against my chest and his arms felt so strong around me. I felt safe and I didn't want him to let go. When he did, he looked into my eyes and smiled again. "You smile a lot." I laughed. "It's only to let you know that I'm here for you, even though we just met. I'll pick you up tomorrow for school." He hugged me good bye and when he let me go, he looked into my eyes again and gave me a brief hug then got in his car and drove away.