Roxanne

Chapter One

I was laying in my bed staring at the ceiling thinking about Jemma and the awful suit I was going to have to wear when I had to go to dinner with her when I heard the tap at my bedroom window. "Jason" A hushed voice whispered. "Jason its me" it said. I crawled out of bed and opened my curtain slowly. "Roxanne?" I questioned as I opened the window she crawled though and smiled. I suddenly felt self conscious shirtless with a pair of jeans on.

"Hey the-"What are you doing here?" I questioned angrily cutting her off. "I my parents know you here in my room they’ll kill me! Did anybody see you come up!" She rolled her eyes and flopped down on my bed. "Calm down Jason" she said raising her hands in despair.

"Calm down? It’s like almost the middle of the night and you want me to-what’s that on your hand?" I questioned as I grabbed her wrist and pulled her up I examined it. Her eyes trailed down to her hand. She yanked her hand away and eyed me. "Nothing." She said and let her hand drop to her side. "What happened to your chest!" I exclaimed grabbing her again and staring at the long gash across her chest. She shrugged but didn’t pull away. "Roxanne?" She sighed. "Some chicks tried to mug me on the way over. I got away I’m fine." I shook my head at her and sat her back down.

"Stay here" I walked out into the hall. I slowly opened the door to the bathroom and stared out of the open window into the streets and beyond. It wasn’t the first time Roxanne had come through my window injured. It had to have happened a dozen times before. Sometimes she was beat up by some kids in the ally who tried to pick a fight or vice versa. But mostly it was her father beating the heck out of her. Over the years after her mother left the family, Roxanne’s father had become a casual drug using jerk who was a bum. Roxanne had to scavenge for the ‘family.’ She did odd jobs(nothing legal), or often pick pocketed or stole someone’s possessions in a fight she had won. So really the situation was quite normal to me. Roxanne coming over every week or so bloodied up and calm as after a storm. I grabbed the alcohol from he medicine cabinet and a small white towel. Not the best color but easily washed. I slowly walked back into my bedroom she was laying on the ground picking at my cotton bed sheets and staring of into space.

"Ok sit up." I said snapping my fingers in front of her face. "Yeah, yeah." She said rolling her eyes and sitting up. "Do you need something in your mouth to stop you from hollering at me and waking up the whole neighborhood?"

She gave me a cheeky smile and laughed. "Awe! Roxanne gross. But if you insist." I mimicked unzipping my fly. She laughed and pushed her chest out. "Do your worst." I let a smile escape my lips. "I’ll try." I slowly tipped the bottle of alcohol onto the towel and waited for the towel to soak up. I made small talk as I did so. "So how was school today." She eyed me and shot me a look. "Didn’t go." I shook my head in a disapproving way. "Why didn’t you."

"The question isn’t why didn’t I the question is why wouldn’t I?" I raised a brow. "Ok, well why wouldn’t you?" I pressed the towel down on her chest. She winced and made a hiss through her teeth. "It’s not for me." She said with a clenched jaw. "Sorry" I said moving the towel over. "So anyways, don’t you want to have a job when your older?" I questioned, Roxanne squeezed her eyes shut. "I already have a job." She said, I rinsed the towel in a dish beside me.

"Pick pocketing and taking care of your father?" It came out more harsh than intended. She opened one eye. "That’s only two jobs out of the many." I’d hate to know what they all where. I thought. I pushed the towel down against her cut again. "Ouch!" She squawked and batted my hand away. "That hurt." She said with a pout. I washed her blood stained fingertips. "Well do you want me to clean it or not?" I questioned her getting annoyed. She sighed and leaned in. I rinsed the towel and held it to the small cut on her brow. "Now what happened in this fight?" She shrugged. She usually shrugged when she lost which was an odd thing. The only person she would lose against was old man. I didn’t think she had the heart for it. I wouldn’t blame her.