Record Breakers

Chapter 15: Lessons Come In Handy

"Whoa Jade lets just take a chill pill. I'm just trying to comfort her," Bryon put his hands up in defense and backed away slowly. I could feel my chest rising and falling as I stepped closer.

"Comfort her? COMFORT HER?"

I pushed him with force and he fell on his desk. He winced and held himself with his elbows.

"I thought we all agreed we'd never go back! All those nights when we'd come home late, drunk, or high were meant to be forgotten. That place is a trap for all those who want a death wish, yet you wanna drag her back in!"

My voice was booming and I could see Brooke out of the corner of my eye curl up in a ball on the floor, covering her ears.

"You say it's such a bad place Jade yet you don't know who cursed us with it!"

I stood there waiting for him to dare finish that sentence.

"Where are your parents now?"

My fists balled up at my side and I knew they were turning white.

"Don't talk about my parents."

"No, no, please let's talk." He casually sat down on his desk and turned off his desk lamp, leaving on only the glow of the bathroom fixtures.

"How have they been? Is jail a fun place to be? Or do they still hate the fact they were caught drug dealing? Do they even write to you anymore? Or have they finally decided that their little shit of a son is worthless."

"You've never even met me."

He rolled his dark grey eyes and put his hands in his ripped jean pockets. As he stood up he got within a closer proximity of me and I felt the urge to gag.

"Oh but I have. See I don't have to see your face to know everything about you. I got little Squirt over there." He turned his head to Brooke as I followed. She was in a fetus position crying uncontrollably in silence. I suddenly realized that maybe out of everyone, Bryon was the only one she talked to while she was a mute.

And I was one of the conversation topics.

"So what? She can tell you what she wants. I don't care, I just don't wanna hear it."

He sighed and looked at me with s menacing smile, "You're gonna hear all of it. And a little more."

I lunged at him. Bringing down almost all of his papers as we fell on the floor. I pinned him to the carpet ground and held him by his color. Looking in his eyes I grimaced and punched him square in the jaw. His head flew back in response and he looked up spitting blood. He grabbed my shirt with both of his hand and in a swift movement pinned me to the wall. Then Brooke screamed and ran out of the room. Leaving the door ajar slightly.

He kicked me in the stomach as I felt the breath quickly run out of me.

My head felt dizzy and suddenly I couldn't see right. He had me on my back on his bed as he punched me the way I punched him. Except it was harder. And I legit thought he broke my face.

As I latex helpless grabbing at whatever I could, I saw Tyler run in with Brooke behind him. His jaw clenched as he ran and toppled over Bryon. I sat up quickly catching my breath as Brooke picked me up off the bed.

Tyler screamed and thudded Bryon on the floor.

"Cmon lets go!" Brooke pulled my arm but at the door I stopped. She looked at me impatiently.

"I can't leave him here."

"Jade we need to go!"

She yanked me hard and I was out. She shut the door and pulled me along as we left the house or horrors.

We ran past sweaty bodies and loud house music. Once the maple door was behind us and we jumped the fence we got on our bikes. Riding down a cracked rode we passed cars and busses and stores. All full of people whose lives were slower than ours. After about five minutes of riding, we were there.

I could smell the debris and smoke.

Even the cigar kind.

I kicked my stand down and laid my bike on the chain link fence facing the front of a hollow building full of cement, death, drugs and tears.

"Jade."

I spun around to see Brooke with her arms hugging herself. As if she were 10 again being introduced to the gates of hell. And I knew when she entered shed either break or start all over.

I didn't want either to happen.

"Brooke cmon. We gotta go in here."

"Really? What are we going in for? The stupid prize??" Her hands clenched at her sides angrily

"It's not about that anymore Brooke!"

There was only a quiet response.

"Sure we're the furthest. But for some reasons, all these things are coming up. How they're tied together I'm not sure! But we have to get out of this maze Brooke. Who gives a crap whether people accept us and stop looking at us like we're nothing? We all can deal with that. But this? All of these past troubles that seem to be getting in our way need to be dealed with! Maybe this was supposed to happen. Us going on this stupid Saturday night scavenger hunt. We were supposed to see all the people who made our lives a living hell so we could get closure! Maybe even get over it! And now that we have that opportunity don't you wanna take it? Aren't you tired of lying to yourself?"

I caught my breath. Not believing I just spilled everything I'd wanted to say since we stopped coming here.

"Jade, are you lying to yourself? Because I know what's messed up about me. What about you?" She pushed my chest with a pointed finger and I took a step back. Suddenly, there was a rattle from inside the building. I turned on my heal and held my hand against Brooke's mouth and my arm around her shoulders, holding her close to me.

"Sh. Don't touch the fence."

No one was ever here past this time. Technically it "closed" at 9 pm to get home in time for a snacks and doors would open at 1 am. But if someone was here now, at 12:56 am, they were totally breaking the rules.

"What are we gonna do? We need that stupid diploma," she whispered annoyed.

I shook my head and look straight into the greyness, "We're just gonna have to face this memory head on."

I cut the fence with an old pocket knife in my jeans and we quietly tiptoed to the door. As both Brooke and I pushed the double cement doors open with a creak, we sure weren't in for a cute pillow fight.

We didn't even walk in 2 feet before the whole world went black.

#####

Black?? BLACK?!?? WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!??!?? K we'll see.

Bye

Earth loves you

-Rockerpeep