The Quiet Kind

Alice: Chapter 4

"That kid," I said, as we both stopped, watching as Dev ran out the school doors. 

Red didn't say anything. He was kind of weird-looking. Like, he stood there like a bit of an alien, completely and utterly uncomfortable. Kind of like how I am when I walk in on my dad kissing his new squeeze in the kitchen, knowing that my mum is upstairs crying about it. 

Red was kind of endearing though, with a hint of 'I'm a psychopath who will kill your family.'

"Come on then," I said and we walked a while in silence. 

"You're Red then," I asked after a while.

He nodded, looking down at the school's lino flooring. I felt almost offended that he was more interested in flooring.

"What does that stand for?" 

He didn't answer. 

"Come on. You don't even know what your own name stands for?"

Finally, he looked up at me. "My real name is Boo...it means wave."

"Why did you change it?"

He shrugged. "I didn't think people here would like it."

I stopped and stared at him with a slight smile escaping from my lips. I tried to act like I didn't care in front of new people, but this... this was interesting to me.

"If they don't like something then screw them. Come on. What is the real reason?"

"Because all waves must crash and...I can't let that happen-"

"What is there to be afraid of? Everything crashes, changes and there are reactions." She turned to me and smiled. "Particles collide and explode every second of every moment. How could be possible expect anything to stay the same. We shouldn't want that either, otherwise, energy would cease to exist, and where is the fun in that?"

He met my gaze and finally smiled, just slightly. His smile was nice, really nice. I wish I could have collected that moment.

"You're going to chemistry, you should know this shit," I said and gave him a nudge.

Not another word was spoken until we reached the classroom. I walked straight in and sat in last year's seat at the back, by a window which overlooked the concrete area.

Mr Marshal stood at the front, tall and straight.

"Mr Marshal," he said to Red and shook his hand firmly.

Red muttered his name but his voice sounded crocky and quiet.

"Where would you like to sit?"

I patted the seat next to me. I should have helped the poor kid out sooner really. Red came and sat next to me, and gave me a smile as he did so.