Halfway Through the Scale

Paranoia

Chapter Seven

"Thanks." I don't even want to say the words, but although we're both druggies, as society labels us, (in which means manners do not matter), Kris has high class, therefore; he cannot just abandon his morals, as he calls it.

"You're welcome."

I sigh deeply as we watch the town from above. Some buildings and houses, but mostly grass resides on the hills. The tall trees hovering over modernism.

It reach my brain, and it is at ease. I tilt my head backwards. Let it hang loose for a while as my arms sustain my body, since my legs lay comfortably on the roof of the apartments. A relief, a calmness. It is finally retrieved and it feel so good, that I know I must savor this moment until the next time, which doesn't come very often.

"You need to stop cutting class." I roll my eyes at him. However, Kris remains serious, with no real expression. Sometimes I feel like I'm looking at my reflection when I see him. Not because we act like brothers when we are really cousins, but because in a way, we share the same insight. The main burden, nowadays, is the different roles we take in. For example, he and I have in common the pain. Yet, he acts as the role model while I am the cause he ever was nominated a hero to me. I guess we work together, to be something.

"I'm sorry about Jay." He hangs his head low. His eyes gaze at his knees struck closely together. I get closer to him, and place my arm around him. I look up, beyond the ridge of the water I see. While Tommy lays his head on my shoulder to release the unnecessary pain that makes him feel numb. He let's out a whimper, and I hold him tighter. Promise to be cautious of the world surrounding us while he takes a break from this troubling world.

As his eyes slowly gaze up at the cruel world, I release him. His eyes are pink, his nose is runny, his face is bold.

"They make a cruel joke out of her." I listen attentively as I make eye contact with him. Although he's angry as he frowns, the tears fall apart. It's like watching rain fall out while the sun is coming out. "She gave me her before she left, and I don't even know if she'll come back." He grits his teeth. He clutches his left hand into a fist while his right hand remains laid out, as to hear and feel the sun illuminate it's heat on the roof. Abruptly, he puncture the roof, and then again, and again, and again, until I see blood come out of his knuckles.

"Shit!" I grab his hand in the air before he can hurt himself again. However, he's too strong. His muscular arm tips itself from my grip and continues to pound, and pound, and pound. "Kris, Stop!" I yell but it's not getting through. I quickly stand and go behind him where I go under his shoulders and pull him back. As I continue to pull him back, his legs begin to back up, enough to get him to stand on his own. Once standing, I release him. Both panting for breath, an old woman from below begins to yell at us.

"You damn rugrats, get down from there or I'm calling the police." Her voice is scratched. I'm sure it probably hurt her to even make out those words.

"C'mon, let's just go."

"I need a minute." Kris pleads with his hands on his kness. Sirens begin to wail from the right. I can't see them but can definitely hear them.

"No, we don't have a second." My heart pounding in fear.

"Fuck!"

We begin to run toward the tree behind us. We quickly climb off of it and run up the stairs towards his army green Komodo parked with the general population. Hearing the sirens draw nearer towards us we quickly hop into the car.

"Head down!" And we crouch as down as possible.

"Don't worry, they're looking for a sports car, not our grandmas." I whisper as I chuckle a laugh.

"Will you shut the fuck up!" He yells in a whisper as he continues to look at his rear view mirrors. Small laughs begin to slip out of my mouth without me really knowing. Partly because Kris has always been paranoid of the damn cops. Ever since he did time in juvie. My quick laughs come to an end and into a car filled with silence, except the two beating hearts. The red and blue lights are seen and I go further down, but it's not enough. The cop car silences itself and slowly cruises through each car with a flashlight as it continues to slowly proceed our way. It's about five to seven cars until it reaches ours.

"What do we do?" I'm basically pleading right now.

"Never drop the bar of soap when you take a shower in prison." He casualty says as he continues to eye the cops, but made difficult to how low he has sunk.

"Don't fuck with me, I'm serious." My body is trembling. This can't happen.

"Sorry, that must be our paranoia." He states coldly continuing to eye the street.

Another thing in common.

"They're right there!" I'm squealing like a little girl. The cop car is only two cars down from us.

"Just look ahead, and stop looking at it."

"Okay."

We look at what is in front of us. More cars, and after that the apartments. The windshield is very filthy with all the bird shit. Some white and green and brown colors. Kris is also gazing at it. There's one in particular on the left corner. It's in the shape of a bunny, with their white fuzzy tail. In the mid-center, lays a rottweiler, just the face. The dark black shit, some bird must of eaten to get that color out. I let out a chuckle before I can catch it. Fearing that it may have triggered our existence to the cops, I look at Kris. To my surprise he is shedding tears. They fall like a dry river in need of water. One after another, they come endlessly. I try to imitate what it is he is looking at, and his eyes seem to follow the right corner of the windshield. I turn my attention to it, but can't make it out. I tilt my head to the right, closer to Kris but I continue to see only a chunk of white.

"What is it?" I ask in defeat.

"Try moving your head to the left." I do as he says and I see an oval shape but not anything with significance. "Do you see her whiskers?" The gray strips, aligned in a circular motion. It's his cat. Once I see the figure of Jay, I return to normal position. I feel a fear as to stare at the dead. I look over at Kris with hopeful eyes. I see him look out the window with his arm leaning on the window, where he gently places his sad face. I turn around and realize that the cop is long gone. I relax, but looking at Kris, i know he isn't. His cat just died. The one his mother gave him as a last present.

"She'll come back." It's what people say to make another feel better, but we both know that the truth has been with us for too long to gave an ounce of hope to such a statement.

Kris shows no interest to my comment, and i honestly don't blame him.

"Do you want me to drive?" Kris simple nods in agreement