What Collides Us

Leslie

You’d swear the both of us were suddenly attached at the hip. The only time he wasn’t around me was when he was with his friends at lunch and even then, he was staring at me under the oak tree like if he blinked, I’d run off. Who had put this boy on duty, he made me self-conscious the entire day every day.

“You didn’t eat today.”

The voice startled me so bad that I slammed my locker shut then got startled by that too.  I think if I was still gagging after having food, I’d have thrown up.

“I’m sorry about that.” He said pointing at me for my reaction with a frown.

“I really need to stop doing that.” He said to himself tucking his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the lockers.

A couple of boys passed as they made kissing sounds laughing as they walked off and he flipped them off with a smile before standing upright running his hand through his hair.

“Your sister called; she couldn’t reach you over the phone.”

He finally said.

Why would she call him?

And it’s as though he could read my mind because he answered that question instantly.

“She called my mom; I think they’re friends now. Anyway, I am taking you home, and before you decline your sister said it was fine, but she’d call the cops if we didn’t make it there by 4. We’re already late and I don’t think someone like her bluffs, she’s probably waiting let’s go.”

He said all in one breath taking my hand and just walked with me like he was strolling across the field. I almost wanted to wiggle my wrist from him but then I remembered I bruised easily and might get him in trouble, so I let him walk us to his car and he used GPS to drive to my house.

By the time we reached the house Lisa was standing outside with her phone in her hand. Isaac’s phone rings as he pulls up the driveway.

“My mom” he let me know and I nodded getting out of the car with Lisa walking my way.

“Are you okay? Nothing happened??” she anxiously asked taking my hands and examining my face.
I stared at her; I have been getting startled the entire day today. Did I look like this each time? She looked alarmed yet relieved.

“You don’t trust him.”

“Huh?” Her reaction was a little confused.

“Isaac. You don’t trust him.”

“it’s not that easy to trust someone Less...”

“It was for mom.”

She let go of my hands probably in shock or maybe she wasn’t sure what to say and I walked into the house. We had never talked about mom or the hole or anything that led to the sudden need to be extra careful and timid with me.

She let the therapist be the one to fix what was broken inside and at times I wanted her to ask. She had woken me up from my nightmares, hushed my cries and lulled me to sleep but she never asked.I could swear I paid attention when Isaac was helping me with this kind of question 3 hours ago.

He left after three full hours of trying to make everything make sense and I had told him I got it but clearly, I hadn’t.

I abandoned my books and went to the living room; I was not a typical screen watcher. I used my phone because Lisa kept sending messages but when it came to watching movies, I’ve only heard of a few, but I never got to watch them.

I watched how tucked Lisa was in Frank’s arms. She looked like she felt safe in his arms, and they looked like how the house was. Peaceful and quiet with everything beautiful in it.

When I first came here, I thought it looked beautiful. The furniture was beautiful, and it was clean, and the floors were shining and even when most of the lights were off, it still felt like they were on. They have been married for over two years, and in those two years they bought a house together and had been enjoying their household customs and creating a home out of their house.

I don’t think I can have all that, from the looks of things you only get to have one of the two marriages I’ve experienced in my life. Although I don’t think there’s any love as beautiful as the love shared by my sister and her husband. They were made for each other; I remember when I first met them. She was holding onto him and when she wasn’t, he was holding her.

“Lez?” My eyes moved over to her face, I didn’t realise they were looking at me.

I straightened my posture, and she smiled her beautiful welcoming warm smile.

“Want to watch something?”

“No thanks, I don’t follow anything that plays on television.”

“it’s okay, we can all just watch a movie.”

“No… I think I will just go to sleep; I have that appointment tomorrow.”

“I’ll warm your food.” Frank said already on his two feet.

I sighed; I thought I was going to escape that at least tonight. Frank always made me food; I think he had associated my face with hunger or food. Or maybe I just looked half of anything alive, and he just wanted to keep me here, alive. I made my way to the kitchen and sat down. After a long silence he gave me my food and unexpectedly sat down as he started to press on his phone.

I kept my head down and the first spoon almost threw me off the roof and not in a good way.

“Are you okay?” I nodded pressing hard on my thumb as I took another spoon then another and before the fifth, I gagged like I was going to throw it all up.

“I’m fine” I was quick to say and picked the spoon up again, my body was now shaking at the thought of having to stomach that.

“Less look… It’s not what you’re thinking.” He started.

“The food is not going to come up here and it won’t make you sick. You just think you can’t handle it, but you can. What you can’t handle is starving to death, if you don’t eat then it will be bad.” He said in the gentlest way there is.

I nodded and tried once again, and I could only go up to 9 spoons then looked at him, and he smiled. I thought he was going to be disappointed, after that pep talk, you’d think my brain would engage.
He got off the chair and took away the plate.

“Are you sleeping well?” he asked trying to keep me in the kitchen a little longer, fortunately for the both of us I did not feel hostile in his presence alone.

“I tried sleeping in class and this boy decided to sit beside me. I thought I could have space to quickly nap at the library, but he also sat beside me. Everywhere I was he was practically there.”

“oh” was his reply before he turned to look at me trying to not make me think that Isaac couldn’t be trusted.

“Are you okay with that?” I shrugged; I didn’t know. Isaac did what he wanted to do, that was just him.

“I never thought I could get annoyed, I almost called Lisa.” I said displeased.

His unexpected laugh broke almost scaring me but didn’t stop my eyes from widening.

“Sorry...” He said like he had noticed my reaction.

“Do you trust him?” I ask.

“I think you could use a friend.”

“But do you trust him?” He made a tiny smile and then gave a nod.

“I do, and maybe he might just be what you need.”

He folded his arms and I looked at him. It’s not like I have a choice, he must teach me Math, and not only that we have a quiz coming up and he will be around my entire life at this point.