Milk and Cigarettes

Chapter 3

Roger and I went to the roller rink later that day. We would always order nachos and coke while talking to our friend, Derek, who worked there. He was a few years older than us, dropped out of school, and started working to help support his family.

"You did pretty good out there yesterday." Derek mentioned as he wiped down a table, referring to the match.

"Thanks." I sipped on my straw. "Not really my thing, though."

The bell on the entrance door rung and we all turned to see who it was. Leo, the boy I wrestled the day before, came in. He wore a white and orange striped shirt and a backwards cap. No one else came in with him and I wondered if he was making any friends yet. Something in me made me stand up in that moment, and I was even surprised with myself.

"What're you doin', Wen?" Roger asked. I could hear in his voice that he was resistant to having anything to do with Leo.

"Uh- I'm going to invite him over." I began walking and heard Derek and Roger speak against my actions. All I wanted was to not leave the new guy alone. It was a small town; if 5 people didn't like you, it mattered. Once Leo noticed me walking over, he became very dodgy. It made me think that the kids in the area weren't being nice to him. I wasn't surprised, that was just how they were, but, I knew what it was like to be on the outside.

"Hey." I spoke out when I approached him. "Do you wanna come and sit with me and my friends?"

He was thin and tall and stood awkwardly. "Oh, okay." His agreement caused me to smile, which was extremely unusual for me. Boys didn't make me smile in that way before then. He followed behind me and I sat down next to Roger as Leo sat down across from us. He made a slight wave to Roger and looked down. Roger just stared at Leo and it wasn't until I nudged him that he actually waved back. I offered Leo some of our nachos, but he declined. He said his uncle was making barbecue that night.

"Oh, who's your uncle?" Chances were, I knew him.

"James. James Parker." He answered in a slight grin. He had a great smile. "He works at a repair store for auto parts." I knew exactly who his uncle was. Mr. Parker was the kind of man to yell at you for riding your bike through his grass, although his grass was never well kept. He was also the kind of man who'd lay food out for stray dogs. It always intrigued me why he was that way. I wondered why Leo had never come to see his uncle before that summer. I wondered, but I didn't ask. In hopes he'd eventually tell me without me directly asking, I took the conversation another way.

"So, are you going to Silver Creek High next year?" I would be a senior after that summer.

Leo shook his head, his hair falling in his face only slightly. "No." He said. "I would've graduated this year. Dropped out when I was 12, taught myself by reading." The way he said this was not in any way self-pitying, or that he was ashamed, but very dignified and proud.

"That's amazing." I said, astonished by that kind of will to learn, despite dropping out. "My mom would kill me if I left school." My straw made small popping sounds, revealing it's empty walls.

Leo elaborated on his love for literature. He felt that schools didn't teach enough of it. We became caught up in conversation as Roger sat there quietly, dumbfounded by the new forming friendship. I was surprised, too, and I liked it. I think Roger was scared of change. Change was exactly what this town needed, and it was in need for a long time. Roger eventually got up and left; he didn't even say bye to me or anything. I never saw him act that way towards me until that day, and it didn't even matter. If I were talking to anyone else, maybe I would've cared enough to stop Roger from leaving. Leo grasped my attention more than anyone else ever had, all I wanted was to know more about him.