Broken Runaways

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jessica

Quickly, I grabbed a pair of red capris, a black skull shirt, converse and a varsity jacket,and I was through the skylight. I grabbed onto each of the cold metal rings of the ladder, climbing my way down them. I jumped from about five feet in the air, as the ladder didn’t reach the ground all the way.

I went over to my bicycle, and kicked the side stand up. I got on the bike, just to find it’s back tire was flat. I sighed and looked at my watch. 6:30. Not nearly enough time to pump up the wheel. I sighed and began bolting down my street. Even on my bike I had to wake up extra early, just because it took almost an our and a half to ride my bike the full two miles to the school. My house being at the bottom of a hill didn’t help either.

I stopped running, taking large breaths to steady my breathing rate. I heard that roar. The familiar dull roar of Jeffrey’s motorcycle. I turned around to see him on his bike, coming up the hill.

“Need a ride?” He asked handing me a helmet. I didn’t say a word, only nodded and slipping the helmet over my head and flinging a leg to the other side of Jeffrey’s motorcycle. I gripped onto his waist. Jeffrey revved the engine of the motorcycle, before speeding off down the road.

The feeling of the wind moving through my hair that hung loosely out of the helmet, felt almost refreshing. The ride reminded me of how alive after I felt from the cigarette he let me have. I should ask him for another one...

Jeffrey turned a sharp corner, and my grip on his waist faltered. I felt my heart stop the second I lost contact and thought for sure I was going to fall. Jeffrey noticed and used his left hand to maneuver my left hands grip stronger to his torso, doing the same with the right. I could still feel the large thumps my over beating heart created. I took a few deep breaths in attempt to even the fast pace.

I looked at my surroundings, to see nothing but the blur of houses and small village stores. The air whipped around me, blowing the ends of my hair that hung from the helmet in various directions. Jeffrey rounded another street corner, and I could see out three storied school at the end of a short road. I sighed, coming to the disappointing realization that I would have to sit through eight hours of learning meaningless knowledge.

I hated school for many reasons.

I hated having to interact with other people during the day.

I hated how stupid and ignorant every single individual in our school was. Including the teachers.

I hated how there was no sense of direction for any of the students. Were pushed through this treacherous school system, having things handed to us. We were just expected to do them. There was not one shit given by the faculty of the district towards one single individual student’s work, successions, grades, feelings, and even the problems kids had. Whether personal or lesson related.

I hated how throughout the many years of school, we were all pushed through learning the same things over and over again. Maybe in a different context, but still all of the same material was reused, most of it being useless.

Why put someone who was passionate towards music and the arts, through physical science courses? Why put someone who was passionate about writing or journalism, through algebraic courses? It didn’t make the slightest bit of sense to me.

Jeffrey pulled into the school’s parking lot, and found an open spot near the back entryway of the school. I released my grip on his torso, waiting for him to turn off the engine and kick the bike peg so it could stand on it’s own. Once Jeffrey had done so, he threw his right leg over to the left side of his bike, and rose. Jeffrey removed his helmet and placed it under his arm, extending his right hand to me. I grabbed onto it and maneuvered my legs off of his motorcycle, removing my helmet.