Keith

Part 2

But, my awkward debating was soon put to an end when he looked up and saw me and then waved rather obnoxiously (at least I didn't have to do it).

"Okay, so Keith, I know I lured you out here with the thought that we were going to the bookstore, but I think I know something cooler we can do."

"But, what about the bookstore? What are we going to do?"

He didn't satisfy me with an answer, or anything that even came close to one, instead he just smiled and took my hand and began to lead me in an unfamiliar direction; the direction of adventure.

I knew my mom would've told me I was a fool for following him blindly, this boy I hardly know anything about and must be pretty weird since he goes to therapy. The simple fact that he goes to therapy would be enough to give my reserved mother a seizure, or something of the sorts. He seemed like a nice person, but there had been plenty of girls in the past that had been raped, kidnapped, or murdered by boys who "seemed like a nice person."

Sam was such a mystery and I wanted to know more about him, but I was incredibly socially awkward. I may seem like a simple task to just ask "tell me about yourself," but what if I sounded like I was interviewing him? What if he told me this atrocious thing about himself? What if... what if... what if!

"When I was a kid I use to come here all the time with my friends and some of the other kids in our neighborhood. This one time, God I was so young and stupid, my friends dared me to commence a séance in there by myself at night because they were convinced it was haunted and I didn't believe in such things as ghosts..."

He stopped, shook his head and smiled slightly to himself, then went on, "That one night of my childhood has been the most terrifying night of my life. Let's just say ghosts are a very real thing and I was wrong to doubt my friends. Although, I think they only believed for fun and wild mystic stories."

That was stupid story. Ghosts aren't real, everyone knows that. He's just trying to scare me.

"I don't believe in anything I can't see," I said, giving him a sideways glance.

"Then what about planets? You've never seen them. Do you believe planets are real?"

"Well-"

"What about dolphins, or Europeans, or Louisiana? You've never seen any of those things. Do you believe in them?"

"That's different. You see-"

"No, it's not. It's exactly the same, just in different ways."​

He was insane. Absolutely insane. I was starting to understand now, or at least grasp, why he might be in therapy. He was paranoid?

"Did you by any chance get dropped as a baby, or I don't know, maybe your parents thought it'd be funny or whatever to feed you paint chips instead of actual baby food?"

He smiled.

"Well aren't you just so clever."

I smiled sarcastically back at him, but then tripped over a crack in the concrete.

He laughed uncontrollably at my humiliation, and once he calmed himself enough, he offered me a hand.

"I'm glad I could amuse you," I said irritably, but then gave in and couldn't help but laugh at my own humiliation. I covered my face with one hand, however the pinkness of my cheeks seemed to shine through the cracks of my fingers.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. I nodded, too embarrassed to speak.

"Good, because we are here."