One day in Brooklyn

Chapter 10

We drop my Cello off at my apartment and finish walking to our rooftop club house. Adrian goes up the ladder first and I follow. When we reach the top it is destroyed. We had a canopy with vines growing on it and flowers hanging from it in baskets. We had a bench and some other things to make it seem more pleasant up here. On the largest tarp is a bunch of spray paint. The vines have been ripped off. The flowers stomped on and lying dead on the ground. Adrian drops to her knees in shock and puts her hands over her mouth. We made this place and it took days to do it.

She spent so much time over the couple of years since we built it tending to the plants and making it an absolute paradise. Now it is destroyed. Sobs rake her shoulders as she looks around. Tears roll down her face and I look in disgust at what has happened. I look at the tarps and see a 'note' that catches my attention. With spray paint it says "Love you -from bff". There is a group of girls who have hated Adrian since the incident that occurred. That was the day we became friends.

Flash Back

Adrian sat alone on a bench reading some huge novel when Peter, the most sought after guy by the girl's standards in our grade, approached her.

"Hey, Ade, hows about you and me go behind that tree over there and ya' know." He raised his eyebrows up and down. I was sitting a little bit away from her and heard what he said. I looked at the scene unfolding in front of me. We were at recess and all grades were out there. Pete and I in the grade above Adrian, She was in fourth and we in fifth.

She looked at him with disgust "I don't think so." She said politely

"Oh and you don't want this." He said leaning in close to her and trying to kiss her. She smiled and brought her knee into his special place. He grabbed her shoulders roughly and dragged her behind the tree, and out of sight. I stood up quickly and went back there.

Pete had her pushed against the trunk. She wasn't strong enough to get away. So he was kissing her roughly and she was trying everything she could but Pete wouldn't let go of her.

"I think that's enough Pete." I said and he turned to look at me

"What's that Cello boy? I don't think so." He said turning back to her. I grabbed him and pushed him to the ground. I looked at Adrian.

"Run, go get a teacher, tell them there is a fight in the courtyard." She looked at me confused but then I started pummeling him.

I punched his face so many times my hands became bruised. "Stay to your skanks, they are the only ones who want you. Don't ever mess with Adrian again." I said as a finish to my pummeling. 

"Who you calling skanks?" Trudy and her posse said angrily and I replied

"You." Then the teachers dragged me away to suspend me for fighting.

When I explained what had happened to my Father he told me to be proud of myself, and I didn't get in trouble.

 End Flashback

"It was the skanks." I say with a for sure tone to my voice

"Probably." She says drying her tears. "Sorry for crying, it's just been so much lately with you getting sick and my parents, and now this." 

"No, don't be sorry, it is totally okay, I am so sorry, I feel like I am the reason for all of this, and the reason you are crying." I say ashamed

"No, you don't need to be sorry either. You aren't responsible for any of this." She says looking at me.

"Come on." I say pulling her to the tattered, now black with spray paint, bench. We sit and watch as the sun sets on the horizon. It creates a beautiful city scene as we watch the cars hurry below us.

Before I know it, it has been hours and it is almost nine. You might think nine p.m. is early, and it kind of is, but not if you are in the middle of a city, at age fourteen with a thirteen year old girl. At night is when the predators come out to feast. Adrian had fallen asleep on my shoulder so I decided to be a gentleman. I scooped her up telling her to hold on tight, her grip was so tight on my neck it was hard to breathe. I carried her piggyback all the way to my apartment.

She had already planned to spend the night here. So, we didn't have to worry about her Mom freaking out. I set Adrian on the couch because my Mom was at work and wouldn't be home until lunch tomorrow. I got into the recliner and got comfortable in it, knowing I would be in terrible pain tomorrow morning.