Punks

Three

Jimi was the first awake the next morning. Well- she didn't sleep at all. All night she stared at the bottom of her sister's mattress. She did this most nights. She couldn't remember the last time she'd dreamt.
She looked at the window with the broken blinds. It was almost light outside. She knew her mother would be awake soon but her sister seemed to be sleeping later than usual.
She stood up and grabbed a hoodie off the floor and slipped it on. She went to the bathroom and quickly brushed through her short brown hair, slipped her black beanie on and headed for the door.
  She slipped out the door into the cold wet air outside.

  She walked down the street towards the small corner store, that had been broken into and robbed several times.

"Hey, Johnny Boy!" Jimi exclaimed, walking into the store.
"Hey, Hendrix." They both laughed.

"So has Matt been here today?" Jimi asked, walking down the aisles.

"Man, why you always asking 'bout that kid." Johnny said, crossing his arms. He had a look of suspicion on his face.

"He's my friend, Johnny. Just lookin' out for 'em." She grabbed a bag of M&M's and tossed it on the counter. She dug into her pants for some change. Johnny stopped her.

"Hey, man I got this. On the house."

"Seriously man? Thanks. You're awesome." She shoved the change back into her pocket and jogged towards the door. "Bye, Johnny!"

Jimi knew her mom would be awake by now and her sister as well, but she headed towards Matt's house. His street spooked her: stray cats and weird people sitting on their lawns and staring at you as you walked by.  She had no idea how someone like Matt could live in these conditions.
Jimi and Frankie knew Matt since they were young. Back when their father hadn't left their mom yet and Matt's father was clean.
Jimi missed being a child. With no care in the world. No anxiety of school. No high standards. Just having fun in their own little world. Life gets harder unfortunately. And life kicks some people's ass. Like Matt's.

  Jimi reached the run-down home painted a faint green color with the windows either broken or too dirty to see through. Jimi stepped up to the front door and heard glass breaking. And yelling.

"ANSWER ME DAMMIT!" His father exclaimed in his low, angry voice. There was no reply.
"I SAID ANSWER ME." There was a faint answer and a thud against a wall.
"Yes! I'm sorry! I did it!"
It was Matt.
Jimi heard his faint cries for help. There was silence then a loud SMACK! And a thud. Jimi peeked through one of the broken windows. She saw Matt sitting against a wall, dazed, one of his cheeks were red. And he was crying.
Crying.
Jimi had never seen the boy cry. Even when they were kids.
Jimi heard the footsteps of his dad walking to the front door. Jimi panicked and ran to the other side of the house, behind a dead bush. She watched as his father, a big, burly dude with a shiny, bald head. He was wearing a dirty white tank top with beer stains on it and who knows what else, and ripped blue jeans. He didn't even look like Matt's father. No resemblance.
Jimi watched as he stomped out the door and slammed it, and walked towards his beaten up car. Then he drove off, he didn't even notice Jimi.

  Jimi ran into the house, hard to call something like this a home, and looked for Matt. He was still lying in the same place. He was wearing only boxers and you could see his bruises on his arms and legs and cuts on his torso.
"Jimi?" Matt said wearily looking up at her.
"Matt, get up. Pack your things. You're coming with me." She pulled him up from underneath his arms. He was heavier than he looked.
"W-why?" He asked, pulling himself up.
"You can't be living in these conditions anymore. You're coming to my house. Get dressed."
Matt packed a small bag of his things and threw on a Sex Pistols shirt with some jeans and tattered old converse.
"I don't know where my dad went or when he will be back so we need to be quick."
Jimi took him to the back door and they ran across his neighbor's backyard to Jimi's street.
They reached the fence of Jimi's house and Jimi struggled to jump over it. Matt jumped up with ease, but fell on his side where a large bruise was.
"OW FUCK," Matt exclaimed, holding his side. Jimi ran over to him and helped him up. Frankie ran outside to see what all the commotion was.
"What happened?! Why is he here? Why'd you bring him over the fence?"
Jimi told her about what happened with his dad and she brought him over here.
"Jimi.. Mom's not gonna let him stay. She'll call social services"
Frankie walked over to them. She looked at Jimi, then Matt.

"How much money do you have saved up?"