SKYFALL

Chapter 5: A Serious Talk With a Stranger

(Robbie’s  P.O.V)

Tap, tap, tap. Pause. Tap, tap, tap. Pause. Tap, tap, tap. Was the only sound I listen to while I waited on the principle to open his door to let us in. The tap, tap of course was coming from no other then Justin tapping his stupid foot.  

“Tap, tap, tap. Pause, annnnd tap, tap, tap, pause.” I turned to look at Justin as I talk along his tapping.

“Are you mocking me?” his annoying tapping suddenly stopped.

“Mocking you?” I asked, I could feel my eyebrows scrunching up into confusion.

“Yes! You were mocking my foot! And don’t lie because I heard you say tap, tap, tap, pause annnnd tap, tap ,tap. And yes you said and with those many ns.”

Justin laid back on his chair and began to crack his knuckles.

“Is kind of hard, not to repeat something that you keep hearing for about ten minutes straight!” I lean down to put my face in the pals of my hand.

“Ugh my mother is going to kill me, this is mental!”

“Is not even a big deal! Quit your whining. I bet you the principle will come out here look at me and turn back around. Trust me! Why do you think Xhy and David went separate ways? They know the drill.” Justin went back to his tapping.

“Her name is Xhy?”

His tapping stopped for the second time

“Yeah. But look as pretty as she is, really just stay far away from her.” His face turned serious for the first time that day. Looks like his serious side only comes out when porcelain doll is in the picture.

“You really care about her. Don’t you?”

For the first time that day I got a real glance of who Justin was. He was a type of person who could never take anything serious; he was the type who made sure you laughed no matter what or how horrible something was. He also really didn’t care about much; he took everything lightly all but his porcelain doll. And it wasn’t that I had this psychic super power, but at that right moment when I asked if he cared about her, he turns super serious. There were no joking eyes; they were sincere and full of love.

“More than my own life.” Was his answer, just simple and honest.

“Can I ask you something?”

“You already did.”

“No, like something serious.”

“What the hell! Why not? I’m already having a serious conversation with a stranger. Shoot”

 “Do you love her?”

“Xhy?”

“Yeah the porcelain doll.”

“The porcelain doll? Hmm it fits her.”

“So, do you?”

“Of course I do.”

“In what way?”

“Well, what the hell! Why are you so interested in my feelings doctor Phill?”

“Just curious.” I lied

“Sure, well curiosity killed the cat, remember that. And about my love for her, well the world may never know.” Justin leaned forwards on his chair.

“But really, don’t think about her in any way. If you hurt her or get her kill. I. WILL. KILL. YOU.”

“WOW! Get her killed? By who?! I’m not a psycho! “

“You might not be but her boyfriend is.”

“So that was really her boyfriend?”

“The one and only.” Justin rolled his eyes.

“And aren’t you afraid he’s going to hurt her? The way he just took her?”

Because I know that I was. As soon as we exit English 3 the psycho grabbed Xhy’s arm and dragged her towards a different direction from Justine and I. Justine stood frozen like he was having a battle within him, he was bouncing on the tips of his toes and his fists were clenching and unclenching. Xhy took one last look at us and winked at Justin, which seem to be a secret code for them because he stopped bouncing and turn towards the principal’s office.

“She may look like a porcelain doll but she’s not as fragile. Xhy can take care of herself, and she knows how to control David, something that nobody else knows how to do.”

“How did he end up with someone like her?”

“Phew, honestly they began long before I met her or him. They both were kids together that’s all I’m telling you, if she ever wants to open up to you, which she won’t because you will stay far away from her, but if, then she can tell you.”  

“Doesn’t she get tired of him though?” Justin looked away into space as if he was thinking or remembering something, but he left my question hanging in the air without him answering it.

“I don’t understand things around here! Is it just because I’m British? Or is Americans love relationships way different than British relationships? “

“Look not everything is easy around here; half of us will end up in jail or dead. We don’t all have happy endings in this part of the town. But that’s not the point. The point is that we have rules, and not mothers or school rules. Like rules between life and death. And sometimes the people will love get in the middle of those rules, and even if we wish we could change it we just can’t.”

“So she’s with him or he will kill her?”

“Not her, but anybody else who tries to be with her. Look is far more complicated than you think.”

At that exact moment the principal’s office opened, out came a chubby guy dress in kakis and blue polo shirt. He took one look at Justin, who waved back with a big smile.

“Hello sir, I hope you had a great summer! I was so eager to see you that I made it here first thing in the morning! “

The principal rolled his eyes and went back into his office.

“Told ya!” Justin rose from his chair and threw his backpack over his shoulder.

“Well it was a nice time with you but now I’ll have to go look for someone.

“The porcelain doll?” I asked

“My porcelain doll, yes”

With that he left, talking about how he shouldn’t really talk to strangers and he left me with two questions.

“He loves her? He loves her not?”