How To Save A Life

The Melville Home for Children

                “Come on, let’s go.” Randy said, grasping his skateboard under the table, standing, and waiting for Mike. He grabbed his board too and they started walking out.

                “Dude, what just happened?” Mike said, his throat dry.

                “I’m not sure. No one is. She needs to go.” Randy suggested as they emerged from hell into heave.

                Mike felt at ease as soon as the sun hit his face. His noise twitched from the smell of car exhaust.  Mike and Randy simultaneously walked down the steps and stood on the sidewalk. They plopped their skateboards down and put on one foot on it. They looked both ways, it was still early and the street was as empty as they have ever seen it, then skating across the street.

                The outside of “The Melville Home for Children” was very simple and there wasn’t anything special about it. It blended in with the other old buildings around it.

                It sat atop a hill that over looked the city. It’s about seven stories high, nothing compared to the skyscrapers close to the middle of New York City.

                The whole building was made of rusty brown colored bricks. There were perfectly aligned rows and columns of identical windows. Besides a faint sign painted on the building saying “Water Company” and the opposite wall some graffiti, and the door, that was the building.

                The door, however, Mike found pretty grand. It’s Greek looking; as there are two white columns on either side with a triangular type of foot. Snuggly inside the white concert structure was the actual door.

                The door is painted an unusual teal blue, and it, like everything else, could use a new coat of paint. There were scuff marks on it near the bottom. There were six little windows arrange in two lines. The inside light colored them gold. The mix of these colors was just appealing to Mike, something familiar.

                Usually the sight of all the kids having to leave out one door and then disperse in different directions was unappealing. It was like the house was spitting them out one by one.

                Randy hit Mike lightly on the arm. He was zoning out, looking back at the building. He shook his head and gave a little smile. He was happy to be out of there, if only for a little while.

                He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with fresh air, and kicked off the ground, started to glide on his skateboard behind Randy’s lead.

                Besides the white van and black SUV driving down the streets, the boys had it to themselves. They served effortlessly and gained speed. The wind was rushing through Mike’s hair. There wasn’t a better feeling in the world.

                He watched the familiar building and parked cars go by in a blur; the backpack store that had been around for years, the new shop that sold every type of electronic item, a Chinese restaurant, and the many apartments.

                The morning sky was still kind of dark blue as the sun was getting higher in the sky.

                “So, tell me what she looks like.” Randy asked.

                It took Mike a second to gather the words in his head. He didn’t like all the words in the world could do Fiona justice. He began anyway, “She has the most capturing blue, grey stormy eyes, freckles dancing across her cheeks and nose, and long, perfect brown hair.”

                “Dude…. You’re head over heels for this girl.”

                “How do you know?” Mike asked. He was very unsure himself what he was feeling, mainly because he had never really felt it before.

                “Trust me dude, I know.” Randy said, his eyes hazing as he stared at the horizon in the distance.

                The rest of their trip to school was quiet. They slowed at the end of the hill, the home barely a speck against the sky. They eased in and out of crowds of people walking to work and other places. 

                They picked up they’re boards as they hurried down the subway steps, waiting for the next one to bring them the rest of the way to school.

                Randy leaned against a brick column in the middle of the underground area, nervously scratching his head.

                “Uh, when are you going to see her again?” He asked, hoping he wasn’t hitting a cord.

                Mike turned his head. “What?” He asked. He hadn’t heard what Randy said because he had zoned out again, thinking about…easier times. It was also really loud due to all the people heading to work and Randy wasn’t talking very loud.

                He repeated himself and watched is friend’s face change suddenly.

                “I don’t know.” He said bluntly.