-Welcome to Reality-

Chapter 13

Chapter 13:  Getting Somewhere

Skylar wasn't kidding when she said five minutes.  Before I knew it, my phone vibrates again letting me know she has already arrived.

Skylar:  Hey I'm in the parking lot :)  Where are you?

For a moment I consider asking her to come down here where it's quiet and private, but I decide against it.  Hey Skylar, meet me on the fourth floor.  Oh I forgot to mention it's in the back, darkest corner where no one can hear or see us.  Ok?   Uh no, I don't think so.  Bad idea.  That's just a little too creepy for our first time hanging out together.  

So I run up the stairs to the first floor, and look around for an easy place to meet.  My eyes instantly land on something that would be literally impossible to miss.

Me:  I'll meet you by the fish tank.

Our library has this giant oval fish tank smack-dab in the center of the building.  It's huge, it's blue, and it makes this trickling sound that makes me need to go pee every time I hear it.   I think it was donated by some company to promote some stupid cause like marine-life safety or something, but I think it is better used as a meeting point.  When I would come here, and my brother Jude was with me, we would spend at least an hour walking around it and staring at all the creatures.  I usually would find a bench near by and pull out my phone to keep me busy, while he would go on and on about each fish, explaining for the millionth time why the have gills or certain spots on them.  It always annoyed me how he pressed his face and hands against the glass, where other kids have done the same thing.  I stand in front of it now, with my attention on something other then the fish.  I can't seem to take my eyes off all the hand prints covering the glass, knowing some of these must be his.....

I can remember him standing right here.  Slowly I place my hand onto the glass, for once not thinking about the germs, and who knows what else I might be touching.  Overcome by the longing to see my family again, I rest my head on the cool surface, while squinting my eyes shut to hold back the emotions that are now welding up inside me.

I realize that a seventeen year old boy crying on a fish tank must look really strange, so I hurry and straighten up, looking around to make sure no one actually say that.  Then suddenly my eyes land on a girl, staring at me from the other side of the fish tank.  She looks at me with pitty in her eyes.  Skylar.  I grunt to myself.  She saw that...

Skylar starts to walk around towards me, and I meet her half way.  Despite the humiliation that is starting to sink into my stomach, I try to play it as cool as I can manage.

"Have you been waiting here long?"  I ask casually.  That's just my indirect way of saying 'How long were you standing there watching me?!'   

She smiles.  "More importantly, how are you holding up?"  That must be her indirect way of saying 'I saw the whole thing.' 

"Fine I guess.  I just...." I sigh, "I need to figure out what's going on with me.  I was hoping you could maybe help with that?"  

She shrugs her shoulders, placing her hands in her back pockets. "I can't promise anything, but I'll try my best."

"Well then, shall we?"   I motion my hand in the direction of some empty tables.

"Well actually I was thinking we could maybe take a walk in the park."  She offers, directing her gaze over to the window that overlooks the the full green foliage and the path that snakes through it.  "Ya know, get some exercise while we're are at it.  If that's okay with you!"  She quickly adds in.