Anonymous

P a r e n t s

She texted her address, and now with a single pink flower in hand, and my hair tamed back I walk to Jennifer Shores house. I went up the small pathway to her home and knocked on the white paneled door.

"Who is it?" Called a gruff voice from somewhere inside the house.

"Uh, Joseph. I'm here to see Jennifer," I called back. My palms beginning to sweat. Oh God is I going to meet parents! I didn't prepare for this! What if they won't let me take her out? Before I can think anymore the door opens up just enough for Jennifer to slip out. She is only a few inches shorter than me, but still looks up into my eyes when she sees me.

"Hello," she smiles softly.

"Hey, I-um-got this for you," I say, holding out the flower, I picked up along the way. Her face lite up, as she took the flower into her hand.

"Thank you," she whispered, in awe. Has she never received a flower before?  I thought sadly.

"Well, there are much more where that came from," I tried, holding out my arm for her. She eyed my arm for a moment before taking it. We walked together with her and I just like that in quite, every now and then, I would glance at her, and see her sniffing the flower. The sun was just setting and the sky performed magic on Jennifer's hair. The usually brown hair was transformed to vibrant colors of reds, and gold. Her face seemed to glow with the light. 

We arrived at the ice cream shop and purchased ice cream cups. We walked to a little table in the corner and took our seats. "Jennifer, may I ask you something?"

She nodded. "Anything," but she seemed nervous.

"What brought you to our school last year?"

Her eyes went down to her ice cream, as she thought, "I was bullied pretty badly at my last school, so my family and I moved," she confessed.

Who would even try to bully someone, so gentle? Sick bastards! "I'm so sorry that happened to you."

"Don't worry about it. I'm at Bridget Madison, now, and I have Anonymous," she shrugged.

"They're a good bunch of people," I agreed.

"I'm really glad to hear you say that."

We talked about our likes and dislikes. I learned she has a little brother and lives with her dad. She is allergic to tomato, which for some reason I find incredibly cute. It was the most I've ever seen her talk and I loved every second of it. I craved to hear more to get to know her better.

"I love fashion. It's something I want to go to school for," she gushed.

"When did you know that was something you wanted to do?"

"Oh, when I was maybe eleven I went to a wedding parlor for my Aunt and she tried on gowns. I realized I want to wear one, but much more than that I wanted to design one. I spent the next several days locked in my room, plotting dress designs. My dad takes me to fabric shops all the time, and my little brother helps me with some of the measurements. I applied for a scholarship to NYU, so we'll see if I get it."

"If you don't?" I asked because of the sudden mood change in her voice.

"Then, I don't go," she shrugged with a smile. She's doing that a lot more smiling, but this one is sad.

"You're beautiful," I thought, but her face turned bright red. "Did I just say that out loud?"

She nodded, and the smile I love is back. The one that transforms her whole face and makes her eyes practically close from her cheeks rising. We talked a little longer before it was time to say goodbye. I walked her back to her house, but before we parted ways. We shared a moment, her golden brown eyes, meet my blues ones, we leaned into each other, and our lips met, for only a brief moment, but long enough to count.

She quickly slipped into the house, and I fist pumped the air like John Bender in the Breakfast Club. I was on my way home when my phone rang. I answered without checking the caller id. "Hello?"

"Joseph, this is Hunter. I'm sorry to call you so late, but I don't really know what to do," he sounds scared and nervous. "Jackie is asleep, and I-I."

"Hunter, slow down and breath. Where are you?" I asked firmly.

"Um, on seventh and park."

"Okay, stay on the phone with me. I'm coming to get you."

"Okay. Okay. I can do that." He whispered as I made a mad dash to my house two blocks away. I can hear him breathing heavily into the phone. I get to the car, start it up, and quickly leave the driveway. 

"Hey, man, I'm almost to you. Hang on a little longer," I say into the phone.

"Okay. I can do that," he replies, again with the same phrase. That must be his motto phrase. I make it to seventh and drive down the road until I see park boulevard, and there sitting on the corner right under the light is Hunter. His shoulders are visibly shaking, but he is wearing a baseball cap, so I can;t really see his face. I pull up to the side of the road and rush out to him.

"Hunter," I call, and his head shoots up. "I'm here," I say calmly taking large strides to get to him.He stood, and came towards me. He practically fell into my arms, "I've got you," I said, helping him into my car. I folded his large form inside, and ran around to the other side, and drove home. When I arrived, we just sat in the car.

"I told my parents," he whispered breaking the silence. I didn't say anything, cause I didn't know what to say, just by the situation I know it didn't go well. "My dad, he um- didn't take it well," he added.

He took off the baseball cap, and I saw his face. A dark blue blotch was beginning to form on his right eye. A cut is on his lip, and a shiner is on his cheek. He just got beat up. "Shit, Hunter. You need to report him," I practically scream.

"I can't," he whispers on the verge of tears. "He's my dad. Promise me you won't say anything, please. I can't deal with anymore tonight." I let out a heavy sigh, and nod.

"Alright. Come on, to my room. I'll tell my mom that I've got a friend staying over. Um-if you don't want any questions you might want to put that hat back on," I say.

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