Rapid Days Behind the Bars of Life

Chapter 5

After what happened yesterday, I haven't been able to sleep. So here I am, in my bed, in my dark room, thinking about Shameik. I was so worried about him. I still am.

The thing is, Shameik isn't too big on drugs or drinking and all that stuff. He only ever got like that three times, yesterday making it the fourth time.

All those three times, he was in a dark place and he just wanted to feel something. He only gets like this, when something bad is going on with him.

The first and second time was at the beginning of freshman year, when his grandma died. He blamed himself because he was supposed to be helping her with what she needed, and his parents were out of town for a couple of days so she was his responsibility. She was pretty old, 85 and she used a wheel chair so she needed assistance getting by.

Shameik fell asleep in his living room couch at around 10:00pm, so he said, and she died at maybe 11:30pm, so the cops said. His parents were the ones who saw her on the floor when they arrived home, so they called 911.

He's not really sure how, but she fell down the stairs and the wheelchair was on her chest. It crushed her chest, and there was blood everywhere. It was ugly. He still blames himself, and so does his dad.

The third time was during the summer, after freshman year. His dad lost his job two weeks before school ended. They were low on money, I even gave them some money sometimes voluntarily. However, almost every night, his dad would come home drunk and he would beat Shamiek and his mom. He didn't call the cops on him because he didn't want his dad to go to jail, he loved him and he thought that it was just a phase. It wasn't.

One night his mom was asleep on the couch, waiting for his dad to get home which was about 3:16am. When he arrived he was yelling, throwing things, punching the wall, his mom tried to calm him down, and he punched her in the neck. Shameik heard her scream in pain so he rushed down the stairs to help her.

All of a sudden, his dad started yelling, "You killed my mother, you bastard. You fucking killed her. You're a murderer, I have a murderer as a son!"

Shameik knew he was talking about his grandma, and out of anger, he punched his dad in the face and left.

He called me and he sounded so happy. This was at 5:00 am. I was wondering why he was so excited at this time. He was just saying random things and laughing like a maniac. I asked him where he was and he said in my backyard. So I walked outside, and there he was in my backyard, rolling on the grass.

Quite frankly, I thought he was having a psychotic break, so I slapped him so he could snap out of it. He did. Then he told me all that happened and that he popped two ecstasy pills.

However, this time, I don't know what could've happened and I'm scared for him.

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It's 6:28 am and I haven't slept. I have to get ready for school, but I'm not in the mood for school. So I'll just lay here for a little bit, till I get in the mood, or at least slightly in the mood.

I was about to close my eyes, then my phone dinged. It was a text from Shamiek. It said to come outside, he's waiting for me.

Well, now I'm in the mood. So I get up, quickly brush my teeth, put on my shoes, grabbed my back pack and left.

I left without saying I love you. I know she knows that I do love her, but she should still hear it, after all she's my mom. Not the always the best mom, but still my mom.

It doesn't matter now, I'm out the door already.

"Took you long enough dude," Shameik said with a quick faint smile.

"Yea yea, I'm here aren't I?" I said spreading my arms out, and slightly tilted my head to the right.

"C'mon, lets go."

"Where to?"

"To school, where else."

"Oh I just thought, you know, you'd like to go somewhere else because of-" I stopped talking.

"Because of yesterday? Don't worry, I'm fine."

"So when did we start lying and keeping things from each other?" I said and stopped walking.

He sighed and said, "I just don't want to talk about it.'

"You could've said that, instead of lying to me."

"I'm not lying, I'm fine right now. Or at least I think I am.'

"Tell me" I demanded.

"Not right now dude, can we just go to school."

"Whatever but just know I'm here and so is Kody. We know when somethings up with you."

He stayed silent, looked up at the sky, took a deep breath, and said, "Yea of course" He said it very dryly, as if he was unsure of it.

I just let it go for now, he really doesn't want to talk about it. I do have a feeling that it has to do with Kody or something.

They've been dating for two years. She's 16, one year older than him.

She's helped him get through many of the shit he's been through. She's really helpful and I love her because she loves him. Is that weird?

Her full name is Dakota but everyone calls her Kody. That's what she prefers and, it sounds better than Dakota.