Broken Cigarettes

chapter 18

chapter 18

DEREKS POV

Rory. She is beautiful, but she probably doesn't even know it.

When I first met her, I thought she was one of the 'popular druggies,' only she wasn't. She was considered a loner. Someone came up with the thought that somehow she's a prostitute, and everyone started to believe that lie. I would beat the shit out of anyone who would dare say such a thing about Rory.

A while ago, on Halloween, she was....different. She was closed in, wary, jumpy and nervous of everything. Just like when I first met her. Between our first moment and Halloween, I thought I was starting her to open up and get finally get out of the caterpillar cocoon she was lining in. But something happened, I am sure, that destroyed all of that progress.

It's not like I think of her like a charity case or something like that, the complete opposite actually.

I haven't talked to Sean in a while, last time was when I punched john. Sean's an ok guy, has douche bags as friends, and all he talks about is either football or girls. What happened to video games? I don't have much time to actually think about dating girls with the hell that is my shitty life.

I threw on a dark shirt and some black jeans and my boots and slowly left my room.

I walked to the kitchen, well it's not a kitchen, its more like a kitchen/ dining room/ living room type, ok so I just kitchen is in there, but still.

There an oven, a tiny sink that a toddler couldn't even pee in, a tiny wooden table with three unmatched chairs, a small TV on the counter and a small old puke-coloured couch. Yeah, this is the main room, at least its better then the trailer we used to live in.

Riker was crunching on cereal while reading the newspaper.

"hey fag," he said. Now isn't he just so loving.

"hey dick-muncher," I grinned, slapping the back of his head.

"What the fuck dude," he yelled with milk and cereal trailing down his chin and the front of his shirt.

"you have a little something," I said pointing to my chin. Riker rolled his eyes and wiped his overgrown-milk-beard with his sleeve. "where's dad anyway," I asked unwrapping some pop tarts.

"left a few hours ago, he said work, he meant on a beer run, then probably going to work drunk then going to get yelled at his boss and yadda yadda, you know the rest".

It was the same thing that happened almost every day. He would come home after getting yelled at his boss and take it out on me and Ryder.

I know what everyone's thinking, why don't me and Riker scrap him-well I'll tell you. When you've grown up and lived for so long like the way we do, you just can't. Dad has muscle, underneath all the fat. And he's always drunk, when we do get a hit on him, he passes out, wakes up, and surprises us with a punch in the nose or something. I know, two against one, but its just the way we are programmed. Just to be weaker than the alpha, aka dad.

"so what are you up to today little bro," Riker asked playfully punching me in the arm.

"work, then make Rory hang out with me. You"?

"interviews for jobs. So...." he trailed off.

"what"? I sighed heavily.

"you and Rory, you guys doin' the dance with no pants yet"? He wiggled his eyebrows.

"no, dude. She's not like that".

"so you don't want to. Do you mind if I try to with her, she kind of hot".

I glared. "you. Wont. And I do want to, I do have male body parts remember".

"how could I not. Remember when you were eight and you had a boner and kept hitting it. And I told you 'you were probably just sick' and you believed me" me laughed hard, tears spilling out of his eyes.

"ha ha. Thanks for reminding me of the moment I could have made myself sterile".

----

After getting off work and switching shirts because I was covered in grease; working on cars can get messy.

I walked to Angie's hoping Rory would be working.

The bell chimed as I enter. Searching, seeing a few tables with customers, and Rory taking some old couples' order.

She was so beautiful, but so broken. I get flashbacks sometimes of our moments when we were drunk. Her arms being covered in cuts, the only time she didn't have her arms covered. It makes me wonder so much what else she's hiding. I want to break those walls, and when they were starting to crumble they were built up again, stronger.

She gracefully did her job. I slide into a seat near the cash register, waiting till she spots me. After a few minutes she approaches the cash register the get some change and surprise covers her face.

"hi" she said. Her voice sounded like honey. Damn, when did I start sounding gay, even in my head?

"Hey. When u finish your shift were going to hang," I demanded. Does that bring some of my manliness back?

"alright. Are you just going to sit here and wait. Because if you don't order something I may have to kick you out," she told me looking everywhere but at me.

"oh, right. Then a coke".

"I'll go get that," she said and hurried away.

Damn, she ran away like I was the plague. I really need to find out what's going on with her. Even for her, this is a little weird.

---

"let's play 20 questions," I asked as we sat side by side underneath a tree in the park. Both of us were taking drag of our cigarettes.

It's weird the different things that can become addictive after time; but Marlboro's taste pretty fucking good so I guess it's easy to know why they are addictive.

Rory just shrugged in response, taking a long drag.

"I'll take that response as a yes. Now, let's see," I started. I can't just start off with one of the millions of questions I have about her. She won't want to play then. "what is your favourite colour, cupcake"?

She had a little sparkle in her eye when I called her one of my many nicknames for her.

"its blood red, as you can tell," she replied pointing to her hair.

I let out a little chuckle. "your turn".

"why do you have all those tattoos"? She said looking at my arms that were covered by a red sweatshirt.

"they all tell stories of what I've been through. What I like. Stuff like that," I answered hesitantly.

Now should I start asking her questions about her life or will she get offended?

"so, your uncle is your guardian right," I asked unsure but she nodded in response. "how did your mom loose custody of you then"?

Rory tensed up, and curled her hands up in her sweater sleeves, flicking her cigarette away.

"it's a long complicated story" she whispered, leaning into my side. I loved the feeling, but I wanted more so badly it almost hurt.

"tell me," I said, taking her hand out of her sleeve and wrapping mine around hers. Her hands were ice cold, like a popsicle in the winter.

"do you really want to know"? She asked, her big brown eyes looking up at me. She looked like a little defenceless deer when she gave e that look.

"I really do" I kissed the palm of her hand.

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please comment-i love feedback. andm vote and shit. ive been having a litle writers blocker making chappy 20, thats why this one has been updated so late