Angel Boy

Apple.

            I didn’t know what to expect when Monday arrived. I had ditched the boys all weekend, saying I was having a party for one. Levi had been in California attending some big Bird convention, one that he had tried inviting me to. On Sunday night, my parents had come home from their trip. And not even five minutes of their arrival, Father and I got into a heated argument which resulted with me gaining a black eye.

            So while I sat in my car with dark tinted sunglasses covering my burning eyes and nursing a pounding hangover, I smoked my last cigarette of my last pack. As the chemical leather and ash taste filled my mouth, I could only hope my tar-filled lungs or failing liver would be my demise.

            Where had my life gone wrong? Why couldn’t I just be happy? And why the hell was this person knocking on my window?

            Clearing the smoke from my lungs, I rolled down the window to the boy that knocked.

            He grimaced when the smoke drifted towards his flawless face. He waved a hand to rid himself of the tobacco tinted smell. He then smiled, saying, “Hey. Tyde, right?”

            Through squinted eyes, I stared at him from over my sunglasses. “Yeah, who’s asking?”

            “Abraham,” he introduced himself, holding out his hand for me to shake.

            My nose scrunched as I stared at him. His smile was bright and warm, freckles splattering across his high cheekbones. Eyes the color of honey and hair bright as the sand on a tropical beach, Abraham was undoubtedly a Bird.

            “Like, Abraham Lincoln?” I snorted at my own joke.

            The joke passed over Abraham’s head as his face twisted in confusion. “No, like, Abraham as in the father of a great multitude.”

            I sighed, grabbing my book bag from the passenger’s side of the car. Swinging the door open and forcing Abraham to step back, I looked at him through the sunglasses. “I’m domineering that you aren’t an ingenious person, correct?”

            “Uh,” Abraham stumbled, “yes?”

            I smiled, thinking of the term, “All brawns, no brain.” Dropping the cigarette to the ground, crushing the glowing cherry with my shoe. “What can I do ya for, Abraham the father of a great multitude?”

            He smiled, confusion vanishing from his face. He reminded me of a puppy. “Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go see a movie with me sometime.”

            “Wait,” my eyebrows knitted together. “Like, as in a…date?”

            “Yeah.” Abraham shrugged, shoving his hands into his SW jeans.

            Why was a Bird asking me out? I thought they hated me after the prank I pulled. But as I looked into Abraham’s eyes, no dislike for me was shown. He didn’t seem smart enough to be pulling a joke on me.

            Scratching the back of my neck, I opened my mouth to reply but then a loud, familiar voiced echoed through the crisp morning air.

            “Tyde!” Reinhart yelled. When I turned to find the source, his hands were cupped around his mouth. He waved me over.

            Quickly, I turned back to Abraham. “Look, sorry, but a lot of shit’s going on. Maybe, like, next month—or year.” Without waiting for a reply, I turned and walked towards the boys. From behind me, Abraham blubbered like an idiot.