SILENT RIVERS

All by myself.

As i bent the corner to the store, i noticed a bunch of kids messing with an elderly man.

"Beat it", I shouted marching up to them.

"Why is he your sugar Daddy?"some girl asked and the group of guys snickered behind her.

"No your dad is", I said stepping towards her," so you might wanna inform your mom".

After a very boring, nonthreatening stare down , she and her crew walked away.

"Thanks katie", Mr Dempsey  told me with a weak nod.

"Your welcome", i smiled kneeling down to face him.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

"Good ", he smiled weakly.

"You're always good",i chuckled.

"One of these days I'm gonna build a mansion," i told him sitting down on the ground beside him",and get you off the streets".

"Don't you worry about me now",he smiled,"you have you're life to live".

"I'm fine", i told him.

"How are the grades?" He asked.

"Good as always", i smiled getting up knowing he would seen tell me to hurry and get on to school.

"This is for today", i said giving him $5.

"Thank you katie", he smiled taking it.

"And it's chicken for dinner", i told him as i walked away.

Every evening i bring him something to eat.
It pains my heart though knowing that he has nowhere to sleep. He lost his family some years ago. Many of the people in the neighborhood scorn him. But not me though. My mother always told me that i cared too much about things that aren't mine to worry about.
But i know what it feels like to have nothing and no one ;so i find it hard to turn a blind eye.

I grabbed some Doritos at the store and hurried to school.

*****†********†*********†****

"You're late Miss Daniels", Ms. Buchanan informed me as i walked into class.

"It won't happen again", i told her taking my seat at the back of the class.

"Since you're here anyways, what's the answer to number 5 from yesterday's exercise?"

"I didn't do the homework", i told her taking my book from my bag without looking at her.

"And that's something you're proud to say?" She asked.

I read the question aloud from the book.

"The answer is yes", i told her.

"And how do you prove that?" She asked.

"If the forces acting in opposite directions are equal despite the magnitude of the moments then the bar can remain balanced", i elaborated.

"Thank you" she replied ," now class do you havd you're answer?"

"It's not like she has a life to have anything to do but study", Taylor the well-known Barbie doll of the school said.

The whole class snickered at her remark.

"It's not like you have any ambition to be anything more than the school's mattress", i seethed," cause introducing you're body to 90% of the male population isn't exactly called having a life bitch".

"Excuse me?" She retorted.

"Do you see you're mother anywhere here?" She asked with a knowing look on her face.

I felt my fists curl in a ball and i know that I'm fighting so hard to not go over there and strangle her.

" Not another word", Ms Buchanan warnes," or it's detention for both of you".

" Calm down babe", Her boyfriend said rubbing her shoulder from behind.

I looked at his face intensely.

He turned his gaze to see me looking at him.

" I don't do freaks", he replied earning snickers from the rest of his guy friends.

I averted my gaze and focused my eyes on the parking lot where teachers were coming and going.

" Control yourself", i whispered to myself, " it's not worth it".

I mean they're all gonna say what they feel like saying, so might as well let them talk.

***************************

School ened quickly. It was quite routine. Walk alone, go to class alone, eat alone and go home alone.

At least I'm alone and free right?

No one to expect anything from but myself. It's not that i don't wish i had friends. I do sometimes. But I'd rather stay by myself and be fine, than suffer at the betrayal of someone i think i can trust.

If I'm gonna do anything, I'll do it alone. That way there'll be no collateral damage.

So i stick by myself. All by myself