My Girlfriend the Arsonist

Only part

My girlfriend the Arsonist
By Andy Misura

The first time that Kit met Ari she stuck out like an exploded paint can in the middle of a blank wall. All of his friends were saying 'why is she here!' and many things of the sort; you see Ari was what your parents call a "character" which really means that they are a bad influence.

She had piercings all the way up her left ear and a lip ring, even as a sophomore; Which left Kit to wonder how many piercings she would have by the time she graduated. No one else shared interest in this question they were too busy spreading rumors about the new girl. Things like how she had a tramp stamp that is backwards because she did it herself with a mirror. He never said anything but he knew this wasn't true because they had the same p.e. Period and through trading two packs of gum to the girl whose locker was next to the new girls she said she was clean skinned.

When he was a freshman he quickly found out that gum to students was like cigarettes to jailmates. If you had enough you could get anything from anyone. But he never spoke up to silence the rumors, since something told him that she liked having them circle around her. So he didn't speak up. The rumors spread like wildfire with more and more surfacing almost everyday. And Ari did nothing to silence them, he noticed in wonderment that he, or anyone else for that matter, had barely heard Ari speak. So the rumors of her starting riots and graffitiing her old school lived on.
   
    The first time Kit talked to Ari it was because during lunch she quickly rushed in and sat next to him. He had no prior interactions with her and no forms of contact, besides finding out what rumors were true and which weren't. But she sat down looking almost scared and let out a breath before saying only "Hi." once she noticed that everyone at the table was looking at her.

    Ari looked up, they were still staring at her. "What?" she questioned. They all looked bewildered and a little scared. She then lowered her voice and said "Do I have s-s-something on my face?" Kit relished that moment because it was the longest sentence he had ever heard her say.
    She continued to sit there and surprisingly Kit and Ari began to talk. She never said much and when she did she usually had long pauses between her words. And for once in his life Kit found himself speaking up. "Why do you pause so long between your words?" He questioned. She took a large breath      and replied "d-," She paused. "D-do you want-t tuh know why I go ta riots-s s-so much?" She struggled out. He simply nodded. She took a breath then said "B-b-because," she looked frustrated and kit suddenly felt terrible for making her speak but he let her force it out. "B-b-because I don't stu-stu-stutter when I sc-sc-sc-scream." She looked up at him and smiled. But for once looked scared and, well,     small. And once again Kit didn't speak up about how her stutter was beautiful and how he wished that she would speak up.

    Soon enough Kit found himself at a riot with the one and only Ari. She was screaming at the higher powers and smiling. When he grabbed her hand and she looked down and smiled the biggest smile he had ever seen. And kit finally understood.         And Kit finally spoke up.