❁ Chap 1. Falling Petals ❁
The wind brushed against our skinned and scrapped knees. Silence. Smiles and faint laughs were exchanged in the process. "What time you going home?" Ian asked. I stared down at my feet dangling over the edge. Same old worn out grey vans that I've had since sophomore year. It was me and Ian. The only friend I had out of my entire existence of high school. Us against the world. I was a loser, loner, the bottom of the food chain, in a even smaller county. Parmingston, Wyoming is where I live. Yeah we have all the things a normal county has. Town theater, corner store, a park and shopping stores on Main Street . My mom died two years ago from overdose and my dad left when i was three. So i live with my older brothers Matthew and Jackson. "Never." I replied smiling and looking down at the cars riding by.
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They look like a tiny set of toys. "You gotta go home...isn't it getting past your bed time, paisley." he said while nudging my arm. "Don't have one." His vibrant green eyes rolled up five times with his eye lashes fluttering. We laughed and watched the cars and listened to small conversations as people entered the store. As bizarre as it seems we were at the top of a grocery store. He works here part time and we climbed to the top almost everyday after school. "Whatever...its only" I looked at my lame excuse of a watch. "Its only 12:37" it was late I just didn't want to go home. Some girls are probably home eating our food messing with my brothers, stupid girls. "Come on ill walk you." Ian stood up and held his hand out. I hooked on his hand and pulled myself up. Ian walked over and opened the door leading to the bottom and began crawling down the ladder. As we passed I looked at the brick yellow wall that is green but looks yellow from the weird den light in the room. The first time we met was in sophomore year we sat together at an empty table.
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Last year I was mixed in the wrong crowd, I smoked drank, skipped classes, and almost got in a fight. I was arrested and in bail for 50$ dollars of possession of illegal drugs. No matter how bad I want to hate it I don't the smell, the feel, the experience. Made me feel like I had nothing to do but waste time, made me happy, it made me have an outline of friends. Still in my failure of trying to make friends I didn't make any, I was the girl with the cool hair or the follower. Following Harper cage was the worst decision I've ever made in my life. Despite all the terrible stuff she's done to me I still made a best friend.
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Ian grabbed his board and ripped off his food mart apron like a superhero. His dirty white Nike shoes with neon strings squeaked all the way till he got to the door. I followed tossing my board on the ground and coasted across the white marble floor transitioning to the rough concrete. The sad thin about all of this is that Ian has other friends then me. I don't for him. He could easily leave me and that's the one thing I fear. Lose the only friend I've ever had. The street lights finally turned on and blue and white light clouded over us as we rode. As we rode down the quite street police surrounded a house we passes. I slowed down to get a quick look.Three police cars and and a elder man standing in his downstairs window. "Ian....you see this." What the heck were three....now four.....no five police cars doing at an elder mans house? What could he have done so bad where he needed 5 police cars. Ian appeared by my side.
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"I heard they said he's going in for man slaughter." I stared even harder trying to picture this little old man with a butcher knife. "Your meaning to tell me, the man who plays bingo every Friday, and has 3 children and 4 grandchildren just killed some people." he nodded in disbelief. "Nothing ever happens ov.... "And what do you guys think your doing?"A police officer in uniform stood tall over us. Shit. "Well officer that man is a good friend of my moms I was just on my way passing when I saw a local friend in trouble." Ian was a good liar under pressure. The officer stared at us, hard core. "Well its past your curfew I want you kids home....now." A fire was shot and the old man held on to his knee. Ian squinted and i grabbed his hand leaving the scene. "They just shot the man in the knee, he looked completely harmless." Don't judge a book by its cover. The sweetest looking piece of candy could be the sourest piece. Our shoes echoed when they hit the pavement. We were practically the only people out this late, all the time. It was a ghost town. "I wish I could like walk you home and then you could walk me home so we see each other get in." Ian always walked me home and he has to sneak in or get yelled at because of me. I think his mom hates me, but his dogs cool. "Don't worry about me, its fine." Instead of riding we held our board the rest of the way.
