Keeping Up With the Wind: A 'Burban Tale by Suleyma Moon

7.

The next day, Whisper stopped by to see if I wanted to come with her and Li'l Jay to the movies. I said no. For the next few days after that, I didn't feel like doing anything but sitting in my room and sulking. That dream had affected me far greater than any dream ever should. Various friends would come and go through my window, as it had always been, but now I would make up some reason why they would have to leave a few minutes later. Finally, I shook off my blues and made my way out to the bridge. Everyone was there, and they all looked up when I walked in.

            "Well, well, well," teased Ace. Whenever he and I were angry with each other, it never lasted very long. "Speak of the devil. We were just about to form a rescue party and bust you up outta there!"

            I smiled weakly and sat down. Spider came over and sat down on the old, raggedy couch next to me. I decided to tell them about my dream. It was strange how Faith was hanging on to my every word. Sure, everyone else was paying attention, but Faith...I decided to leave her name and Ace's out of it. After I was done, we all just sat quietly, no one being able to come up with a way to respond. Finally, Faith broke the silence and asked Spider to play her a song. The music filled the void that visions of my dream had left within us and replaced the uneasiness with a gentle calming.

Becoming drowsy, I went to lie down on the dusty floor beside Whisper. Li'l Jay tiptoed over and pretended like he was about to sit on me. I rolled out of the way just in time and he fell on top of Whisper.

            "You little..." she cried with a smile and began cursing him out in Spanish. Then she sat up and pushed him onto the floor. Li'l Jay retaliated by putting her in a headlock and refused to let go.

I ignored them both and went over to take Ace's beer. None of us had any idea where he kept getting them from, since neither his mom nor stepfather drank, but they were always ice cold. Whisper had just begun to regain control of the situation when I came over and dumped the beer all over Li'l Jay's head. Together, Whisper and I wrestled him to the floor, then sat on him and wouldn't get up until he begged for mercy.

            "What the..." Ace said when I poured his drink out. "Ain't this about a..." He got up and I thought he was on his way over to get me.

Jumping up, I ran and hid behind Blaze, but Ace wasn't even following me. When I peeked around Blaze's back to see what was going on, Ace was back in his same position with another beer in his hand. Blaze and I looked questioningly at each other.

            "He just whipped it out," Blaze said and shrugged.

            The rest of that week was perfectly lazy. There was absolutely nothing that we had to get done, so we would just sit on the side of the highway all day long and do...nothing. It was too hot to go inside our condemned building, and it was too hot to walk around, so we just sat there, watching the cars drive past. Occasionally, one of them would honk menacingly as Ace threw a bottle or two their way.

            One rainy day, Shadow invited us all over to his house. Spider and I spent the majority of the day sitting on the couch and giggling about how badly I was playing his guitar, and the rest of the crew watched TV and ate Shadow out of house and home.

            After a while, Li'l Jay couldn't take it anymore. He covered his ears and squeezed his eyes shut. "Why don't you just give up while you still have some dignity left?" Turning his head in our direction, he slowly reopened his eyes and smiled at me. "Please, Spider, save your guitar before she pops a string!"

            Li'l Jay and Ace were playing video games, so I ignored the kid until his turn came up. As soon as he started playing, I threw a pillow and caught him right in the back of his head.