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

8.

            The next night, I was getting ready for bed when I heard a quiet tapping outside my bedroom window. Since none of my friends- with the exception of Shadow – had ever come to the front door, even when we were little, I didn't think anything of it. Lifting the blinds, I saw Li'l Jay and opened the window to let him in. When I realized he wasn't alone, though, I had to think twice before finally deciding not to close it back.

            "I thought you were Shadow," I whispered, kneeling on the floor and opening the window wider.

            "Why?" Li'l Jay whispered hoarsely and loudly back. He was always such a clown.

            "Because he just left a little while ago and forgot his jacket."

            "Oh." He was silent, and then motioned toward his friend. "Do you remember Johnny?"

            A dead ringer for...someone cute...couldn't quite put my finger on who, though, stepped into the light. My eyes widened and, for a moment, my attraction to him must have shown all over my face because he started grinning deviously and kept his eyes locked on mine. He looked so familiar! Too familiar, actually...hadn't I seen this guy somewhere before?

            "Hi." He reached out to take my hand. "We met a few days ago."

            "A few days ago?" I repeated, racking my brain.

            "At Magic Island."

            "Oh! Oh...yeah..." Suddenly remembering Shadow's warning, I cautiously took his extended hand, expecting to shake it. Instead, he lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it. Corny. As. Hell. I thought to myself and tried to hide a suspicious smile. Who was this guy supposed to be?

            I pulled my hand away quickly and heard Li'l Jay snicker. He had known me long enough to know that I could spot trouble a mile away, even if I did come off as a sucker to guys like Johnny.

            I leaned onto the windowsill and avoided Li'l Jay's eyes for fear of cracking up. "So what do you want?"

            "Well," he began doubtfully, "we were on our way to the park and were wondering if you wanted to come."

            Confused, I looked from Johnny to Li'l Jay. I came even closer to laughter when Li'l Jay rolled his eyes behind Johnny's back, and I knew that none of this had been his idea.

             "It's almost midnight!" I whispered loudly.

            Jay shrugged and shifted his eyes, slightly tilting his head toward his friend again. I broke into a grin then. I couldn't help it. Without thinking, I turned toward Johnny.

            "How did you know I lived by..." then I stopped. This guy didn't need to know that I was on to him yet.

            Johnny gave me one of those "only one of us can be in control" smiles. "Can we come in?"

            The more I talked to this guy, the less I liked him. I nodded slowly, not knowing what else to say, and shot Li'l Jay a dirty look.

"Sure..." I was hesitant, but still stood up and moved out of the way.

Johnny was the first one in. I automatically stepped back. It was so creepy the way he just stood there and stared at me, eyes crawling down my shirt...my shirt!

I suddenly remembered that this was all I had on, but decided to play it off and not even acknowledge the fact. Even though I felt extremely uncomfortable around this guy, I was also determined not to let him get the best of me. He seemed to be calculating my every move and checking to see what he did and did not get a reaction from. I kind of expected Johnny to do this, though, having dealt with guys like him before.