Lost Time

2

Zachary Parker

November, 2019

To this day, I am still stunned that Victoria had done that for me. We were best friends. Sure, she had her other friends but we had something other than friendship. My friends teased me all the time about it.
"Ooh you like her." "Is she your girlfriend?" Things like that really got under my skin. She was just the same as all my guy friends. She really was. We talked about similar things and had some of the same experiences. We both like the same movies as kids. I liked the Star Wars series and she liked Monster movies. Crazy, right?

When we graduated in Elementary, we thought we were the coolest kids ever... until we got into 6th grade. We were at the bottom of the food chain. The bullies were still a grade ahead of us but I didn't think they were going to hurt us again. Our school was Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School. We were so close throughout the school years. Middle School wasn't that memorable, though. We both played lots of sports though. I played football and basketball and Vic played volleyball one year and the next she played softball.
After Freshman year we hung out quite often. She has seen me break down into millions of pieces more than my friends have, listened to my thoughts more than my parents, and talked to me like no other friend I've ever had. She was so different in the best way possible. How can someone be so caring? I was awed by her every move. I wanted her, so bad. I would overreact and be so jealous when another boy would want to talk to her, I'd get all mad for no reason. I guess that's when you know you're in love. She liked other guys too though. I knew because she always thought of me as her brother.

It's Sophomore year and she was a cheerleader. Hot damn she was gorgeous. We aren't dating but I've liked her since I met her. I just haven't worked up the courage to ask her the question.
I was a basketball player for the Hermitage High School Panthers. Basketball was my life, I had to focus on school 24/7 because I didn't want to flunk and get kicked out. I would always talk to Victoria after every game. We would walk to our houses. We walked out the back doors. The sun was setting. It was already 5:15. I gave her my jacket. She loved my basketball jacket. It had the number 02 on the back and my last name.

"Wow, that lunge Arthur made before half time really scared me. It almost looked like he was going to trip and face-plant." She said, zipping up my jacket. I looked at her- "Basketball is really intense, last week that kid Ryan, number 15, broke his jaw at the other-"
"Oh god, stop! I swear! Bring it up again and you'll be the one needing a jaw replacement!" Victoria said cringing. "Oh please, that's not the worst, and you know that." I continued. "If you bring up Aaron's accident, I'm gonna scream." She snapped. There was a long pause. We finally got up to the stop sign where the sidewalk went 3 different directions.

"So, what's it like being a Cheerleader?" I asked, just wanting to listen to her talk. Her voice is so beautiful. "I guess it's just the perspective. People label us sometimes and it gets on my nerves every once in awhile, but most of the the time I just ignore it. Oh, and boys think differently of you just because of your ability to stand for an hour in stupid uniforms." I didn't know what to say about that.

I paused. "I really like your uniforms, though, they're really se- pretty." I hesitated. She looked at me. I scrunched my face. Damn it, what had I gotten myself into? Who am I to say their uniforms are sexy? What the hell is wrong with me? She looked away fast, smiling at the ground.
"I like them too, good thing. Huguenot's school colors are green and gold, I can't stand those colors." She said. Our colors are red, blue and white.

It came up to the stop where we crossed paths to walk home. She stood in front of me.
"Well, this is where the sidewalk ends. Until next time my good fellow. "She saluted me and we laughed. She does this cute thing when she laughs or does something awkward. She smiles and scrunches her nose. I followed that up with-

"You do realize you're just going to Facetime me when you get home, right?"
"Yeah right." she smiled and paused. "I'll see you later." She turned around to walk away. I scratched the back of my neck and smiled softly. I watched her stop, then spin around on her heels. She ran back toward me, giving me a hug, raping her arms around my neck and locking her arms, putting her head by my neck. I hesitated before hugging her back. I put my arms around her torso, hugging her tightly. It all happened so fast, yet felt like hours.

"Thanks for being there for me, no matter what-" She whispered. "You're there for me all the time, I'm returning the favor." I replied. "I still think you're amazing." she said back. She let go of me and looked at the ground. She looked sad but also happy.

"Are... you okay?" I asked hesitantly.
"Yeah-" she said.
"You're not-"
"Zach! If I say I'm okay it means I'm okay-" She looked up at me.
"It's about my brother, it's complicated and you won't understand" she said.
"Tell me I can listen"
"He is moving again and I'm worried because I don't think I'll see him enough. It's almost the end of the year and he hasn't come to any of my games yet, to watch me cheer." She said sadly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know, I'm stupid." I said.
"You're not, it's just hard for me to explain t-"

Her phone rings. "It's my mom." Annoyed, Vic answered.
"Hi mom... Yah I know, I'm on my way."
"I-" she looks at me. "I got lost- Ok I'm on my way!"
She hangs up the phone. She looks up and smiles softly. She turned around and walked home, not looking back.

I got home and my parents were arguing, as usual. I was only standing on the 'welcome' mat at the front door. I opened the door and quickly closed it behind me, un-succeedingly being quiet. I walked down the creaky hallway, listening to their argument.
"-You never do anything for this family!" Mom yells. "What do you mean I don't do anything?! I work every day and get money to pay for this house!" Dad said taking his necktie off from the stress. I walk up to the kitchen doorway. I didn't say anything for a while, then they stopped yelling. They both looked at me.

"We won against Armstrong." I said with no emotion. I leaned on the door frame. I was tired, I ran my fingers through my hair. My mom just looked at me and smiled. My dad on the other hand doesn't care what I do half the time. "That's great honey!" Mom said, trying to sound happy. She looked at my Dad, who shook his head 'no'. He wasn't looking at me. Sometimes I really don't like my dad. He never cares about anything I do.

"Dad-?" I said.
"What is it Zachary?"
"It's Zach."
"I don't care, I'll call you whatever the hell I want to call you."
"Dad-" I stopped. He looked at me in disbelief.
"W- Why do you never care to look at what's happening around you? Almost everything I do is for you or Mom. I know Mom cares, you just don't. I come home to you guys screaming and yelling at each other every-"
"That's none of your concern!"
"I don't fucking care! I come home to this bull shit every-" I yelled.

He came closer to me. My mom tried to stop him. "Stay over there, Amy. This boy needs to learn some respect." He said, looking at me, talking to Mom.
"Leave this room!" He said in my face. I stood there, clenching my jaw and making a fist at my side. My fingernails dug into my palm.

"Now!" He yelled again. "Yes. Sir." I said. He turned around, I flinched. I slowly turned and walked to my room, slamming my bedroom door behind me. I threw all my basketball bags on the floor.
I took my shoes off and threw them at the floor also. I was angry. I never know how to think when I'm angry. I changed into my Adidas sweatpants. I took my jersey off and was too lazy to put another one on. I laid down on my bed. I had a soccer ball in my room that I kept tossing in the air and catching it. There were so many things on my mind. My dad, school, Victoria. They all kept spinning in my head. Why did she hug me?

I was confused but the question kept wandering through my thoughts. I kept catching and throwing the soccer ball.My Mom knocked on the door. "What." I said sadly. She walked in the room, closing the door behind her, then coming and sitting next to me on the bed.

"Zach, your dad is very proud of you." She said staring at me. "He doesn't know how to show things like happiness and honor because-" she paused. "Because your grandpa wasn't always there for your Dad. Your Dad did the exact same things in High School as you're doing right now. He doesn't know how to show it." She explained. I knew none of what she was saying was true because she always comes up with excuses for Dad. Always.
"He' awful. Are you not seeing the way he is treating everyone? Are you that blind!" I exclaimed.
"I... I know. I can't fix anything-"
"You mean, you can't change the way he is abusing you? He is verbally abusing you. You can't understand it, but I think the neighbors can hear it. It's ridiculous how this-th- this- thing... is treating you. If you're not going to fix it, I will."