Scars Out Of Love

You're My Friend, Deal With It(7)

Skylar grabbed my elbow and lead me out of the stage area. We headed towards the drama classroom and she still didn't release my arm. Kids stared as we went by them, but she seemed unphased and continued towards our next class. Once I was dragged through the door, she picked two chairs at the back of the room and pulled me into one of them, "So, River, why'd you follow me, what'd you want to know so bad that you had to watch me skate to find out?" I wanted to answer her, but I still didn't know what it was about her that made me follow, "I don't know, you just seemed interesting, and how the heck do you know my name?" She laughed at my question, "You moved into the apartment above me, I talked to the owner a week before you moved here, he told me about the family that was going to live there, to be honest I watched you too, I was just more inconspicuous about it." The bell rang that signaled the start of class and Mr.Dowley started explaining the concepts of improvisation. Sky pulled out her notebook and wrote in the corner, "You're cute." My eyes widened and I looked up at her, all she did was smirk at my shocked expression, I tried to whisper to her, "B-but I don't think I'm, I'm not..." The teacher cut me off and called us to the front to do an improv scene. Sky stood up proudly and grabbed my wrist, bringing me with her, less proudly. When we got to the front we were given our motivation. We were supposed to be two ice-cream shop workers fighting over who got to take home the tips. She started the scene, "Well, I quite obviously worked harder, so I get the tips." She paused, waiting for me to jump in and continue, "Well that would be right, if you weren't wrong. I was the one who cleaned all the scoops while you texted in the freezer." She looked pleased that I was attempting to act, "Well fair point, but I'm older so we'll split it 60-40 ok?" I wanted to end it, "Ok but I get the 60." With that I walked back to my seat and Sky followed after a quick bow, "Nice job." I nodded my head once to acknowledge her praise. The rest of the class I zoned out thinking about those two words she wrote down. Were all those kids right all along?

After school I walked out of the building just to see me mom waiting for me in our car. I nervously opened the door and got it, "You know I can walk right?" She nodded. The rest of the ride was silent until we were walking up the stairs to our house, "You cut your hair, why?" I was shocked it took her this long to bring up that subject, "You know normal moms ask how their kid's day was." "Normal kids don't ditch school for a haircut." My mom and I didn't talk for the rest of the night. I sat on my bed for a while typing on my phone, making a virtual diary. I found myself repeatedly typing, "You're cute." I was still confused. My window looked out through the fire escape stairs and allowed me to faintly see the graffitied skate park in the distance. It also allowed me to see Skylar when she appeared on the stairwell. I jumped out of my bed and ran to my window, her hair severely clashed with the peaceful pinkish sunset behind it. I stammered a few words trying to make sentences like what and why and and how, but she stopped my mumbling by inviting me to come with her. Every bone in my body agreed with every instinct I had to not go with her, yet I couldn't imagine saying no so I willingly followed her down the metal stairs, across a road and into a strip mall. She walked up to a food truck parked in the lot and got sushi for herself and a vanilla ice cream that she offered me. I was going to deny her gesture, but I loved creamy desert so much. Once she had her dinner to go she headed towards a little nook between two shops that had a lot of broken glass in it, I followed a little less willingly this time considering one of my biggest fears was shattered glass, right behind the inevitability of death and the amazing ability of being able to inflict pain upon oneself, nonetheless I walked right behind her into the mini-alley and climbed on top a crate to sit next to her. We finished our food in silence until she set down her empty book of uncooked fish and turned to me, "You're my friend now, and you understand you have no choice in the matter correct?" I nodded in confusion. "Good then I have some questions for you, why'd you cut your hair and are you gay?" Wow, she was aggressive, "I though new school, new look, and I don't know." "How do you not know, it's not a decision, it's not like green or blue socks it's a feeling you get deep inside." I never realized until now, until she was looking at me that she had a piercing on her lower left lip and tiny gages in both ears, "How do you know it's a feeling, are you?" She shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe." There was an immensely awkward silence and then she put her fingers between mine and grabbed my hand. She hopped off the crate and I stumbled after her, trying not to look like a complete idiot by falling into the shards of glass we were standing on. We walked home holding hands, contently listening to the rest of the bustling city while we had our own slice of blissfully confusing peace. Before she left, she messed my hair up and looked into my eyes, tilting her head and leaning towards me, placing her lips on my cheek, she smiled as she walked away, pretending she wasn't killing me inside, occasionally looking behind her to see me still stiff standing in front my window.