Some Days

Chapter Three: Right After 911 and Just Before Friday

Lia told me that we were walking to Geometry but when we climbed five flights of stairs I sincerely doubted it. “Where are we going?” I asked.

“Not to class, obviously.” She answered. Then we got to a locked door, we stopped but Lia pulled out a key. “But I thought we were in the same class.” I said, panicking. I had no idea what was going through Lia’s mind. And the fact that I was headed to a place where no one could find or hear me, with a person I barely know, during class hours nonetheless absolutely terrified me. Lia was cool, I know. But she could still be a psychopath.

“Relax, we’re not breaking and entering I have a key.” Lia said.

“Where did you get the key?” I asked. 

“I borrowed it.” She answered as she winked at me and opened the heavy door.

We were on the rooftop, and we could see everything from here. Smog lingered above the tall buildings as tiny cars and even tinier people lived beneath it. It was like the city was laid out in front of us. Waiting for us to choose which building we could jump on. The cold breeze blew and I closed my jacket in a feeble attempt to keep myself warm. 

“Why are we here?” I asked. Lia rushed to the back of the doorway and sheltered herself from the breeze and I followed suit. “This is the only safe place to smoke. You will never get caught smoking here.” She answered as she lit a cigarette and put it in her mouth. And as if she was reading my thoughts she sighed, “Don’t worry I’m not getting you into any trouble. You can trust me.” Lia said, trying to be reassuring. 

So I did. Mostly because I felt really grateful that Lia was even talking to me. I sat down on the ground with her. 

“Monday, how’d you run into Nick?” Lia asked, and she looked at me with the smell of cigarette smoke in her breath as the breeze blew it away. “Well, he—he was showing me to my locker.” I answered. “I couldn’t find it so he helped me.”

“He was there because he was picking Clara’s things up for her. Nick is like her pet you know?” Lia said. “I don’t—I don’t get where this is going.” I say.

“I’m saying that everybody loves Nicolai. Everybody would literally kiss his anywhere, and they’d be happy to do it.” Lia started explaining. “And if you’re gonna hang out with us you can’t be one of those people okay?” Lia asked. She dropped her cigarette and it was slowly running out. She looked at me intently. “All of my friends—they’re falling apart. It’s all because of me. And if one single thing happens..” Lia was looking down now. Like she was about to break. Like she was holding on to something that was already killing her to prevent her fall. “If something happens I might lose them all. And that can’t happen, all right?”

“Yeah, I get it.” I said, and it was the biggest lie I could have ever said. Because no I didn’t get it at all. I have never experienced drama that affected people my own age. I’ve never even talked to anyone else for more than ten minutes. So losing friends was an entirely foreign concept because Lia, Nicolai  and Kyle, were my first friends.

“No, you don’t.” Lia said.She blew smoke circles in the air, and sighed. “You don’t have to pretend you get anything okay? You look scared right now. Half of it is probably because I told you all that shit and the other half is probably because I took you here. It’s okay, Monday. I don’t care if you’re clueless.”

I let out the breath I was holding. Lying never really was my strong suit. “Thanks, but don’t worry. I’m not going to do anything wrong.” I said, and I really hoped I wouldn’t.

We sat there for a little longer as she smoked two more cigarettes and the period was over. I don’t know what Lia thinks she did to make her believe that her friendship with everyone was walking on thin ice, but I couldn’t help but feel worried. Mostly because they were all so nice to me but really because I couldn’t help it. But whatever was bothering Lia, I told myself to stay out of it because that’s what she told me to do, and I really didn’t want to mess up anything we could have. Having friends that actually liked me felt nice.