Danger Town

•7•

Alice' POV

"The red truck... drove down the road and it's, um. Lig- no. Li, lig. Hmph." Emerson and I were reading on my bed. It was her favourite book and I was teaching her to read it.

"Lights."

"Why does it have a g if it doesn't make a sound?"

"The English language is a tricky one."

"Then I should learn a different one. Maybe I'll learn French."

"Take it from someone who has barely passed grade 9 French, it's a lot harder and trickier than you think."

"Well then I'm not going to talk anymore. I'll speak with my hands like that tv show with the death girl." I laughed at her misuse of deaf but reassured her with a gentle back rub.

"It's deaf sweetie. But trust me. Reading isn't that bad. I promise you that it will come naturally someday."

"Promise?"

"Yup. Now where were we?" A loud crash scared us out of our seats as we looked for the source of the noise. I instinctively looked through my window and saw Roman being held against the wall by Jack who I learned from my mother was his step-father. Emerson held tightly onto my shirt and pressed her face into my side. I felt warm wetness and looked down to see she was crying.

"A-Alice." I bent down and wrapped my arms around my little sister.

"It's okay Emmy. Go downstairs and stay with mommy okay? It's going to be alright." Wiping a stray tear away from her face I sent her out of my room. Quickly I closed my curtains and peaked out at the drama that was unfolding across the street.

"You little. I oughta wring your neck." Roman was now on the floor with his father leering over him. I glanced at his face and he looked terrified. His strong exterior shattered on the floor with no one to pick up the pieces. Instead, Jack was smashing them smaller with every word.

"Jack! Oh my goodness, Roman. What on earth!"

"The little beast got a scratch on my car!"

"No, I didn't. I told you. It was there before I left."

"Well you should have told us darling."

"I tried. But you two were nowhere to be found when I called out to let you know."

"Okay. Roman. Why don't you stay up here and think about what you did. Jack, let's go out for dinner and cool down."  Roman's mother took Jack out of the room and shut his door. Roman sat up against his bed and held his hands to his face. I had the benefit of hearing everything since Roman had forgotten to close his window. But I wished I couldn't hear when soft whimpers shook his body. I wanted to crawl out of the ledge and take the short leap onto his and cradle him. But for fear of scaring him I closed the curtains fully and stepped away from the window. Adjusting my hair in its bun I sat on my bed. I tried to open my new book and start reading but I couldn't focus. I broke out my sketchbook instead and just let my hand guide me. After about an hour I looked back at the finished product. I had drawn Roman on his floor with his head resting on his knees and arms wrapped around.

I opened my curtains and saw him on his ledge reading something. He looked up at me expectantly. It has been awhile since we talked but after witnessing what I just saw I felt like I knew so much more about him.

My window opened without a hitch and I found my body sliding through the frame and plopping itself down on the ledge.

"How much did you hear?"

"Um."

"It's okay. You can say it."

"All of it. Both our windows were open. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." A silence hung over us and the night sky darkened the world around us.

"Do you want to go somewhere?"

"Those words don't usually end well."

"What happened to danger town? You moving out?"

"Never."