The Fire Escape

Chapter Three (Luke Green)

        I returned to my bedroom and grabbed the lamp from my desk and unplugged it.  It was gonna be an all nighter.

        I plugged in into the outlet nearest my window and ran the cord out the fire escape where I sat letting the cold Chicago breeze hit me in the face.

        A piece of paper came hurling toward my head.  It hit me and fell back to the ground, "Damn it!" I heard and I smiled biting my lip.  The paper came flying back up and landed near my foot.  I picked it up and read: "Hey Beautiful! Come downstairs!! I am lonely."

       I smiled so widely.  I took a minute to compose myself before looking over the railing.  I didn't have to look though.  Luke Green was standing in the alley smiling at me.  He looked proud of himself for getting the paper to me on the second throw.

        Luke was tall.  Not only was he tall he was thin.  He was the thinnest, tallest, guy I have ever seen and his arms were like noodles.  He was at least 6'7"!!!  He lived on the streets.  Not that he was homeless, he just wanted to get away most nights and this alley was to him as Mrs. Q's apartment was to me.  I wrote back: "I can't get out without my mom seeing!  Sorry!"

Then I threw it back down.  Just to be clear I was NOT dating Luke Green!  He wishes.  I looked down at the dark haired boy as he searched for the paper he did not catch.

        When he found it, he scribbled something else and threw it again.  I caught it this time and read: "FIRE ESCAPE! DUH!"

        He was right.  I threw my pillow and sketch pad on the bed and put the lamp back on my desk.  I put on some shoes and grabbed a draw string backpack that has never been unpacked.  I called it my Luke Sac.

        It was home to: a change of clothes, a extra tooth brush and paste, some colored pencils, a miniature sketch pad, a bottle of water, some band-aids, and a lot of socks and underwear.  I also threw in my phone, a zip-lock full of Mrs. Q's cookies, and $20 which won't go far in Chicago.  Then I proceeded down the fire escape.

        When I reached the bottom I was greeted by Luke looking happy to see me as always.

        He leaned in and kissed me on the lips.  I shoved him off.

        "What?" he yelled?  I ignored him and the kiss, which was actually quite good and also not our first.

        We walked along Lake Shore Drive and made fun of people, ya know, like you do.  Then returned to the alley at 2:08 AM.

        "Stay with me tonight!" he pleaded with me as he does on most nights.  I never knew where I would end up with Luke.  Sometimes I didn't come home for a couple days.  My mom hated it when I left like that.

        "You know I can't," I said, "I still go to school, unlike you my mom would freak!"

        "Fine." he said indignantly.

        "You can sleep on the fire escape," I prayed that he wouldn't agree.

        "Oh goodie!" he said sarcastically, "That will be MUCH warmer than the alley."

        "It's not my fault you neglect your bed." He smirked and climbed up the fire escape behind me definitely looking up my skirt.

        When we got to my room I threw him a pillow and a bed sheet.  He made himself comfortable.  Or as comfortable as you can be on a fire escape.  Luke had a habit of making himself at home.  I wondered about him sometimes.  I'm not sure why but I did.