Footsteps

9

I was about to knock on the door to Joey's house when it opened, and I was sent sprawling into Joey for the second time today.

"First hour, huh?"

"You said it," I laughed, helping up as I got up myself.

"Well, let's go," he said, and we headed down the stairs and then onto the subway.

"So, what do you do at music club?" I asked.

"Uh, we sing and write, and add to our group song every day, which we'll perform to a bunch of old people and bored families on the last day," he said.

"Sounds wonderful," I laughed sarcastically.

"It's fun until the performing part," he pointed out.

"Gotcha," I nodded.

We got off the subway and walked to this building I didn't recognize, which was literally all of them. "Hey, so...I don't hate Bade, I just don't want him to hurt you, kids here are notorious for that," Joey said, bringing up our previous conversation.

But he was still avoiding something. Like there was more to it then just that. But I took what I was given. "It's okay, Joey, you don't have to protect me," I patted his shoulder.

"Then who will?" Good question. Nobody, I guess. "Aaliyah can't barely hold her own in that place, no way can she hold up anyone else," he added.

"Yeah..." I didn't really no what to say. But I was held up on the idea that I didn't need to be protected, I could protect myself. But what if I couldn't?

What if...what if...what if I die in here? I observed the room we had walked into, and the only words in my brain were death row. It looked like the theater in my old town, run down and a place where serial killers hide their victims.

"Hey, Joey!" Called a boy from on the stage.

"Hey, Toby!" He called back, running a few steps, then stopping to turn to me. "Let's go, Foley!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me up to the stage. "Where's everybody else?" He asked.

"Dunno, not here yet," the blond kid, Toby, shrugged.

"Hey, Joey, you wanna eat me!" Called a kid that had just walked in.

"Not now Mr. Muffin!" Joey called back. The two of them cackled hysterically as the kid ran up to the stage and sat with us.

"Asdfmovie?" I scoffed, trying to hold in my laughter at the ridiculous reference.

"Duh, who's this chick?" The kid that had just walked in asked.

"Eaden," I replied.

"Gotcha, I'm Michael," said the kid.

"Hi," I smiled.

The teacher walked in with three other boys. They all bolted and hollered when they saw the people that were already there. I sat back and watched as the boys were handed sheets of music and got into positions on the stage. I watched as they all did a much-rehearsed song and dance, and when the Michael kid fell on his butt in the middle of it, I grimaced.

The third run through began, and I sneezed, making Joey look at me. It all happened at once. I sneezed, Joey looked at me, Michael stepped on Joey's foot which tripped him, Toby turned to see what happened, making the two other boys run into him and knock him over. By the end of it, they were all on the floor and I was laughing my butt off.

"Jorge, if Toby doesn't move, don't keep walking forward," called the teacher.

"Sorry, Billie," Jorge sighed, looking at the other boy, who shrugged.

Meanwhile, I was thinking about how that whole catastrophe had started with my sneeze. Sneeze, look, trip, slam, fall. All in the span of less than thirty seconds.

"Alright, alright!" The teacher, who had a black, blue, and green pixie, and six million face piercings, waved her hands. "We're done!" She sighed.

"What about the song?" Joey asked.

"Yeah! Hey, blondie, come write a line!" Called Michael.

"Mkay..." I walked carefully over to the notebook the boys had crowded around. I noticed, every time one of them wrote a line, they put their name next to it.

As I scanned the song, it made me think about how much the lines represented their personalities. Exhibit A:

I like trains - Michael Hanson

My balls smell like Cheez Wiz - Toby Brewer

Cats are cool - Jorge Consuelos

I want to die - Billie Mathias

Exhibit B:

Everyday is a new day, gotta live my life to the fullest - Joey La Coni

And you can see, just by this, why I will never speak directly to Toby. Or so I thought.

Everyone gave high fives and whatnot as we walked out back into the busy city. Toby has been following us. "Oh, Foley, I forgot to tell you, Toby goes the same way as us, he lives in Greenwood, too," Joey said, motioning to him. Toby gave me a thumbs up.

He was an interesting looking kid, olive skin, dark brown hair, and striking hazel green eyes. But, then again, looks mean nothing if you're that eager to point out what your privates smell like.

"So...uh, Eaden...right?" He began. I nodded as we headed down into the subway station. We boarded and then he began talking again. "Just sayin' though, you look like you could smuggle six different species of exotic birds in your hair," he shrugged.

Utterly offended, I patted down my fluffy mane of blond curls and threw my sweatshirt hood over it. "Thanks," I muttered.

"Oh, and Joey, I'm actually going to Bade's house, so I'm getting off early," he said, practically leaping off the subway.

"How spontaneous," Joey rolled his eyes.

When we got off, we said goodnight and ran into our rooms. I quickly went to sleep, awaiting the next day to come so I could talk to Bade. It surprised me that Toby knew Bade, but maybe I shouldn't be surprised. It's a huge school, but not big enough for some people to not be acquaintances.