The Dying Generation

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I sat on a table near Sal's bed, I waited for Alton to return. He left momentarily to go to the bathroom which of course I wasn't gonna travel with him there. So I waited next to a skinny black lamp that sat behind me on the table top.

I was tempted to crawl behind it to hide from any glances I received from Sal, since they made me uncomfortable. I had nothing else to do, nothing to look at to ease the tension or any activity to keep my mind busy.
So I just began to fiddle with my shirt. Holding the ends of it in between my fingers, rubbing my thumb across the fabric, awkwardly. I studied the lines and swirls in the wood below me that seemed much more enhanced to my eyes.

"So, what'd you do to change Alton?"
Sal suddenly asked, twirling his phone around in his hands, his eyes locked onto me for a type of response.

I felt my heart skip a beat from his sudden voice that was directed to me. What type of question is that? What type of answer does he want? I don't even know why does he do this for me, he felt sympathy for me maybe?

I nervously looked down and shrugged my shoulders as a type of quiet response since I could not yet find my voice.

He hummed, glancing away for a second.
"A girl always ruins the fun and changes the person to make them boring."

I narrowed my eyes at him in confusion. It's not like a planned this! That was his choice. I did nothing.

I heard talking, and getting louder and closer. I could hear laughing. It sounded like more than one.
I began to grow more nervous, I shifted in my spot and started to scoot back inch by inch behind the skinny lamp that most likely was too thin to be able to actually hide me. But I needed comfort, I needed to feel safe.
I especially didn't feel safe in crowds, defiantly if they're bigger than you.

Sal's eyes went my way, an amused grin came upon his lips as he looked back down to picking at his nails.
The door was thrown open as other boys I only recognize as Alton's friends and "Sal's Boys."

Alton followed along behind them, he seemed happy. Stuck in a conversation with them and apparently was enjoying it.

They drew near, mostly going over to Sal but the table top I sat upon was not far away from them. About three steps, for them.
I glanced around me, I wish there was more things up here! Because this lamp isn't gonna do much for me.

"Hey, Sal." One chuckled after hearing something supposedly funny from one of the other boys.
"We got the spray paint." He pulled out a can from a plastic bag someone else held, and he shook it up. Hearing the clinks and clacks of the spray paint being shook up.

Sal got up from his seat.
"Cool, then we can-"

"What the hell?!" One of the boys raised their voice.
From the sudden increase in volume, I had to cover my ears. Pushing myself into the lamp. I felt vibrations in the ground get rougher and rougher.

I took my hands away, glancing up but only to have near a heart attack when I saw a humongous hand over top me, reaching towards me!

I yelped out fearfully, leaping back and crawling backwards. Before the hand could make contact with me, it was yanked away quickly.
Alton practically jumped over the bed to cut in front of the group since they all crowded any other possible ways to me.

"Wait, is that Clay?" I heard a familiar voice question from the back of the crowd.
Parker poked his head up as an attempt to see past everyone. His eyes went big at a realization to what's going on. He shoved the other boys back to get himself to the front and next to Alton.
"Guys, back up. You don't need to crowd her."

"I didn't realize she was still here. Why is she here?" One teen questioned.

"Where else can she be?" Parker answered.
"She has nowhere else."

"Sooo... is she just gonna be staying here then forever or..?"

"As long as they need to, Nick." Sal stepped up.
"I'm here for my boys. But I should probably also mention that none of you are allowed to mess with her, or cause any harm... blah blah blah." Sal announced, uncaring.
"Since I kinda have a knife pointed in my back to say this.." He mumbled, making eye contact with Alton.
He sighed again.
"And these idiots are Milo, Nick, Will, and you know Alton and Parker. So anyways! Let's go for our planned event." Sal was the first to head out the door, grabbing the bag of spray paint as he left.

The ones he introduced as Milo and Will looked to each other, glanced to me, then followed their leader.
Alton approached me, resting his left hand, palm up, on the table in front of me.
Without much hesitation, I climbed onto his hand.
He brought me up to his left shoulder which I quickly climbed on. Almost losing balance at first a few times from his movements. I sat up onto his shoulder, right at his neck. Feeling a steady, small amount of heat emitting from him and some strong cologne.

As Alton walked down the halls, I watched the walls, seeing family pictures of Sal. Through all the images that flew past me, a story was told by them.
The first few photos, I saw a beautiful women, smiling next to a man. His hair was brown and groomed back. He had blue eyes and a dress shirt. Finally, just in between them was a little boy. Smiling as big as could be with his front teeth missing.

The next photo, the little details I could catch. The women was smiling proudly with a few more wrinkles scattered over her face. She stood with her hands on a boy's shoulders that was a little older than the boy in the last photo. But I just knew, it was the same boy.
His teeth had came in but his smile was more calm. A simple smile, barely showing any teeth. But I could still see the little white glimmer behind his partly closed lips.
The man stood in the same spot, on the same side as the last photo. Except his hair wasn't as neatly brushed as before.
His eyes wasn't filled with joy as they were before. His smile has disappeared. He was only there, staring blankly into the camera.

I saw a bunch more photos of the three, but they were all like a roller coaster ride. Some were happy, others were simple or a little dull. Finally, we came up to one of the last photos.
It was only of a curly light haired women whose smile was now gone and became a serious look across her face. The little boy that seemed to keep getting bigger as the pictures past, was still in front of her, but his smile, like his Mother, was gone. He practically gave the camera a cold look.
He now, looked just like who he is today. In the photo, he appeared a bit smaller but the looks were very similar.
But the real huge difference in the picture that separates them from the rest, was that the man was now gone. It was only the boy and Mother.

"Salvador! Where are you going?" A women called. It jolted me out of my thoughts and into the real world. The sudden smell of cigarettes about smacked me in the face.

Alton brought his hand up to me to most likely block the view of me from someone else. But I was able to get a glimpse past his hand. I saw a women that seemed to have been the women from the photos, and yet, she looks completely different.. She was sitting back on the red couch, smoking a cigarette and having some sort of bottled drink next to her.

"Don't call me that!" Sal called back.
"I'm going out, I'll be back whenever I get back."

"You better not bring policemen back to this house! Do you hear me?!" She called out just as we already left out the door.

"Not necessarily our choice.." Sal said, not really directing it to anyone.