Us Against The World

Chapter 13

"Rise and shine!" I announce and Jexton slowly opens his eyes. He squints and holds his hand in front of his eyes to shield from the sun. "I already packed up, so let's get movin'!" I say and his eyes widen. "What?"

"I didn't leave anything out though..." he says and I nod. "I know, I meant my stuff." he sighs—one of relief it looks like—and stands up. "You've been acting weird lately." I say when we begin walking. "How so?" he asks and I shrug.

"I think we're getting close." he says and we both look into the distance. "I sure hope so. I'm starting to feel weaker." 

"That's not good..." he breathes in and his breath catches. "Are you okay?" I ask worriedly when he places his hands on his chest. He breathes out and nods. "Asthma." he says and I nod. "Oh. Okay. Do you have an inhaler?" 

"In my bag." 

"Why don't you use it then?" 

"Because I only do when I really need it. No point in wasting it."

"I'd kill for a shower right now." I say and Jexton laughs. "What's so funny?" I ask and he shakes his head. "Nothing, I agree with you. But what I'd really kill for is a video game." 

"Boys." I whisper and roll my eyes. Jexton turns to me and hangs his head. I giggle and he smiles.

"I'm serious though. I'm so bored." 

"Well, then let's play a game." I suggest and he turns to me again. "You never played outside games as a kid?" I ask and he looks at me as if I had just asked him a dumb question. "Asks the girl to the boy that has been outside more than her." I roll my eyes and sigh. "Okay, umm... I Spy something..." I look around. "Green." 

"The grass. Come on don't make it so easy." 

"Nope, it's not the grass." I smile and he sighs. "Um, trees?" I shake my head. "Your shirt." 

"Yup! Okay, your turn."

We play "I Spy" for about twenty minutes until we get too bored of it. "I can't think of anymore games." Jexton says and I nod in agreement. "Then lets have a conversation. That killed a lot of time for us in the past." I say and he nods. "Okay, what about?" 

"Um... what was your mom like?" Jexton smiles at the ground. "She was beautiful. Kind, smart, caring, trustworthy. She was a really good listener." "She sounds like a great mom." he slightly turns his head and smiles.

"There was this one time when I was little. Like three or four I think. I went into the bathroom and took all the toilet paper off of the roll and wrapped it all around myself..." I begin to laugh and he laughs too. "I stumbled into the living room and shouted: "I'm a mummy, rawr!". When my mom saw me she couldn't stop laughing." 

"That is the cutest story ever!" I say and he nods. "My dad wasn't happy though. He made my mom dig the baby gates out of the basement and put them up in the bathroom doors because I would do that a lot." I laughed like I hadn't laughed in years. Maybe because I haven't. 

"What about your mom? And dad?" he asks and I look down. "Well they were nothing like yours," I begin and he sighs. "my dad died before I was old enough to walk." 

"Oh I'm sorry." "I grew up with my mom but I never went to school or had friends or anything like that. My mom was pretty, but sometimes she didn't act like a mother. She never let me in her room, she rarely gave me hugs or kisses. I can only recall twice or three times that she told me she loved me." 

"Sounds horrible." 

"It is. I mean, I love her, but there were times when I wanted to punch her in the throat." Jexton giggles and tries to cover it up with a cough. I help him out by giggling and we both end up laughing.

"So do you really feel bad for running away from her?" Jexton asks and it takes me a few moments to process his question. "Sometimes, yeah. I only feel bad because I know she can't do anything about it. I feel bad that I was the only thing she had left. But I don't feel bad sometimes when I remember all the bad things." 

"Bad thing like what?" he asks. "Well, when she got mad she'd sometimes hit me." Jexton gasps and I shrug like it's nothing new. "She would drink a lot... that's why I spent most of my time in my room." 

"I'm really sorry, I didn't know." 

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault. I just wish I could've met my dad, y'know?" Jexton nods and continues to stare forward. 

"Well, on a happier topic, there's the CDC." 

"What?" 

"Yup, right up there." Jexton points up the road ahead at a tall, wide, beautiful dark gray building. I stop walking and admire it. I clutch the pendant on my necklace and smile up at the building. "Wow." I say and Jexton smiles. "Finally made it." he says softly and I look over at him. 

"Well, what are we waiting for? Lets go!" I start running and Jexton yells my name. I ignore him and he begins to run too.