Numb

A Surpise.

    I was laying in bed, playing video games, and listening to music when I got a text from a number I didn't recognize. I groaned, thinking my dogs had made another run for their money.

Unknown: Yo

Me: who u and what u want.

Unknown: I got your number from Colten. I asked for it. Can you meet me at the creek crossing?

Me: Fine.

     I reluctantly get out of bed and shut off my game. I had no doubt who it was. Either Dusty or Colten, they are the only two who used to meet me at the creek. I peek into my moms room to see her passed out, dead asleep. I roll my eyes 'Of course' I walk out the door, catching a glimpse of Jack in his cage, eyes pleading to be let out, 'So it ain't the dogs...'
    When I turn the corner of the fence to look under the small tree canopy, leaking over the fence at the creek, I was shocked to see Xavier sitting there. Him being my crush, you would figure I would be embarrassed but I have never felt so aggravated in my life just at the sight of someone. "Oh great! What are you gonna do? Shove me into the sewer water!?" I snapped. He stood up, revealing his whole foot of height advantage on me. "No, why would I? Sure I tease and taunt you in class but this is different." I glare at him.
    "So you live here? Thought you were closer to the school." I say, sitting down under the tree against the fence and he sat next to me. "Yeah, I just never leave my house. I have lived here since the start of August. I didn't even know there was a creek." I look to the bridge that cars used to cross over the creek, past the large willow tree I usually sit in. "Oh. You in NW, NE, or SW, or SE?" I ask. He looked at me confused, "What? Like what corner of the neighborhood?" I heaved an annoyed sigh. "Yes." I rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah, I live down Emerald Creek." His normal thug voice seemed clear and calm. "Oh. Have you been into the drainage systems yet? Or gone to explore the woods or went to the Quarry?" He looked at me confused. "No, how long have you lived here?" I sigh, memories of me and my friends scouring the streets and woods, looking for adventure, flooding into my head. "We moved here when I was 2. I had a group of friends that I would run around with and explore but now I just sit in my room, playing video games."
     I went to the willow tree and started to climb. I got into my usual spot on a dead limb over the creek waters. It used to be alive and seemed strong enough to hold me, but it's been a year since I climbed it. Xavier started yelling at me to get down when suddenly the branch gave way and I fell 15 ft out of the tree into the murky water. I hit the water and pulled myself up immediately. I held my tongue, not to spit a curse and pulled myself out. I was covered in mud and I had a few scuffs and scrapes. Xavier ran over to me. "You okay!?" He asked. I glared at him. "I'm fine! As if you care!"
      I looked at my soaked clothes, the water went up to my waist. "Ugh, can't go home now." I say, sitting on the cemented side and he sat next to me again. "Why not?" I looked to the other side of the creek. "Because, for one, my mom is passed out drunk and I can't dry off in that freezing cold house." His gaze shifted to his feet. "Oh, Why don't you take me 'round the neighborhood then?" I glared at him. "Wow, you actually wanna have a positive interaction with me for once in your life?" I huffed under my breath, annoyed. 'Rat' I said to myself. "Aye, Colten talks about ya, y'know?" He said, his thug accent coming back. I looked up at him. "Pfft! Yeah right! He hates me! I've annoyed him to death!" I start walking away to the other side of the creek.. "Whatever. It doesn't matter." I said quickly before he could ask anymore questions about me and Colten's group. "Lets go, I'll show you the Quarry and the Back Pond."

      We walked down the road that lead to Cut Off bridge, the sound of the construction a few roads to our right made the silence less awkward. Finally we turned a corner to the bridge and walked to it, gazing over at the abnormally high waters on the right side. On the left was where the creek came and on the right were woods and in front was a grassland. You could hear and see the train running the tracks in front of us.
    I walked over to a trail that seemed to lead to a sandy place. "So where does the creek leek into?" he asked, looking around warily. I think my confidence made him relax a bit. It was clear he had never been in the woods alone before. "It starts from the Back Pond. I don't know where it ends." we start to climb out of the slight dipping trail and a long rise reveals itself. We walk to the top of it and sit for a while. "This is where me and the guys got caught by the police at. I've dug out fossils and shark teeth outta here, sold em', and used the money for..." I quit talking, remembering all the things me and Jackson bought at our Walmart raides. "Never mind... Lets go." We walked over the rise a short distance into the woods to the Back Pond. I showed him to a Willow tree and I climbed it, then helped him up. We both sat on the same branch, side by side watching the sun set.
   We seemed to talk for hours, telling stories, and stuff. "So, we cool?" I finally asked, as the sky began to darken. He smiled. "Yea, we cool." We jumped out of the tree and I started walking him home. "How much longer are you gonna be out?" He asked. I shrugged. "Probably the whole night. It's best not to be home when my mom has been drinking." I looked at my feet as we walked and his gaze shifted to his own. "Oh, that must suck... where you gonna go?" Again, I shrugged. "Dunno... the sewers are pretty warm but not safe, the Willow tree is uncomfortable... I guess i'll just sleep in the elementary school parking lot." I sighed. He looked at me. "That's not fair, your mom needs to be more responsible!" I don't look at him. "It's not her fault... it's my own fault for being a burden." His gaze hardened at my self accusing words.
    "You can come with me. I can sneak you in." I look up at him. "What? No! Are you insane!? I don't wanna be any more of a burden to you than I already am. Why do you all of a sudden care now? You steal my stuff and hit me on the head in class!" I felt my voice starting to rise and I stopped in my tracks, he stopped too. "Because I like you, okay!?" My gaze turned to ice. "See ya later, Xavier." I growled. He grabbed my wrist. "I know you like me too! So why are you leaving!?" He asked. I sighed. "We can be friends alright? I just made a promise to someone, and i'm not keen on breaking it anytime soon. See ya in class." I walked away into the shadows, out of the orange shine of the street lights, leaving him to walk home alone.
    I climb a fence of a yard and jump onto the roof of the house and lay there, watching the stars and the full moon rise until I drifted off into sleep.

    "WAKE UP!!!" I snap my head up quickly and look around to see my history teacher glaring at me. "You slept through 2 classes! Get out!" I let out a groan and grabbed my stuff and left. I walked into my ELA class, greeted by a hoard of laughs and giggles. I looked at Xavier and he smiled, my expression turned to a glare, and his softened. "Your late again!" Exclaimed my teacher. I sighed and sat down in my seat and laid my head down.
    All day, Xavier did not make one snarky remark to me, not even say "Ew" when he saw me! Amazing.
    After school, every day we would meet at the creek, explore, then talk till the sun went down. I don't know why but it made me happy, we started getting close as friends and even hang out at lunch sometimes. The days started to get chilly and cold, my mom never left the house to get me a jacket so I just had to deal with it in short sleeves and Xavier had offered once to give me his jacket but I refused.
    Today was one of the coldest days of the year, my father was home and chased me out of the house for the weekend so I had nowhere to go but I wasn't about to tell Xavier that my dad wants me to freeze to death, he might take pity on me.
    In the morning, when I went to the creek, Colten, Dusty, and Gaberiel were there with Xavier. I froze in my tracks, staring at them. "Hey, hope you don't mind if they tag along? Dusty said we can all go to his house and watch scary movies all day." Said Xavier, greeting me with a smile. I frowned. "I don't think they want me over there, bro..." Colten chuckled. "What are you talking about!? Of course we want you over there, besides, you look like your about to pass out from the cold." I shiver and sigh. "Alright." The cold was so violent, I was trembling and it was hard to keep my balance. I almost fell at one point but Xavier caught me and offered to carry me, I said no and I forced myself to tuff it out the rest of the way.
     Turned out, Dusty's mom was gone for the weekend and their heater was broken so it wasn't much better. We sat in his room and watched Chucky. I wasn't scared but I was shivering. It was so cold in the house you could see your breath. "Blue, do you want a blanket? There are plenty for all of us." Offered Dusty, I shook my head, my lips had started to turn purple. At that point Xavier stood up. "I ain't watchin you freeze to death." He pulled me up and made me lay on the bottom bunk-couch with him. He had me snuggled up in a large, warm blanket and I could feel his warmth. It felt a bit awkward but comforting, I fell asleep next to him and I was woken up by Dusty. "Hey, it's 6:17 PM, are you gonna go home? Xavier wants to spend the night if you can." I blink the sleep out of my eyes and sat up, Xavier was gone. "Oh uh... my dad kicked me out for the weekend but I don't wanna be a burden..." I looked down. "Well then your staying. You'll freeze to death if you stay out there all night, now come and fix this heater."
    Xavier returned a few minutes later. I couldn't fix the heater so Dusty went to get tons of blankets and me and Xavier got comfortable on the couch below Dusty's bed side by side and Dusty was already falling asleep as soon as he got settled. I shivered in the cold and coughed. "Are you good?" asked Xavier. I nodded. "A bit cold but i'm fine." He curled around me and held me. He warmed me up quickly and we both fell asleep.