Never Alone || Fourtris

Chapter 12

I run back home without stopping to gasp for air. I knew I should have planned this better, but no, being the little ignorant person I am, I had to leave without Bud being a big problem. The wind sounds like little rustles in my ears from the velocity that I'm going at. For some reason the neighborhood seems darker than usual, like there is something waiting to emerge from the darkness. I stop a few feet away from the house and walk the rest of the way. Trying to make my breathe even out from the running, so it does't look as if I'm in a rush to see him. I arrive at the front door as the cold nips at my skin and the vapor of air exits my mouth. My nose feels as if it were to glow bright red from how cold it is.

My keys fumble in my hands as I search for the right one. Honestly all these keys are copies of all of Christina's past houses. I need to get rid of them. Her family moves a lot, like once a year. Not sure why though if they keep buying really nice houses. Finally I open the door with the right key and walk inside looking confident. I walk around to the living room and find him in his chair watching the game.

"Where were you?," Bud asks as if knowing I'm standing there without having to turn around.

"I went to the park to meet with a friend," I say a little sheepish.

"What 'friend' are you referring to?," he asks a bit harsh.

"My friend Christina."

I notice he doesn't poses a beer bottle like he usually does. This has been confusing. The past day or so he hasn't beat me once. It's like he's trying to be the antithesis of what he was. He cracks his knuckles, his arm laying limply on the armrest of the chair. There's a lump in my throat, maybe I am wrong, maybe he's just waiting for the right time. I stand there waiting impatiently for him to respond, to do something, but I'm also relived that he is just sitting there doing nothing. Finally, after what seemed like forever he speaks.

"Its late, go to your room and don't come out until you go to school," he says and gets up.

He turns off the tv and walks past me pushing me. I stand there with relief, but disappointed. I can't come out of my room until Monday. I sigh and head upstairs while checking my phone. Nothing, no missed calls, texts, but I stared at my phone and check it constantly as if I'm waiting for someone to call me. This feeling is not understandable, so I just ignore it and grab my book and read it, until the very end.

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Monday, agh Monday. The whole weekend was torture, not being able to eat, but just because I get to leave my room doesn't mean I should celebrate. It's Monday and its the starting of the school week which just makes me want to scream. I grab my backpack, put my book in there and head downstairs. My beanie almost falls off with the bouncing. Seven fifteen the clock reads and I open the front door, the cold air nipping at my bare face.

The album Arctic Monkeys that was in my walkman was replaced with a Nirvana tape. I rewind the tape and pop it in pressing play. The first song that comes up is Something In the Way. I walk to the rhythm listening to the lyrics carefully, this song is just so depressing, I don't know if I relate to this song, but it makes me feel so relaxed.

I reach the spot where Christina's already waiting for me in her Nissan black car. I tap the window startling her. She opens the door and immediately pushes me.

"You scared me," she says.

I laugh a bit.

"Sorry," I say and get in.

She drives quickly making sure no one follows behind.

"Chris, the neighboorhood isn't going to follow you," I say.

"I know, but you always have to be prepared," she says and steps on the pedal a bit.

She tells me to turn down the music from my headphones cause they are "distracting" her. Rolling my eyes at her, I turn off my walkman and put it inside my backpack. She rolls into the school parking lot, checking if anyone stole her parking space. When she parks, the cold as if on cue starts fogging the car. I get out and its freezing out here, the cold wrapping itself around my face as I walk to the building. Christina follows behind and says something.

"Guess what?," she says excitedly.

"What," I say.

"I'm dating Will! He asked me out the day I went to go meet him at the park," she says looking off into wherever her mind is taking her.

"Thats awesome for you Chris," I say and hug her.

She hugs me back then says that she's meeting up with him at his locker, and that she'll see me at lunch. I try avoiding people shoving me in the hallway. Christina has disappeared from my sight and all I can see are the arms of the jocks throwing things and the bodies walking past me. Once I reach my locker, quickly I open it and drop in my books, then searching for the ones I need. From the corner of my eye I catch Peter staring at me, and then quickly he turns away. I give him a confused look and I walk away. I take out my walkman and put my headphones on listening to the next song on the album which is 'Smells Like Teen Spirit.'

I walk to the beat avoiding the people trying to bump into me and touch me. Honestly I feel like a badass listening to this song. Feels like I'm in a music video. Tobias stands a few feet away from me talking to, I suppose one of his friends. He sees me and smiles. I return the favor. He says bye to his friend and approaches me. I take out my headphones and let out a vapor of air from my mouth.

"Nirvana?," he asks pointing at my headphones.

"Oh yeah, smells like teen spirit," I say.

"Nice, I like Nirvana," he says, putting his pale hands in his pockets. "It's freezing out here, why are you wearing just a thin jacket?"

"Only thing I have," I say and start walking.

He follows.

"You have English I guess," I say.

"Yup, its my favorite subject."

"Mine too."

We reach the classroom talking about the most embarrassing things that ever happened to us. My face is probably bright red from laughing really hard at his falling and destroying a wedding cake story. He smiles and his smile brings this sensation in my chest. I walk to my seat and he follows.

"Hey I'm going to talk to the teacher about an assignment, want to sit with Christina and I at lunch," I say.

"Sure that'd be fun," he says.

"Great, oh and I must warn you, Christina might bring her new boyfriend, Will."

"Thats cool, see you then," he says and walks to his seat.

I pause my walk man and take out the assignment that I did wrong. I walk to my teacher and ask her how to revise my grade. She says I have to redo the assignment. I sigh and head to my seat, waiting for the class to be over.