Something About You..

Chapter 2: Bruised Rib

The silence is awkward. She glances my way in shock and what looks like fear and I look onward ignoring her gaze. Each step feels out of place, she's walking beside me but we feel universes apart. She points ahead, 3 houses down. "There's my stop"
I nod to her, walking a head of her.
We stop in front of her house, the house looks squished in between the other houses and the fence is old black metal with a gate door that creaks as she slides it open. I hold her bag out to her over the fence that's waist high on me and chest high on her. She's tiny.
"How tall are you?" I ask, smirking at the observations.
Her face looks still, her eyes are searching my face, possibly looking for answers hidden apparently written on my face."Why?" It's like she spit venom in her words, her anger now being pushed onto me instead of Sasha.
"Well.. you're short. Really short, you stand at my stomach, the hoodie looks big enough to be a pitched tent for you".
"Ha, ha. So funny" very sarcastic remark for such a little thing, I smirk again.
"Fine" Something clicks in the matter of seconds. "Wait.. you live two houses down from me and I never see you walk to school".
She just huffs walking up the steps to her front door, once she reaches the door, she places her hand on the doorknob, looks back to me and says "Thanks, bye"
"Bye" I nod throwing up my fingers in a peace sign while walking two houses down to my house taking a left down the block to my front yard but before I can get to the gate, someone is standing on my doorstep. "Ah, fuck" I toss the finished cigarette onto the ground before slipping in the gate and up my stairs.

"Leave Johnny" I say a bit passive aggressively. I bump his shoulder walking past him to the front door. I reach in my pocket looking for my keys when Johnny reaches up, grabbing me by my shoulder and turning me around.
"No, you're gonna listen to me" he steps forward trying to get in my face but he's a foot shorter than me and the anger displayed openly on my face makes him falter. "You trying to cheat on Sasha? Maybe someone should beat your fucking ass, show you what's right from wrong, Danny"
"What are you even talking about dude. Now, I gotta question, Johnny, what the fuck do you got to do with my relationship with my girlfriend. Sure, you can try to kick my ass -I shrug shifting my weight onto one leg- we both know you won't be able to, but even if Sasha and I break up, you'd never get a chance with her Johnny."
I laugh turning around to open my front door with the keys retrieved from my pocket but before I can finish opening the door, there was a sharp jab into my ribs forcing me to somehow turn and punch Johnny square in the face. He stumbled back, almost falling down the steps. Anger rages inside, a fire burning in my blood. "Don't ever fucking try that again. Tell your owner she needs to put her damn dog down"

Stepping quickly into the door, shutting and locking it. I press off the door heading to the right, towards the bathroom. My clothes cling to my body, I stare in annoyance as my black skinny jeans are fine, bulging in just the right area, but the shirt is soaked and torn somehow from the fight. Sliding the shirt off, I stare at my ribs, where Johnny hit, wincing at the already forming bruise. "Fuuuck, seriously? Stupid prick." Reaching into the front left pocket, pulling my phone out.
"Explain" sent to Sasha
"Umm Wdym babe🤷🏻‍♀️"
"Johnny. Thinking I'm cheating. Punching me. Explain." Sounding very harsh in text is a nice skill to have. Pushing the phone back into its pocket, I leave the bathroom heading towards the the front door, sitting on the first step which is conveniently covered up by the porch dormer, I light another cigarette finally looking up to another surprise of the day...
Classroom cutie.

Her eyes widen and she looks down, twirling her fingers together, her shyness is kind of cute too. Her hands moving draws attention to the hoodie hanging on her arm. She's standing at the gate, as if she's afraid to come closer.
"You can come up" I offer her which she sighs reaching the latch, opening the gate, then steps up to the stairs. Standing in front of me she holds out the hoodie..
"Here, forgot to give it back" she nods and quickly turns to walk away prompting me to laugh. It wasn't intentional to upset her but it did cause she whipped right around to dead eye evil glare at me so I laugh again.
"Thanks. Honestly never thought I'd see it again but you could have kept it" inhaling another drag of smoke I sling the hoodie on my shoulder looking at her face. Her mouth drops open and it clicks.. ah shit..
"Ouch, are you okay?" She leans down touching the quickly forming bruise "does it hurt"
Swatting her hand away "yes, just got it. Don't touch" shifting on the stair since she sat down next to me, we sit in silence as the cigarette burns down with each inhale..
After what feels like 5 minutes she finally chimes in..
"Why did you walk me home?" Shes crouched with her face laying against her knees looking towards the road.
"You were upset before the splash.. wanted to help" shrugging out the response. Her eyes dart around looking, searching for something. Or maybe it was someone.
"Look.. -she rubs her eyes pinching the bridge of her nose- What ever she has you up to, please.. just don't". She got up walking away and I just shake my head, black waves falling in front of my eyes..
"You don't know me.. Just cause I am with her, doesn't mean I'm like her"
She spins around glaring at me
"Don't. Don't sit there and try to tell me you aren't like her. You know the stuff she does and you let her! You're just as to bla..." as she talks I stand and turn to walk inside. She must of gotten pissed cause she was at the door blocking me from closing it. "Really? That's how you fix things?" Her face is stern and hurt
"You want the truth -leaning against the doorframe leaning into her- this bruise is from a guy who worships the ground Sasha walks on. Thanks to you, Sasha thinks I'm cheating cause we walked together" can't tell if this frightened her or pissed her off but she's dumbfounded.

This is getting pointless. "Thanks for the hoodie" pushing her out the door then shutting it, locking it for the night. There was knocking for about 3 minutes after closing the door but she must have given up. Thankfully. Looking around the house from the door, the kitchen on the left, bathroom on the right. Living room behind the kitchen and then stairs for the two bedrooms up there.

I stare in the fridge, grabbing a pudding cup and two cans of Mountain Dew before finding a bag of chips and climbing the stairs in strides. The hall way is bare and small, leaving nothing but three walls and two doors, one on the right and the other on left.
Nervously, I open the door a crack on the right, "mom?" Hearing hope in my voice leaves me weak when no ones in her room. She's never home, should have figured. Closing her door, I step to the right, opening the door to my room.