My Girlfriend's a Tomboy

Chapter 5

(Damien POV)

"I don't like her." Amanda unexpectedly commented.

"Who?" I said as I was driving her home from Cherry Bomb.

"The new girl. She gives off a weird vibe and it makes me uncomfortable." She was looking out the window into the streetlight lit darkness.

"Oh come on. She's not that bad. I'm sure she's fine." I tried reassuring her, but I wasn't sure if it was for her sake or mine.

Amanda sighed. "There aren't many people like her here. I'm not racist, but I doubt we can trust her. Her family is probably the same way. It doesn't seem like she has any siblings though. None of them go to school here."

"She may be an only child." I was now curious about Lane's life. Did she have siblings? What were her parents like? Where does she live? Why did she move here? To Fiscal Falls of all places after California, seems a bit strange. All these thoughts and questions raced through my mind as I pulled in front of Amanda's house.

"Hello? Earth to Damien!"

"What? Oh sorry Mandy. What were you saying?" Amanda was glaring at me.

"You've been distant these past few weeks ya know. Zoning in and out, only half listening to me."

"I'm sorry. I've been busy and -"

She interrupted "Save it Damien." She opened the car door, got out and slammed it shut. I watched her as she disappeared through her front door. I sighed as I pulled up a few more feet to my house and went inside. I looked at Amanda's house once more and shut the door.

"Look who's finally home."

I turned around to see my father standing before me. His brown hair was everywhere and his boots and pants were muddy. "Where were you dad? Why do you smell like that?" I crinkled my nose in disgust.

"We had a meeting tonight. It was in the woods behind Clint Road. You really should think about coming sometime." He smiled with pride. The meeting he was referring to was a Klan's meeting. He was high in the ranks and was always trying to recruit people to come along and join. He himself joined over 30 years ago when his father invited him.

"I told you before that I'm not interested. I never will be. Stop asking." I loathed everything about my father and ever since mom died, he's been drinking more. Making everyone's lives more miserable. He works for a luxurious online clothing company and makes big bucks. He just spends most of the money on alcohol and cigarettes.

"Okay, okay. But you'll come around some day." He took a swig of a beer can that had been sitting on the table next to him.

I rolled my eyes and headed upstairs to my room. The only place in the house where he didn't go. I set my bag on the ground and picked up the framed picture of mom and I at Myrtle Beach back when I was seven. She had her arms wrapped around my small body smiling into my dad's old camera. He used to love taking pictures of us and everything around him. Now the only thing he loves is beer.

My mother died four years ago of a car accident. A drunk driver hit her head on, on her way home from a 27 hour shift at the hospital in the next city over. Being a nurse was hard on her physically and mentally. It was straining to see her that way and I did everything I could to keep her happy. I always did since the day I realized just how much she actually cared.

*flashback scene*

"Mommy! Mommy help me!" I was flailing my arms around trying to stay afloat. I didn't know how to swim and we were on a crowded beach with people everywhere. I didn't think my mom would hear me. She told me not to go near the water when she wasn't around, but I did it anyway. I wanted to show her I could do it on my own. She was buying snacks at the concession stand near by and told me to stay put. Why didn't I just listen?

A girl my age came rushing toward me and dove into the water. All I saw was her pink bathing suit before I went under the water and blacked out.

I woke up to a lifeguard pressing on my chest with my mother and other people standing around me. I coughed up a bunch of water and sat up into my mom's loving embrace. She was crying into my hair now and scolding me.

"I told you not to go that far didn't I? How many times will I tell you before you listen? I could have lost you. I love you so much! Don't you ever do that again, you hear? Oh my poor baby. I love you so much. Don't you scare me like that. Oh baby. Oh my poor, poor baby!"

*flashback end*

I never went near water again after that. I never even learned how to swim. I lied down on the bed and hugged the picture close to my chest. I didn't cry thinking about her anymore, but the pain never left. It hurt so much, yet dad acts like she never existed. That's the way he handled it I guess.

"Why'd you leave me here ma? I miss you so much."

I started thinking about how kind my mother was and all the things she liked. I finally fell asleep wondering if she'd like Lane.

(I have begun working on other stories, this will remain unfinished unless I pick it up again someday...)