High & Low Oya High (FanFiction)

Chapter 13: In the Dark

     No, I did not know, the thought burned in my mind as I marched through the darkening streets a small slip of cream paper crumpled tightly in the confines of my clenched fist.

"Of course you did," I find myself mumbling, furrowing my eyebrows as my mood drops further, "Why wouldn't you?  You never expected me to come back . . . that you made sure of."  I finish as I round the bend to my final destination, and raise my gaze to bore holes into a middle-class home nestled on a street corner.  This was it,  I thought glumly, doesn't look like much...

     It was a new building, construction sites still littering the area as the neighbourhood was still growing, eating away at the old establishments speckling the lakeside.  A shiny, red car sat in the cobbled driveway, freshly scrubbed, and a dim light spilt from the home's windows into the thick, night air--someone was home.

     I take one last look at the small note, the faint glow bringing out enough details for it to be readable.  As my eyes run over the address they turn steadily darker before I can take it no longer and stomp over a freshly cut lawn, reeking havoc on the neatly pruned flower bed in the process, and pound my fist against the front door.

"I know you're home," I hit the door again for further emphasis, "stop hiding and open this stupid door!"

     No one comes to the door.  No one moves.

"I know you're in there, man up and open the door!"

     Inside the house, it is as quiet as a mouse as if he is cowering in fear.

"Stupid," I bark, grinding my teeth in an effort to restrain my anger but it fails and I resort to kicking the door, "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

     Why can't he just open the door, it does not take much effort!  I know for a fact he is not that lazy and I am not that scary!  I decided to try it one last time.

"For crying out loud, please . . . please open the door."

     I hear muted shuffling coming from inside, but still stubborn man refuses to make any effort to let me in.  I sigh in complete exasperation, twirling around and sliding down the door the only thing barring me from getting inside.

"You know . . ." I begin, playing with the torn paper absentmindedly, "It's harder than I thought--being away from home.  I have to think for myself . . . think ahead . . . watch people..."

     My head falls softly against the cool frame as I crane my neck up to see the stars twinkling in the far distance.  They were so tiny, so pretty, like little diamonds, I muse, but promptly scoff and shake my head, I'm turning sentimental, since when do I care about the stars?

"Doubt came today . . . messed everything up," I focus back on why I came here, my hands slowly begin to form into fists as the memories all come flooding back for me to take a pick from, and I whisper in a disbelieving tone, "They were looking for me..."

"I don't know why.  I ain't do nothin' to them before and they haven't done anything to me.  I've never even seen the lot of them before!"

     I sigh, swallowing back my roller-coaster of emotions, and heaving myself to my feet, "It got me thinking..."

"...You wanting me out, putting me in Oya High, moving house..." my nails tap against the door one finger at a time, wishing that for once in his life my dad would do the right thing, "It was you . . . you messed with them, didn't you?"

     I could hear the other figure shift pulling a bitter cackle from my lips, full with unspoken emotion, "Well now they're after me, so whatever you wanted to try, it didn't work, and either you open this door right now and let me help you . . ." I pause trying to think of some leverage I could use, "or . . ."

     Failing think of anything, I mutter some unseemly words to myself in a harsh rebuke before swinging around and storming back down the street and into the darkening night.  It wasn't like he was going to let me in, if he had, he would have done it already.

~*~

     A few hours later, after failing to find the teacher's house, I am still trudging around the city with no destination in mind.  Maybe I should have lingered a little longer at my parent's house, it is possible one of them was going to open the door.  Better yet, if I had pretended to leave, they would have opened the door and I would have been able to manhandle my way inside...

     However, none of this helped me with my current predicament--I was spending a night outside in a city renowned for its crime, in a time where tension was high, in an area that was far from peaceful, with Doubt searching for my whereabouts.  It did not really add up to a very pretty picture, what on earth did my parents do to them anyway?

     I let out a deep sigh finally coming to a stop, giving my tired legs a break.

"I need to take this one step at a time, Rome wasn't built in a day," I decide, but the silhouettes outlined by the harsh glow of street lights had no intent on helping me combat my troubles in any orderly fashion.