You're Not Enough

Chapter 26

I've been standing outside for almost an hour. It's six o'clock now, and my dad isn't here yet.

The streets are crammed with people most I don't recognize; they're probably in town for the game. I see some of the members of the Ravenswood football team. They have on their blue letterman jackets with the yellow R plastered on the back of the jacket.

Ravenswood is about an hour away; it's the next town over. Their town is a poor one; it's made up of low and some middle-class families. That's one significant difference between their town and ours. Another would be that their school is not as fancy as ours. I've seen it once, a long time ago, and that was only through passing. I only caught a quick glimpse of it, but I remember how the brick building had mold on the outside, and the windows were dirty. The grass out front was brown, not as green and vibrant as the grass outside of my school.

That was a long time, though; it could be different now?

I look down at my phone; it's six-fifteen. I call my dad again, and there's still no answer.

I hope he isn't drunk. He could be at home right now, with a spilled glass of whiskey on the nightstand and passed out. I dumped the bourbon, but that was just one bottle; he could have more liquor elsewhere.

Maybe I should walk home; it'll be only a 20-minute walk from here.

I really don't feel like it, though. Now that I think about it, I don't want to go home, especially if he's drunk.

I'll go to the diner. I can sit in there and wait until he calls me back. I can't stay standing here in front of the clinic. Someone could see me.

I turn around and head down the street; when I get there, I open the door to the familiar eatery, and soon as I open the door, my nose is overtaken by the familiar smell of grease.

My mom hates this place. She wouldn't be caught dead here. The prices are too low, and the food is too high in calories for her. I love it, though.

There's a mixture of kids from my school and Ravenswood. I guess the game hasn't started yet.

I walk to the back of the crowded diner and take a seat in the red booth. I place my phone on the table, unzip my book bag, and pull out Hamlet. I found a hard copy of it in the school library.

It was hidden on the shelf, untouched. I'm not surprised; many people don't read books anymore, especially one this old.

I don't care that it's old; I could read this book a thousand times. I'm pretty sure I almost have. I open the book and turn to the first page and start to tune out everything and everyone around me.

"Excuse me?" a voice says. I look up from my book. A tall light skin boy is standing outside of the booth. He has a diamond earring in one of his ears, and he has a high faded haircut. He's wearing one of the blue letterman jackets with the R on it.

"Uhh, Yes." I just now realized I was staring at him, taking in his appearance, I didn't mean to, but he's very handsome.

"I'm sorry, but I just... I couldn't help but notice you reading."

"Okayyy." I draw out the word. I give him a confusing grin. Why does he care that I'm reading?

"Shit." He slides into the seat of the booth across from me. "I don't know why this is so hard for me. I'm usually good at this."

I'm so confused, "Good at what?"

Now that he's down to my level, I can see his eyes. They're dark brown, just like Ryder's are dark gr--. Wait, why am I comparing him to Ryder?