Skies Do Fall

I waited all day for that creep of a greased-up boy to come and fix my window. But he never came. I waited and waited and waited but no show.

For the rest of the week, I stayed home, anticipating that he would show up sometime. Assuming that maybe he had accidentally marked our appointment for later in the week. Predicting that he probably forgot, would feel bad, have the decency to at least come over, and then apologize.

But, alas, all of these estimations grew rotten and untrue, and I was left feeling pissed off and, more importantly, with a glassless window.

I avoided the destructive boy that lived next door at all times. He came by every afternoon at around 11 o’clock, most likely to apologize, I was presuming. But I never wanted nor bothered to answer. My fury had been tamed, but I was still ticked off at his actions, so in order to keep my calm in check and the furniture in tip-top measure, I just denied encountering the lanky boy completely.

On Saturday my mother and brother stayed home while my dad left for work since the only day he didn’t work was on Sundays. But I wasn’t about to give an ounce of a complaint about his absence, because now it was a joyous fact. I felt so cheated and guilty at just the sight of him so it was nice to not have that feeling rest on your shoulders while you tried to consume your breakfast.

“Robin!”

As I was spooning in mouthfuls of Cheerios, I had been blankly starring at Tristan without realizing it. Focusing on the face I had been unknowingly gazing at for the past two minutes, I bluntly grunted, “Huh?”

Tristan just shook his head while sighing heavily. The brief disruption was forgotten as he scanned the Game-Informer magazine clasped in his hand, his nerd moment of the day making an early appearance.

Shrugging, I peered to his right at my mother. She was entranced at the mystery novel laid out before her child-like sapphire eyes. Her breakfast, strawberry yogurt, was pushed aside and forgotten to make room for the cheap hardback.

“Eat your breakfast and stop staring at me, Robin,” my mom suddenly mumbled, her eyes never once straying off the page in front of her.

Blushing with embarrassment that I had been caught twice, I hurriedly gulped down the remaining milk of my cereal before placing the bowl in the sink.

I was about to hide in my room’s boundaries until my light embarrassment had sunken in, but Tristan stopped me.

Fixing his eyes away from his magazine, he gazed at me and smiled. “So what do you want to do today, Robs?”

Stopping in my beeline for the stairs, I wounded to face his awaiting expression and muttered, “Um…well…are we doing something today?”

Tristan smirked confidently. “Well, I was going to go to meet up with this new dude and see his moves at the skate park in about thirty minutes. Then I thought to myself, ‘hey, Robby and I never hang out anymore’, so how would you like to join me and then maybe we could go and get some ice cream or some other form of carbs afterwards?”

My mother briefly flickered her ultramarine orbs to meet my pondering expression and brightly agreed, “Yeah, Robs! You and Tristan should definitely have some fun together. You should go.” She gave me a vivacious smile before fixing her eyes back to her novel.

I nodded. “Yeah, that would be great, Tris. I’ll go get ready.”

Tristan smiled happily, turning his focus back to his ‘nerd’ coverage.

Deciding it was an informal affair, I dressed remotely. My final outcome was a band-tee of some local showcase I had gone to, a pair of blue jeans, and some Rocketdog sneakers. When I was through pulling my hair into a ponytail, I examined myself once more in the full-length mirror in my bathroom before deciding it couldn’t get any better than this.

Tristan was already in his shittier-than-shit car when I came bounding down the stairwell. Calling out a hurried goodbye to my mother, I darted out the door and joined Tristan in his car.

The way there was completely mellow. We exchanged some random jabs at each other, occasionally threw a punch at the other’s arm when there was a ‘Cruiser-Bruiser’ or ‘Slug-Bug’, but mostly just mutely listened to the fresh rock C.D Tristan had placed into his car’s stereo.

The skate park was where all of Tristan’s buddies gathered together to hang out. I had gone a few times, but generally refused any invitation Tristan offered me mostly because I either had better things to do or so I wouldn’t have to witness my brother trying to impress girls with his lame skate tricks. Watching older brothers mindlessly flirting with chicks isn’t really a priority in little sisters’ books because it makes you feel vulnerable, like your best protector could easily get taken down by something as stupid as boobs.

But I felt good about today, chilling out with my brother and his dearest comrades. And, as a bonus, I’d get to meet the ‘new dude’ and watch him squirm on the skateboard with my brother’s intimidating blue-eyed stare observing the entire time. There’s nothing like watching others get humiliated.

When we arrived, we both jumped out of the car, Tristan grabbing his skateboard, and began to walk towards the huge display of ramps and rails ahead.

As we walked, I decided to start up some conversation and asked, “So who is this new dude?”

Tristan snorted, “You haven’t even met him yet and you already have a crush on him? Geez, you’re desperate, Robs.”

I indignantly debated, “I do not like him! How can I like someone I haven’t even met? That’s too shallow for my liking, Tris. I’m far off from being into guys like you are into porn.”

Tristan laughed, “Okay, okay, I’m just busting your chops. Calm down there, shortie.”

I made a face at him and sniffled, “I’m soo not even short.”

He ignored my remark and acted as though the last exchanges of words had never been spoken. Going back to my question, he answered, “Well the new dude seems kinda cool. I met him while he was working at the Slurpie Hut-”

“Sounds like a promising athlete,” I muttered, rolling my eyes in good humor.

Tristan sent me a meaningless glare but continued as if I had never butt-in. “…but he told me that he was moving houses and that right now he was living with his grandma for the summer. He is going to enroll in our school this year and since he is kinda new to the area, I befriended him.”

I raised my voice shrilly and gushed, “My oh my, Tristan! That’s so caring of you! Making a new friend just because he doesn’t know anyone? It’s just…unheard of!”

Tristan chuckled, “Well here’s your big chance to follow your big brother’s example, there he is.”

I followed Tristan’s weak nod of his head and gasped.

The skinny, destructive boy was blankly starring back at me and my brother, holding a skateboard and a sun visor that had Slurpie Hut imprinted in vibrant colors across the top.

Before I could realize it, we had already reached him.

My brother, detecting no signs of the awkwardness the boy’s presence gave off, smiled at me. “Robin,” I tore my wide-with-fear eyes away from the lanky boy to stare at my brother as he declared, “Meet Brendon Urie.”

And merely minutes before I had been foolish enough to think that this day was going to go good. Silly me.