Super Heroes
The Joker.
Lindsey shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable in the shade. So far the boy hadn’t seemed to notice that she’d even sat down beside him. She pulled her iPod out of her bag, but only used one headphone – and even then she had the volume down low so she could hear Jacob should he need her.
She tried not to watch as the boy sketched vigorously onto the page, pausing every few seconds to scrutinise what he’d done before either smudging the line with his middle finger or picking up the rubber that sat by his foot to rub out the whole section and start again.
Lindsey watched as Jacob ran around, chasing one of his friends and tried to stop the thudding in her chest. There was absolutely no reason for her heart to be racing, and she cursed herself.
“Hello,” She ripped her gaze away from Jacob to look at the boy, whose head shot up in surprise. His black hair fell gracefully to hang by the sides of his face, his eyes twinkling in the sun. She smiled at the artistic smudge that decorated his cheek, knowing only too well what it was like. “My name’s Lindsey.”
“Um, Gerard,” He shot her a quick, shy smile before ducking his head and carrying on with the drawing, his hand moving slower than before. She immediately felt bad for interrupting his moment, but she’d already broken into his zone now, she might as well get to know him a bit.
“There’s a boy in my class called Gerard.” She watched as Jacob tripped, and fell laughing to the ground before pushing himself back up and looking around for somebody. “He’s a stupid jock though...”
‘Idiot, idiot, idiot!’ Lindsey scolded herself, now what would he think of her?
Instead, Gerard chuckled, and glanced up again. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he shook his head and returned to his drawing.
Suddenly, Lindsey was being jumped on. She squealed, but recognising Jacob, she rolled her eyes, smiling and lifted him out of her lap.
“C’mon Jacob, be careful.”
“I’m not Jacob!” He snarled, whipping out his hands as if they were claws, “I AM WOLVERINE! Ker-pow!”
Punching the air, the boy howled, before turning and running off to join his friends. “Storm! We got the baddies after us!”
Hearing a chuckle beside her, Lindsey glanced over to see Gerard watching Jacob as he fought invisible enemies in the sand-pit. Sensing somebody watching him, Gerard turned to look at Lindsey, studying her for a moment.
“Is he your little brother?”
“Who, Jacob?” Lindsey shook her head, “I’m his baby-sitter.”
“Oh.” Gerard nodded, and dropped the black in his hand in favour of a blood-red. He didn’t make a mark on the paper for a moment, but moved his hand delicately across the page before mouthing something and pushing the colour to the paper.
“Can I see?” Lindsey asked, trying to crane her neck for a look at what he was drawing. He sat up and pulled the sketch book close to his chest.
“Sorry. I don’t like to share my art with...well, anyone.”
“That’s okay,” She shrugged, “My art is personal to me as well.”
He looked at her strangely, flicking his hair out of his eyes. Suddenly, she felt extremely self conscious and wound her skinny arms around her knees, watching Jacob. The little boy looked over, sharply and then began to run over. When he reached them, he bent down and turned bright red.
“Lindsey! I need a wee-wee!”
Tugging the iPod from her ear, Lindsey picked up her bag and waved at the boy under her tree. Jacob started to jog towards the toilets, pulling on her hand in desperation.
“C’mon!” He squeaked. “I don’t think I can hold on!”
She picked him up and swung him around her body so he was sitting on her hip. At times like this she had no option – she’d tried to walk him before when he was desperate for the toilet, and ended up with soaking wet trousers, a crying boy and a twenty minute walk home. Trying to ignore the feeling that somebody was watching her, Lindsey started to run. Jacob only had to hold on for a couple more minutes.
Skidding into the girls toilets, the boy wriggled out of her grip and rushed into one of the cubicles. She smiled at his screamed request to hold the door shut for him, and pulled it with her foot as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair had now become windswept, but her tiny amount of eyeliner still looked as good as it had when she’d left the house this morning. Pulling a chap-stick out of her pocket, Lindsey applied the tiniest amount for her confidence and pulled a hand through her hair.
When she felt a tugging on the cubicle door, Lindsey pulled away her foot and pushed Jacob softly towards the sinks, helping him wash his hands before they re-entered the park. As soon as they were in sight of the sand-pit, Jacob pulled at her hand and looked at her wistfully.
“Let’s have some sandwiches first,” She smiled at him. “I made your favourite.”
“Egg?” Jacob grinned, and after waiting for her affirming nod, jumped with joy and skipped off towards the tree. Lindsey smiled to herself, but as her tree came into view with the impatient boy rubbing his stomach hungrily underneath, she noticed only one thing.
Gerard had gone.
She tried not to watch as the boy sketched vigorously onto the page, pausing every few seconds to scrutinise what he’d done before either smudging the line with his middle finger or picking up the rubber that sat by his foot to rub out the whole section and start again.
Lindsey watched as Jacob ran around, chasing one of his friends and tried to stop the thudding in her chest. There was absolutely no reason for her heart to be racing, and she cursed herself.
“Hello,” She ripped her gaze away from Jacob to look at the boy, whose head shot up in surprise. His black hair fell gracefully to hang by the sides of his face, his eyes twinkling in the sun. She smiled at the artistic smudge that decorated his cheek, knowing only too well what it was like. “My name’s Lindsey.”
“Um, Gerard,” He shot her a quick, shy smile before ducking his head and carrying on with the drawing, his hand moving slower than before. She immediately felt bad for interrupting his moment, but she’d already broken into his zone now, she might as well get to know him a bit.
“There’s a boy in my class called Gerard.” She watched as Jacob tripped, and fell laughing to the ground before pushing himself back up and looking around for somebody. “He’s a stupid jock though...”
‘Idiot, idiot, idiot!’ Lindsey scolded herself, now what would he think of her?
Instead, Gerard chuckled, and glanced up again. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he shook his head and returned to his drawing.
Suddenly, Lindsey was being jumped on. She squealed, but recognising Jacob, she rolled her eyes, smiling and lifted him out of her lap.
“C’mon Jacob, be careful.”
“I’m not Jacob!” He snarled, whipping out his hands as if they were claws, “I AM WOLVERINE! Ker-pow!”
Punching the air, the boy howled, before turning and running off to join his friends. “Storm! We got the baddies after us!”
Hearing a chuckle beside her, Lindsey glanced over to see Gerard watching Jacob as he fought invisible enemies in the sand-pit. Sensing somebody watching him, Gerard turned to look at Lindsey, studying her for a moment.
“Is he your little brother?”
“Who, Jacob?” Lindsey shook her head, “I’m his baby-sitter.”
“Oh.” Gerard nodded, and dropped the black in his hand in favour of a blood-red. He didn’t make a mark on the paper for a moment, but moved his hand delicately across the page before mouthing something and pushing the colour to the paper.
“Can I see?” Lindsey asked, trying to crane her neck for a look at what he was drawing. He sat up and pulled the sketch book close to his chest.
“Sorry. I don’t like to share my art with...well, anyone.”
“That’s okay,” She shrugged, “My art is personal to me as well.”
He looked at her strangely, flicking his hair out of his eyes. Suddenly, she felt extremely self conscious and wound her skinny arms around her knees, watching Jacob. The little boy looked over, sharply and then began to run over. When he reached them, he bent down and turned bright red.
“Lindsey! I need a wee-wee!”
Tugging the iPod from her ear, Lindsey picked up her bag and waved at the boy under her tree. Jacob started to jog towards the toilets, pulling on her hand in desperation.
“C’mon!” He squeaked. “I don’t think I can hold on!”
She picked him up and swung him around her body so he was sitting on her hip. At times like this she had no option – she’d tried to walk him before when he was desperate for the toilet, and ended up with soaking wet trousers, a crying boy and a twenty minute walk home. Trying to ignore the feeling that somebody was watching her, Lindsey started to run. Jacob only had to hold on for a couple more minutes.
Skidding into the girls toilets, the boy wriggled out of her grip and rushed into one of the cubicles. She smiled at his screamed request to hold the door shut for him, and pulled it with her foot as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair had now become windswept, but her tiny amount of eyeliner still looked as good as it had when she’d left the house this morning. Pulling a chap-stick out of her pocket, Lindsey applied the tiniest amount for her confidence and pulled a hand through her hair.
When she felt a tugging on the cubicle door, Lindsey pulled away her foot and pushed Jacob softly towards the sinks, helping him wash his hands before they re-entered the park. As soon as they were in sight of the sand-pit, Jacob pulled at her hand and looked at her wistfully.
“Let’s have some sandwiches first,” She smiled at him. “I made your favourite.”
“Egg?” Jacob grinned, and after waiting for her affirming nod, jumped with joy and skipped off towards the tree. Lindsey smiled to herself, but as her tree came into view with the impatient boy rubbing his stomach hungrily underneath, she noticed only one thing.
Gerard had gone.