Bittersweet
001
We met at a Christmas party. One of those neighborhood gatherings with grownups discussing things you could care less about and everyone throwing you hollow complements. I saw him leaning against the wall, slumped, actually. He looked about my age, fifteen, and seemed to gaze at nothing. He gave off one of those, I-couldn’t-careless-about-you attitudes. Dressed in all black, he screamed either attention or leave me alone, I couldn’t tell. His appearance was completely opposite of my own. With my long brown hair draping my shoulders with curls and my flowering skirt we looked as though we came out of two different books.
But none of this is what caught my eye. It was the way he seemed to shrug away from the world, as though life was painful for him. This unsettled me so I excused myself from Mrs. Anderson, who was telling me all about her grandchildren, and cautiously approached him.
His reaction was as much as figured. Slight movement but continued to ignore his surroundings.
“Hello,” I offered. “I’m Raine.” He looked up, curious about my name. I just smiled.
“Jaden.” He offered in return. Another unusual name, so we had something in common.
“My family just moved here from Arizona. Oregon’s a big change, but my mom loves the rain.” I giggled and he returned a smile to me. “Care to go outside?” I pointed with my cup to the sliding glass door. He shrugged but followed me out. We sat on one of those swinging benches, silent at first. You could literally hear crickets chirping, then after watering some conversation, it grew.
At one point I excused myself to refill my drink. I wasn’t sure what to think of Jaden. I didn’t like to judge people. Rather, I preferred to evaluate them. And after discussing favorites and, of course, the weather, I felt as though he was a completely different person than the façade he tried to pull off.
As I returned I heard an angry voice floating in from outside. After a glance around, I realized that no one else had noticed anything out of the ordinary. I crept closer to the door and saw Jaden avoiding the gaze of a man who was definitely older than him, but had to be related. The hair and build was so similar.
“I told you to be home by six. I shouldn’t have to come drag you out of some lame party. When I tell you to be somewhere, I expect you there.” The older man, his father perhaps, roared this as he raised a hand and used it to push Jaden from the swinging bench. I gasped and took a hesitant step forward. The man then proceeded to hit Jaden repeatedly as he covered his face with his hands.
After a little while the man stopped and stepped back, breathing heavy. With out a word he turned and walked out the back gate. Jaden lay, silhouetted in the dusky night, curled in a ball on the ground. I could see no blood but he would defiantly have bruises. The long sleeves and pants took on a whole new meaning in my mind.
I rushed over to him, upset with myself that I didn’t step in sooner. Jaden shed no tears but flinched away from me when I put a hand on his shoulder.
“I’m so sorry.” I whispered, unsure what to say. “He doesn’t have the right. I wish, I wish I had come sooner.”
A shrug from him was all I got. Still ever so hesitant, I slowly slid my arms around him and drew him close. Instead of pulling away like I expected, he leaned into me, his head on my chest and began to shake again. I rocked us both back and forth and muttered comforting words into his ear. “I won’t leave you. You will never have to go through this alone again.” My heart poured out to him and I vowed we would be best friends.
But none of this is what caught my eye. It was the way he seemed to shrug away from the world, as though life was painful for him. This unsettled me so I excused myself from Mrs. Anderson, who was telling me all about her grandchildren, and cautiously approached him.
His reaction was as much as figured. Slight movement but continued to ignore his surroundings.
“Hello,” I offered. “I’m Raine.” He looked up, curious about my name. I just smiled.
“Jaden.” He offered in return. Another unusual name, so we had something in common.
“My family just moved here from Arizona. Oregon’s a big change, but my mom loves the rain.” I giggled and he returned a smile to me. “Care to go outside?” I pointed with my cup to the sliding glass door. He shrugged but followed me out. We sat on one of those swinging benches, silent at first. You could literally hear crickets chirping, then after watering some conversation, it grew.
At one point I excused myself to refill my drink. I wasn’t sure what to think of Jaden. I didn’t like to judge people. Rather, I preferred to evaluate them. And after discussing favorites and, of course, the weather, I felt as though he was a completely different person than the façade he tried to pull off.
As I returned I heard an angry voice floating in from outside. After a glance around, I realized that no one else had noticed anything out of the ordinary. I crept closer to the door and saw Jaden avoiding the gaze of a man who was definitely older than him, but had to be related. The hair and build was so similar.
“I told you to be home by six. I shouldn’t have to come drag you out of some lame party. When I tell you to be somewhere, I expect you there.” The older man, his father perhaps, roared this as he raised a hand and used it to push Jaden from the swinging bench. I gasped and took a hesitant step forward. The man then proceeded to hit Jaden repeatedly as he covered his face with his hands.
After a little while the man stopped and stepped back, breathing heavy. With out a word he turned and walked out the back gate. Jaden lay, silhouetted in the dusky night, curled in a ball on the ground. I could see no blood but he would defiantly have bruises. The long sleeves and pants took on a whole new meaning in my mind.
I rushed over to him, upset with myself that I didn’t step in sooner. Jaden shed no tears but flinched away from me when I put a hand on his shoulder.
“I’m so sorry.” I whispered, unsure what to say. “He doesn’t have the right. I wish, I wish I had come sooner.”
A shrug from him was all I got. Still ever so hesitant, I slowly slid my arms around him and drew him close. Instead of pulling away like I expected, he leaned into me, his head on my chest and began to shake again. I rocked us both back and forth and muttered comforting words into his ear. “I won’t leave you. You will never have to go through this alone again.” My heart poured out to him and I vowed we would be best friends.