Choose Your Own Family

I notice that the boys didn’t ride very far, in fact they stopped riding in less then four minutes. I was still on David’s bike tho. He was leaning on his bike looking down at the floor. He pulled out a cigarette pack and took one out, he offered me one and I took it without looking at him. I took out my lighter and lit my cigarette and also lit David’s that was now in his mouth. We didn’t really say anything, kind of had the vibe that nothing needed to be said. Yet it wasn’t an awarded silence. I kept looking at Laddie every now and then. I kept wondering why a little kid would be with a bunch of weird guys. He looked the most comfortable with Dwayne and Dwayne didn’t seem to mind. Not like a father and son but more as a big brother and a little brother.

“So do you have the crush on Dwayne or Laddie? David asks me not looking at me. I guess he finally noticed I was starting to stare.

“Ha Ha very funny.” I said sarcastically but not seriously since I had a smile on my face. “I was wondering why Laddie is with you. It isn’t normal for a little boy to be friends with a gang of boys.” I told David truthfully.

“Well we don’t know why but he ran away from home. We found him sleeping on our couch and decided to let him stay with us. He’s kind of distant from everyone except Dwayne and Star; he seems to be warming up to you tho. He’s kind of shy.” He said looking at me.

“Star’s that gypsy girl right, my brother has a little crush on her.” I said smiling at him.

“I know, I saw him last night. He looks a lot like you. Are you close to him?” He asks me as if he’s been thinking of asking me this for a long time.

“Well yes actually. I'm very close to him, I'm close to Sam too but closer to Michael. Sam is the youngest of all of us.” I said in a matter of fact voice.

“What about your mom? Are you close to her?”

“Well were starting to get close. It’s kind of nice.” I said smiling to myself.

“I’m glad, it’s important to be close to family. Our gang is like a big family.” He said moving a little bit closer to me.

“And your there daddy?” I said smirking a little bit.

He chuckled a little and looked at me smiling. “More like the oldest brother looking over the younger ones when daddy can't.” he said stressing the daddy part making me smile a little. Maybe these guys weren’t so bad. “It would be great to have a little sister. Star hasn’t wanted to be that for a while.”

“You asking me if I should join your gang?” I ask him as if not believing him. He nodded and waited patiently for my answer. “I mean it would be nice and all but I finally started to settle down with my family. I….I don’t want things to go back to the way they were.” I said now looking at David’s bike. I always knew it was my fathers fault for making our family distant but I also knew it was me as well. Always getting into trouble only made it worse.

“I promise you things won't go back to the way they were with your family. It will be better.” He said placing a hand on my shoulder. As if he was trying to make me reconsider my answer but it only made me suspicious of him.

“How do you know what my family was before?” I ask him confusingly.

“…….I don’t, I was just guessing that before your family moved here your family must have been pretty bad.” He said now looking at the floor as if I found out a secret and he was ashamed of it.

He notices Star walking and Michael following. She was laughing and Michael was smiling. They looked cute together. He flicks his cigarette to the ground and got on his bike. I put my arms around his waste like I did before and he rode off with the other boys to were Star and Michael were. They came right in front of them and Michael stared at David confused and then notice me. He didn’t say anything but still held a confused look on his face.

“Were you goin Star?” David asks her in a demanding voice.

“For a ride, this is Michael.” Said Star looking at the ground. She obviously didn’t know that I was his sister.

“Lets go.” Said Michael smirking and acting like he was taking Star. Sometimes he had a big ego I wanted to beat out of him. Then again so did I.

“Star?” said David as if asking her a question. What ever it was it seemed to make Star leave Michael and go on the back of Paul’s bike. Paul was laughing a little and Marko was smirking.

“Come on Rose, let’s go home.” He said kind of demanding but looking at me with pleading eyes. I knew he was really asking me then demanding me but probably wanted to look tough in front of them.

I was about to say something to him when David said something.

“You know were Hudson bluff is, over look-in the point?” he said in a challenging way.

“I can't beat your bike.” Said Michael in an obvious tone. At least he knew were to draw the line unlike me.

“You don’t have to beat me Michael, you just have to try and keep up.” he said smiling.

Michael looked and me and I shrug my shoulders and gave him a look that said “I don’t know.” David rode off towards the beach with everyone behind him. Everyone was laughing except for Michael and even I was laughing and having fun. I didn’t even notice that I was holding David tighter but he notice. He didn’t seem to mind since he was smirking. I notice that the boys seemed to slow down a little bit but David and Michael kept riding. It was obvious Michael was trying to beat him and David kept challenging him shouting him to “Come on” I stopped having fun and started to hold David tighter because I was obviously scared. However he seemed to come to a sudden stop while Michael almost fell over the cliff that no one even saw because of all the fog. David found it enjoyable but I sure as hell didn’t and I let him know that by punching him in the back as hard as I can. He looked over his shoulder at me still smirking as if he didn’t feel that.

“WHAT THE HELL You DOIN HUH?!” shouted Michael running towards David getting ready to fight him and I was hoping Michael would actually fight him. What David did could have seriously hurt my brother.

“NOO” shouted Star but Michael paid no attention to her and punch David. I was starting to wonder if Star shouted no because she was worried Michael?

David had obviously got hurt a little but didn’t show it and still kept that smirk. Not even getting angry at all. Why won't David fight back? The others kept trying to hold Michael back but he just kept shaking there arms off but he didn’t move any closer to David. Michael notice that David didn’t bother to get up and fight and Michael wanted a fair fight.

“JUST YOU, COME ON JUST YOU. Come on……just you. Said Michael still angry and wanting to fight David.

“How far you willing to go Michael?” askDavid in a calm voice.

I didn’t understand what that meant or what he was truly asking. All I knew is that whatever he said seemed to calm Michael down. He got off his bike and held a hand out to me to help me off his bike. I didn’t want to take it but I guess I didn’t want to start any trouble either since it seemed to settle down too I decided to take his hand. But he didn’t let go of it when he helped me off the bike. He kept holding my hand while he seemed to walk down the cliff. Everyone followed and so did Michael. As we kept walking we found this cave that seemed to be there home. At the entrance there was a sign that said “DANGER” …..