Electric Bird
pigeons.
“You made the tennis team.”
This was all Taylor said as she walked beside me down the hallway, our feet shuffling lazily as we walked past other departing kids.
“I know,” I replied absentmindedly. The school day had ended much longer felt then intended and the only thing on my mind at the moment was going straight home and taking a long nap. Or perhaps a cool shower.
“I didn’t know you play tennis,” Taylor said, taking out her iPhone as the text alert ring went off.
“I don’t. My mom said I needed to play a sport because colleges want well rounded kids. My sister played last year, so she got me on the team.”
“Oh cool,” Taylor replied distantly as she spotted a group of friends of hers waving her over. She smiled and waved back at them. “Hey, I got to go. Vanessa… you remember her? From my Spanish class? Yeah, well she wants me to go to the movies with her and some friends. I’ll talk to you later Birdie, bye!”
“Oh yeah, sounds fun… I’ll talk to you later...” I waved goodbye and watched her walk to her group of friends.
I stood in front of the school for a short time, wondering whether I had a ride home or not. Thinking that Lizzie had gotten a ride from her boyfriend, I frowned looking up at the sunny California sky. Feeling the back of my neck begin to sweat I started my route home, my leather combat boots squeaking under the warm concrete.
It was only about 5 minutes into my walk when I past a group of boys. They were all bit older looking then me, perhaps juniors, and they were joking around loudly in a circle, the smell of cigarettes radiating off of them.
Some of them glanced at me as I walked, but one in particular stared. “Hey guys, I’ll see you later…” He said and before I knew what was happening the boy was walking beside me.
“Hey,” He said conversably, as if we were comfortable friends who talked daily.
“Um, hi…?” I answered, staring at him confusedly.
“I’m Owen,” He said taking the cigarette from between his finger tips and placing it to his lips.
“That’s nice,” I muttered, trying to sound as laid back as possible.
“And you?” He asked, blowing a puff of smoke into the air.
“Huh?”
“Your name.”
“Oh,” I said feeling slightly awkward by his presence, “its Birdie.”
“Is that a nickname or something?”
“No, it’s really my name.”
“Oh that’s… unique,” He answered with the cigarette between his teeth.
I decided to not say anything back and kept on walking, wondering when he would finally leave. He only departed when I was almost home and there was a cross between the streets.
“You know, it’s kinda funny, most girls won’t last half the time you spent with me smoking.”
I shrugged, “My mom smokes, I’m used to it.”
He nodded his head and we stopped in front of the cross walk that lay next to an old Christian church.
“Nice talking to you,” He muttered, giving me a small smile and wave and made his way across the opposite street of mine. I stood in front of that church for a bit, wondering who the hell Owen was and why he was suddenly talking to me.
This was all Taylor said as she walked beside me down the hallway, our feet shuffling lazily as we walked past other departing kids.
“I know,” I replied absentmindedly. The school day had ended much longer felt then intended and the only thing on my mind at the moment was going straight home and taking a long nap. Or perhaps a cool shower.
“I didn’t know you play tennis,” Taylor said, taking out her iPhone as the text alert ring went off.
“I don’t. My mom said I needed to play a sport because colleges want well rounded kids. My sister played last year, so she got me on the team.”
“Oh cool,” Taylor replied distantly as she spotted a group of friends of hers waving her over. She smiled and waved back at them. “Hey, I got to go. Vanessa… you remember her? From my Spanish class? Yeah, well she wants me to go to the movies with her and some friends. I’ll talk to you later Birdie, bye!”
“Oh yeah, sounds fun… I’ll talk to you later...” I waved goodbye and watched her walk to her group of friends.
I stood in front of the school for a short time, wondering whether I had a ride home or not. Thinking that Lizzie had gotten a ride from her boyfriend, I frowned looking up at the sunny California sky. Feeling the back of my neck begin to sweat I started my route home, my leather combat boots squeaking under the warm concrete.
It was only about 5 minutes into my walk when I past a group of boys. They were all bit older looking then me, perhaps juniors, and they were joking around loudly in a circle, the smell of cigarettes radiating off of them.
Some of them glanced at me as I walked, but one in particular stared. “Hey guys, I’ll see you later…” He said and before I knew what was happening the boy was walking beside me.
“Hey,” He said conversably, as if we were comfortable friends who talked daily.
“Um, hi…?” I answered, staring at him confusedly.
“I’m Owen,” He said taking the cigarette from between his finger tips and placing it to his lips.
“That’s nice,” I muttered, trying to sound as laid back as possible.
“And you?” He asked, blowing a puff of smoke into the air.
“Huh?”
“Your name.”
“Oh,” I said feeling slightly awkward by his presence, “its Birdie.”
“Is that a nickname or something?”
“No, it’s really my name.”
“Oh that’s… unique,” He answered with the cigarette between his teeth.
I decided to not say anything back and kept on walking, wondering when he would finally leave. He only departed when I was almost home and there was a cross between the streets.
“You know, it’s kinda funny, most girls won’t last half the time you spent with me smoking.”
I shrugged, “My mom smokes, I’m used to it.”
He nodded his head and we stopped in front of the cross walk that lay next to an old Christian church.
“Nice talking to you,” He muttered, giving me a small smile and wave and made his way across the opposite street of mine. I stood in front of that church for a bit, wondering who the hell Owen was and why he was suddenly talking to me.