Broken Down on Memory Lane Alone, Together Alone
It’s kinda weird to see a girl reading comic books.
Dad and I finally finished unpacking. It had been quite the task, I never realised how much stuff we had. We both sat on the couch and looked around at out handy work. It was kinda weird being in a new house, but I assumed that feeling would go away quickly, and this house would become our home.
I didn’t really want to leave our little apartment in Toronto. But after I had been jumped on my way home from school, and was given half a Chelsea smile, my father would have nothing to do with the place. I still loved it there. I wasn’t scared at all to go out and walk around on my own. And I think that’s what worried my father the most.
It was just the two of us in Toronto. My mother had left when I was born, and my father didn’t have any family in Canada. So we moved back to where my father grew up, Vegas. I didn’t really see the logic in the move, seeing as Vegas was probably worse then Toronto. But I’d always wanted to come here, and I loved visiting my grandparents and uncle Bill.
“Thank god that’s over,” my dad chuckled, “but now I have to go register you for school… you gonna be okay here by yourself?”
I rolled my eyes playfully and nodded. He grinned and ruffled my hair as he got up, “don’t fuck up the house.”
I laughed, and saluted, “I’ll try my best.”
“Good, I’ll be back as soon as I can,” and with that he left.
It had gotten hotter since I had dressed this morning. So I went to my room and changed into some cut off jean shorts, my favourite The Doors t-shirt that I had cut the arms off of, and my black high-top Chuck Taylor sneakers.
It was too nice a day to stay cooped up inside. I grabbed a coupled of my new comic books and headed outside. I climbed up the big tree in our front yard, settled myself comfortably on the large branches, and began to read.
It was interesting actually having a yard, and a tree. Back in Toronto we lived right in the city, so there was nothing but shops and roads. I loved it though. I missed it there, all my friends, the big buildings, the parties, and the people. But I was going to make this work. I wanted my dad to be happy, and if that meant making the best of this, then I would do it.
I had finished two of my comics and was half way through my third, when I heard a wolf whistle from below me. I over the top of my comic at the sidewalk that was beside the tree I was residing in. two boys who looked to be very much into that ‘glam’ look were standing there. One was blonde and slightly shorter then the other, who had long curly light brown hair. The pair of them were wearing a lot of black for such a hot day, and leather jackets to top it all off.
“What’s a pretty girl like you doing in a tree reading comic books on a day like this?” the shorter one asked with a charming smile.
I blushed at being called pretty, “I haven’t got anything better to do, and it’s better then being stuck inside reading comic books.”
The taller one nodded, “it’s kinda weird to see a girl reading comic books, especially one as hot as you.”
I could feel my face turn a thousand different shades of red; I’d never been called hot before. Especially not by two very good looking guys.
“I think we embarrassed her, dude,” the shorter one elbowed the tall one in the ribs, “I don’t think I’ve ever scene you around before. Did you just move here, sweet heart?”
“Ah… yeah, I did,” I nodded.
“Why don’t you come down here and talk to us?” the taller one asked, “oh! I’m John-o by the way!”
“And I’m Liam,” the shorter one added.
I grabbed my comic books and jumped out of the tree, “it’s nice to meet you both, I’m Rainn.”
“You’ve got a bit of an accent. Where are you from?” Liam asked as he leaned against the tree.
“Canada,” I didn’t think I had an accent, but I guess I very well could have, “Toronto Ontario to be exact.”
“What’s it like there?” John-o asked, I could tell that the both of them were examining the scar that ran up the right side of my face.
I looked around, “well… it’s a lot like here, but not as hot. And where I lived there was a lot less greenery, but I lived right in the city. So that’s not saying much.”
They both nodded. I could see that they were both trying to figure out a way to ask about my scar. It didn’t bother me though, surprisingly. I didn’t let it bother me really. I wasn’t going to let one little bad experience ruin my life and keep me from things. That’s just what the sick bastard who did it to me probably wanted.
“I was jumped on my way home from school,” I stated bluntly, as I ran a finger over my scar, “that’s why my dad moved us here.”
They both looked surprised for a moment, but quickly recovered. Liam was the first to speak:
“It doesn’t seem to bother you at all.”
I shrugged, “I don’t let it… shit happens, you just have to make the best of everything you’re given. I like to think it makes me look pretty bad ass.”
They both laughed. I just grinned. It was true though; I did think it looked pretty damn cool. Not that I was happy to have it, but it made me look like I could hold my own in a fight.
“It certainly does,” Liam smiled, “we were on our way to the store, you wanna come with?”
I shook my head, “nah, my dad just went to register me at the school and is coming right back. I wouldn’t want him to worry about me getting jumped again in the first week of being here.”
“That’s cool,” John-o said understandingly, “what grade are you in?”
“Eleven, you?”
“We’re not in school anymore.” Liam grinned proudly.
“Graduated last year,” John-o grinned in the same manor.
“I guess we won’t be seeing each other again then,” I said sadly. I was beginning to think we could all be friends, but what would they want to do with a 16-year-old girl?
“Are you kidding?” Liam chuckled, “we can hang all the time.”
“Not as often was we might want to,” John-o added.
“But often enough,” Liam finished, “you seem like a pretty rad girl.”
My face began to heat up again, “thanks.”
“Well, we’d better head off,” John-o sighed.
“Yeah, see you later,” Liam smiled and waved, as the two of them started to walk away.
“Bye,” I called after them.
That was certainly exciting. I hadn’t even been here a full week and I’d already made two friends. Not to mention they were both gorgeous. I guess moving here was a really good thing.
I was about to climb back up into the tree when my dad pulled into the driveway. He laughed and shook his head when he noticed I was holding comic books and attempting to climb up the tree with one hand.
“Don’t break your neck,” he grinned as he took the comics from me, “that’s the last think we need to happen.”
I laughed as I quickly finished climbing back up onto my branch, “I made it up here once before with one hand.”
“Really? When?”
“A little while before you got home. A couple of guys started talking to me, so I jumped down,” I explained.
“A couple of guys?” he didn’t sound all that enthused that I had been talking to strangers.
“Yup, John-o and Liam. They were really nice. I think I made friends.”
“How old are they?”
“Does it matter?” I raised an eyebrow, it wasn’t like my dad to ask so many questions and not trust my judgement of people.
“Yes.”
“I duno, they said they had graduated last year, so 18 or 19. Why?”
“Because I know how boy’s minds work, that’s why. And I’m letting you know right now that I don’t really like you talking to random people, let alone hormonal teenaged boys.” He was trying to look displeased, but his smiled was ruining it. I knew he was happy that I’d made friends, just not happy that they were boys.
I grinned, “I can see how upset you are about this.”
“Shut up,” He chuckled, “I’m gonna go make supper, is there anything you want in particular?”
I thought for a moment, “pizza?”
He nodded, “I’ll come get you when it’s done.”
“Okay,” I smiled as he walked back into the house.
I grabbed my Batman comic, and found my place. And spent the rest of the after noon reading.
I didn’t really want to leave our little apartment in Toronto. But after I had been jumped on my way home from school, and was given half a Chelsea smile, my father would have nothing to do with the place. I still loved it there. I wasn’t scared at all to go out and walk around on my own. And I think that’s what worried my father the most.
It was just the two of us in Toronto. My mother had left when I was born, and my father didn’t have any family in Canada. So we moved back to where my father grew up, Vegas. I didn’t really see the logic in the move, seeing as Vegas was probably worse then Toronto. But I’d always wanted to come here, and I loved visiting my grandparents and uncle Bill.
“Thank god that’s over,” my dad chuckled, “but now I have to go register you for school… you gonna be okay here by yourself?”
I rolled my eyes playfully and nodded. He grinned and ruffled my hair as he got up, “don’t fuck up the house.”
I laughed, and saluted, “I’ll try my best.”
“Good, I’ll be back as soon as I can,” and with that he left.
It had gotten hotter since I had dressed this morning. So I went to my room and changed into some cut off jean shorts, my favourite The Doors t-shirt that I had cut the arms off of, and my black high-top Chuck Taylor sneakers.
It was too nice a day to stay cooped up inside. I grabbed a coupled of my new comic books and headed outside. I climbed up the big tree in our front yard, settled myself comfortably on the large branches, and began to read.
It was interesting actually having a yard, and a tree. Back in Toronto we lived right in the city, so there was nothing but shops and roads. I loved it though. I missed it there, all my friends, the big buildings, the parties, and the people. But I was going to make this work. I wanted my dad to be happy, and if that meant making the best of this, then I would do it.
I had finished two of my comics and was half way through my third, when I heard a wolf whistle from below me. I over the top of my comic at the sidewalk that was beside the tree I was residing in. two boys who looked to be very much into that ‘glam’ look were standing there. One was blonde and slightly shorter then the other, who had long curly light brown hair. The pair of them were wearing a lot of black for such a hot day, and leather jackets to top it all off.
“What’s a pretty girl like you doing in a tree reading comic books on a day like this?” the shorter one asked with a charming smile.
I blushed at being called pretty, “I haven’t got anything better to do, and it’s better then being stuck inside reading comic books.”
The taller one nodded, “it’s kinda weird to see a girl reading comic books, especially one as hot as you.”
I could feel my face turn a thousand different shades of red; I’d never been called hot before. Especially not by two very good looking guys.
“I think we embarrassed her, dude,” the shorter one elbowed the tall one in the ribs, “I don’t think I’ve ever scene you around before. Did you just move here, sweet heart?”
“Ah… yeah, I did,” I nodded.
“Why don’t you come down here and talk to us?” the taller one asked, “oh! I’m John-o by the way!”
“And I’m Liam,” the shorter one added.
I grabbed my comic books and jumped out of the tree, “it’s nice to meet you both, I’m Rainn.”
“You’ve got a bit of an accent. Where are you from?” Liam asked as he leaned against the tree.
“Canada,” I didn’t think I had an accent, but I guess I very well could have, “Toronto Ontario to be exact.”
“What’s it like there?” John-o asked, I could tell that the both of them were examining the scar that ran up the right side of my face.
I looked around, “well… it’s a lot like here, but not as hot. And where I lived there was a lot less greenery, but I lived right in the city. So that’s not saying much.”
They both nodded. I could see that they were both trying to figure out a way to ask about my scar. It didn’t bother me though, surprisingly. I didn’t let it bother me really. I wasn’t going to let one little bad experience ruin my life and keep me from things. That’s just what the sick bastard who did it to me probably wanted.
“I was jumped on my way home from school,” I stated bluntly, as I ran a finger over my scar, “that’s why my dad moved us here.”
They both looked surprised for a moment, but quickly recovered. Liam was the first to speak:
“It doesn’t seem to bother you at all.”
I shrugged, “I don’t let it… shit happens, you just have to make the best of everything you’re given. I like to think it makes me look pretty bad ass.”
They both laughed. I just grinned. It was true though; I did think it looked pretty damn cool. Not that I was happy to have it, but it made me look like I could hold my own in a fight.
“It certainly does,” Liam smiled, “we were on our way to the store, you wanna come with?”
I shook my head, “nah, my dad just went to register me at the school and is coming right back. I wouldn’t want him to worry about me getting jumped again in the first week of being here.”
“That’s cool,” John-o said understandingly, “what grade are you in?”
“Eleven, you?”
“We’re not in school anymore.” Liam grinned proudly.
“Graduated last year,” John-o grinned in the same manor.
“I guess we won’t be seeing each other again then,” I said sadly. I was beginning to think we could all be friends, but what would they want to do with a 16-year-old girl?
“Are you kidding?” Liam chuckled, “we can hang all the time.”
“Not as often was we might want to,” John-o added.
“But often enough,” Liam finished, “you seem like a pretty rad girl.”
My face began to heat up again, “thanks.”
“Well, we’d better head off,” John-o sighed.
“Yeah, see you later,” Liam smiled and waved, as the two of them started to walk away.
“Bye,” I called after them.
That was certainly exciting. I hadn’t even been here a full week and I’d already made two friends. Not to mention they were both gorgeous. I guess moving here was a really good thing.
I was about to climb back up into the tree when my dad pulled into the driveway. He laughed and shook his head when he noticed I was holding comic books and attempting to climb up the tree with one hand.
“Don’t break your neck,” he grinned as he took the comics from me, “that’s the last think we need to happen.”
I laughed as I quickly finished climbing back up onto my branch, “I made it up here once before with one hand.”
“Really? When?”
“A little while before you got home. A couple of guys started talking to me, so I jumped down,” I explained.
“A couple of guys?” he didn’t sound all that enthused that I had been talking to strangers.
“Yup, John-o and Liam. They were really nice. I think I made friends.”
“How old are they?”
“Does it matter?” I raised an eyebrow, it wasn’t like my dad to ask so many questions and not trust my judgement of people.
“Yes.”
“I duno, they said they had graduated last year, so 18 or 19. Why?”
“Because I know how boy’s minds work, that’s why. And I’m letting you know right now that I don’t really like you talking to random people, let alone hormonal teenaged boys.” He was trying to look displeased, but his smiled was ruining it. I knew he was happy that I’d made friends, just not happy that they were boys.
I grinned, “I can see how upset you are about this.”
“Shut up,” He chuckled, “I’m gonna go make supper, is there anything you want in particular?”
I thought for a moment, “pizza?”
He nodded, “I’ll come get you when it’s done.”
“Okay,” I smiled as he walked back into the house.
I grabbed my Batman comic, and found my place. And spent the rest of the after noon reading.
♠ ♠ ♠
So hopefully this didn’t confuse too many people. But I thought it best to at least explain what’s going on. Any chapter that’s written in italics –like this one- is a flashback ^-^And now that that’s cleared up, thanks to AntsInMyPants101 for commenting! This ones for you :D