You're My Backbone

"Ready to go?" John leaned against his locker facing me. I pulled various books and binders out of my locker and shoved them into my black backpack.

"Yeah." I checked my bag once more to make sure I got everything I needed before zipping it up. I then slammed my locker, slung my backpack over my shoulders and turned to John.

He smiled and nodded his head. "Let's roll."

John and I have completed our first week of school. For John, to say it was a success was an understatement. John seemed to of had the time of his life this week at school. Yes, at school.

I, on the other hand, enjoyed school at the bare minimum. I lived for the lunch conversations between Darry and I, who I have gotten fairly close to within the past week. She even invited me to go to the movies with her and her boyfriend this Saturday. I politely declined, fearing I would be a third wheel on their date. She told me it wasn't a date because her boyfriend's friends were also coming, but I still didn't feel comfortable. I told her I had plans with my mother.

John pushed open the door that clearly marked EXIT in large, glowing, red letters above it. The sunlight hit me, making my eyes squint. I placed a hand along my brow, hoping to make it easier to see as we traveled through the parking lot.

"John!" A girl with red hair called across the parking lot and waved at John.

John's eyes lit up and he waved back smiling widely.

I nudged him in the arm and raised my eyebrows as he looked at me.

"What?" He asked defensively.

"She's cute." I said, peering over at the girl, who had now turned to talking to her friends.

She was a cute girl. She was fairly short with straight red hair and freckles speckled across her nose. She wore black denim shorts and a lime green v-neck t-shirt.

John's face flushed and I chuckled. "Got a crush, huh?"

"No," John snapped and his pace quickened. I caught up with him quickly though, I may not be as tall as him, but I was tall. He turned to me. "She's just a friend, June."

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "That's why she staring at you right now, right?"

I grinned as John's face lifted. He whipped his head around in her direction. When the girl noticed him staring back her face turned red and she quickly hung her head low and pretended to be looking at her shoes.

John turned back to me smiling slightly. I laughed and bit my lip. He rolled his eyes. "Shut up. Let's just go."

John and I entered the car and took the five minute drive back to the house. I exited the car and began to walk up to the front door.

I took notice to the boys across the street. It seemed like they were outside every day. I knew Kennedy and Pat were two of the boys, but they never seemed to notice I was right across the street, and I wasn't going to be the one to say hello. That just wasn't me.

The first day I saw the boys there was a different boy in the place of another now. I now know that boy was Jared, but he never seemed to be there.

I never saw Jared after the first day of school. I saw Kennedy in the morning and would wave lamely. Our quick somewhat friendship (if we were friends) seemed to have died out by the end of the week. Pat, on the other hand, walked me to science every morning and talked my ear off.

"John, do you have a key?" I called to him as he stood locking his car doors. I noticed the boys on the other side of the road now looking over at me. My face flushed red with embarrassment.

John nodded his head and through it to me even though I was quite a distance away from him. The keys landed in the middle of the walkway. I rolled my eyes and began to walk over to it and pick them up. "Smooth." I mumbled.

After bending over to pick up the keys, I peered my head to find John at the end of the driveway. He was walking across the street and waving to the guys.

Since when was he friends with them?

I felt eyes on my as I walked back to the front door. I pushed the key in and unlocked the door before opening it.

I heard John enter the house about an hour later. I was upstairs in my room, on my bed, sprawled out, reading.

When I heard several unfamiliar voices my head shot up and I sat up straight. My heart banged against my rib cage and I sucked in a deep breath. My eyes widened when I realized what John had done.

He brought friends over.

Now, it may not seem like such a big deal, but it really is. Back in Colorado, John never brought people over. He was always either out and about with his friends or at their house. I liked it this way; I didn't have to worry about people annoying me or frightening me.

John's friends always intimidated me. I wasn't going to lie about it. I was afraid of them, whether they were mean of nice.

I knew there was nowhere in this house safer than my own room, but even so, I felt uncomfortable in it. Anyone could just barge in here and start harassing me. I found myself wishing my mother was home, so she could tell the boys to not go upstairs for whatever reason she could come up with.

I crawled towards the head of my bed and dragged my book along with me. I tried my best to concentrate on the words in front of me, but I found myself getting distracted by the voices and laughter downstairs.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps jog up the stairs. My throat tightened and so did my grip on the book. My palms and finger tips grew sweaty and I licked my lips quickly. My eyes were stuck to the door, hoping, praying that it wouldn't fly open exposing some immature boy.

The door knob started to jiggle my my eyes grew wide. To be honest, I was surprised. I really thought it was just my over-active imagination making me worried. I didn't think a boy would actually come into my room.........

The door knob stop moving and turned to a locked position. The door slowly crept open and as it did so, I felt as if my eyes were going to pop they were so wide.

A boy peered in with glasses and copper colored hair. He bit his lips and his eyes glinted slightly when he noticed me on the bed.

Anger struck through me when I thought of John downstairs, probably acting as if all of this was normal. He just invited strangers over and let them come upstairs into my room.

The book was out of my hands now, laying down exposing an open page. I wanted to say something, but I couldn't. The boy just continued looking at me and glancing around the room.

My fists clenched together and I tried my best to keep my face from scrunching up. I held my breath and by now I was sure that my face must be bright red.

Since when does my brother have the right to bring random kids over to the house? Since when does he even bring kids over?

Biting my lip, I glared at the unfamiliar boy in front of me. His dark eyes along with the thick framed glasses stared back at me.

"I, uh, I hate to interrupt and everything, but John sent me up here to get something. I thought this was his room. Sorry," he began to back away, but before leaving the room altogether he turned back to me. "I'm Garrett by the way. Are you John's sister?"

John's friends weren't as polite as this kid back at home. The tone in his voice surprised me and I could feel my eyes widened slightly. "Yeah. I'm June."

Garrett smiled sweetly. "Nice to meet you June."

My jaw was slightly ajar and I couldn't spit out the right words to say. How was I suppose to respond to that?

"Um," I shook my head and stretched my legs out. I slid off the bed and scratched my head awkwardly. "You too. John's room is right next door. What did he want you to get?" I asked awkwardly.

Garrett stood up straighter when he noticed me standing. "A video game."

"What video game?"

"Left 4 Dead."

I nodded my head and exited the room before him. He followed me, unsure of himself. I waled into John's room and dug through his drawer where he kept all of his electronics. I took out the video game and held it out to Garrett. "Here you are."

Garrett smiled lightly. "Thanks. I didn't think you'd even know what the game was."

"I have three brothers. I know video games fairly well."

He chuckled. "Well, thanks anyway. See you later."

I nodded my head before he turned and walked out of John's room. I watched him as he jogged back down the stairs and into the living room, which was filled with voices.

I debated whether or not to go down there. After meeting Garrett, it made the rest of the guys seem friendly-not that I knew them.

Well, I kind of did. Pat was down there, and so was Kennedy. But the other kid.......no idea.

I sighed heavily and stood at the top of the staircase.

It couldn't hurt to just go down there and take a peek inside.

No. Not happening. I shook my head as I went back into my bed room. I plopped down on my bed. I bit my lip and stared at my bedroom's ceiling.

I really need to get a grip on myself.