In the Book of Me and You

I was halfway home when it happened, when the thunder started rumbling above and I started seeing cracks of lightning. I’m not particularly scared of storms but when you’re riding a metal framed object home, lightening tends to be just a little more threatening. That wasn’t the only problem though and I found that the path I’d taken this morning, which had a bit where it was mostly dirt paths had turned into thick mud which my bike wheels promptly got stuck in. So I climbed off and began pulling the bike out of the mud and then walking beside it knowing that with my bike out of commission, it was going to be a particularly unpleasant stroll home.

That unpleasant aspect was heightened by the thunder that was slowly getting closer and closer to being at the same time as the lightning I saw. A particularly loud crack of thunder sounded and had me flinching, much to my own embarrassment but then I heard something else. It was the sound of a car engine, and I turned to see a black pickup truck pull up behind me on the road. I froze as I tried to look through the rain to see who’d pulled up, but when the door opened and I could see who had stepped out with an umbrella I rolled my eyes.

“What the hell are you doing? It’s the middle of a storm and you decided to bike home when Dakota’s mom could’ve just taken you? I know you can’t tell time, but are you also incredibly stupid?” John O’Callaghan said as he stared at me in misplaced-in my opinion- anger.

“Sorry, did I ask for your help? Nope. That’s what I thought, so run along, I’ll get home fine,” I said defiantly before turning away and starting to walk again. I noticed within a second though that rain wasn’t falling on me and I stopped in my tracks and turned to face – or as much as I could considering a five inch height difference- John, who was following right behind me.

“Don’t be so stupid. Get in my car, I’ll take you home, Dakota will be worrying and so will her mom and you’re really not worth it,” He said, glaring now and I just looked back, dumbfounded that he could be such an asshole.

“Fuck off. Seriously just leave, I don’t need this,” I said, clenching my hand into a fist but trying very hard not to hit him considering all it’d do is hurt my hand. This time when I turned to walk away I picked up my pace but soon there was an hand wrapped around my arm holding me still and then pulling me backwards.

“So stupid. You’re lucky you have a cousin that is well liked,” John said and dragged me back to the car while I clung to my bike and tried to pull away from him. After making me relinquish my bike, which he threw in the back of his truck with little concern for the bike he all but shoved me into the car, closing the door after me.

“God you’re such an asshole, I would’ve been fine, I don’t need your help and I certainly didn’t want it,” I said when he’d gotten back in and started the truck again. He just ignored me and turned off the AC, staring straight ahead with a determined and pissy look. The car rest of the car ride which was only about five minutes passed in uncomfortable and tense silence even though I was going to reprimand him once for sending a text while he was driving. When I reached my cousin’s house, and John pulled my bike out of the back for me, I didn’t say anything to acknowledge him, storming off towards the house instead, the sound of thunder following me into the garage.

I took off my muddy shoes, wheeled my bike into its place against the back wall of the garage, and went to door, seeing I didn’t have to unlock it after all. When I opened the door from the garage into the house it was too an excited squeal from Dakota who hopped off a chair at the breakfast bar where she’d been sitting staring at her phone.

“Andy! You’re safe! I was worried when it started thundering and you seemed to be taking longer than usual. It was lucky Johno found you, he texted me that he’d picked you up,” She said and hugged me, pulling away when I didn’t say anything to look at me, “Um, AJ, is something wrong?”

“No. I’m fine. I’m going to change and dry my hair off,” I said in a monotone avoiding her eyes and breezing past her upstairs to my room where I promptly turned the lock and got dry. Then when I was in warm- and most importantly dry- baggy pajamas I climbed into my bed with my phone and texted Matt. I heard a little yip from the corner of my room and saw that daisy had woken up in her dog bed so I patted the bed to have her come sit with me which she did quickly, snuggling up against my legs while I texted.

‘Matt, today was horrible. Seriously I have this teacher who yelled at me for being two minutes late on my first day at a new school and then I met this asshole who is friends with my cousin who finds harassing me fun.’

‘Sounds like a rough teacher Andy, but I’m more interested in this asshole friend cause I can do more about that. Who is he and how is he harassing you?’

‘His name is John OCallahan or something. Anyway, first he made fun of me for getting called out by my dick teacher and then I was biking home in the rain and it was fine and he pulls up and demands I let him take me home, calls me stupid, says I’m not worth worrying about and then forcefully brings me back to his car and takes to back to Aunt Amy’s.’

‘What were you doing riding a bike in a storm? I mean honestly he seems like douche, but I’m glad he took you back. Want me do something? I don’t know what I’d do but..’

‘No, it’s fine Matty, thanks though. And I would’ve been fine, it was just some rain’

‘For my sanity please don’t go out in lightning storms and ride a bike. Anyway, Andy I have a way to deal with him. Just ignore him entirely. Pay attention to everyone around him, but not him.’

‘Fine, I’ll not ride my bike in a storm. And I doubt if that’ll work,’

‘Trust me, people don’t like being ignored, it’s a good way to get at them. I have a question though.’

‘Well then I’ll do that, and what’s your question?’

‘Want to come watch us rehearse, my friends and I’s band.’

‘Definitely. When?’

‘Today actually if you want to, in about an hour and a half’

There was a knock on my door and I turned to see Dakota opening it and peering in, being quiet when she noticed I was on the phone.

“One second Matt, my cousin has something to tell me!” I said and sat the phone down on the bed next to daisy after I got a noise of affirmation and couldn’t help but smile when I noticed she began licking the case of my phone.

“So, the boys are gonna be practicing a little, if you want to watch, Garrett thought to invite you,” my cousin said and I was slightly confused as to what they were going to be practicing as none of them looked all that sporty. DJ seemed to notice my confusion and helpfully filled in the blanks in my knowledge.

“OH! Sorry, I never told you, Pat, Garrett, John, Jared, and Kennedy, who goes to a different high school are in a band…” she said and I just sort of nodded, I’m sure I’d be fascinated at any other time but I still had a niggling feeling of anger towards anything involving John right now so I didn’t even bother asking what sort of music they did.

“Um, I can’t, actually I have plans tonight already to go listen to some music,” I said, glad that I didn’t have to lie to get out of spending the evening with John and that I instead had a valid reason not to.

“Wait what? AJ you just got here, who exactly do you have plans with?” Dakota said giving me a suspicious look that I didn’t really think I deserved. Regardless I answered with as much politeness as I could muster.

“Matt Traynor, he’s in a band. I assume you know who I’m talking to cause he knows your mom..” I said and she nodded but gave me a strange sort of look.

“Yeah, well I’ll tell the guys you had other plans, have a good time,” she said as if she hadn’t looked at me strangely at all. She let herself out and shut the door behind her while I picked up my phone, rescuing it from Daisy’s tongue.

“Well I guess it seems that your new friends are musical too,” Matt said when I alerted him I was back.

“Surely we weren’t talking that loudly…” I said, pretty positive I’d been at a good enough level not to be heard by anyone who wasn’t a bat.

“Your phone has a good microphone. Anyway, how about I pick you up in twenty and we go get Wendy’s before I take you to our practice. I think it’s high time you have another frosty.” Matt said and I smiled and petted Daisy who had rolled onto her belly.
“Alright, I’ll get dressed and finish drying off my hair and I’ll see you soon. I could go for a burger too if I’m being honest,” I said, feeling the fact that my dark red hair was still slightly damp against my fingers.

“Oh yeah you got a rain shower didn’t you? Well I’ll see you as soon as I get there, bye bye Andy.”

“Bye Matty!” I said and hung up, dropping my phone on my bed and going to rifle through my clothes for something decent to wear, settling on a baggy grey v neck, black skinny jeans, and my leather jacket before changing into them quickly and going into the bathroom.

“Well shit,” I said because while my makeup had stayed in place perfectly through the rain, my hair was drying now into its natural loose wavy curls rather than the straightened style I had been planning to have on a daily basis. I really didn’t have the patience or will to fix it now though so I just used a towel to dry my hair.

After that I grabbed my purse out of my backpack and shoved my phone inside before leaving it on the bed. I took Daisy’s leash off the handle to my room and hooked it into her collar, leading her out to the screen porch. I let her have lots of slack and she ran into the rain splashing around and then doing her business before I reeled her back in, which was easy considering she came bounding back towards the inside of the screened porch when thunder cracked above her. Daisy barked back at the thunder once she was safely under the roof of the porch and I grinned at her, running fast enough away from her to avoid the water that she shook off herself seconds later. However, as she was still wet I had to leave her in the porch, however not before leaving a folded up towel for her to lay on that was far from the screened walls.

With Daisy taken care of I went back up to my room, grabbing my purse just as the doorbell rang. I skipped stairs on the way back down and bounded to the door, pulling it open and smiling widely at Matt and someone else who I’d never seen but looked nice enough standing underneath a large umbrella.

“Your hair looks nice all curly like that Andy,” Matt said and grinned as I opened the door and stepped out and underneath the now cramped umbrella.

“Why thank you Matty. Also, hello, I’m Andy,” I said extending my hand to the new red headed boy who looked my age.

“Hey, I’m Eric, who Matt apparently forgot was here,” he said and smiled, elbowing Matt in the side which made Matt retaliate.

“I didn’t forget but I figured you guys could make friends on your own. Now off to the car we go!” He said and moved away cheerfully, Eric and I in tow behind him.

“Matt told me about you! You’re in the same grade as me, but I go to Corona del Sol and you go to Desert..” I started not remembering the rest of the name of his school. It didn’t seem to bother him.

“Desert Vista. Well I haven’t heard much yet about you but that’s probably because you’re new,” Eric admitted sheepishly and Matt gave him an exasperated look while they waited for me to get into the passenger seat, holding the umbrella over so I didn’t get wet.

Soon they were inside too and we were off to Wendy’s chatting about my first day of school which apparently was the most interesting topic of the moment.

“So this John guy is a jackass basically? Seriously, who is so rude to someone while trying to help them? Also that sucks being picked on by a teacher but you always have the option of going to school at Desert Vista or even Saguaro if things get too bad,” Eric said after I recounted for the second time what my day had been like.

“I mean yeah, I’d definitely call him a jackass, and I wouldn’t mind going someone different than my cousin, but I doubt if my aunt would let me,” I said, knowing Aunt Amy wouldn’t go for it.

“So why’d you move to Arizona Andy?” Eric asked and I tensed automatically. He wouldn’t be able to see as he was sitting in the back but Matt definitely noticed my sudden nervousness and his eyes narrowed just slightly in curiosity.

“Well I was staying with my Aunt Lynn and Uncle Rob in Virginia Beach but they were going to have a baby and I didn’t want to be in the way so I decided I should come and live here with Aunt Amy and Uncle Gregg,” I said, trying to give as little information as possible, realizing I was still sitting very stiffly in my seat.

“Oh I see. But what about your parents? Why were you living in Virginia Beach in the first place,” Eric said and I knew he didn’t mean to bring up bad memories by the innocently curious way he was asking, but all the same I went even more stiff at the question. At this point I didn’t really know what to say to answer the question so I opened my mouth but nothing really came out.

“Eric, did you practice the bridge from last time?” Matt said, and I felt a hand placed on top of mine. I looked to see that it was Matty and I gave him a thankful smile which he returned with an apologetic one.

“Oh, yeah, I got it down really well now, no help from Mike required,” he said, easily distracted which was really a saving grace at the moment. Just as Eric finished speaking we pulled into Wendy’s and I finally relaxed as the car was parked and we all got out, making a mad dash inside to avoid getting too wet.