Status: I don't know...
The Alley
One
I don't remember much of that day other than the fact that I was angry, livid almost. I had reasons for being angry that day but I couldn't articulate them well enough. My mom asked what was wrong but I just said that I was having a bad day and stomped my way up the stairs to my room and slammed the door for extra measure. It didn't do anything. It didn't solve any personal problems or finished the math homework that I had yet to start. If anything the door, if it had feelings, would have been mad at me for doing nothing and slamming it as hard as I did.
I waited until I was sure that they were asleep or engrossed in whatever TV show they were watching before I left. I didn't run away I just went on a walk. I find that running away doesn't make the problem go away but it makes you cowardly for running from it. I went to the creek that always went to when I had days like this. There was something about the way the water sounded as it rushed down soothed me. I snuggled in to my fleece sweater as the wind blew against my face. It was mid-October but it was as cold as it would be in December which meant that we'd have an early winter. I didn't mind, I liked the cold but I hated it when everyone complained about how cold it was. If we were lucky we'd get a snow day so I don't see much room for complaining. It’s not going to do much.
I was thinking so intently about all of that I didn't realize that someone was screaming. It wasn’t like horror movie ‘I’m getting stabbed in the chest’ kind of screaming but screaming none the less. I quietly tip toed my way to the sound until I found the source of the noise. It was some poor kid getting beat up on by some of the schools biggest jerks. I clenched my jaw so that I wouldn't make any noise that would get me caught. I had enough on my plate I didn’t want to have the living hell beaten out of me on top of that. I saw Derek Johns punch the poor guy in the face while his girlfriend Claudia Banks stood on the side with the dead expression she always wore on her face. For as long as I‘ve known of her I’ve never seen her smile.
Derek pushed the poor kid to the ground when he couldn’t stand anymore. He whispered something in his ear and left with Claudia following behind him. Once he drove off I stepped out from where I was and walked over to him. He also had a deadpan face but he just got his ass kicked so he had a good reason. He looked up at me, not saying anything. I couldn’t really see his eyes that well because it was getting dark but I saw a bit of what the color was a very light water blue.
“Who are you?” he asked not wasting any time.
“Jill.” I hated my name for some reason. It always sounded weird whenever someone said something to me. I think it was because they always but too much emphasis on the j and made the l’s sound like they had more syllables than they actually did like Jillllllllllll. It never failed. “I was over by the creek near the alley and I heard something and now I’m … here with you.” I finished lamely. He looked down and in the fading light I saw blood on his face. I feel bad for not doing something earlier.
“Can I help you?” I offer. He shakes his head no and gets up. He’s really tall but he’s hunched over holding his side as he gets up but leans back on a tree.
“What can you do?” he asks. I feel him looking at me. I go into my pocket and pull out some bandages and a little tube of Neosporin. I fall all the time while I’m out here, mainly because I stop thinking while I’m out here and tree roots pop up out of no-where. He looked up at me again before sitting down, tilting his face toward me. I bent down a little as I put some of the Neosporin on my fingers and spread it on his cuts. He scrunched up his face as I did this which I felt bad for but he didn’t cry out or anything.
“What’s your name?” I asked trying to keep this situation from becoming incredibly awkward to extremely awkward.
“Rueben.” he says bluntly. I don’t’ say anything because I have nothing to say as I try to finish spreading the ointment on his face which sounds weird. I put the Neosporin and the bandages back in the pocket of my jeans.
“All done.”
“You care too much.” He says randomly without looking at me.
“Umm… okay.” He stands up, more sure this time than the last. He towered over me which intimidated me.
“I’ll see you around.” he says to me before going into the woods. I was completely confused and angry as I walked home. Confused by the boy and mad that he didn’t say thank you.
I waited until I was sure that they were asleep or engrossed in whatever TV show they were watching before I left. I didn't run away I just went on a walk. I find that running away doesn't make the problem go away but it makes you cowardly for running from it. I went to the creek that always went to when I had days like this. There was something about the way the water sounded as it rushed down soothed me. I snuggled in to my fleece sweater as the wind blew against my face. It was mid-October but it was as cold as it would be in December which meant that we'd have an early winter. I didn't mind, I liked the cold but I hated it when everyone complained about how cold it was. If we were lucky we'd get a snow day so I don't see much room for complaining. It’s not going to do much.
I was thinking so intently about all of that I didn't realize that someone was screaming. It wasn’t like horror movie ‘I’m getting stabbed in the chest’ kind of screaming but screaming none the less. I quietly tip toed my way to the sound until I found the source of the noise. It was some poor kid getting beat up on by some of the schools biggest jerks. I clenched my jaw so that I wouldn't make any noise that would get me caught. I had enough on my plate I didn’t want to have the living hell beaten out of me on top of that. I saw Derek Johns punch the poor guy in the face while his girlfriend Claudia Banks stood on the side with the dead expression she always wore on her face. For as long as I‘ve known of her I’ve never seen her smile.
Derek pushed the poor kid to the ground when he couldn’t stand anymore. He whispered something in his ear and left with Claudia following behind him. Once he drove off I stepped out from where I was and walked over to him. He also had a deadpan face but he just got his ass kicked so he had a good reason. He looked up at me, not saying anything. I couldn’t really see his eyes that well because it was getting dark but I saw a bit of what the color was a very light water blue.
“Who are you?” he asked not wasting any time.
“Jill.” I hated my name for some reason. It always sounded weird whenever someone said something to me. I think it was because they always but too much emphasis on the j and made the l’s sound like they had more syllables than they actually did like Jillllllllllll. It never failed. “I was over by the creek near the alley and I heard something and now I’m … here with you.” I finished lamely. He looked down and in the fading light I saw blood on his face. I feel bad for not doing something earlier.
“Can I help you?” I offer. He shakes his head no and gets up. He’s really tall but he’s hunched over holding his side as he gets up but leans back on a tree.
“What can you do?” he asks. I feel him looking at me. I go into my pocket and pull out some bandages and a little tube of Neosporin. I fall all the time while I’m out here, mainly because I stop thinking while I’m out here and tree roots pop up out of no-where. He looked up at me again before sitting down, tilting his face toward me. I bent down a little as I put some of the Neosporin on my fingers and spread it on his cuts. He scrunched up his face as I did this which I felt bad for but he didn’t cry out or anything.
“What’s your name?” I asked trying to keep this situation from becoming incredibly awkward to extremely awkward.
“Rueben.” he says bluntly. I don’t’ say anything because I have nothing to say as I try to finish spreading the ointment on his face which sounds weird. I put the Neosporin and the bandages back in the pocket of my jeans.
“All done.”
“You care too much.” He says randomly without looking at me.
“Umm… okay.” He stands up, more sure this time than the last. He towered over me which intimidated me.
“I’ll see you around.” he says to me before going into the woods. I was completely confused and angry as I walked home. Confused by the boy and mad that he didn’t say thank you.