Left Behind

We figured out a great place to shower. The pools were open until nine each night, so we would shower there. All we needed was a couple big and small towels and a bar of soap and we were good. I kind of wondered why we had never thought of it before.

It was early and Lucy and I walked down the street to the pool. We both took showers with the new towels and soap that we’d bought from the dollar store around the corner. Unfortunately, we put the same clothes back on and walked down to the thrift store. There were really nice things for really cheap prices, and we looked around for a bit.

Neither of us knew what size clothes we wore. We hadn’t gotten a new outfit in years. The ones we had were only washed when we could scrap up enough change for the Laundromat. They were baggy and torn and moth eaten on some parts. Our pants were old and faded, and our socks were holey.

“Here try this on,” Lucy said handing me an armful of shirts. “And here are some jeans too. We’ll get you two outfits to start off, and build from there.” She pushed me into a dressing room and one by one we eliminated the clothes that didn’t fit. In the end we came out with two perfectly fitting outfits, a pair of shoes, and three pairs of socks. Luce got an outfit as well.

We walked down the sidewalk in the cold night air. “What we should’ve bought was a coat.” I warmed my hands with the breath from my lungs.

“You know we can’t afford it. You’re lucky that we even-”

“I know, you don’t have to remind me, Luce. Nothing’s changed so I know we can’t afford it.”

“Sorry. What are we eating tonight?”

“I was thinking Red Lobster,” I joked. We both laughed at the fact that that would never happen.

***
“Ready?”

I nodded at Lucy and fixed my shirt. I was starting school and was entirely nervous about it. Registration was pretty difficult, since we had no birth certificates or anything, but when they saw my circumstances, they were more than happy to take me in. Lucy handed me seventy-five cents and waited with me at the bus stop.

“I must say that I did a great job on your hair,” she bragged. My hair was in a fishtail braid and it actually looked very neat. It was gorgeous actually, compared to the matted down hairstyle that I usually wore.

“Thanks Lucy,” I said sitting on the bench.

“Hey,” she said lifting my chin, “don’t let anybody put you down. I may not be much older than you, but I know a lot.”

I looked at her. “I promise I won’t. If I thought people would get to me, I wouldn’t be going back.”

“Right,” she wrapped her arms around me giving me a tight hug. “It’s been forever since we’ve been apart for more than a couple seconds.”

“I know. You be careful out here,” I smiled. “It’s a cold world.”

“A real Cole world,” she joked in return. I loved when we would walk down the street and here the music escaping from the open doors of stores. When I listened to music a while back, my favorite artist would happen to have been J. Cole. That’s why she always joked in references of him. “I love you sweet pea. Have a great day,” she said. She rose from the bench and waved as she made her way down the sidewalk. I watched her until I couldn’t see her anymore from the lack of street lights and waited for the bus.

Two other kids joined and sat next to me and when the bus came we all hopped on and enjoyed the ride to school. Well at least I did, but I'm sure the other kids dreaded it. When the bus pulled up to the school curb, I walked to the office to get my schedule.

“Here you are, Miss Deville. I’m Mrs. Lowe, and I’m your guidance counselor.” She handed me my schedule and forced a smile. “If you need anything, I'm the one you come to.”

“Thanks,” I nodded. “Where do I go now?”

“Uh well, anywhere. Until the warning bell or locker bell at seven twenty, you just talk and hangout with people. Just do your own thing, and go to class when the second bell rings.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Until the second bell I explored. Some of the hallways were off limits until the bell, but I made my way upstairs, and a lot of other useful places. People stared because I was new, and maybe even because I wasn’t as nicely dressed as them, but I brushed it off. I was used to people calling me names on the street and it has never bothered me.

I walked to my first class and the teacher met me at the door. “So, you’re the mysterious Carter Deville?” she said shaking my hand. “I’m Mrs. Perkins. You can take a seat over there,” she pointed. “Okay everyone this is Carter.” The entire class of bodies shifted in my direction. All eyes were on me, and I didn’t like it at all. I walked to my sit quickly and held up a hand that I considered a wave.

“Okay, well quiet down so I can take role,” she continued. I tuned her out for a while until I heard my name. I just lifted my hand and put it back down. “…Josie Mcee, Preston Melton, Brycen Kelley…”

“Right here!” he said waving his hand in the air like a fool as his friends laughed cheering him on.

“Once again Brycen, unnecessary. Please just raise your hand without the nonsense.”

“Mrs. Perkins, when you start calling me Bryce, I’ll start acting like a normal kid,” he said.

Wait… Kelley. That name sounded mighty familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I kept thinking of the name Kelley and the picture of the family popped into my head. Patrick Kelley. I had been an accomplice in stealing his wallet a couple days before. Also, Bryce had been the one in the pictures. He was the one that looked very familiar. And his voice…

Memories rushed in. I suddenly saw his face in every memory and I knew exactly where I knew him from. He had been the same boy from a couple months ago. The same boy that I would never forget. The one I hoped that I would never have to face again. He was the same boy that could’ve been the last face that I would ever see, before he saved my life.