Status: Critique greatly appreciated, nitpickers welcome! Don't be a silent reader!
The Key Chased the Blade
Numb
Logan and Rico hugged me goodbye and didn't tell me what was going to happen. Logan didn't have any idea more than I did though. He wanted to know why I was crying.
"What do you mean, no reason?" he asked.
"I mean no reason," I said. "That's what I mean."
"Will playing the Xbox help? Will you play it with me when you get home? That always makes me happy."
"Sure. I'll play the Xbox with you tomorrow."
Then Simon walked me over to his house.
I was numb and couldn't really talk to his mom. I think she kind of understood that and left me alone. It was strange to see her not so uptight. Her expression was soft and she bought me a Butterfinger. It was the first time I saw her worried in not a I'm-going-to-kill-anyone-that-hurts-my-baby way that she usually had with Simon. Maybe if she had a daughter this was what she'd act like.
Simon and I made a blanket fort in the living room and watched movies. We didn't talk for a while and I felt my head swell up, and Simon said I had a black eye and he got me a bag of ice. Then we watched more movies and that kind of sucked with the bag of ice on my face. Mrs. O'Neill got a call in the middle of Finding Nemo and afterwards she wanted to talk to Simon, so he left. I fell asleep and the bag of ice melted beside my head.
"Noah," I heard Simon's voice say.
I jolted awake, but then I realized it was just him. His face was blotchy and his eyes were red-rimmed. I didn't want to know what happened.
"It's nine. We're going to let you sleep in the guest room, okay?" he asked.
"Sure," I mumbled. I stretched and Simon picked up the watery bag by my face to dispose of it. He came back later and I sat up. My spine popped. "Are we going to look up the washing lady?" I asked.
"Not now. My dad just got home. He said the police talked to him at work and I'm kind of in trouble. In a not sort of trouble way, though." He smiled half-heartedly. I felt like crying again. "I'll get you some PJ's and you can get to bed."
"Okay." I realized how tired I was. My head hurt and I didn't want to move at all. But I crawled out of the blanket fort and went to Simon's guest room, and he gave me some pajamas with trains on the bottoms and I changed into them. Simon gave me a hug before wishing me goodnight and I just collapsed onto the big-ass bed.
I fell asleep without any dreams.
"What do you mean, no reason?" he asked.
"I mean no reason," I said. "That's what I mean."
"Will playing the Xbox help? Will you play it with me when you get home? That always makes me happy."
"Sure. I'll play the Xbox with you tomorrow."
Then Simon walked me over to his house.
I was numb and couldn't really talk to his mom. I think she kind of understood that and left me alone. It was strange to see her not so uptight. Her expression was soft and she bought me a Butterfinger. It was the first time I saw her worried in not a I'm-going-to-kill-anyone-that-hurts-my-baby way that she usually had with Simon. Maybe if she had a daughter this was what she'd act like.
Simon and I made a blanket fort in the living room and watched movies. We didn't talk for a while and I felt my head swell up, and Simon said I had a black eye and he got me a bag of ice. Then we watched more movies and that kind of sucked with the bag of ice on my face. Mrs. O'Neill got a call in the middle of Finding Nemo and afterwards she wanted to talk to Simon, so he left. I fell asleep and the bag of ice melted beside my head.
"Noah," I heard Simon's voice say.
I jolted awake, but then I realized it was just him. His face was blotchy and his eyes were red-rimmed. I didn't want to know what happened.
"It's nine. We're going to let you sleep in the guest room, okay?" he asked.
"Sure," I mumbled. I stretched and Simon picked up the watery bag by my face to dispose of it. He came back later and I sat up. My spine popped. "Are we going to look up the washing lady?" I asked.
"Not now. My dad just got home. He said the police talked to him at work and I'm kind of in trouble. In a not sort of trouble way, though." He smiled half-heartedly. I felt like crying again. "I'll get you some PJ's and you can get to bed."
"Okay." I realized how tired I was. My head hurt and I didn't want to move at all. But I crawled out of the blanket fort and went to Simon's guest room, and he gave me some pajamas with trains on the bottoms and I changed into them. Simon gave me a hug before wishing me goodnight and I just collapsed onto the big-ass bed.
I fell asleep without any dreams.