River Rat
Questions
I looked around the familiar, newly decorated room. My mother had used this room to paint. She'd been a famous painter before she died. That's how we made all of our money. Dad didn't have a job.
I looked back down the hall and silently hoped nobody would come looking for me as I crept into the room. This guy was simple, yet homey. He had several pictures in frames. I stopped at one. It was a picture of him and a beautiful girl standing next to him. They looked like they were in love. Underneath the picture was a letter with the name Ethan written on it.
"Ethan," I said quietly, liking the sound of the name.
"You called?" a voice came from behind me, making me jump and yelp. I dropped the letter in my hand and quickly scrambled to pick it back up and put it on the counter. He was laughing at me by this time.
"Don't scare me like that," I practically yelled at him, hitting him on the arm. When I'd finally gotten my heart rate down and he was now just smiling I said, "So you're Ethan?"
"That's my name," he smiled at me. My heart rate picked back up again and I wanted to slap myself.
"Who's this?" I asked, pointing at the picture. It was an attempt to get him to stop looking at me.
"That's my ex-girlfriend," he replied, suddenly looking sad and wishful.
"Oh, I'm sorry." I suddenly felt unwanted and uncomfortable in his silence.
"Don't be. It jut wasn't working. We're friends now." His smile seemed forced.
"Well, um, I was just leaving," I said, slipping out of his reach and walking to the end of the hallway. I was screaming at myself on the inside and wondering how I could be such an idiot when my dad suddenly walked in front of me.
"Oh, hey," he said, stopping short. "I was just coming to tell you I'm going to go look for a job. Ethan let me borrow his truck. I'll be back in a couple of hours."
I said nothing. I didn't want to say anything. The thought of him getting in a vehicle scared me. When mom died we'd gotten rid of ours, both of us frightened of the possibilities of the road. I'd even thrown away my driver's license.
When he realized I wasn't going to say anything he just nodded and walked out the kitchen door. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
"Everything okay?" Ethan asked from behind me, startling me once again.
"God dammit, stop doing that," I said grumpily, marching away from him. He followed me briskly, making me want to punch him in the arm again. "Stop following me," I called behind my shoulder as I exited the house.
"Why do you keep going out here when you're mad?" Ethan asked curiously.
"Why do you keep asking questions?" I retorted, picking up my pace.
"Come on, can't we be friends?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"Leave me alone!" I shouted as we reached the waters edge. He faltered for a second, but then smiled at me once again. I wanted to do something to wipe that stupid smirk off of his face, so, I pushed him.
Right into the lake.
I looked back down the hall and silently hoped nobody would come looking for me as I crept into the room. This guy was simple, yet homey. He had several pictures in frames. I stopped at one. It was a picture of him and a beautiful girl standing next to him. They looked like they were in love. Underneath the picture was a letter with the name Ethan written on it.
"Ethan," I said quietly, liking the sound of the name.
"You called?" a voice came from behind me, making me jump and yelp. I dropped the letter in my hand and quickly scrambled to pick it back up and put it on the counter. He was laughing at me by this time.
"Don't scare me like that," I practically yelled at him, hitting him on the arm. When I'd finally gotten my heart rate down and he was now just smiling I said, "So you're Ethan?"
"That's my name," he smiled at me. My heart rate picked back up again and I wanted to slap myself.
"Who's this?" I asked, pointing at the picture. It was an attempt to get him to stop looking at me.
"That's my ex-girlfriend," he replied, suddenly looking sad and wishful.
"Oh, I'm sorry." I suddenly felt unwanted and uncomfortable in his silence.
"Don't be. It jut wasn't working. We're friends now." His smile seemed forced.
"Well, um, I was just leaving," I said, slipping out of his reach and walking to the end of the hallway. I was screaming at myself on the inside and wondering how I could be such an idiot when my dad suddenly walked in front of me.
"Oh, hey," he said, stopping short. "I was just coming to tell you I'm going to go look for a job. Ethan let me borrow his truck. I'll be back in a couple of hours."
I said nothing. I didn't want to say anything. The thought of him getting in a vehicle scared me. When mom died we'd gotten rid of ours, both of us frightened of the possibilities of the road. I'd even thrown away my driver's license.
When he realized I wasn't going to say anything he just nodded and walked out the kitchen door. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
"Everything okay?" Ethan asked from behind me, startling me once again.
"God dammit, stop doing that," I said grumpily, marching away from him. He followed me briskly, making me want to punch him in the arm again. "Stop following me," I called behind my shoulder as I exited the house.
"Why do you keep going out here when you're mad?" Ethan asked curiously.
"Why do you keep asking questions?" I retorted, picking up my pace.
"Come on, can't we be friends?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"Leave me alone!" I shouted as we reached the waters edge. He faltered for a second, but then smiled at me once again. I wanted to do something to wipe that stupid smirk off of his face, so, I pushed him.
Right into the lake.