Chasing Monday

Rain drops slid down the window, their trails intertwining and crossing each other, causing a whole mess of lines on the glass. The boy’s fingers traced them lazily, barely touching the glass. He stared at his reflection, a long sigh escaping him. His head turned to the driver’s side door as it opened, a man slipping into the truck. His shirt was spotted with rain, and his usually spiked hair damp and flat against his head. THe man smiled, holding out a bag of chips to the younger boy.

“Here, Wes.” He grinned, running a hand through his hair, making it stick up again.

“Thanks, Greg.........” the boy murmured, taking the chips from the man, setting them on the dashboard for the moment.

“Hey, Wes, I kno-”

“Wesley.....It’s Wesley.”

“Alright....Wesley. I know you aren’t very happy about this, but cheer up a bit. I’m sure you’ll have fun.” Greg smiled, nudging Wesley as he buckled back up and started the truck.

They pulled out onto the road, leaving the little gas station behind them. It was only a twenty minute drive to the house, but it was going to feel like eternity. Wesley rested his head against the cold glass, closing his eyes, wishing he was back home. Wishing his mother wouldn’t leave. Wishing he didn’t have to spend his freshman year of high school with people he didn’t know.

When Wesley opened his eyes, they were pulling into the gravel drive way of a farm house. The gravel crunched under the tires, some of the rocks flying out. It had stopped raining, the sky still a blanket of gray, but nothing falling from it. Once they were parked, Wesley didn’t get out of the car immediately. He didn’t feeling like being crushed by one of his aunt’s hugs. He waited till they had pulled the tarp off the bed of the truck and started to pull his suitcases out, then slipped from the truck.

He should have waited a moment longer though, because once he shut the truck door, he was embraced in a fierce hug. Aunt Maria may have been small, but she was stronger than an ox. Aunt Maria was a short, plump woman with wavy brown hair and flushed cheeks. She fancied dresses, mainly ones with flowers and a nice bow on them.

“Oh, Wesley! It’s so good to see you! My you’ve grown up so much since I last saw you!” She smiled, letting him go and brushed some of the red locks of hair out of his eyes.

“Well, I was six the last time we met......”He said softly, reaching down to grab the smallest of the luggage. The one which contained his electronics.

Aunt Maria grinned, showing a perfect set of white teeth. She bent down, picking up two of the bags and started to head for the porch, talking loudly as she went along.

“Well, It’s nice to have you staying with us, dear!”

[[•]]

Wesley pulled a white shirt over his head, sitting down on the bed. He looked around his room quietly, the one he would be staying in for the next ten months. A sigh escaped his and he lifted a book that lay on the nightstand next to the bed, pulling a picture out from under it. His blue eyes studied the photo, a small smile creeping up on his lips.

In the picture was him, his mother, and his father. Wesley had only been six at the time, Thanksgiving Day, the last time he had visited his aunt. The three of them looked so happy, like nothing could ever go wrong or harm them. Wesley stared at the photograph for another minute or so before putting the picture back where his mother had placed it under the book nine years before.