Be My Little Earthquake.
Chapter 5: Simple Things
Chapter 5: Simple Things
River couldn't help but think about the new boy next door. She wanted to get to know him more. He seemed like he wasn't having the best day so she hoped to see the even sweeter side of him she knew he had.
She heard grumbled cries from next door and brought her knees to her chest. What's bad about living here is that the walls are so thin, and the houses are so close. You can hear more than you need to. And since Rivers room was the farthest to the left, she could hear everything.
The cries continued on, and stopped quickly as soon as River put her headphones in and fell asleep.
***
He stumbled towards Joel, his eyes seemed to be glowing red. Although they weren't, it would have fit perfectly. Joel hid himself in the corner of the room, little 13 year old Joel putting his head in his hands and crying.
"Stop it!!!" His father seethed. Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and throwing him to the ground. Joel started to cry louder as his father kicked him in the stomach over and over again until Joel woke up from his horrid nightmare.
He grabbed onto strands of his hair, pulling on them as he rolled himself forward. What if that happened again? Joel didn't think he could take it.
***
After trying to sleep and failing terribly, Joel decided to start on unpacking his things. He put his plain, pale blue sheets on the bed, changed out of his ratty clothes (Which had nothing to do with unpacking, it just needed to be done.) put his keyboard back on it's stand and unpacked everything but his clothes. He hooked up the tv that his dad had randomly hanging about and finished everything by the time his dad left for work.
He decided he'd go to the store and get ssome things. He had some cash of his own and his dad gave him the 15 or so dollars he had in coins.
The only thing was, he didn't know where to go. It was too early in the morning to ask River, so he'd wait and see instead of trying to find it himself.
He sat out on the front porch, his hair smoothed out so it didn't look like he crawled out of the lake today. He sang softly into the wind, taking note of the people around him so he wouldn't be too loud. He exchanged a stare or two with the girl down the road, and continued to sing.
He wished he still had his guitar, but his mom had to sell it a few months ago because of money issues. It would have made his whole 'Im a lonely little singer." vibe complete.
"Joel?" A groggy voice muttered. River stood in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest, hiding the middle section of the light blue blouse that went on top of her skinny jeans.
"Sorry. Did I wake you?"
"No. Why are you up so early?"
"Couldnt sleep." She now wondered if the strangled cries she heard last night were him. They more than likely were, she just didn't feel like asking. "Why are you?"
"Oh, I have to run to the store."
"Will you take me? I need to pick some things up. And I dont know where it is."
River smiled, she was right. She could see the layer of Joel that she didn't get to see yesterday peak through. His eyes wide and his speech stumbling as if he was afraid of saying something wrong.
"Of course."
***
A few hours later, the two finally left the store with their overfilled plastic bags and their conversations coming out louder and more obnoxious than they expected. They talked about everything from bands, to things that annoy them, to ways that theyd survive their fictional zombie outbreak.
"You know Joel, this was fun."
"It was indeed River." They said their farewells for the day and the first thing Joel thought of as he hit the bed is school tomorrow.
Fuck.
River couldn't help but think about the new boy next door. She wanted to get to know him more. He seemed like he wasn't having the best day so she hoped to see the even sweeter side of him she knew he had.
She heard grumbled cries from next door and brought her knees to her chest. What's bad about living here is that the walls are so thin, and the houses are so close. You can hear more than you need to. And since Rivers room was the farthest to the left, she could hear everything.
The cries continued on, and stopped quickly as soon as River put her headphones in and fell asleep.
***
He stumbled towards Joel, his eyes seemed to be glowing red. Although they weren't, it would have fit perfectly. Joel hid himself in the corner of the room, little 13 year old Joel putting his head in his hands and crying.
"Stop it!!!" His father seethed. Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and throwing him to the ground. Joel started to cry louder as his father kicked him in the stomach over and over again until Joel woke up from his horrid nightmare.
He grabbed onto strands of his hair, pulling on them as he rolled himself forward. What if that happened again? Joel didn't think he could take it.
***
After trying to sleep and failing terribly, Joel decided to start on unpacking his things. He put his plain, pale blue sheets on the bed, changed out of his ratty clothes (Which had nothing to do with unpacking, it just needed to be done.) put his keyboard back on it's stand and unpacked everything but his clothes. He hooked up the tv that his dad had randomly hanging about and finished everything by the time his dad left for work.
He decided he'd go to the store and get ssome things. He had some cash of his own and his dad gave him the 15 or so dollars he had in coins.
The only thing was, he didn't know where to go. It was too early in the morning to ask River, so he'd wait and see instead of trying to find it himself.
He sat out on the front porch, his hair smoothed out so it didn't look like he crawled out of the lake today. He sang softly into the wind, taking note of the people around him so he wouldn't be too loud. He exchanged a stare or two with the girl down the road, and continued to sing.
He wished he still had his guitar, but his mom had to sell it a few months ago because of money issues. It would have made his whole 'Im a lonely little singer." vibe complete.
"Joel?" A groggy voice muttered. River stood in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest, hiding the middle section of the light blue blouse that went on top of her skinny jeans.
"Sorry. Did I wake you?"
"No. Why are you up so early?"
"Couldnt sleep." She now wondered if the strangled cries she heard last night were him. They more than likely were, she just didn't feel like asking. "Why are you?"
"Oh, I have to run to the store."
"Will you take me? I need to pick some things up. And I dont know where it is."
River smiled, she was right. She could see the layer of Joel that she didn't get to see yesterday peak through. His eyes wide and his speech stumbling as if he was afraid of saying something wrong.
"Of course."
***
A few hours later, the two finally left the store with their overfilled plastic bags and their conversations coming out louder and more obnoxious than they expected. They talked about everything from bands, to things that annoy them, to ways that theyd survive their fictional zombie outbreak.
"You know Joel, this was fun."
"It was indeed River." They said their farewells for the day and the first thing Joel thought of as he hit the bed is school tomorrow.
Fuck.