Out Of This World

The breeze was so gentle it was more a sway of air particles than anything else as we sat, slumped beneath the shade of a children's playground. Kain began to fumble around for a cigarette and I crawled over to his other side, down wind from the smoke.

I pulled my hair over my left shoulder and wriggled to get comfy, ignoring the unwavering stare Jacqui was sending me. Her eyes brightened maliciously and she crawled over to sit on my other side.

"Hey, Kain. Gimme one?" she said, reaching over me and prodding Kain in the shoulder.

"Get your bloody own," he frowned. Jacqui snatched the ciggarette from between his lips and started to light it. "Fucking bitch," Kain muttered, producing another from his pocket.

Thick smoke mingled with the breeze and wafted beneath my nostrils. I fought the urge to cough and quietly cleared my throat instead. Jacqui lived for the soul purpose of proving my squeaky clean persona.

"So what's up, Squeakie?" she said, blowing more smoke in my face.

I moved backwards an inch. Kain, taking this as a sign of encouragement, pulled me further so that my right butt cheek was halfway in his lap. Jacqui's jaw tightened as she clenched her teeth. Ignoring her question, I turned my face and rested my head against Kain's. I didn’t really like him in that way, but I didn’t like Jaqui even more.

I looked around from under my bangs at the five other people gathered beneath the wooden deck of the playground. Two were taking deep drags of paint sprayed into their shirt sleeves. One was passed out from a long night of what, I don’t know. Jacqui sat, frowning at Kain and me with a menacing gleam in her eyes which, in all honesty, scared the shit out of me. Jacqui had issues, and was known to go a little over the top with her vengence. Kain sat next to me, one hand gripping my waist, the other gripping his sixth or seventh cigarrette for that day, and it was only noon. I knew I didn’t belong here- everyone knew I didn’t belong here, even Kain. I had no idea as to why he liked me so much. I had no idea why I went along with it.

I guess it was because I hardly saw Ben anymore. He was always with Ada. It wasn’t that he didn’t try to see me and it wasn’t as if he had a choice where Ada was concerned, though something told me that if he did, Ada wouldn’t be disappointed. I straight out didn't like her. And not because she had won the attention of my Ben…well, not just because of that. Call me prejudice, but I didn’t trust those wide violet eyes of hers. So, where Ada was, I wasn’t; so where Ben wasn't I was. In result, where I was, there was no one. No one except Kain- the only one that wanted me around as much as Ben used to.

And I needed someone.

Foot steps broke the silence, advancing toward us through the deep tanbark floor. We all looked up as the person's shadow grew ahead of us before disappearing in the shade of the deck.

Well, think of the devil…

Ben craned his neck down and sideways to see below the deck. A lock of sweaty hair fell into his eyes and he tediously pushed it back. I removed my head from Kain's and sat up. I tried to create some space between us but his arm remained firmly around my waist.

"Hey, Ben," he smirked. Ben ignored him.

"Kim, I need to talk to you," he said gently.

I nodded, removed Kain's hand and walked into the sunlight. Ben's arm came behind me, just hovering over the small of my back as if he were afraid that the force of his touch would break me. We walked a little way before stopping just short of where the tanbark ended and the grass began. I reaised a hand to shield my eyes against the sun as I looked up at Ben expectantly.

"Kim, we're moving today. You know that right?"

I nodded, "Mmhmm."

"So why wasn't your room packed when I came up to get you this morning?"

"Because it doesn’t need to be," I answered simply.

"And why's that?" Ben knew what the answer was, he just needed something to start off his rant.

"Because I'm not coming with you." I said, rolling onto my heels.

He sighed, "Did your parents tell you exactly why we're moving?"

"Yeah, and it's bullshit."

Ben's face suddenly contorted into confusion, "What?" he said, brows constricted, "What did they tell you?"

"That I'm "changing" and that I need a change of crowd," I spat. "Though, if you're coming, I think that totally defeats the purpose."

"What're you saying?" he snapped, "That I'm the reason for your fucked up attitude?"

That's exactly what I'm saying.

I shrugged shrewdly.

Ben scoffed at my expression before muttering, "I don't believe this…"

We stood there in silence for a while before Ben suddenly grabbed my arm and began walking. I followed him for a few steps before stopping and digging my heels into the uprturned soil. He gave my arm a sharp yank and I stumbled forward before snatching my arm out of his grasp.

"Kim, don't be stupid," He growled.

"I'm not coming," I said firmly.

"Yeah? And where are you going to stay?"

"With Kain." I felt an instant wave of satisfaction as his face darkened.

"Let's go," He grabbed my hand again.

"No," I said determindly.

Ben frowned before his face turned blank. He took a step closer to me and stared me openly in the eyes. Bending down, he put one arm behind my body and the other behind my knees, forcing them to buckle. Before I could protest he had me up and slung over his shoulder; he began walking away, as if I were no heavier than his school bag.

"Ben. Put me down, NOW!" I thought I sounded really threatening, but Ben obviously didn’t as he ignored me and continued to walk back through the playground.

"Oi! What the fuck are you doing, dude?"

Ben ignored Kain, stepped around him and started walking up the hill. I kicked him hard in the stomach and he paused. I felt his chest tense beneath my legs but he ignored the pain and flattened my legs to his torso with his arm so I couldn’t kick him again. I began to pound on his back with my fists, chanting, "Let me go!" as he continued to walk home.

"Ben, fucking put her down!" Kain yelled, "She doesn’t want to go with you! Hey! Put her down you stupid dick!"

There was a thump as Kain's fist came, missing Ben's jaw and hitting me in the leg as Ben used me as a human shield.

"Ow!" I yelled.

"Shit, sorry."

Ben ignored us both and soon I heard the sound of his footsteps change as he made it to the path. Suddenly we stopped, and Ben stummbled backwards. The ground advanced terrifyingly toward me before he regained his balance and I was jostled back into place.

"Do that again," Ben growled, "And I'll fall on her."

"Put her the fuck down and I won't do that again!"

I felt us moving forward and Ben's head crane down to Kain's height. He said something inaudible and we started walking again. I watched the playground disappear around a corner, Kain standing hopelessly with it. I sighed, giving up and relaxing my upper half so that I was hanging like a ragdoll against Ben's back. Ben and I were alone for the first time in months- if that's what my parents meant by "a change of crowd", that sure as hell wasn't going to happen, no matter where we lived.