Railroad

Chapter 2: Dragon

When I finished crying, I started up my car, deciding to take a drive to try to clear my thoughts. Little did I know that this drive would bring up more memories from the past. I drove out of the parking lot, down the first route I spotted. I was driving nowhere in particular but, my stomach started to growl. I looked on the street I was on seeing a McDonald’s, a small Jamaican restaurant, and a Chinese restaurant. I decided on Chinese.

Halfway through my food, I stared up at the ceiling curiously. There was a glass painting engraved in the ceiling. At first, I didn’t get it. Then, it instantly became clear; it was a red dragon, with various twist and turns. It was beautiful. I looked down at my wrist that had a tattoo of a dragon. The head started at my wrist and the tail twisted around my whole arm, until it got to the opposite side of my elbow. I touched the picture, permanently engraved into my skin. You’d think it'd bring me to think about worries of the future but, it brought me to my past.

February 15: The New Kid

I was waiting for Rayon impatiently, sitting on the front steps of the school I dreaded going into. I wondered if he was mad at me for leaving him by himself yesterday. I didn’t mean to, I just forgot about him, he barely talks. I sat up straightly, looking down the road to see a black truck come toward the front of the school. When the door opened, loud music blasted out of the car radio was heard. Rayon came out, and instead of the usual two braids that hung by his ears, his black hair was out, crazy and all over the place. The person driving the car, who I’m guessing was Rayan’s older brother Michael, sped off down the road.

“Hey, Rayan.” I said.

“Oh so now Mr. Big Shot wants to talk to me.” He smirked, actually talking at a surprisingly normal volume this time.

“What do you mean by ‘Mr. Big Shot’?” I asked, scrunching my nose.

“You don’t know?” Rayan’s volume once again started to lower.

“About what?”

“Your name is all over the school!” He responded. “They’re calling you a monster, a psychotic bastard, and just a plain out asshole.”

“Whoa.” I felt a little nausea take over me.

“But he hit you first. He pushed you. People were watching us; they’ll tell everyone what actually happened.”

“Rayan, do you honestly believe that bull shit? Everyone is scared to say anything, they’ll get put in the same status we’re in if they do!”

“When I talk you put me down, but when I don’t you tell me too, make up your damn mind Chres!” He yelled.

“Well if you could fight your own battles this wouldn’t be a problem, would it?” I screamed back.

He shook his head and walked off into the school. Why did I do that? Probably just lost the only friend I had to begin with? Well, it’s because I’m hard headed.

I walked in after Ray, but as soon as I got in all eyes were on me. Do these people have a life? Stop worrying about what I’m doing! As yesterday, every person in the school was talking about me. People that weren’t event there were making up stories and rumors that never happened. I heard some people speak, but others came out as low mumbles. The speaking that was really clear were the mumbles coming from a small group of ghetto kids in the middle of the hallway, blocking people from coming through.

“That nigga is cray” A boy in a white polo shirt said loudly. Very loudly.

“Riiiiight.” A girl with long braids agreed. It was probably weave. Yeah, it was a weave. “I heard he knocked his ass out!”