Innocent Dangers

Part 8. (Taylor Jean)

  "My brother is named Johnny." I smiled. "I miss him. He's been gone for about a year and a half now. Every time the holidays come around, he says he has work and is too busy. Also, I need someone else around here. My dad and step-mom are gonna drive me insane."

   "Where's your mom?" He asks.

   "She's in America, as well." I answered. "I haven't seen her in a while. She and my dad divorced when I was younger and my dad got remarried and she met someone."

   "Do you like your step-dad?" He asks.

   "Um," I say. "I haven't really met him before but I guess. I mean, my mom is happy so I should be." I sighed and then shrugged at him. He looked at me and the silence crept upon us. I cleared my throat and spoke. "So, what do you like to do?"

    "I don't know," He laughed. I gave him a look and he laughed again.

   "You told me you went to the gym." I stated. "What did you do?"

   "I was boxing." He answered. I raised my eyebrows to show the interest I had about the activity he likes. "I once got really angry and broke the punching bag. It fell off the chain and I almost got kicked out of the gym. I am known by the manager, Gale, and he likes me as his son so he let me stay."

    "Do you, like, compete or something?" I asked stupidly. "Like do you fight with other guys?" I said. He laughs and I look at him. "What? What did I say?"

   "Nothing," He says as he stops laughing but still smiles his beautiful smile. "I don't fight with other men, I just train. I, kind of, just hit too hard that I can't exactly fight with the people in my weight class."

   "Oh," I replied. "Uh, well how hard do you hit? I mean," I paused. "Never mind. I don't want to know." I laugh.

    "Tell me about yourself." He said. "About you. Not your family, your brother or anyone. Just you please."

    I took a deep breath before I spoke. "I remember, I started to become sad at just a young age. I didn't like it at the time at all but it started to become a normal feeling. Always there for me when no one else was, it felt like home." I paused. "It became my best friend."

   "You were depressed." He said. I wasn't sure if it were a question or if it were him stating a fact. "You don't seem like you would be. Are you feeling like that anymore?"

  "I was." I replied. "I guess, I was. I got over it for a little when I found out about getting everything I wanted. I could go to the mall and get everything I wanted. I could ask my dad or my step-mom for whatever I wanted. I don't feel that way right now though or I haven't in a while."

    "So, you're happy?" He asked. I nodded and smiled. He smiled and scooted closer to me. I pulled my legs forward. He found his way on the other side of me. We both set our legs straight and we both leaned our backs and heads on the headboard. I looked to him and laughed as he looked at me.

   "Are you happy?" I asked him. He looked down and started to twist a silver ring on his middle finger. I finally noticed the scars on his hands and realized they weren't just from hitting something. It looked like it was from himself, like he did it. They were all around his knuckle and his arm.

   "No." He answered truthfully. I watched his eyes but they just looked at me. His pupils were small but still visible. "I am not happy. Things make me happy but I'm not generally happy."

   "Well, what will make you happy?" I asked him.

  "Someone." He answered. "Someone that wouldn't do bad things to me. Someone that wouldn't leave me."