Nostalgia

Two: Decent Human Being

Sam

I release my hands from her face, and walk away waving slightly. She does the same. I see one of my good friends, Kai, heading towards me. I'm just taking a wild guess that he had been the one to yell my name in front of Candi. Candi. I sigh. "What's going on Kai?" I ask as I shove my hands in the front pockets of my skinny jeans.

    "Why are you down here? We have Kelly next, this hallway isn't only way from Mr. Adler's office?"

"I could ask you the same thing, I was walking the new girl to her class." He smiles, "It seems to be we we're both down here for the same reason, sort of. I was walking Wendy Olsen to her art class. I'm going to see if she want to go to the drive-in Friday night. You should come, you can bring your little friend." He laughs. I roll my eyes and laugh, "I barely know her, I was just helping her out." We start walking to class. "Well that's not what it looked like, just ask her to come. Maybe you'll hit it off." I roll my eyes once again, as we walk into Mr. Kelly's classroom.

There's about six other students in the room when we enter, and a few more after us. The bell rings to notify class has started. Everyone takes a seat as Mr. Kelly wanders to the front of the room. He began class with notes which isn't all bad, and after we had, in class work time. I was just unable to pay attention. Something was on my mind, it was partially Candi but I tried to push her out. She's just a girl who needed help, not me, help. Besides her, my house was on my mind.

I don't have a reason, I'm just worried. My shoulders try to tense up but I relax them as much a possible. My house. Is anyone home right now ? Is someone in my house ? Where's my mother ? Is she okay, what if she's not ? It didn't last more than a minute before I couldn't control myself anymore. My shoulders tensed, the hair on my arms stood up, goosebumps on my neck, and with all my force I tried to sit still but began shaking in my seat. Kai leaned over, "Hey dude are you okay ?" Without replying I continued to shake and stare off in front of me, and I found myself rising out of my seat without even knowing. With every bone in my body I tried to seat myself, but I was frozen, shaking, and scared. "Sam," Mr. Kelly calls out. Everyone turns slightly to look at me. "can I help you with something ?" Along with my shaking body, I shake my head no. Everyone's staring at me now, and whispering to one another. "Sam, please take a seat." I didn't realize I had gathered all of my things into my arms before I rose. I dropped my notebooks bolted out of the classroom. I could hear Mr. Kelly, and Kai yelling for me but I kept running. My house wasn't on my mind anymore, I don't even know what was. I ran to Eric's office.

I didn't know if I was hoping he was there or not. Frankly he wasn't, so I ran down the hall towards the gymnasiums. Class was going on in the largest gym but I ran right through, and out the doors to the football field. I saw the track for running and went towards it. I started doing laps, one after another, and another, and another. I don't know how long I ran, but I heard the school bell ring for the end of the day, and I stopped dead in my tracks. I turned back toward the school and headed that way. As I passed the bleachers I noticed a girl underneath them smoking a cigarette and watching me. We made eye contact. She wore winged eyeliner, and had a short chopped hair, a grown out pixie cut. I looked away as I walked into the building. I passed Eric's office and didn't think twice to stop. I walked out the front doors and went straight for my bus. I got on and sat in the middle by myself. I don't have my books, papers, notes. Nothing. I dug in my pockets for my phone. I didn't want to listen to music. I placed my elbows on my knees and rest my chin in my hands. Two minutes later I heard a familiar voice, "Hey, can I sit with you ?" I look up to see Candi.

I didn't saying anything, just nodded. I moved to make space for her and she sat, looked at me and blushed a bit and looked away, which made me blush. She attempts to make conversation but I cut her off, "How are y-"

"What are you doing Friday night ?"she tries to read me but I keep a straight face, and then she begins to grin. "I don't have anything planned, why ? What are you thinking ?" I start to feel awkward but she's still grinning. I rub the back of my neck with my hand, and sigh nervously. It's not like I'm asking her to marry me, is just a "date." I think. "My friend Kai is taking a girl to the drive-in theater, and he asked me to go with him, and I want you to come.. If you want." I start to blush, and regret asking her, "You don't ha-" she cuts me off. "I'd love to.

"Yeah ?" I ask. "Yes that sounds fun," she smiles. Again wow, this girl's smile makes me smile. It's beautiful. I shake my head mentally, no. I doubt this is a date. She's just accompanying me, on someone else's.. date, I guess.

We make conversation on the bus ride home, about the movie, music, and how she loves tea. We have some of the same taste in music, but we both love horror movies and classic movies, and are hoping one of those are playing Friday night. I'm one of the last stops, and there's one stop in between Candi and I's. As we pull up to her stop she begins to say goodbye, "Well this is me," she slightly grins. "I'll see you tomorrow or something." I chuckle. She nods and stands up but before she begins walking away she handed me a piece of paper that was in between her index and middle fingers, "Here, text me." She grins with her teeth and walk away. I blush and stuff it into my back pocket.

As she walked off the bus and began down the street, I was already putting my earbuds in, and still blushing like a fool. I don't remember what I was listening to, I just know I loved it, and couldn't get enough. It was as loud as it could have gone and I wanted it louder. We pulled up to my stop. I couldn't hear a thing but my blaring music, but I still managed to nod to thank the bus driver. I had to walk a block and a half to actually get to my house but I never really minded. As I began walking, something felt off, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I tried to brush it off and keep my happy streak going but that ended when I finally heard the voices behind me catch up to me.

They bumped into me, I tripped but caught myself in time so I didn't fall on my face. I knew who it was without even turning around. Jasper Lanston, and his douche bag friends, Isaac Moore, and Brady Roth. Isaac and Brady were the ones who did the damage. Jasper stood back and watched them with a straight face, like he owned them. He never really said anything. Though he was the "leader" of their group, after the boys had done their work, he'd wait for them to leave and offer me his hand. I never took it, because I didn't understand it. Why would he try to help me after his dirtbag friends beat the shit out of me ?

Brady and Isaac were teasing me like middle school children, asking about my new "girlfriend" Candi. Isaac usually went for my stomach and rib cage. Brady usually got me in me the head when he could. Brady doesn't do as much physical damages as Isaac, but after he got done with you, you hated yourself even more than you had before. This time was sort of different. Worse. Brady was running his shit mouth, as Isaac took the first turn. When Isaac finished Brady came up to me, grabbed my hair, made me stand and kept throwing right hooks at my face. He dropped me to the ground and called me shit, and trash, and that I'd better stay away from Candi because she was his.

I was laying on my stomach and lifted myself above the ground, coughing and spitting up some blood. They began walking away, and Jasper began walking toward me. He didn't offer me his hand this time. Instead he reached down and picked me up, and slung my arm over his shoulders. He didn't take me home. Instead I found out myself walking up a driveway and into what I was guessing was his house. He began handing me aspirin, and a bottle of water. He led me to the bathroom and handed me a wash cloth. He hasn't said anything this whole time. Nor did I. What could he be thinking ?

He left, and I decided that was my cue to clean myself up. I drowned the cloth in water and cleaned up my face. I had cuts above my eyebrow, and on my left cheekbone. I came out of the bathroom and he was waiting for me. "I'll drive you home, let's go." We left his house and drove a block in silence. I could have walked but the gesture was nice. We pulled up to my front lawn. "Thanks, for uh, yea-" he cut me off. "This doesn't make us friends, this makes me a decent human being." I nodded and exited the car. He drove off, and I stood looking at my house, and suddenly remembered and reached in my back pocket. Candi's number. I grabbed hold of it and took it out but didn't look at it and  kept it at my side. I didn't text her that night.

Thank you.
xo