Impurity

Chapter One

"Austin.."

"Austin ..!"
'...What is this..What's..Whats going on here?' Austin opened his eyes slowly, Hisvision blurring in an out. The figure kneeling against him, Holdinghim like a mother cradling her child.
'Why am I here..?' For oncehis mind was clear, empty but filled with silence, It was...Peaceful.
Austin tried to sit up only to be stopped by thefigure, "Don't move okay?! Oh shit, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorryAustin!"
Her voice.. Frantic, Full of fear, Cracking, Almostlike she was crying, But why? What had happened?
He looked at thefigure, attempting to clear his blurred sight, but to no avail. Thelight above her made her look like a pure shadow.
"Please pleaseplease be OK! I knew I shouldn't have brought you here." She pulledhim closer against her, tightly clinging for dear life.. As theground shake beneath him, his poetic silence was disturbed. A sharppain? No he thought, a sting, In my side? Like a prickle.. in theside of my chest.. attempting to raise his hand but surprisingly hisarm felt heavy..
'What..Whathappened?'
"Austin.."
"Austin..!"
"Austin!!"
YelledMr. Warren. Snapping back into silent reality of his fourth period.Austin quickly glanced around the room. Lines of Desks, lined infront of one another, with the 2 giant blackboards up front withwhite chalk markings. Noticing the teacher Mr. Warren standing therewith a very impatient face. 'Oh yeah. Math class.' He thought tohimself.
Mr. Warren, no more then 52 looked more like he was 73,with short white hair and wrinkles covering every inch of his face.His brown eyes, short figure with his white collar shirt and blackpants set his chalk down on the black board and turned, eyeing himagain before saying.
"Can we have you're attention before youpass back out and start drooling all over your brand new textbook? Orwould you like to be excused to the principles office again?" Theclass snickered. Taking a deep breath Austin stood up, his somewhattall figure creating a shadow loomed over his friend Katie sittingnext to him. He looked over at her giving her a pleading look beforeshe sighed and handed him her paper, Giving her a slight smile helooked back up at the impatient teacher. "I'm sorry Mr. Warren,Could you repeat the question for me?" Mr. Warren looked at both ofthem before saying "Make sure you're awake this time or you mightmiss something important."
"Or miss another drooling, good,fantasy dream?" Said Kevin, the linebacker for our school'sfootball team.
The class once again started laughing before Warrenspoke up saying. "And You should be careful not to miss anythinghere either Kevin, If you fail another one of my tests you can kissyou're football sport goodbye and you're grade is going to drop to aF plus an phone call home to you're mommy." Everyone laughed atthis as Kevin just rolled his eyes looking back down into hispaper.
Warren then turned his gaze back to Austin. "The questionwas "Let F(X)=2x+1, If G is the inverse function of f, then g(3)=What?
Looking down at Katie's paper quickly reviewing her notes.'Oh shit, I have no idea where we are.. Dammit.'
"Oh.. Uhm.. Ifthat's the case..then it would Equal.. Uhm.. I uh.."
And then heheard his glorious saving grace, the obnoxious bell signaling the endof class and even better, end of school, He smiled as everyone on cuestarted grabbing their things packing up, Warren said "Ok everyonetomorrow I have a special surprise for you all, So make sure youstudy hard tonight."
As everyone started fanning out of theclassroom Katie stood up.
"You're such a klutz, you know that?"She smiled. "Hey, sorry about that I total forgot where we whereat, I must have fallen asleep again" Austin said. "Haven't reallygotten much sleep ya know?"
"Did you have another dream?About the girl?" Said Katie with slight concern in her voice. "I'mtelling you, you really should go see a physicist about this isreally could help you!" He laughed watching her pack her things ashe picked up his bag. "Yeah well you know me, if it doesn't bleedits nothing to be concerned over. Besides why would I pay some quack400$ to basically tell me I need some sleep, Or that I'm crazy, Orboth!" Laughing slightly she stood up punching him in the shoulder."You're not crazy, you're just tired. You should really get somesleep though I mean I.." Her face turned red slightly. "I meanyou used to be so happy, And out going, I'm just worried about youthat's all." She hung her head slightly hiding the slight blush inher face
"Well even so, I still have a job to worry about. Gottaprovide for the family right?" Said Austin stretching.
'Sleep.I haven't gotten a real goodnight sleep since..well since theaccident.'
"Are you still working at that old coal mine? Withall those other big guys?" Said Katie starting to walk towards thedoor.
"Of course, how else am I supposed to eat?" Laughing hestarted to follow her before being stopped by Mr. Warren
"Austin,I need to speak with you privately." Sighing and looking over atKatie, "Go ahead, Ill catch up, tossing her my keys."
"What'sup warren?" He sat down at his desk and looked over at me. "Havea sit we need to discuss you're performance."
Pulling a chairover Austin sat down in front of his desk setting his bag down nextto him.
"Listen Austin, I understand that things have beenrough with you lately, with the relocation, and you're father'sdeath, I can understand that things are hard" said Warren. 'Yep.Just as I thought, another one of his, you are still a bright manwith a few obstacles pep-talk' Knowing what he's going to say almostword for word he looked out the window.
'Who was that girl in mydream? Why is she there, Why do I have that same exact dreamevery-night?' Questions that's run through my head everyday. Everynight. At least ever since dad died.
Dad..The Hero of the town,the single man who saved more then 100 people during that storm.
"Austin.."
"Please I'm just trying to help you, Beforeyour dad's death you where my brightest student. And a good kid atthat, Now look at you? It's almost been a full year, And you'vechanged everything." Warren said with slight concern in his voice.Looking down at himself Austin thought, 'So what if I wear my blackhoodie? And a ruffed pair of jeans.'
Standing up and looking atWarren. "Are you done?" Staring him dead in the eye. He sighed,"Look son"
"Don t." Austin said coldly cutting him off.You don't know anything about me, and personally I don't really careabout what you say anymore. "Austin i-" "No. This is a completewaste of time and I don't even care, Now im going home." turning onhis heel, Austin walked out. Leaving Warren behind him he walked outinto the hallway. A few students remain here in school most of themjust the nerds of the school. Staying behind for the few extracurricular activities. Exiting to the doors outside he saw Katie inthe parking-lot, in his rusted black 89 Daytona, with the enginerunning he walked over to the passenger side, throwing his bag in thecar and sliding in.
"So shall we try this again and not tear-up" Austin said with a smirk,
"Shut up! This is onlymy...3rd..try.." Katie said looking down, LaughingAustin pointed to the stick in the middle of the car. "Remember,reverse is all the way to the left, so push your clutch in and pushthe stick over then up." Katie proceeded doing as Austin instructedpromptly backing the car up, switching from reverse into 1stgear she proceeded to drive it out of the parking lot, jerking itonly a few times before getting onto the road. Austin looked over atKatie, Shes been here all his life, He was born on May 7that 8:20 PM, and Katie was born on the same day within the same hour,Both of their mothers where wheeled into the recovery room where theyshared their life moments with each-other becoming good friends. Himand Katie grew up side by side most of their lives. Though Katie wasmore Frail for her age, this was due to her several conditions mostof them being Lupus, Which means her entire immune system attacksitself, and brittle bone disease, meaning if she fell no more then afew feet she could break several bones. So she always had to wearseveral layers of clothing due to her conditions because she wasalways cold. Being able to go outside was a blessing for her, butthat never stopped Austin.
He remembered back when they where 6,he got sent to the principals office for ripping another girls hairout for pushing Katie around breaking her arm. He was veryprotective over her, but the feeling was very mutual, a few yearsbefore his dad died, him and Katie where out in the forest a fewmiles out of town, Austin was riding around on his dirt-bike whileKatie was looking for birds for her assignment, and he flew up a jumpa little to high, crashing his bike and tumbling down themountainside. Trapped and stuck under his bike jammed into an oldtree, Katie had ran 2 miles back at about 10pm to get help, thusdoing so she got real sick, and ended up being bed ridden for almosta week, but Austin, bandaged from a few broken ribs, came to see herevery day until she got better. He had promised her when she getsbetter, when she turns 16 he might teach her how to drive his carwhen he gets it from his dad.
With a sudden jerk he snapped backinto reality, feeling the car sputter before dyeing, he laughedslightly before looking over at Katie. "Killed the car again? Youshouldn't dump the clutch so fast." when he looked at her he sawher laying her head against the steering wheel, gripping it so tighther knuckles where nearly white. "Katie? Katie are you ok? Whatsgoing on, whats wrong?" Said Austin frantically. She hadn't movedfrom her position. "Katie? Are you feeling ok?" He reached overto touch her forehead but before he had the chance she whispered in aweak voice. What do I need to do to fix you.
He stopped. "Fixme? What do you mean?" She looked over at him her eyes glossyclear. "Ever since the storm you've changed.. You've changed somuch. You're so quiet, you never smile anymore, you always look sotired, you're always nodding off into space, you refuse to doanything in school, you dropped out of wrestling.. you don't even goon you're dirt-bike anymore, You're no longer the Austin I knew,You're different now." "Katie I.." Austin spoke with a slightdifferent in his voice. "Before the storm before you're dad, Youhad such big dreams, You wanted to go places, You looked so happy,and bright, You smiled, You laughed, You enjoyed being alive!" Whenhe looked at her again she had raised her face from the steeringwheel. "Please Austin tell me, How can I help you? What do I needto do to make you better? You spent so many years of you're lifetreating me making sure I'm ok but now that you're the one in troubleyou shut everyone out, you're even shutting me out." He watchedher, her smooth cheekbones smoothing into her narrow chin, and herclear brown eyes matching in tone with her snow white colored skin.And her short cut black hair flat against her face, slightly ruffled.Leading into her 3 layers of sweaters and her scarf,
Austin sigheddeeply before looking straight. "I haven't changed Katie it'sjust.. things around me have changed. I have to support my mothernow, with dad gone, and mom being depressed, I have to keepeverything going.. Granted with school and a job and my mother thingshave been hard but I can do it." Katie reached over and punchedhim in the arm. "You idiot! You always take on so much more thenwhat you can handle, and you never ask for help! You don't have to dothis alone, why wont you let me help you?" Katie punched him again.Austin sat there feeling the numbness knots building in his chest. Heopened his mouth slightly but nothing came out but a look ofsorrow.
Katie watched him. "Is it because I'm always sick? Is itbecause I'm a lost cause? Because I'm not able to stand for myselfwithout someone?" Katie said with the water in her eyes forminginto the small tears gliding down the side of her face. "Katie no.that's not it at all I just.. you.." Austin spoke. "I.."
Sheopened the door grabbing her bag. "Tomorrow night, I'm taking youout to dinner. And I don't want any questions or objections. That'sfinal. You need to get away and have a good time and that is that."Katie slammed the door leaving the keys in the ignition leavingAustin sitting there in silence. He took a deep breath and grabbingthe keys, and getting out of the car. He looked around, his drivewayhad cracks from the garage down to the street. Looking over to hisyard, the grass had died and turning brown. He had lived on thisstreet all his life, One of the first houses completed here, he hadseen many family's move in, and move out, he had seen the landscapechange, everything around him had changed with the 17 years he hadbeen living here. But one thing that hadn't changed was Katie's housejust up the street. Her father was a Military sergeant, mother was aNurse. Both great friends with his dad. Katie had been raised in ahealthy family. Although when Katie's mother died from drinkingherself to death her father was forced to remain in the servicebranch, leaving Katie's alone to fend for herself. But that neverstopped her from doing anything. He always sent her money. He hadscheduled doctors to come and do routine check ups on her weekly tomake sure she could stay in top health for her conditions. And aftermuch time and arguing, her father finally allowed her to go to schoolinstead of being home schooled. It was due to this that Katie's housebecame an icon in the old rundown neighborhood. People always comingin and out to keep up on the house, tend to the flower garden andeverything else. While his house blended in more with everyone elsearound here more. Like everyone else's house life had just left, Somewhere burned and abandoned. While either the family living there nolonger cared about keeping it up, leaving them with holes in thewindows, dead yard, it was typical for this neighbor hood. And hishouse was no less the same. Austin had walked up to his front door,creaking in the wooden porch with every step. He started reaching forthe rusted doorknob before the words Katie had spoke earlier ranthrough his head. 'Dinner.. Tomorrow night?' 'Wait.. Did she just askme on.. a Date? No..Of course not' Austin could feel his heart speedup slightly. Katie of all people, someone who he's considered alittle sister all his life was asking him out to dinner. Could it bea date? no. that's not like her, she doesn't like going out veryoften. But none the less she seemed so serious. Feeling his phonebuzz in his pocket he saw his alarm was going off signalizing he haswork in a hour, "Shit! I'm going to be late!" Austin saidfrantically, opening the door, Ill worry about that later, He steppedinside and saw a sight much to familiar to his gaze. His Mother.