Safe

Day 'o Curveballs

Tuesday's are my least favorite day. It's my Monday. But, maybe today won't be so bad.

"Sky! You're going to be late!"

"No I'm not, dad. And anyway, Al said he would take me to school, cause he's got time before his first class. Right, Al?"

"Yeah! But come on. It's already 7:40."

"Alright, alright. I'm coming."

Getting out the door is probably the hardest part of the day. Actually getting to school. Once I'm there I can ignore people. But inside the comfort of my home, it's so easy to decide not to go to school. The fact that my dad works from home makes it harder for me to skip school. So, I drag my feet and throw my stuff into the back of my brothers car. He turns on the radio and pulls out of the driveway. Speeding down the main road, he slows down and turns off onto a smaller road.

"What are you doing Al? This isn't a short cut. I've looked at the maps."

He pulls up behind someone else's car and parks.

"I want to talk to you."

"About what, Al? I'm going to be late for school. Not that I actually care but still."

"I'm scared."

"What? Of what?"

"I'm switching majors mainly because my old drug dealer is in one of my classes."

"What? Wait. Drug dealer? What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Two years ago. In my senior year of high school, I started my job at Areva. It was more of an internship but whatever. I started hanging out with this guy named Matty. He was cool and whatever but then he started acting funny around me. Like he wouldn't give me straight answers or anything. So he finally told me that he was doing drugs and learning that my dad worked at Areva he got concerned that I was going to tell."

"You still haven't gotten to the part about you doing drugs." 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hold your horses. So, we went to a friends of his' party and they offered me some pills. But if I took them I had to pay them back. So I started taking the pills and selling them to other people.

"As time went on I started slowing down on my drug intake. They weren't to addictive but I liked the way they made me feel. Like I was floating.

"But the point is, I kept selling and stopped taking.

"Last year, when I went abroad, most of that was paid for with drug money. When I came back I told him I didn't want to sell anymore. He didn't really like that but what was he going to do, kill me?"

The nervous chuckle that erupted from my older brother told me everything.

"You're scared he's going to kill you."

"Yeah. And I have no way to protect myself because if I tell someone, like the police, I'm giving myself up too."

"Shit, Al. What the fuck?" I wasn't angry so much as disappointed. "Just take me to school."

"But I need your help!"

"I'll think of something. I'll have all school day. But you shouldn't go to class today. Go to Robert's house."

He pulled back onto the road and continued to school.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sky! Sky! Wait up!"

"Calum? What do you want and why are you talking to me?"

"Do you know Alister?"

"Yeah. He's my brother, how do you know him?"

"He's a friend of a friend. I didn't know you were related to him! He's so cool!"

"Sometimes."

"Do you know?"

"About what?"

"Just ask him if he still wants to party."

"No. He doesn't do that anymore. And I'm surprised that you, Mr. Star Athlete would do something as stupid as drugs."

"What? I'm not talking about drugs. I'm talking about the gay club. It's in the next county. We go together sometimes."

"He's gay?"

"No. But some of his friends are, and they take me. We just go to have fun."

Calum gave me a funny look and walked away. I'm just paranoid I guess. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ruby:  Meet me in the girls bathroom downstairs at 1:34 that should be in 6th period.

Me:  Why? Are you going to lock me in the stall or something? Maybe give me a swirly?

Ruby:  No. What even is a swirly? I want to talk. Please.

Me:  Fine. I'll see you then.

I watched the clock all during 6th period. I waited till it was 1:32 to ask to go to the bathroom. My teacher begrudgingly let me go. I wasn't listening to him anyway. I walked down the stairs looking for the bathroom. 

"Ruby? Are you in here?"

"Yeah. Shhhh." Her Australian accent echoed off the tile-clad walls. 

"Where are you?" She pushed the stall door open. Her blood shot eyes looking at me like a lost puppy dog.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. I've been in here since the beginning of lunch."

I waited for her to keep explaining but she didn't.

"Let's get off the floor. Come on." I pulled her hand up and guided her to the sink. She washed her hands and splashed her face with water. Rubbing away the running mascara.

"I want to cut my hair off." She says bluntly. She seems to have been thinking in her head and only said a snippet of the running dialogue. 

"What? How short?"

"About to here." She puts her hand above her head. 

"That's pretty short."

"I also want to dye it brown." 

"Okay. Why?"

"I just want to. That's all. But when I told Lexi she said I would look like a boy and that I already have boyish features. I wouldn't mind but the way she said it. She said it like its bad to have short hair or broad shoulders."

"Well. Why did you tell her?"

"She's my closest friend. I tell her everything. Almost."

I wasn't really sure what to say. Her friends are terrible and she talks to me about it?

"I don't feel right." She blurts out.

"Like your going to throw up or your head?" I put my hand on her forehead. She grabs my wrist and drops my hand on the counter.

"No. I don't feel right. Being in a skirt, being in a girls bathroom, kissing boys. I don't feel like a girl."

Wow. I couldn't think of anything to say.

"Don't look at me like I'm some freak!" She mistook my slacked jaw stare.

"No no no no. I don't think that at all. I think you need better friends and support system and you surprised me, that's all. But I also think you should do what makes you happy. Don't bother with what other people think."

Suddenly she pulled me in to a hug. 

"Thank you Sky." She whispered into my ear. She pulled away and straightened her shirt and fixed her hair.

"You won't tell anyone right?" She pulled out her mascara and reapplied. 

"No one." I pretended to zip my lips.

She smiled at me before leaving. All I could do was watch her leave.

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Thank you so much for reading!! I'm having so much fun writing this one!