Why You? (Eyeball Chambers)

Fuck this town

June 28, 1959

There I was standing outside the Seneca Sunrise Coffee shop, leaned against the side of the building smoking my cigarette under the awning as the rain poured down.
I stared at a puddle in the middle of the street, watching all the raindrops splash down into it.
It was untouched.
Unbothered.
As if nothing could mess it up.
And then before I knew it, someone drove by and made that puddle go everywhere.
It made it split up.
"Figures", I growled to myself, then took a drag.


It always seems that when something is going so perfect, and it seems like nothing could ever disturb something as perfect as the raindrops hitting the puddle, something comes around the car, and messes it up, making it spread out, and there's s good chance you won't collect all the water back into the pothole again to keep it together.

"Merrill!!I don't pay you to stand around all day smokin them cancer sticks, now get your ass back in here and help me with these people!!",my Boss Arnold yelled at me from the door of the coffee shop, then walked back inside letting the door slam shut.
"You don't pay me as it is",I said to myself, then took one last drag before throwing it to the ground and putting it out with my foot.


I turned and walked down the sidewalk, then walked back inside, taking one last look at the sun as it was going down over the trees surrounding our town, but I walked in anyway.
It was around 5 or so, so we had a herd of people wanted to get their last cup of sanity in before they went and worked all night long.
I walked around the counter, grabbing my apron and putting it on.
"Hey Al, how's it goin?", I said putting my toothpick in my mouth to chew on as I grabbed the pot of coffee from behind me and filled his cup up.
"Ohh same ol same ol", he sighed and put his arms on the counter, folding them.
"I take it the ol newspaper bizz ain't doin so well huh?", I said and leaned on the counter as well.

"No not at all", he said then took a drink of his coffee.
"Sorry I'm late!!", I heard my best friend Bobby, who's real name is Roberta but she likes being called Bobby, said as she ran in and threw her jacket under the counter then put her apron on as fast as she could, turning to me and shaking her head."I hope he does'nt ream my ass."
"He won't as long as  you keep your voice down!",I laughed and handed her the coffee pot I was holding."Here, why don't you go around and fill everyone's cup, and I'll take orders...excuse me Al."
"No problem Mrs. Merrill", he nodded to me as I took my notepad out of my apron pocket and I laughed again.
"Al, how many times have I told you", I shook my head."Call me Scarlett."


After that I walked away from him and down the the counter to take some guy's order.
Al has come in here, everyday for the past year, ever since I started working here.
He's a 65 year old old man, who for reasons I can't understand, absolutely loves his newspaper business he has here in town.
But besides that, this town has a gas station, a trailer park, where I live with Bobby, and a little store just at the end of town where you can go for food.
That's it.
That's all.
Seneca is one of those towns that if you blink, you'll miss it.

I sighed as I stopped in front of some guy and leaned on the counter.
"What can I get ya sir?", I asked as he looked over the menu for a while, and I rolled my eyes, banging my head against the counter.
Next thing I knew, I felt someone, literally, put their hands on both sides of my hips, and totally rub themselves up against me to "get by."


I looked up slowly, with a death glare on and saw it was my asshole boss Arnold.
I looked over at Bobby, who was jaw dropped so I knew she saw the entire thing.
Next thing, I knew, I threw my notepad down, ripped my apron off, then hopped over the counter and shoved the door open walking out of the coffee shop and stomping down the sidewalk.


"Scar!!SCAR!!",Bobby yelled down the street as she ran after me."Scar, where you going?!"
"Where the fuck you think I'm going?!I'm going home!!I fuckin quit!!", I yelled back not even turning around.
"What?!Scar, come on! Come back!You want to lose your job?", she said as she caught up to me, and I stopped turning around, almost running into her.


"You want me to go back there?Are you serious?!After what he just di-you saw what he did!!", I said throwing my hands in the air."Are you aware that's the first time he's done that?!In fact, that's, that's literally the 6 time he's done that this week...this week!!That's not even counting all the other times he's done that!!"


"Scar-"
"NO!", I cut her off and she sighed, her shoulders slumping."I'm not going back there!I'm sick of it! If you want to, you can go back, but as for me?I'm getting the fuck outta here."
And with that, I turned on my heel and started walking down the street again towards the trailer park, to the trailer Bobby and I shared ever since we ran away with each other from our old town, where I left my drunk of a dad.


"What does that supposed to mean!?",she yelled.
"Just like I said", I shrugged, then looked back at her over my shoulder."Im getting the fuck outta here."
Then I turned and kept walking.


A few minutes later, I got there and walked inside, then slammed the door behind me, walking to my room and I grabbed a bag out of the closet, then started shoving everything in it.
I changed out of my work clothes and threw them to the floor, then put on a shirt that left my arms bare, and I caught sight of the scar/tattoo my brother gave me when I was 7.
I looked at it in the mirror, brushing over it with my fingers, then I sighed and shook my head.
No Scar, he left you.


He did'nt give to shits about what happened to you, so he left you.
He no longer means jack shit to you.
I zipped up that bag, then threw it beside the door and started on another one, shoving all my things i had on my desk into it.


"Your seriously leaving?",she said from the door and I scoffed, cocking my head to the side for a second.
"You should know by now, when I say something, I usually mean it", I said, then threw that bag by the door, and grabbed some more clothes from the closet to put in another bag.
"Where do you even plan on go-"
"I DON'T KNOW BOBBY!!", I yelled and threw my clothes by the door, running a hand down my face."Does it really matter?"


She stared at me, crossing her arms and sighing as she shook her head and I stared back at her.
"Look...you know I hate like hell to leave...your my best friend, Bobby...but I just can't stand living here", I shook my head and she continued staring at me.
"Well, I hope wherever you end up...your happy", she said heartbroken, then turned and walked out of the room.


I sighed, my eyes falling shut as I sat down on my bed and rubbed my face with my hands before putting them together in front of my mouth.
About an hour later, I was finally ready to go and I walked out, making my way down the driveway, but of course, Bobby stopped me.
"Scar, wait", she sighed as he ran after me.


I stopped and sighed, turning to see she had about a million bags of her own.
"Umm...whats-"
"I'm going with you", she shook her head."I'm with you. Fuck this town. Fuck everyone here. Let's forget about this place and just GO."

Slowly a smile crept across my face.
"Are you serious?!", I laughed and she nodded.
"HELL YEAH!!", she said, then I grabbed her and pulled her into a hug.
"Let's go then!!", I laughed, then let her go and we started walking down the street.
"Never lookin back", she said.
"Never lookin back",  I repeated.


"So whats the plan Stan?", she asked as we kept walking.
"Just...go wherever this road takes us", I shrugged, readjusting my duffle bag strap on my shoulder.
"Alright", she nodded and walked beside me.


We walked down the street for another 30 seconds, and then we were out of town, and headed down the highway where there was nothing but wilderness on both sides.
Next thing we knew, a van pulled up beside us, a Volkswagon actually, and some chick with long blonde hair and a bandana tied around her forehead leaned out the window.
"You guys need a ride?", she said real slow, then took a drag of something I could only guess was a blunt and blew it back out.


"Where ya guys headed?", I asked as I walked towards her and saw there were a bunch of kids in the back as well.
They all looked our age, even the guy driving did as well.
"Arcata",she said.
"California?",Bobby said eyebrows raised.
"You know it man", the lady nodded slowly with her eyes closed.
Man she was stoned off her ass.


I turned and looked at Bobby who nodded really fast.
"Alright", I nodded, then she smiled and one of the chicks in the back opened the door so we both got in."Thanks."
"No problem!I'm Shea, this is Arlo", the chick said pointing at the kid driving and he nodded back to us in the rear view mirror."That's Ocean, Summer, Willow, and Sage-"
Just then, Sage started giggling out of nowhere and I raised an eyebrow.
"Man, I gotta tell her to lay off the reefer" , Shea shook her head, "but anyway, that's Jackson, and Benjamin, but we call him Skye."


I nodded and waved a little at everyone who was sitting around.
"What about you guys?You got names?",Shea laughed and handed Arlo her joint.
"I'm Bobby", Bobby said.
"And I'm Scarlett, but you guys can call me Scar if you want", I shrugged.
"Well, welcome to the family guys", Shea nodded to us.


The entire time we drove to Arcata, we all sat around in the back of the van talking, smoking, talking about our family and whatever.
And it was'nt uncomfortable, like they were'nt gunna kidnap us or anything, in fact, they were all a bunch of scared, abused kids like us who had enough with their home lives and decided to say kiss my ass to their town and left.
It felt like finally I had a family, and I loved it.