Run, Run, Run! (REWRITTEN)

Run, Run, Run! (Day One)

The pungent smell of marijuana and tobacco made me comfortable even in this disgusting alleyway, surround by at least eight burnouts that I don't even go to school with. The cold winter air felt nice to my exposed cheeks and the obnoxious hyena laugh one of the silver haired boys always did when he was high made everyone laugh along. I looked down the large stretch of damp concrete and yelped. With a flash of black, green, and yellow a police kart came barreling down.

"Shit! Run, run, run!" I screeched jumping down from my perch and sprinting away.

The loud thuds of combat boots followed along quickly but the sound of screeching tires made my legs pump faster. I took a sharp left and grappled down the empty stretch of road before squeezing myself under a beat up bug. I heard one of the guys harshly whispering shit as he tried to find place to hide. The kart was close and with a sigh I tripped him as he tried to run past. Our eyes met and he rolled underneath the small car with me, squishing ourselves closer so we'd be smaller. The small vehicle screeched onto this empty stretch.

"Fucking kids!" the male officer yelped, jumping back into his sad vehicle and speeding off.

The boy blew out the puff of air he was holding and slid from under the car, helping me up when I rolled out. His green hair was in awkward angles and there was a smudge of grease on his left cheek. His brown eyes met my own and at the same time we laughed. I was leaning against him to not completely fall over and he tried masking his snorts with no avail. I brought a shy hand and brushed the stain right off. The colors of his cheeks made mine inflame too and a nervous laugh escaped my mouth.

"Ricky" he smiled sticking out his hand. "Ricky Francisco"

"Erhm" he laughed at my sounds and I truly hoped he saw the discomfort to tell him my name.

"Okay Erhm one day you will tell me your real name. It's real funny that my friends and I have been skipping with you since freshman year" he chuckled as we walked.

It was true, I made it a habit to skip at least one day a month. The old distillery was popular amongst the burn outs and I was one of them. No one cared what school you went to just as long as you had good grass, a pack of smokes, and or the common thought to mind your business.

"Can I buy two?" a crumpled up dollar bill in the hand of no other than Ricky Francisco. Who knew this'd be the start of an outspoken acquaintanceship.

We had walked blocks till we got to the cross point of our schools and grinned at each other. "I'm going to see you more often" Ricky smiled, brushing his fingers through his forest colored locks.

"Sure" I snorted as I walked away, sending a wave behind me.

"Wait, this will give you a reason" he laughed as he ran over and handed me his leather jacket.

"What is this for?" I asked as my eyes bugged, the leather in my hand warm.

He pulled at his phone and made me spin around, the snap of a picture being taken made my eyes widened. He turned me around again and let the photo fill my mind. My cozy cardigan looked as if it went through a rugby game in a storm. Water and dirt got to it, covering my back completely from probably rolling in a alleyway. I stripped it off and gave a hard look at the leather jacket in my hand. It was still warm when I shrugged it on and it smelt like vanilla, reminding me of the distillery.

"I'm taking this, so if I don't see you again you're never seeing it again" Ricky smirked, snagging my favorite cardigan away.

"Okay, I'll see you soon" I smiled turning back around and actually leaving,

I looked at my watch after I scaled the fence and dropped on the other side with a huff. Lunch had rolled by just in time and I scuffed all the way to the cafeteria. I stood and line and bought a piece of pizza before trying to exit.

"Look here girls, Artemis is trying to look like a hard ass. Honey the jacket is too big for you" Angela smirked, her eyes in a ugly slant. It my sweet dreams Angela was a preppy, white girl just trying to entertain herself but no. Angela was a 6'1 lacrosse player entirely made out of lean muscle and bad comebacks with two others girls exactly like her on each side.

"Let me through" I muttered, trying to side step the hulking mass.

"No way, tell me where you got it. Sleeping around?" her posse laughed.

"Totally Angela" I sarcastically chanted, a few curious eyes on us now.

I shoved my shoulder hard into hers before trying to walk off, seconds later my face hit the cold ground. Then for three minutes and counting I got the shit kicked out of me. I tried to think back to the time when Angela was just a very tall and lanky sophomore, usually sweet but awkward that was stupid enough to fall for my older brother. Apollo being the worst boy to be in love with broke her heart and ever since then she has had a personal vendetta against me. Someone pulled her off of me but they pinned me down like I was doing something wrong on the ground.

We were dragged out the over excited cafeteria and down the hall toward the principal's office. Whoever had me put me in the waiting chairs and they led Angela into the room. I lifted my shirt and groaned about how red I was, the awful soreness bothersome. She kicked my face only two times but I still had a small split on the inner and outer part of the left side of my lips. There was scratches in my palm from clenching my fist too hard and the taste of copper stayed in my mouth.

"You're up" Angela smiled, her eyes filled malice.

I held on to the arm rest and heaved myself up, the pain in my chest making it very hard to breath. I stumbled down the hall and into his office, the smell of pine completely taking over my senses. I sat in the comfortable chair in front of his and sent him half smile.

"Artemis, this is the second fight you got into this year. What am I going to do when I get put me in this position?" my step father asked. I tapped my chin like I was thinking and let my eyes brighten up with fake enthusiasm.

"Knowing you Steven, absolutely nothing that will help this cause. You're not going to suspend Angela because she's the biggest star in the next lacrosse game in two days. You'll suspend me until then so I don't start anymore trouble even if it was her foot in my ribs. We won't tell mom though because that'd devastate her" I smirked, leaning back. He was trying to look angry but there was a mutual agreement whenever I landed in this office. You don't tell your mother and you can do whatever pleases you.

"Just give me two yellow passes and I'll be out your hair" I smiled twiddling my fingers on his desk.

He did as told and placed the pieces of papers in my hand, shooing me away with two fingers. I walked all the way to student parking, jumping the fence made me feel like I ruptured a major organ. I wheezed my way to my car and threw all my stuff in , turning on the aggressively loud truck and peeling out. At the exit of the lot a patrol sat in his car with his feet up. He went into serious mode and sat up with a burly frown. I handed him one of my home passes and smiled when he let me through.

The jacket I wore was completely cozy and delicious smelling so I took a rough turn toward the opposing school down the street. I don't know what has recently gotten into me but lately I have the urge to adventure. It was a lurking need in my soul to see places I haven't and discover the finer things in life. One of those finer things was Ricky Francisco.