Broken Clocks

Blame Part 3

I looked at him and he had managed to keep a straight face, but I could see past it. I saw the shame in his eye's and I handed him his wallet.

"Hey I got it ok, anyway you would pout about it for weeks if I didn't let you off and I don't wanna deal with that if I can help it," I played.

He scowled but took the wallet. I walked to the bar and paid for the five drinks and we all met in the alley that was in walking distance of all of our houses that had been our meeting spot for anything for years. We all laughed and Dean griped about how I only bought one beer for each of us. But I would never drink more than one, no matter what I would always cut myself off at one. Because that is the difference between me and Isic. He wouldn't stop until the bar keeper stopped him then he would go somewhere else, I couldn't turn into that. After we all finished our drinks Dean went off back to the bar with the others to get more drinks. Charles stayed behind a minuet.

"Hey thanks for saving my skin, most people wouldn't do that, I owe you one man... and I would appreciate if you didn't tell any of the others."

He didn't make eye contact, just looked at the ground.

"There's no need to thank me and you don't owe me anything, I was talking to the barkeeper and he needs help. He was going to put an ad up in the paper but said if you go talk to him he would take you, don't worry I didn't say nothing other then if he knew somewhere my friend can work. Until you get your paycheck this should tide you over, and uh by the way I'm not most people."

I slipped three dollars into his coat pocket and walked away before he had the chance to give it back.

That's when I went home and found out what had happened. I should have just pulled Charles aside, gave him the money for the drinks and the extra three dollars and went home. But no I wanted to have a drink with the guys. So I'm not going to drink anymore, not even one every once and awhile because if I'm to caught up wanting a drink and something like this were to happen again what would I say to Ever. I'm done.

(7)

I hurried throw the empty streets practically dragging Ever behind me. There was a crisp breeze. There were rows of houses surrounded by trees with their dead curled leaves fraley hanging on to the branches, the leaves the same color as the walls in the house we were abandoning. A bland brown beige color. The houses around us where lifeless, like the leaves on the trees, it didn't seem like there was any movement inside them. As if it was a ghost town, as if all had left the dull sights of the town. And for all I know that could be true.

I glanced back at Ever, I couldn't tell if she was cold or just shaking. I slipped my suit jacket off anyway and put it around her. She held it closed with her free hand leaving her sack of clothes to droop over her shoulder.

"Ever why don't you put the jacket on?" I asked.

"I don't want to," she replied.

"Are you cold? It would be warmer if you actually wear it."

She looked at the ground as we walked and whispered, "I don't want to put in on I just want to keep it like this."

"Ok fine but at least let me carry your bag before it falls and gets a tare or something."

She let go of the jacket and handed me the bag, then snached her hand back to grip the jacket closed.

I didn't want to have a childish fight with her about a jacket, if she wanted to be cold she could be cold. She acted like such a child sometimes. Granted she is she's only 12 but she acted so much younger then that sometimes. But there's other times that I will be talking with the boys about things like how the banks screwed us all to hell. How so many people have been put into poverty because the banks were not responsible with the amount of money they were giving away, and she'll catch on and have an intelligent conversation as if she were our age.