How I Heal

five

I turned to Henrietta, a huff escaping my lips as my nerves went back to normal at what was obviously a close call.

"Did you see that?" She asked, presumably rhetorically. "He basically almost killed Devin back there."

I looked at her in discomfort, trying not to think about the scene that could have went really wrong really fast.

"Devin had that coming," her twin crept up beside me, leaning his elbow on my shoulder. He's basically been taunting the kid since he got here."

I wanted to hear more but Henrietta stopped him short.

"Not interested," she brushed off. "Whatever you're about to say sounds super negative and that's the last thing we need after witnessing that."

"Hey I'm just saying," He shrugged, continuing anyway. "Guy's got a short fuse, and I'm surprised he still never hit him when he had the chance."

"IM NOT LISTENING," Henrietta yelled, placing her hands over her ears as she walked away.

Henry rolled his eyes chasing after his sister as I walked behind them both.

Really they were like two awkward peas in a pod but I couldn't help but laugh when they were around.

______________

"Would you like to join the school's choir?" A chirpy Asian girl beamed at me, dark eye shadow and black clothing contrasting her sunshine-girl-next door personality.

I blinked at her, registering her question and then frowned when I realized that it was almost December.

Seems like a pretty late time to be accepting applicants. 

"I'm okay," I smiled politely ready to leave before she stopped me.

"Do you play any musical instruments?" She piped up. "Join the school band."

"Well, I played the drums a while ago in mi-"

"Great you're hired!" She beamed, not giving me a chance to finish my statement.

I shook my head quickly trying to tell her I didn't know if I could still play, granted I hadn't had any practice for years, but of course, she dismissed me.

"I don't want to hear it, unless that it is gonna be you banging on our drum set, for the school's band of course."

"But-"

"No butts," she simply said. "Come to the rehearsal room later tomorrow to get familiar with everything. I really hope to see you there uh..."

I realized she was staggering because she didn't know my name, so I filled it in for her.

"Violet," I said.

"Right, our new drummer girl Violet," she nodded, disappearing within seconds of our conversation.

For a tiny girl, she sure moved pretty quickly.

I made my way out of the school earlier than I usually would on a Monday, my teacher dismissing us a bit earlier for a meeting he had to attend.

I walked down the stairs not in any particular hurry and paused when I noticed the curly haired boy for the second time that day.

He sat under the tree of the school's entrance, his lip and shoulder bleeding and his eyes downcast and I looked at him with questioning eyes.

I knew I shouldn't be staring, hell, everything in me told me not to, but I was still human and he looked really hurt and there was no way I'd leave the kid under the tree to suffer like that without at least asking him if he was okay.