Behind Those Walls

Axel

I shut my alarm clock off just before it rings, not wanting to hear that horrible noise. I had been awake for hours anyway.

I groan and get up, reluctant to put a shirt on. My pants were also painful to put on. Lifting my arms hurt, and stretching the wounds on my ribcage hurt the worst.

I put it on anyway, clenching my teeth. My shoulders hurt from sleeping wrong- or rather, laying down wrong. The cot wasn't exactly comfortable.

I look down and see my belt on the floor. I flinch, flashbacks of last night creep into my mind. I hear the door slam shut downstairs, and i hold my breath. The car starts. I breathe.

Thank God, he's leaving, I think to myself.

The sun flares in my eyes as I open the shades, but i get used to it in a second. I look out and see nearly the whole town- Poppy's Bakery, The Minniest Mart, the Apple Orchard. I try to see farther than that, but only see the line where the sky ends and the green grass starts.

I break away from my daydreams and head downstairs, grabbing the pop tart I took from Pimple-Face yesterday. I didn't bother to learn his name, I just needed some God damn food.

I eat it on my way to the bus stop, taking my last bite as the bus gets there. I swallow and get on the bus, finding a seat next to Damien.

"Whaddup dude?" he says, holding out his fist. I bump it, and say

"Not much. Surprised I made it, woke up kinda late." I lied.

"Not that shocking, you sleep like a rock." he laughs.

"Damn straight." I laugh, too.

How could I not sleep like a rock when Math class is like a baby's lullaby? They're practically begging me to sleep.

The bus stops, and I see Pimple Face get on. He's tall- but not that tall. And scrawny as hell, too. Im surprised he can even cerry his backpack.

He glares at me as he walks by.

"The fuck you staring at, creep?" I say, my words coming out before my brain can stop them.

He mumbles something, which makes me even more pissed.

"Got somethin to say?" I almost yell.

"No." he says quickly.

"Smart move, Pimple Face." I say. That's the first time I've called him that out loud, and a tinge of guilt pierces my stomach.

The people on the bus laugh, and I do, too. Though im not really laughing. It wasn't even that funny.

We get to school and Damian and I start heading to our usual spot- behind the school, where there are no windows and no teachers to catch us smoking.

Damian stops me and says, "Dude. Look." He points.

I follow his finger to Pip-Squeak, another person who's name I didnt't bother to remember.

Next to her, though, is a girl I haven' t seen before. Her hair was short and wavy, almost black. She wore a baggy T-shirt and shorts you almost couldn't see, bracelets all up her right arm. Her backpack had pins on it- some band pins, some with various memes on them, some with some random drawings. Her nails were painted black- what was left of them, anyway. They were bitten raw, and she was pale as the moon.

Before I know it, we're walking up to her.

And the adventure begins.