Fitting In Is A Trend

Eye Contact and Silence.

The rain never stopped pouring. The raindrops performed a song - hitting our fast moving car at a certain pace each time. His face, stained with tears that too never stopped coming, I've never seen him cry. Nervousness filled my body, through my fingers to my shaking knees that I couldn't keep calm. Staying completely still, hoping I will dissolve into the noiseless air and not go through with this dreadful moment. He fidgets with his words, trying not to say the wrong things. "...Baby girl, please honey, please do not panic, I'm still me, I just need to get away from myself. I can't leave you...here alone, please do not be scared..." His pleading for my cooperation didn't make things better. I watched him carefully, overcome with worry.

"This doesn't have to happen like this." I urged "I can get you help d-"

"NO, THAT WON'T HELP! TRUST ME, I'VE BEEN THERE-IT GETS DARK!..." His shouting caught me off guard.

He never yells at me.///

The wind had picked up and I'm sure my whole face is pink. As I walk home I kick pebbles. When I was little I collected pebbles with my dad whenever we visited my grandparents beach house down in Florida. It always shone - the water. The sunlight gleamed on the water or when it was night the moonlight shone and lit up the water, a beautiful sight to witness. I miss the beaches. I miss my dad.

"Charlie?" I turn around to the sound of the voice, the wind nearly knocking me over.

It's Trent. Smooth face Trent in a beat up gray and rusty sedan calling my name out of a rolled down window. Trent.

"Hey Trent, uh How yah do?'

He drives up next to me and waves. " Come on in ' I'll drive you. It's late and I was gonna offer you a ride before you left Luigi's, but you were in a rush and I needed to pee."

"Where are the others?"

"They all live by Lydia so they rode with her. I live around here. Ride?"

"Oh, no it's fine I live all the way down the road like not so far," I explained pointing my hands down the street.

"All the way down the road leads to woods and no street lights. Let. Me.Drive.You."

To be honest, I didn't want a boy to know where I lived- in the woods in a house built by hobos. Long Story. What am I to care what others think, Yeah I know what you're saying, but Trent was different. He wasn't a worthless person I could care less about. I just didn't want to be judged. Hard to explain.

"Come one" He bugged. " It's cold as hell, your face is as pink as a cotton candy."

"Way to go with that simile " I giggled. I walked to the rusty old car and opened the cold door. He rolled up the windows with a handle and began to drive down the lonely road.

I stared out the window watching the quiet houses roll by. The moon was out tonight, looks to be a waxing crescent.

I fancied the way the moon had phases. It all was so cool to me. On my 9th birthday, my mom bought me moon stickers which I stuck all around the house. One day I found some in my dogs hair. It was a hard battle taking them off her.

" Do you think I'm weird?" He asked breaking my train of thought.

"Um, where is this coming from?"

"No, it's just that today in Geometry this girl Aliz called me weird. I've never even spoken to her before. I don't know it's just that where does that come from. It was so strange. She doesn't even know me."

"Maybe she does know you."

"How would she know me. Even if she did I don't know her, and what great sense does it make to even say I'm weird. And that's all she said. The bell rang and she left as if on cue. I was gonna ask her how I was weird. Can't even ask her tomorrow. I don't have Geometry tomorrow. Thank God tomorrow's Friday though."

I had no clue where this conversation was going.Maybe he just wanted to engage in conversation. Strange topic though. The radio played a Jimi Hendrix song. Not sure which but I can tell it was him.

"You know who Aliz is?" We reached a red light so he looked me in the eyes like my question would cure cancer. Back at Luigi's I never got his eye color but here, right now I can see it was dark green. And the light changes to green just then, and he drives.

"No, she's in my World History class though," I replied.

"Well, can you ask her why I'm weird. I need to get that out of my mind. I can not wait the weekend for answers."

"Wow, is it really bugging you?"

"It really is bugging me Char."

"Char?"

"Yup Char, you like it? We all have nicknames for each others. Mine is Tre, Levon - Lev, Lydia - Lids, and Isabelle - Iz."

" I would think Isabelle's would be Belle."

" Do not call Isabelle Belle, she hates that princess. I learned that the hard way. Do not ask."

"Well, Thanks for the heads up Tre"

"No problem Char."

Eye contact is one of the many things that I fear, and this red light-stop driving-eye contact time mojo was not working for me. I glanced up ahead and down the dark road. I can see dancing trees ahead.

"So, where do you live again. I know you said down the road, but we're coming to a dead end Char. "

"Yeah, I-I can walk from here."

"SO you really weren't shitting me when you said you lived in the woods. Cool. You the only kid?" He stopped the car by the wood entrance and waited for me reply. Once again, the eye contact shook me.

"Kid?

"You know what I mean, sibling."

"Yeah, the only sibling."

"Any pets?"

"No sir, I am one with nature though."

"Really?"

"No, I hate that shit."

"Haha, Lydia loves the outdoors. She plans these camping trips every Thanksgiving break. This year it was insane. "

"Sounds like a bunch of fun.."

"Yeah, it was..."

Silence is also one of the many things that I feared, and boy wasn't it silent.The radio station went to commercial and a lady started talking about chickens for sale over at Joe's Farm House. Farms stink. I started gathering my things. My bag, my leftover pizza, my composure.

Trent watched me thinking of something to say. The silence was eating the both of us up.

"So, I'm gonna go now. Get home safely and thanks for the ride Trent." I unlock the door.

"Be safe, see you tomorrow." He calls out the car window as I close the door with a light swing hoping to not damage the fragile car door. The wind hits me with a smack and I wish I didn't live so deep in the woods.

"Don't forget to ask Aliz, I need them answers Char!" He calls out rolling down his window.

"Sure thing Bud." I walk into the woods.

He turns his car on and the lights nearly blind me. He drives on and I walk down the path that leads to my house. My mother wanted to live in the woods because it's hard for the cops to find you in there. One day that will come in handy for me.