Installment one – Guilt

My heart races as I frantically pedal away from the scene on my bike, cheeks burning with shame. I can't believe I left that poor kid in the middle of the street…the guy saved my life and all I do is run off? You're a damn coward, McFly. I don't even know if he's hurt.

He was a weird kid…dressed like he jumped ship or something, and the way he kept staring at me…but that's no excuse for my behavior. Why oh why didn't I have the courage to stay long enough to just see if he was still alive?

I pull my bike over to the side of the road, gasping for air. I recognize my surroundings; I'm only a few blocks away from the courthouse square. Involuntarily, my gaze strays to Lou's Café, the first place I'd seen my savior.

Why was he following me? And how did he know my name? He just seemed to drop out of the sky and latch onto me. I guess it would make sense if he was an alien or something, but …

Stop that, McFly! He's not an alien, he's just some guy who you abandoned in the middle of the street after he got hurt trying to save your pathetic life.

I can't stand the thought of what I've done, so I turn my bike around and slowly pedal back to the house. The loud man's car is in the driveway now, and my unexpected savior is being carried by the loud man and what looks to be his very pretty daughter. The kid is still unconscious, and I feel another surge of guilt. What if he's badly injured? What if he dies? That could have been me…should have been me.

I climb off my bike and watch from behind the tree I'd fallen out of not five minutes before. I recognize the girl now; it's Lorraine Baines, the prettiest girl in school! I wish I had the courage to talk to her…

I watch from the shadows as they disappear into the house, leaving me alone in the street. I should go knock on the door, ask if he's okay…but what if they just yell at me, or what if I get arrested for letting the other guy get hurt? Or what if the guy wakes up and blames me? No, I can't do that…I just can't.

Still shaking slightly from the adrenaline, I get back on my bike and flee towards home. As soon as I step through the door, Mom realizes something is wrong.

"George, dear, are you all right?" she asks before I can sneak to my bedroom. "You look rather pale."

"I'm fine, Mom," I assure her, and I can't help but think that if that guy hadn't pushed me out of the way, that statement would be a total lie. I open my mouth to confess what had happened, but the words won't come. What would my mom say if she knew? Would she hate me? Disown me?

I turn away and dash up the stairs to my room, unable to face human life at the moment. Tomorrow after church, I'll go and see if that guy was okay. Just not now…I'll do it later, when the guilt is easier to bear.