I sat on my window seat with the window open. The sun shone on the pages of my book and the wind rustled through my hair. I heard someone clambering up the fire escape. I looked up to see Percy stomping up the cold, metal steps. He leaned against the railing, peering over the streets below.
"What happened this time?" I asked Percy.
I had known Percy since we were born. We have the same birthday and he lives in the apartment below me. Now we were 11 and Percy was starting to really understand what his mom was going through being married to Gabe Ugliano, his stepfather. Personally I thought the name suited him perfectly, considering that he was ugly. Percy thought so too.
"He hit her again. When I tried to stop him, he threatened me. My mom would just stand in the way and take all the blows for me, if I did something. It could just make it worse."
"Percy." He turned toward me. I patted the seat next to me and he came over to sit down. I leaned my head against his shoulder. I thought about my foster parents. My foster "dad" hit me and my foster "mom" made me clean the apartment up, but they gave my little sisters and me, food and a warm place to sleep. My sisters, Macy and May, and I got to go to school also. I found all the classes too easy, so I took middle school classes online.
"I wish I could do something." I lifted my head and looked up at him. He and Grover were my only friends. Everyone else was afraid of me. It was probably because I wore darker colors and I am the strongest person in my grade (besides Percy who, again, can lift the same amount of weight as me). Percy was the only one that knows that I love neon colors.
"I wish I could do something for her too. I just don't think my foster parents would do a thing to help.
"AJ, I keep wondering why Mom would marry someone like Gabe. He's horrible! I wish he would just disappear. You know firsthand what it is like to be hit. It hurts." He said as he looked out over the city.
"Hey, guess what I just thought of!" Percy turned to me, his blue-green eyes flashing in the sunlight. (I would say they were sea colored. I mean it. They change colors with the sea. Trust me I've been to the beach with him.)
"What?" I said excitedly.
"Tomorrow is our birthday!" He smiled.
"It is! I can't wait for your mom's blue birthday cake!"
"AJ!" I heard my foster "mom" (if I can even call her a mom) yell. "Get in bed and go to sleep! You have lots of chores to do tomorrow!" She trilled.
"Ugh. I'll see you tomorrow, Percy."
"See ya, AJ!" Percy stood, waved, and jogged down the fire escape stairs.
I climbed into my bed, leaving the window open so I could feel the warm breeze. I stared out the window, up at the moon. My music from my IPod played in the background. I heard the song Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy. It reminded me of Percy. I wondered if he thought about me as much as I thought about him. I fell asleep, those thoughts still swirling around in my mind, Almost Lover in the background.
I woke to the sound of the rain pitter-pattering on the roof. I picked up my IPod and slid it into my pocket. I walked to the window, about to close it, when I changed my mind and sat at the window seat instead. I reached a hand out the window into the cool rain. I turned off my music and went to the corner to pick up my real mom's old guitar. I went back to the widow and played a song I wrote myself. It was about Percy and Grover. I know it's weird, but they are my only friends, and they accepts me for who I am. Nobody else accepts me. The kids at my school shun me because I don't fit into any of their stereotypical groups. I don't sit at the popular table, nor the nerd table, or any of the other group tables. I was good at all the subjects in school (straight A+ student and always have been). I just don't fit with the nerds or the pops as Percy, Grover, and I call the popular people. I heard Percy call up to me and I soon saw him walking up the fire escape stairs to my seat in the window.
"That sounds great! Who wrote it?" He said immediately.
"I did."
"No way. I knew you were good, but not that good." He said.
"Thanks." I told him smiling.
"I'll see you tomorrow." He told me as he got up.
"See ya." I said, turning away. I looked up to make sure he was gone then pulled out my book.