I was going to have this from Felicia's point of view, but I changed it around, the next will be from her view point though :) enjoy
Chapter 2:
I am Ludwig. I live on a street full of new houses with happy families in each and every one, well all but mine, of course. My house is at the very end of the street that leads off to another road, a dirt road. This is where the people like me lived. They lived in there old homes that crumbled more and more each day.
This road was blocked from the view of the rich by an elaborate stonewall. Yet, my hose was still visible, and this enraged the neighbors. They wanted their suburb to be perfect. "Perfect" never seemed to include me.
The bus would stop at the end of my street, and all the well dressed kids would get off. Then I would stumble off at the end. I would pass the enormous Victorian houses, with their trimmed lawns. I would gaze at them, and admire them. I'm interested in architecture, so I always liked how they looked, even if I knew I never could live in a place like that.
It had been going on like this for years, because of the war, nothing was changing or getting done. If a house burned down it wouldn't be re-built useless the owner was wealthy. That's why all these houses, no matter how magnificent, made me sad. That money could have been going to something more important, like my brothers and sisters dinners.
The only reason these people had so much money was that they where working for the government. Working in the government was basically the only well paying job nowadays. The fathers mostly worked 24-7, and their families lived in luxury. Were as I live in a one story, un-insulated condo. It is a two bed one bath, and accommodates a family of seven.
My parents, Sue and John, share a room with my youngest brother Maxwell. He just turned six, and can still fit in bed with them. My younger sisters are twins, Jade and Courtney share they fold out couch in the living room that has been converted into a bed room by way of many cardboard boxes stacked up to make a wall. There is a thin blue sheet that is draped over the opening for privacy. They still have enough room for there things, because they are still in third grade.
I am left to share a room with my brother, Brandon. He is in 6th grade, and has the top bunk. He is a good kid, but he has a few problems. He has insomnia, and can never seem to sleep. If he tries, he has to have the lights on, and it keeps me up. If he does fall asleep, then he has nightmares, and I have to calm him down. I'm just mediocre with kids and animals, but I like them so I try my best. It usually end up like it did last night.
"You aren't going to turn the light off, right?" whimpered Brandon.
"You know I never would." I say, as I pet his hair, and kiss his forehead, "Good night, maybe you won't have nightmares tonight, so just try closing your eyes and clearing you mind, okay?"
"It never works." he mumbled into his pillow, but despite his attitude, he turned over and faced the wall.
"It will work some day." I say, but mostly to myself. I get in bed, and try to fall asleep. The bright light above me keeps me up. I can see the light making weird shadows. I never did like he dark, but I can't get to sleep well if there is a light on all the time.
I shiver; its getting closer to winter, and this house has no heating. I go through this every year, the cold winds blowing through the walls and windows, letting that cold slowly creep into my bed. A chill runs through my frame, at the same time I realize I haven't heard a shift from up above in a while. I think he's asleep… I think. I check the clock, only 11:30. Good. Sometimes I am up until two a.m.
When I wake up, it's from a strangled cry; now it's ten past two. Getting up from my bed I see Brandon at the foot of his bed sobbing. He had another nightmare.
"Shhhh" I say as I crawl up onto the top bunk. I try to console him, until I fall asleep, even though he stays awake.
The next morning I wake up and Brandon looks like he is actually asleep. I inch myself off the edge of the bed, being careful not to fall, and sit on my bed thinking about the only happy part of my dismal life. Felicia.
She is the only one on this street that ever talks to me. She takes the same bus as me to school and she's in all my classes. She is yet another one of the people who is only in honors because of her parents money, but I don't care. I consider her my friend, my one and only friend. She probably would consider me a classmate, not a friend. She has enough friends already, no place for me.
We walk and talk as we go to the bus every morning. When she's at my side, I don't feel as left out as I did before. She just moved here this year, and may not have been told to stay away from me yet. It is only October after all. Even if she has, she either forgot, or doesn't care. Her nature is to be friendly to anyone and everyone she comes in contact with.
I am in high school now, and take the earliest bus. I get changed in to my school clothes, and eat half a peanut butter bagel as I leave. I am already late. I plan to run ahead to catch up with Feliciano because he leaves fairly early. When I start to look for him up the street, I don't see her. No! I may have missed my chance to walk with her today! I begin to speed up my pace, even knowing that I wouldn't be fast enough to catch up to her if she's out of eye sight.
As I pass Felicia's house I stop and look up at it, I already know I am to late to meet up with her. Felicia's house is a three-story pine green house with a white wrap around staircase sitting on the hill. I wish I could live in such a fine house, and get as far away as possible from my life at home.
Just then the door opened, and out came Felicia. The Felicia that came down the front steps was not one that I could recognize. Her clothes were the same clothes as the day before, but with more wrinkles. Her backpack looked extremely heavy and was on only on her right slumped shoulder. She was walking slower than usual, and looking at the ground so I couldn't see her face. I stood there, frozen, wondering were my usual, happy, and cheerful Felicia could have gone.
She looked up, I could see bags under her eyes, and the left one was swollen, black and blue. As soon as they met with mine, they opened wide, as did her mouth. It looked as if she couldn't talk for a second before she found her voice.
"You... waited for me? To... walk with you to the bus?" she said there was surprise evident in her words.
"Well, yeah. We usually walk to the bus together, because we're friends, right..." I said before I realized that she might not think of me as a friend.
"Friends." she repeated, as if she didn't quite understand its meaning.
"Ja, well we only have to be friends if you want to be. I don't want to force you or something, but just walking with you to the bus is fine too." I fell like an idiot, but I can't think about what I'm saying because I'm thinking about what could have happened to her.
"No. I want to be friends. I didn't think I had any, but I guess... I do now." at her last words she smiled.
She looked almost as happy as before, but all to soon it had faded off her face. I couldn't think of anything for a second, then I realized that she had dropped his bag, and sat down on the steps. Her face was in her hands. I never thought something like this could happen, but it was, right here in front of my eyes. I sat down to his right, the side closer to my house, and his garage. I put my bag in front of my feet.
"Well, as you said, I am your friend, so shouldn't you tell me what happened to you, I mean I've never seen you like this, I really don't think you should go to school." I say, I am worrying about her health, how could she have gotten into this state?
She looked up at me with her sorrowful eyes, "I don't think I should got to school either, I wasn't planning on going ever again truthfully." when she said that, I realized what she was doing, she wasn't late for school, she was going to run away for what reason, I don't know.
"You're running away? Why? Tell me what happened!" I was getting frustrated.
"Well, since you are now my only friend, I can tell you but not here, and not now. The office will tell my parents of my absence soon, so we must hurry." she said in her new and less cheerful voice, picking up what I now realized was an extremely heavy bag, not her usual one either. Then she started to walk away.
"Wait, if you are serious about leaving, do you know were you are going to go? What you're going to eat? Should I come?" I ask, catching up with her, and stopping her now in front of my house.
"I don't know were I'm going, but I have money, and lots of it, and a credit card too. I have some food and clothes and other stuff. As for if you should come, you don't have to, unless you want to hear my story, but you can't go back if I tell you what I know. You got it?" she said firmly.
"Well of course I want to know the story but I can't just abandon my family! I don't have any clothes of food either! How can I go?"
"You can go back now and get what you need, I'll wait by, uh, that tree" she said pointing, "if you're not out in ten minutes I'll... leave." she didn't sound like she meant it, but she went over to the tree, and stood in its cover.
I rushed to my door, and quietly crept in. they don't need to get up for another half an hour. I go in my room and pack a small duffle, as well as my backpack with things that may be useful. Brandon's most likely in the kitchen, so I make a show of being late for school, and grab some stuff. Brandon is always so sleep deprived that he can't do very much, and doesn't notice anything strange about my act. I run out he door, and meet Felicia by the tree.
"I'm ready, I think." I say out of breath
She is smiling again, like she used to, "Me to." she said.
We walked down the dirt road. On the other side of the stonewall, goes to school, and there are no people out, or any stores around. It is like a whole new world. I was never allowed to venture off this way, but have always wanted to, but never had the chance until now. We wander around, seeing no one, and hearing nothing. The houses are getting sparse, and the forest gets thicker as we walk. Our feet leave a trail through the brown leaves. I glance back and can see we have gone for a while.
"When are you going to tell me what happened?" I ask, breaking the silence.
"Later."
"I think we should find a place to stay." I add.
"You think you can find one?"
"Ja."
"When will that be?"
"Soon."
"How soon?"
I stop and turns to look at her, giving her a look full of annoyance, "Well, were do you want to set up camp?" I ask her, folding my arms.
"How about there?" She say's pointing through the trees to a small, sturdy looking shed in the woods, "I can even see a path to it!"
"Sure." I reply, more grateful that annoyed by the fact that Felicia found a camp first.
"Come on!" She said, probably because I was lagging behind.
"Coming, coming" I called.
We waked through the bushes, and trees to the shed, that turned out to be more of a house than a shed. It had no broken boards, and still had its windows and door in tact.
"Nice, but what if some one lives here?" Felicia inquired
"Well, we just have to knock and find out then." I say and with out a second though knocked on the door.
Nobody answered, "Lets go in!" she said.
"Well, If you think so, then I have no right to stop you, but you never know what is behind a closed door-" I said, but she cut me off mid-sentence.
"Until you open it, right?" she said and with that she flung open the door.