For me, making friends was never easy. Kinda how my nickname came to be. "Sally Face" was created by some kid named Kyle when I first came to school with my new face. Soon spread by wild fire and everyone called me that. The sad thing is that I started responding to it. No one knows my real name anymore.
New apartment, new people, new lives to learn. Charles was one of the first. He has a weird obsession with pony toys and laid in the same chair smelling as if he never left that spot. His story is different the expected, but I never judge a man from what I see. That was in'till we found out his dark secret...or so we thought was. I'm sorry Charles.
Nearby was a closed off area where a crime scene was taking place. I tried to get an understanding but the cop was just telling me to shoo. The only thing I was able to get off of him was the fact there was a murder.
After that I met David. David was another strange character to meet, but had a lovely life living on his own or with his girlfriend whom of which is a mannequin. He never wore pants and always seemed so tense. If I didn't know better I'd say he's a heroine addict, but again I never judge before getting to know them.
There was more such as Miss Rosenberg, Todd Morrison, Robert, The college kids who are always throwing party's. Then I met Lisa, who was cleaning the hallways while I was trying to meet the neighbors. She told me of her son who was around my age. I was excited but nervous at the same time. Another kid who could potentially make fun of my hair. I was already mistaken for a girl on my greetings
I followed the directions Lisa gave me for her apartment. She lived in the basement which is probably the best place to live if it weren't for this building.
I remember how I gathered all my courage just to knock on his bedroom door. He could be a jerk like Kyle. Or give me another name and tell everyone about me at my new school before I step in there. I could be known before I even set foot in that school. When I finally knocked, I heard a faint "come in". I walked in slowly, observing the room. It was small, with only one cough and small TV the seemed as old as time. Not much decorated the walls except one picture of Lisa, and a little boy standing next to his mother. His hair was shoulder length, pimples all over his face. It was Larry when he was younger.
I forget what my first thought was when I saw that picture, but I know I didn't think it was him. When I actually walked into his Emo boy band room filled with posters and music albums all over his shelves and floors, I was actually amazed. In front of me was a semi tall teenage boy with hair falling down to his ass and ripped jeans to fit the persona of an emo band geek. I looked at his face to see his noes was long and his face said that he knew things or has seen things. I didn't bother because again, I don't judge.
Loud music was playing in the background til' he saw that a figure was standing behind him. He didn't say anything when he saw me. Just kinda stared making me anxious. I remember feeling a feeling knowing he was loyal or didn't judge anyone either.
"You Larry?" I asked.
"Yeah. You must be the new neighbors." His voice was rash but deep and manly.
"How did you know I was new?"
"I've been living here all my life. I know a new face when I see one. Whats your name dude?"
My first thought was to decide if I should give him my real name, or my nickname that now even my dad calls me. I asked him to so I shouldn't complain. But I was nervous to give this random kid my real name which really isn't normal.
"You can just call me Sally face." I felt myself swallow when I saw his eyebrows furrow.
"Sally face? Why call yourself that. I know that can't be your real name." I hesitated to answer.
"Because that's what people started calling me. So I eventually got used to it and called myself it so people couldn't call me that with the satisfaction to make fun of me." I laugh nervously behind my mask.
He shrugged and started to look through his collection of music albums. "So whats with the mask. Get into a freak accident or something?"
This was the question I was most nervous about. I started to feel in my gut that this guy was bad news and that he was going to go to school at the beginning of the year and tell people I'm a weirdo with a prosthetic mask and blue pigtails.
"It's a prosthetic...and I'd rather not talk about it." He stopped and looked pretty guilty. "Oh shit. Sorry man. I shouldn't be asking questions like that. Let's start with different subject. What music you into."
I was pleasantly surprised. I was thinking maybe he would just try to pry it out of me or maybe even start making fun of more. Could this act of kindness be a tactic to further more into making me suffer at school?
"I'm into metal bands or hard rock. I actually recognize some of the albums you have here." I reached for one of the recognizable colors I have once seen in a passing store. I knew the band and have only known a few songs. This seems to be one of their new albums considering I haven't heard of these songs yet.
"Sanity's fall? Good choice. Funny. I'm wearing the shirt right now. Wait. Kinda matched you nickname. 'Sally face'. Don't ya think?"
I glanced at his shirt to see a brown tee with an S and an F with an arrow pointing down to represent the "Falling" part.
Over the hours we spent time together listening to the album and even headbanging making my head almost spin. I was enjoying the company so much I forgot all my fears that he could be a threat. But over the hours I learned he's just a laid back guy who doesn't give a shit. He just wants to enjoy life as it is. While he can.
Next we played video games and listen to more music. I had to leave that day eventually, but that was the start of one of the best friends I have ever had.
Later Larry and I got bored and was hearing more about the murder of Mrs Sanderson. Her husband was taking it hard, and our apartment building was all over the news. But what I didn't know what Larry was at the crime scene. He had to help clean for Mrs Sanderson because of what he did to Mrs Gibson's rabbit. He explained everything he saw making me more curious of the situation. My father did always say my curiosity would get the better of me one day.
"Why didn't you tell the cops? And why would Charlie want to kill anyone?"
"Because I'm just a dumb kid who doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. And I don't have enough evidence to prove it either. They did talk to him but they couldn't find anything on him. But I know what I saw man. I watched it all happen over a damn pony collection."
When I met Charlie. He was boarding about a rare pony he had. He was so eager about me touching it, that I didn't dare get close. I thought to myself. That I had to look again.
"Maybe if I can get a look at his collection. He might have something in there to prove he killed her."
Larry smiled and even laughed with my crazy idea. I've always wanted to investigate in things. But I never could. Having Larry as my partner in crime was a thrill I would never forget. He even gave me the nick name "Smooth Criminal" due to my success. (Miss Wires gave me a look as she wrote down things in her notes.) That's when I gave him the tea to pass Charlie out. But that a story you already know about. I then found the pony with blood confirming he committed that murder. But of course I didn't know about the cult.
Months have passed by. After our bonding we realized that we made a helluva good team. The way he kinda just agreed with everything I was saying was something I never though I would see in a friend, or well a person that would be even interacting with me. I found it...funny.
His plan was perfect. He came up with the idea to distract the cops so I would be able to sneak into the investigation to even know there was a pony missing. It still amuses me this was all for a pony.
Larry always had his bright moments...
Larry and I began to hang out a lot after that. Every day I would leave just to go down to the basement floor of the building to meet Larry and hang in his room for hours. One day, he seemed very deep in thought. His look was filled with curiosity. I felt like, maybe he was judging me. Possibly even making fun of me in his own head. After weeks why would he do so?
"Larry?" I asked. He snapped out of it and kinda looked around the room like he was gone from it for some time.
"Yeah?"
"You okay? You seemed pretty out of it. You were...staring at me."
I could tell he found I was uncomfortable with this. He knew exactly what I was thinking. "Oh dude no! I was thinking...about my father."
This was when it his me I never did see his Father. I just thought it was a divorce scenario and didn't bother. Of course, he didn't know about my mom.
I was thinking whether or not to say something. But he was already standing, and looking around for his coat. "Come with me. I wanna show you something." He didn't even look at me. I was nervous. It was a secret. Something I keep from people all the time. Yet this guy I met a few weeks ago was about to show me something he never showed anyone else. I felt honored. He said he doesn't have many friends, and for me to know this place.
The harsh winter weather hit us when we left through the back door of his bedroom leading to the backside of the apartment. The first thing that comes in sight was a tall oak tree naked from its leaves, and in the middle of those naked branches was a huge nicely build tree house with a big window in the middle. I stood there mouth open, even if nobody could see it.
"Is that your tree house?" I was frozen from both the cold, and the sight in front of me. I've never really seen one in real life.
"Yup. I come here when I want to be alone. I guess you could call it my fortress of solitude."
I only has one word to describe that sentence. "Awesome."
When I climbed the boarded ladder I immediately felt the warmth, and the smelled the weed, of the wooden palace. It was filled with trunks and more music albums with pillows and blankets set down for the comfort of wanting to sit. Larry climbed up behind me, ans smiled to my amusement of a simple tree house.
"Man I've always wanted a tree house!" I said, not even thinking of my words. Larry just laughed.
"Yeah. My dad and I built this with me before he...well. Before he disappeared." I stood there, questioning.
"So Mr Fisher. Your telling me that in the events you and Mr Johnson met, you solved the crime of Charles Mansfeild?" Mrs Wires. Looked at me with a concerning face. As if you don't meet your friends that way normally.
"Well, it was more complicated then that. I'm giving you an abbreviation. If you really want more details you can talk to the Lawyers, my Counseling records and even watch the news of when the Tv reporters had to get every single detail. Your just asking me of my relationship with Larry." I gave little attitude in that sentence.
She rolled her eyes, writing more notes. "It says here in your 'Counseling Records'" she said as she was flipping through her fat notebook and pulling at a small folded piece of paper. "That you had nightmares of the incident, and also that you saw a ghost of a red eye demon on your first day. This was around the same time in the events you met Larry. Is it not?"
I rolled my eyes. "Yes. But I didn't think I didn't need to talk about Megan till' I get to that part of the story."
She continued to look through my notes, and even write new ones. "It seems you and Larry started off on a strange account. I've never heard such a story in all my years."
"Because you've never experienced anyone like me.
I continued on the part where Larry revealed that his dad suddenly left, and how there might be something up with the Red eye'd demon, making her eyes open up a bit.