Chapter Two
Rocky listened to this voice for a moment. Something about it sounded... Familiar.
CALLER: "Are you there?" The voice asked calmly, almost like it had expected him to be lost for a moment.
"Wha-... Yeah, yeah I'm here." He replied, shaking away a negative feeling in the back of his mind. "I'd like to hear your story,"
CALLER: "...Okay. You see, I've got this boyfriend."
"Uh huh."
CALLER: "He's so handsome... Sooo, right. His has these sexy eyes that look right through you, as though he can see into another world." She paused a moment. "I like his hair, his voice- everything and anything about him. And at first we were so in love... I mean, we kissed and touched, we talked about everything. He knew me better than anyone in the world." She paused again. "But then things started to get strange."
"Strange how?"
CALLER: "After our three month anniversary, he... raised his hand to me."
"He hit you." This wasn't such a shock to him. That's what this was all for, to help people in need, but that didn't mean he had no sympathy for her.
CALLER: "No no, he said he would never hit me... but he was so angry, I swear I thought he that he would." The tears in her voice began to go away the more she spoke. Her voice almost becoming eerily calm. "I told him to knock it off, but he only laughed... Is that a bad sign when someone laughs when you tell them to stop?"
Rocky shook his head. "It is... and I think that, if you want to insure you won't be hurt by this guy, you're gonna have to leave him. I'm sorry if that sounds too harsh but, it's the truth. A man who raises his hand to a woman is no man at all, and not someone you wanna be with."
The girl made a dry laugh, then sniffed her tears back with her running nose.
CALLER: "I could never leave him... I love him."
"You can't love someone who has thoughts of beating you... It just isn't right."
CALLER: "But he never hit me, I told you that."
"Yes, you told me that... but you're not listening. If you boyfriend has plans of hurting you than he isn't anyone you want to be with." He spoke slowly so that she would understand.
Again she laughs at him.
"What's so funny?"
CALLER: "He's all I have, you don't understand... I can't leave him. I can't... I love him, he takes care of me..."
Oh! Now it was starting to make sense. She must be some girl who was thrown out of her home, or ran away with her boyfriend and they're poor. He takes care of her the best he can, but sometimes it isn't enough. That could begin to wear on someone's nerves but it still gives no grounds to beating someone.
"I'm so sorry... well, if he really means that much to you, tell him that hitting is not acceptable and you'll leave him if he tries it again. If he loves you-..."
CALLER: "He does."
"Okay, so if he loves you, he won't want you to leave... and hopefully, he'll stop threatening you."
The girl laughed again. This time it sounded happier.
CALLER: "I'm sorry to laugh but, what you say makes a lot of sense, I'm glad I called."
"I'm glad you called too, and I hope everything wo-..."
CALLER: "He's home." She abruptly hung up.
"Hello?" Rocky listens to the dial tone of the dead phone on the other end. "That's funny."
The other calls that morning were all cake walks. He helped a lot of people out too. And when he stood to leave, the teacher in the room approached him.
"Good work Samuel, I hope to see you here later."
"I will be, but right now I have to get to class." He shook the mans hand. "Thanks for asking me to do this, I really like it."
"You're welcome my boy. Enjoy the rest of the day."
"I will, bye. Bye Tabby!" He waved to the girl, who waved back. Exiting the room, Rocky felt his head spin. He winced in pain, bringing his hand up, then he shook the pain away. It left just as soon as it had come. I really need to see a doctor, this is getting ridiculous.
Walking down the hall, Rocky exits the building. Crossing the lawn to the other building, he pulled out the key to his dorm room. Going into the building, five people waved to him and he smiled back politely. His attention was in getting upstairs, he needed to get his things for class not socialize, he only had ten minutes to do so, at that.
"Rock', wait up." A boy called out to him.
Rocky slowed down a bit, then turned around. "Hey Tommy, what's up?" He glanced at his watch.
Tommy smiled, waving his hands in defense. "I'm not gonna take up much of your time, but some of us are going clubbing tonight, -...thought you might like to come?"
Rocky thought this over. Clubs weren't really his scene so he wasn't sure what he should say. "Uuumm, I'll be there. Why not? I'm not gonna be busy tonight."
"Cool, I'll come up and get you when Angus rolls by." He starts to leave.
"Angus?" Rocky repeats. "Who's that?"
"A friend of mine who works at the club, he's gonna get us in."
"We're not sneaking in are we?" Worry was etched in the boys voice.
"No. It's just that when you're... You know what, just trust me there's nothing shady going on. You'll like it." Waving a hand, he starts away again. "Just relax Rock', learn how to have fun."
Rocky sighed, "Learn how to have fun... I can have fun." He trots up the stairs and down the hall to his room. Sticking the key into the door, he unlocks it then walks inside. The air was cold inside. Which was strange for L.A. even with A.C. it was still a little warm. Going over to the window, he yanks the curtains open then pulls the window up. "There. That should fix the problem."
Going over to his bed, he leans down and pulls out his school books that are underneath it. Checking the covers to make sure they're the ones he needs, Organic Chemistry and History, he goes over to the desk by the window and takes his notebook. "Okay... something to drink." Checking his pockets for change, he's satisfied with the amount he has so he leaves the room. Closing the door behind him, Rocky heads down the hall to a vending machine to purchase a drink.
All the while he moved around, he felt eyes on him. He couldn't shake it no matter how far away he got from the building. He almost wanted to run the feeling was so strong. But he kept an even pace so not to look suspicious. Why would he be nervous anyway, he could defend his self better than anyone... but something was off about this feeling. Very off.
Yeah Rocky, this is all you need, go home crying to Mom... I have a bad feeling Mommy, please make me feel better. He laughed a bit. I'd look like a real idiot.
Opening the double doors, he couldn't help but glance behind himself through the reflection in the large glass door of the building. No one was there, at least not anyone visible through the glass door. Shrugging off the feeling, he walks in then hurries down the hall to his class.
Class was long, very long... wish something would crash down on the building and blow it up long. When finally, the bell rang. Everyone staggered like zombies through the hall; Rocky was glad for the company.
He talked to a few people, and made his daily phone call home to Mom. Told her everything was fine and that he missed her. He would come home over the three day weekend and that he would bring a nice sized pile of dirty laundry for her. When she was practically bursting with delight that her son was coming home, Rocky said his goodbye's and hung up.
"Rocky, I heard you were coming to the club tonight. Sweeet, save me a dance." This was Jessica Manny, a tall- taller than Rocky- girl, who played Basket Ball through High School. She's an African American who decked anyone who gave her lip about it but she was the nicest person you'd ever meet.
"I will, who else is going do you know?"
"Uuuhhh," she cocked her head. "Lina is going, Rebecca- that girl you like, she's gonna be there. And... Alex, he said he'll be there. That new kid Robbie, Marcus, and Charlie- for me."
Rocky laughs. "That's some list, hope we're not all taking the same car."
"We're not." She slaps his shoulder. "Don't be crazy, I'm not sharin' seats with people."
"Me either, I did that once on a trip with some friends of mine and my legs were killing me for months."
Jessica laughed at that and shrugged. "Heey, some girls are heavy."
"No... it was boy."
They laughed even harder at that.
"Well, bye vanilla bean."
"See ya brown sugar."
Jessica waved to a friend up the hall for attention, then dashed off. Rocky followed her with his eyes then sighed. This club thing was becoming a problem. He didn't even have clothes for such a thing! Most people that hung out in those places wore leather- or plastic leather... and sometimes... well, some of the guys would dress like girls with lips stick and things like that. It was creepy.
Oh stop being a baby! This is gonna be fine, besides, this might be just what I need to loosen up more and make friends... Find what crowd I'm in. He nods. Fun... Like hahaha haa.
Rocky spent the rest of the day, after classes, under a tree in the courtyard. The shade came out, and it didn't rain like he thought it would. The day was just like any other day actually. His bad feeling even left.
Looking down at the homework sheets on his legs, Rocky wondered when he had taken it out and how long had he just been sitting there, staring out in space. Man, I'd give anything for a nap. Leaning back against the tree, he closed his eyes and relaxed.
A gentle breeze blew by, kissing his cheek with a bit of coolness. He smiled. Going to the club didn't seem as scary as he first thought it would be, and Rebecca would be there, maybe they could finally hook up. Who knows. He has liked this girl since High School, but he was nervous about asking her out, he thought that if he did she might like him- which isn't the problem- it's more the fact that she might like him too much and he couldn't handle that right now... Not after what happened two years ago with... Maria.
That crazy girl tried her hardest to get him to date her and when it failed to happen it was as if she had lost her mind, and decided since she couldn't have him than no one could then she tried to kill him! It rattled him, made him nervous around people. Rocky didn't like it one bit.
Just thinking about the girl made his skin crawl and he shivered. Opening his eyes,
Rocky looked around. It doesn't matter though, she's just a chick. I can handle myself better now. I'm not as naive as I once was... Looking around him, he gathered his things and shoved them into his note book. God this is boring, I gotta find something more entertaining to do than... sit around under a tree. Besides, the club calls and I wanna look good.
Standing, he carries his things back to the dorms to his room. Rocky dumps everything over onto the computer desk then walks to the closet. Opening the door, he frowns at the selection of clothing to wear. Sad and hardly acceptable. I'm gonna need to go shopping.
The door opened and Robbie walked in. "Hey Rocky."
"Hey Rob'," he greeted without looking back at him.
Robbie watched him for a moment. Then finally decided to ask. "What are you doing?"
"Looking for something to wear tonight... Do you have anything I can borrow?"
"Maybe... But I haven't gotten around to doing the laundry yet, so they're gonna smell like cargo hold."
Rocky laughed at that, it wasn't his usual light laugh, it was strange somehow. "Tell you what, since you and I don't have anything to wear we can just go get something. Brendan knows this place where they have a lot of good clothes, cheap too."
"Okay." Dropping his books on the bed, he turned to Rocky. "When're we going?"
"Right now, it's almost late and I want enough time to look around."
"Okay, let me take off your shirt so I can stop sweating it out. I'll be right out."
Rocky grabbed his car keys and walked out into the hallway to wait for Robbie. When the door opened again and the brunette walked out, he looked him over and smiled. "Nice."
"Thanks, I had this shirt since my Junior year in High School." He twirled. "Still fits."
"Yeah... kinda creepy when you think about it." He shrugs. "I could never wear clothes that old, I'm not even sure I could still fit them."
"I'm sure you could, I've got more build than you."
They start walking down the hall.
"Yeah, and thanks for breaking my shirt." He teased.
The two of them laughed and joked the whole way out of the building, across the parking lot and to the clothing store. Rocky couldn't wait for tonight. Tonight he would find his place in the crowd, and enjoy life.