I pick up a pen and began clicking it. Hoping that would ease the time. But IV recently found out time is like a melody. It won't speed up for anyone. It keeps a steady pace. TicTicTic. Like a metronome. I find it hard to care about anything my teacher attempting to teach. My eyes go beyond the board and everything written on it. My eyes and ears go offline, but the clock, lures them back in. The ticking growing louder and louder until all I hear is the infinite silence. I can see my teacher, his mouth is moving. Yet i have no idea what he's saying. I tend to do that when I can't find life interesting. I tend to stare off; I tend to go off in another world, a world that seems better than the one I'm living. But then the rhythm is broken by the bell. And I'm back to reality.
I make my way through the traffic in the hallway, to my sister, Anna. She drives us home, but its as if the pavement is never ending. It drags on. This day couldn't get any longer. It's my first day of high school. And I know no one. I never thought my sister would ever be my best friend, but when you realize you don't know anyone but her. You're lucky as hell to have found her. "Hey I made a friend today," she said as if to brag. "I Never thought I'd live to see the day Anna", I replied. You know it's sad when your excited to have made one friend. "Well people here are different, from the people in Flower Mound Marlee. Maybe you should try talking to someone. That tends to work. Hah, I mean normal people usually tend to talk back when you strike conversation."
Ignoring her. "Have you met our neighbors yet?"
"No, but I have come to a conclusion."
"And?"
"And, I'm 99.9 percent sure that the dads a police officer."
"Well no shit. Sherlock haha. Whatever made you think that? Maybe it was the police car in his drive way. You know the one that he rides to work every day? Ha-ha but Obviously, I'm incapable of averaging up to your level of genius."
"Obviously. OH and Joe-Seph plays soccer too!" I've been playing ever since I was six. But not lately, I tore my ACL. Had to get surgery, I won't be able to play for another 2 weeks now.
"who's Joe-Seph?"
"The boy next door."
I was out-front juggling the ball. When i heard someone behind me. "So, you any good?"
"You tell me.", I smiled as if to say hi. I could have been nicer. I could have stopped what I was doing to acknowledge him but I almost set new record. I was at 48, but I was losing count. He didn't seem to mind. I was losing it, and that's when he cut in, keeping it from falling. The ball hit the floor and he stepped over it and tried to pull it back. I got the hint that He was challenging me, and he was good. I pulled back and did the same, trying to reach the ball before he did. My foot got caught on his and I went down embracing the grass with intensity. And so did he, Right on top of me. His hands were right by my head, holding him up. "Well, ha hi there. I'm joe-seph by the way." "Yeah, ha I'm Marlee"
"Like the dog?"
"ha-ha I get that alot"
"So if not the dog then the potthead for sure?" (Bob marley)
"Whichever helps you sleep at night" It was the first time I really looked at him. His eyes were light green and his skin dark. His hair was a thick shade of brown.
"Aright then, so where yah from?"
Still hovering over me, He seemed a little preoccupied. "First of all, were you planning on getting off of me anytime soon?"
"Ha I mean I guess so." He reached his hand out to help me up. "You Know your not so bad."
"Gee, thanks. You're not so bad Yourself."
"I mean it's not like I was hoping we were getting another cat lady, like ."
"Hmm cat lady?"
"She lives next door to me. She never even leaves the house haha. She has 8 cats. But you know it's kind of peaceful, she's not the nicest thing."
"Well, sorry to disappoint then."
"ha Not at all. You know it wasn't it exactly the highlight of my summer when will moved away."
"Will, the boy that lived here before us? Yeah I met hi---." He interrupted.
"How, how old are you? Freshmen?"
"Yeah, not the easiest thing. Starting off high school with no friends hah."
"Well now you dont have too", he smiled.
"Paha no'man. I'm actually pretty sure You cant do that, you just put four cards down?"
"Hmm, I'm pretty sure i can." I smirked. "Its not like I'm cheating, I'm just not abiding by your rules."
"hah, alright whatever, ill take that." He won at everything. Except for soccer, in that it was no mans game. It would always equal out in the end.
Seph and I hung out pretty much everyday after school. I told him about my friends and everything back in Texas. And he told me everything there was to know about Colorado. He's lived here almost his whole life. He was my best friend, and im guessing i was his because he was always over, besides when he goes to his moms house for the weekends. But lately, he's been over much more than usual. It was almost as if he lived here. Not that i mind, Sometimes i feel like I'm to clingy and that he needs his space but he doesnt seem to want it.
But when I asked him about it...
"Hey, are you having problems at home?"
"Uh, just my dad. You know how he is."
"Nope, not really. How is he?"
He looked up at me, like he didn't know whether or not to tell me something he wasn't. "Oh, well, he just gets really angry sometimes. I don't like coming home. There's always something at work that sets him off."
He brought his head to his hands, almost to reassure himself. That's when I saw it,
a huge welt on the back of his arm. "Dude, Seph, what the hell happened to your arm?"
He brought his head up and brought his eyes to his arm.
"Oh yeah, I uh hit it on one of the weights in my garage." He looked pained.
"Oh okay, but Why are you lying to me?"
"Because you wouldn't understand."
"Oh my god Seph is he hitting you?" I came and sat by him on the bed. That's when he lifted his head to my shoulder. And began to sob. "Like I said you wouldn't understand."
...
We talked for over an hour. We decided he was going to go stay with his mom till things get better at home. He hated going home so much, and I could see that. I could see in his eyes he was scared.
I hadn't seen him in school much, and I didn't see him at all at home.
But I talked to him over the phone, and he said he talked to his mom about it. And he's coming home. He also mentioned Him being able to drive us to school though he usually rides with my sister and I.
"I thought you didn't have a car?"
"My mom got a new one. I get er old one. That's what's up Marlee Snyder!"
...
"Alright, so you like pretty much all the same music as me then? SHWEET. We're going to the LMFAO and Shwayze concert in June, okee?" He was sitting on my rolly chair going though all the songs on my iPod.
"Hah, aright." I was propped up on my bed fiddling with a piece of yarn of my bedspread.
"Hey what's up with you today?"