Bold, Breathless Love

Clown Girl

Racing up the stairs, Steven went inside his room and slammed the door shut. He then reached under his bed and pulled out his school yearbook again. Sitting on the bed, He flipped through the pages until he found her.

Steven stared at the picture with a smile on his face. She looked like a clown girl. She was hilarious looking and he wondered why she never cared about her appearance. His eyes lowered underneath the picture, he stared at her name and without realizing it his lips mouthed her name.

Her name was Abby.

Why hadn't he known her name before now, he wondered, he had three classes with her last semester. He sat on his bed staring at her picture and wondered what was underneath all that thrift shop clothes that she always wore. She didn't look skinny, in fact she looked a little on the heavy side. And why was she wearing those hideous, red glasses, he thought, she had no taste in fashion.

Slamming the book shut, Steven erased her from his mind, and threw the book on the floor. Thoughts of Carol, the next girl he was going to bang came to his mind, and he lay on his bed and allowed his hands to slip inside his jeans.

**************

The weekend was over before she knew it, Abby quickly showered and dressed for school. Today was Monday and she had an entire week of volunteer work before her assignment in the library was over. When she finished braiding her hair, Abby slipped into her yellow gym shoes and grabbed her backpack.

She opened her bedroom door and stuck her head out to make sure the coast was clear and then she dashed down stairs to the kitchen. To her dismay, her father was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for her.

"Come sit here." Her father motioned for her to sit next to him at the table.

Abby wasn't in the mood for an argument so she walked cautiously to the table and sat down on the chair next to her father.

"You look lovely this morning." His breath stunk of vodka, and his eyes glistened, as he spoke his next words, "Do you need a ride to school?"

Nervous now, Abby tensed as fear gripped her, "No thank you, I can walk it's a lovely day." She told him and lifted herself to her feet.

Her father grabbed her arm aggressively and pulled her back to her seat, "Your hair smells lovely." He told her in a husky tone of voice, and his head came close to her head, as he sniffed her hair.

"Father please." Abby cried softly, "I don't want to be late for school."

It was at that moment that her fathers iPhone rang and he reached to answer it that gave Abby the chance to escape him. She grabbed her backpack and ran to the back door, opened it and exited.

With heart beating fast, Abby ran all the way to school without looking back. By the time she reached the parking lot, she was out of breath and blinded by tears when she slammed onto someone and lost her balance.

That someone grabbed her by the arms and steadied her, "You again!"

Abby looked up into the handsome face of Steven, fresh tears spilled and she was lost for words. Of all the people in the world why did she have to bump into him again!

His eyes were hazed with compassion and he wiped her tears away with his hand, "Is something wrong?" Steven asked, as his blue eyes bore deep into hers.

Abby slapped his hand away, "Why don't you watch where you're going!" She told him angrily, before she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin up and walked away.

Surprised by her reaction, Steven threw his head back and roared with laughter. The clown girl was full of spunk, he thought, as he watched her disappear into the crowd.