Drifters

Day 4 (Make it stop)

 Mom and Robin got into a fight monday night, after mom realized that Robin had told me about Sheridan, the suicide boy of York County, she got upset asking Robin if she wanted to trigger my depression again. Robin didn't reply, and for the rest of that week I wasn't let out of the house. Normally I wouldn't have been sad about this but then i remember Pierre/Sheridan told me I would "see him soon." and then I became nervous wondering whether he was back at the boardwalk waiting for me.

I didn't see Sheridan for two weeks. A part of me was sad, the part that the Drifting Away forgot to tell how Sheridan was no good.

He was working at the local Tony's italian ice wearing a bright red apron and a soda jerk hat, when I saw him again. He smiled when he saw me walk in, and even though his boss was standing right behind him he took off of his hat and walked towards me. I glanced for a moment at a man who wore the badge "manager." He watched us with his jaw clenched and his arms crossed but he didn't say anything.

Sheridan didn't seem to realize his managers harsh glare as he asked me, "Where have you been Piper?" But even though it was a question he made it sound more like a hello.

The Drifting Away told me to be angry because Sheridan was a boy who said his name was Pierre, a boy who had tried to feel like us, but I wasn't. Instead, I looked at the manager again. He was a tall dark man with broad shoulders and a cigarette tattoo located on his left bicep.

Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States, This is one in five deaths annually, or 1,300 deaths every day.

"You should probably get back to work." I say after reciting my fact in my head. Sheridan looked at me before grinning and shaking his head.

"Working is overrated." He then proceeded to tell me to wait before quickly walking towards the manager saying something along the lines of, "I've got to go." and "See you later." before walking into a back room.

I watched him, analyzing the way he walked. He was confident in each step, not careful or unsure like mine. His manager looked a bit angry his biceps flexing as he stared at me.

"How many years do you think?" The Drifting Away asked in my head, I eyed the manager my eyes wandering to his tired eyes and his shaky hands/

"Five years, maybe from cancer." I answered before I watch Sheridan came out of the back room walking towards me with a smile on his face.

"For you, milady." He smiled at me when he was finally in front of me. I looked at him suspiciously before taking the cup out of his hands and making sure to hide the smile that was threatening to grow on my face.

Once again he was dressed differently, this time he looked like a reggae rock star with loose crumpled jeans and big combat boots, and a green beanie hat to match.

"Are you sure your manager is fine with you leaving?" I asked him as he opened the front door of the Italian ice store and motioned me to step out.

"In case you didn't know, I've been quite popular lately." He smiled more to himself than to me, as we started walking on the sidewalk."he doesn't really care what I do as long as people keep coming to the shop to ask me questions."

I made an "mmm" sound before sticking the italian ice spoon in my mouth. The Drifting Away scolded me reminding me not to accept presents from people, especially boys like Sheridan. After this I put the spoon back in the cup before handing it to Sheridan saying, "Lemon isn't a good flavor."

I expected him to be offended, but he just shrugged and smiled before taking the spoon and tasting the ice dramatically before shaking his head.

"You, my dear Piper, are absolutely wrong." Then he handed me back the italian ice with a handsome smile and I couldn't help but smile back. "Do you want to walk to the boardwalk."

I felt my stomach churn. We hadn't walked that far from Tony's Italian Ice, only along the sidewalk. I wasn't prepared to walk anywhere further.

"Um, I can't go to the boardwalk anymore..." My voice was small and I refused to look him in the eyes, "My, uh, mom, she saw the news piece on you and now she won't let me go to the Boardwalk anymore."

I swallowed before adding, "I also know your name isn't Pierre."

I looked up to see if he would be hurt or angry, possibly even surprised, but he wasn't either. Instead his huge grin was back and he closed his eyes humming for a moment.

"One thing you need to know about me Piper, is that I'm a pathological liar." I looked at him to see if he was joking or not but the smile on his face prevented me from doing so. "So, now you know."

I eyed him curiously, "Know what?"

He laughed bitterly, "That I have a horrid name." He looked at me as if he need to confirm this and something in my eyes must have done just that because he nodded as if he had his answer before taking my spoon and scraping the melted Italian Ice of the sides of the cup and put it in his mouth. I wonder what Robin would do if she knew I was sharing a spoon with Sheridan.

"Why did you tell that man you were trying to impress me." I suddenly asked surprising the Drifting Away and myself.

He shrugged, "Would you have rather me said I was trying to feel like a dead man?"

My stomach twisted at the thought of death.

"Are you afraid of death?" Sheridan asked me after a few moments. His question made my heart stop.

Mount Everest has about 200 dead bodies on it, which have now been turned into landmarks on the way to the top.

"It's called thantophobia," Sheridan continues, still looking at me. "My mother used to have it."

Something in my heart flipped, used to? Used impies in the past, maybe Sheridans mom overcame it.

"Does she still have it." My voice comes out strained, and I'm embarrassed of how obvious it is.

"I suppose." Sheridan said quietly looking away as if he was remembering something.

"The Drifting Away comes when someone dies." I eventually say, which cause Sheridan to look at me again, his eyes concentrating. "My uncle died two weeks ago."

He didn't say he was sorry, instead he looked at me in a very serious way, but still didn't say anything.

"Sometimes the Drifting Away talks to me." I blurted out as I fiddled with my fingers.

"Shut Up." The Drifting Away pounded against my head.

"It's hard to explain...it comes and goes sometimes but when it comes it stays for a while." I continued to talk ignoring the Drifting Away. "I know it's stupid and you probably think I'm a nut bu-"

" I don't think that." I was so engrossed in explaining the Drifting Away that I had barely processed what Sheridan had said and was only able to say "What."

I waited for Sheridan to laugh or smile but instead he looked at me seriously before saying, "I don't think it's stupid."

"Go home." The Drifting Away ordered.

I wanted so badly to disobey it, to continue walking with Sheridan, but I know better.

"I have to go." I was surprised at the way my words came out; strained and forced. Sheridan seemed to pick up on it a bit, squinting his dark eyes in a way that seemed directed more towards the Drifting Away than me.

The Drifting Away stirred as I shifted uncomfortably, "Meet me tomorrow at Toni's." Sheridan's voice, just like every other thing about him, was confident and sure of itself.

"Say no." It demanded.

"Okay." My voice was barely there but Sherdian still smiled as I handed him back the styrfoam cup before walking down the sidewalk.