Just How Life Is.

Just How Life Is. Chapter 2

“It was so awkward!” I said to Faith and Chloe as we were walking to our buses. I was telling them about my little run in with Troy.

They laughed, “I bet it was,” said Faith.

“You like him, admit it,” said Chloe with a big smile.

“Ha ha, no,” then I looked away, well maybe a little.

We said our goodbyes as we went to our buses. I sat in a random seat towards the back then I got really confused. Troy was walking down the aisle, and he wasn’t on my bus. He looked really zoned out. He sat in the same seat as me, luckily there was enough room.

“Er, what are you doing here?” I asked him after a few moments.

He looked up, and then looked around at all the people on the bus, “Damn, I got on the wrong bus…”

I couldn’t help but say, “What?” while laughing, “How do you just get on the wrong bus?”

He looked at me with a serious face, “You zone out.”

There were a few moments of awkward silence and the bus started moving. Then he put his hand on his chin thoughtfully, avoiding his bruise.

“Let’s see, you live sort of close to me, right? I should be fine,” he said, almost like he was thinking out loud. Yep, he’s definitely weird.

Then he sat back against the seat, relaxed. “So tell me Skye, how’s life?” he looked at me with a lazy grin. What the hell, is this kid seriously bipolar? And when did he learn my name? I thought he would’ve forgotten it.

“Er, it’s alright dude…. When did you learn my name?” I couldn’t help but blurt out the last part.

He chuckled softly, “Skye, I’ve known you since before preschool. I would obviously remember your name.”

“Oh,” I said quietly, sitting back and looking at the seat in front of me feeling embarrassed.

I walked in my front door feeling confused. This is why I didn’t like conversing with Troy; he would be stuck in my head. Sighing, I went to my room and plopped on my bed.

Troy got off of the bus at a stop before me and started walking down the road, but not before saying a quick goodbye to me. Everyone else on the bus was confused as to why he was on the bus, but decided not to question him.

I turned on my iPod in its stereo and Blood by My Chemical Romance started playing

“Well they encourage your complete cooperation,

Send you roses when they think you need to smile.

I can't control myself because I don't know how,

And they love me for it honestly, I'll be here for a while.”

But I was interrupted by my phone ringing. I picked it up, “Hello?”

“How many wheels does a fire truck have?” 

………

I pulled my arm away to look at my phone, “Caller ID: Jake” and it showed a picture of his face.

I put the phone back to my ear, “I believe you have the wrong number. Try calling 911.”

Jake started laughing, I heard Danny laughing in the background. “Wait! Wait!” he said before I could hang up. “Danny says it’s twelve, but I say it’s eight.”

“So you call me?”

“… Well, yeah.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle a little. “Well I don’t know. Try Google!” I heard Danny say “Good idea!” right before I hung up. My friends are so weird.

“Skye! You home?!” I heard my step-brother call as he came into the house.

“Yeah!” I shouted back to him.

My step-brother was in college, but he lives at home. His school wasn’t too far away, so he commuted. His name was Jared and we didn’t get along too well.

When I was three my dad died in a car accident. My mom was sad for a while, but eventually she found a great new husband, Dan. I liked him, but he couldn’t take the place as a true father figure to me. The only real problem was his son.

He always made fun of me, for my style, my friends, basically everything about me. He was all goody goody, a real business man type. Hated anything fun; well my definition of fun anyway. He also hated me because he would spend hours upon hours studying, when I only needed a few minutes. I had, what I guess you could call, a photographic memory.

Suddenly my door burst open right as the song Blood sang the words “I’m such an awful fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. (Why thank you)”

Jared stood in the doorway, staring wide-eyed at my stereo. “What the hell was that?”

“I believe lyrics to a song.”

He glared at me, “Don’t be a smart ass.”

“Sorry, can’t help it,” I said, giving a shrug. Jared’s nostrils flared. He grabbed my iPod and pulled it right out of its dock and walked out of the room.

“Hey! Give that back!” I yelled running after him.

“No, I don’t like the music you have on here.”

“So?! It’s my iPod,” I said, trying to grab said stolen item from his hand.

“Sucks,” he said, slamming his bed room door in my face.

“Jared!” I yelled continuously, pounding on his door. But he just ignored me. “Fine then! I’m going out!” I yelled through his door, then walking out the front door.

It was a little cold outside, but I was wearing my jacket, so I was good. I walked around for a while, I would have to get my iPod back, maybe I could get Danny and Jake to jump him?...

I sighed, Jared always made me really upset and pissed. So I did what I always did, I called Jake.

“It’s six wheels.” I heard him say when he picked up.

I laughed, “Um, that’s good to know.”

He was quiet for a moment, “What’s wrong?”

“Jared,” I muttered.

“What’d he do this time?” he said a bit harshly.

“Stole my iPod, insulted my taste in music. You know the usual.”

“Is he aware that he’s a dick?”

I chuckled, “I don’t know, maybe.”

“So where are you right now?” he asked.

“Inono, somewhere outside,” then I actually looked around for once. Crap, I didn’t know where I was. How long was I walking anyway?

“Skye, it’s getting dark out,” he said in a scolding tone.

“I know. It’s drizzling too,” I said, looking up at the darkening sky; a rain drop hit my nose. Looking back in front of me, I saw a street light, and someone sitting under it.

“Wait, I see someone,” I said quietly into the phone.

“Guy or girl?”

“Guy.”

“Skye! Don’t you know anything about stranger danger?” he said a bit loudly.

“Yes! Now shush!” it was raining more heavily now, I put up my hood and went closer to the dude.

When I came close enough to see, I gasped.

It was Troy, all beat up, and it looked like he was crying a little.