The Tragedies of Chemistry

Chapter 12- Stoner To The Rescue

Wesley's POV.

June 6, 2014
Dear Journal,
The school year is over and I couldn't be any more afraid. School was the only thing distracting me from the reality of my life. As much as I hated homework, it occupied me. School always kept me on my feet. I've never thought I'd say this but I'm going to miss it. Not like I had real friends anyway. But their company fills the void. It's just a fix that soon fades. I've realized now how much alike I am to my dad. He tries to distract himself with work and women. He brings one home without my knowing but I know. I always find a pair of panties in the dryer or a lipstick tube on the floor. I know what fixes him so I have no right to judge. I just kind of wished he would pay more attention to me. Ha. But I know now it's such a silly thing for a seventeen year old girl to ask from her father. To each of his own. He deals with his monsters his way and I deal with mine my way. I just wouldn't want to stay in the house all summer. Even I get lonely sometimes too. I wish I would have made some real friends so I wouldn't be as lonely.

I wish my mom was still here. She would pay attention to me. She wouldn't forget Casserole Night. She wouldn't forget to feed the fish. She wouldn't forget about me.
-M

I closed the journal. I turned my head to look at the stars as I blew smoke from my mouth.
"It's starting to get colder and colder every day," Benny complained, "Only a couple more days of October left."
Benny and I stood behind the bar for almost half an hour smoking his weed. I was already high but the cool air of this October night was calming to me. I liked being out when it was cold. It numbs me when other things couldn't.
"Let's go," He said finally. We walked to his car and got in. We pulled back out of the bar's parking lot and started driving slowly past the alleyways behind it. Until I saw something.

A girl was fighting with a dude in front of his truck. And it looked bad. He held her by her wrists and she tried to push him away.
"Wait, wait." I said, "Look over there." I pointed to the girl.
He laughed, "Holy shit, that's Jack Feldman."
"Who?"
"He's one of the dudes that go to my college. He's a real jack ass. Has anger issues I think." He snorted, "Looks like he's targeted a high schooler. I feel sorry for her."
I looked even closer. He was right. She looked young. And familar as well. Her blonde hair shone underneath the lamp post. I've seen her somewhere, I know I have. She spitted in his face and he slapped her, causing even me to flinch.
"I gotta help her," I said as I open the door.
Benny shouted after me, "It's none of our business Wes! You're going to get your ass beat!"
I didn't care. No jack ass lays a hands on a girl. It's like in the Bible or some shit.
"Hey!" I yell at Jack. "Don't touch her!"
He turns his head and examines me from head to toe. "Who the fuck are you?" He spat.
I make sure to keep my thumb outside as I lock my weight and throw a punch. To my misfortune, he dodged it before I could even touch his skin. He hit me back and I was on the floor. I groaned as my jaw hit the concrete with a defeaning smack. The girl screamed and I mustered all my strength to try to get up but I felt his foot kick into my ribcage. I fell to the floor again. He kicked me another two times as the girl screamed, "Jack stop! You're gonna kill him!"
"That's what the fucker gets not minding his own business." Jack turned to the girl, "Now get the fuck back in the car!"
He turned his back which gave me the advantage to get up as quickly as I could and jump on him. He ran himself back into the wall, my head hitting against it. I let go and he kept me on my feet. He punched me but I didn't care. I tasted the blood on my lips already.
"Jack stop it!" She screamed, "Please!"
Suddenly I heard a metal smack and I opened my eyes. Jack was on the floor unconscious and with a metal car part next to his head. Benny was standing over him. "What a jackass."
"Benny?" I slurred. I was feeling a little dizzier than usual. Was this how it felt like having the shit beaten out of you?
"Get in the car!" He shouted to me. He turned to the girl, "You too!"
She stood frozen and looking down at his body. He wasn't dead but he sure was going to wake up with a huge headache. I grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the car with me. We got in the backseat together and Benny drove away.

The girl gave us her address so we could drop her off. It lead us to the better part of town with the better neighborhoods. The one story houses became two and the front yards became bigger. Benny drove through a gate and into a circled driveway with a fountain in the middle. He stopped the car right in front of the front door.

"I gotta have a cigarette," He muttered before slamming the car door behind him. The girl and I were still sitting in the backseat.

"Thank you." She finally said, "Thank you for doing that back there."
I shrugged, "It was no problem. Just being a good citizen."
She laughed, "I'm really sorry he did this to you." She looked at the bruise on my cheekbone and the blood on my chin. But in reality, I felt great.
"I'm fine," I said, "Honestly."
She didn't look convinced.
"What did you see in that guy anyway?" I asked.
She rolled her eyes, "This is what I get for trying to date a college guy."
"This is what I get for trying to be brave in front of a pretty girl." I chuckled.
She blushed, "I'm really sorry for that."
But I waved it off. "He shouldn't have put his hands on you. That's all there is to it."
She unbuckled her seat belt, "Thank you again." She opened the car door but stopped. She looked back at me, "Could you not tell anyone at school about this?"
My head snapped up, "What?"
She looked embarassed, "I said could you not tell-"
"You go to my school?" I asked her. She looked taken aback. "I knew you looked familiar." I explained.
"We have English together."
That's when it clicked. She sat in the front row in my English class. Shit. I forgot her name.
"I also went to your concert," She chuckled but I was still trying to figure out her name. Abigail? Morgan? Adele? Maddie?
"Addison?"
"Madison," She corrected me, "Madison James."
Madison James. Then I realized where I also heard that name before. Andy. Maya. The concert. This was Madison, the girl they absolutely hated.
"And you're Wesley," She said, interrupting me thoughts.
"How did you know that?" I asked, surprised.
"Mr. Burrows says it enough times whenever you're late." We both laughed. Benny got back in the car and told us to say goodnight. I kicked his chair.
"Thank you again Wesley." She leaned over and kissed the small bruise on my cheekbone.
"Anytime, Madison."
She pulled away and smiled. She closed the car door behind her and I finally released the breath I didn't know I was holding in.