Saint - Finding the Normalcy Within the Abnormality

Chapter 3

       The next morning I found Axton and told him the news. As expected Jaceson wasn't allowed to go and he was seething about it. He just about talked my ear off in second block. At the end of the day, it was the same as I waited at Axton's car. He came significantly faster because the guys had debate club after school on Thursday.

       Again I could tell we weren't going straight to his house because of his haphazard driving. Instead, we found ourselves in front of a park. I sat on the swings as Axton ran around the small playground they had. He plays really well with himself. It made me wonder how much he had to. Now that I think about it Axton doesn't have any siblings. I don't know what I would do without Brendan growing up. He must've felt lonely a lot more than I have.

       "You want me to push you?" He asked brushing mulch off himself.

       "I suppose," This is how I learned never to feel empathy for anyone.

       Axton pushed me so hard and so fast I was scared I was gonna flip. He all of a sudden told me to jump. To which I responded a hell no. He ran around the front and promised to catch me. He kept on yelling at me to do it that I, being the retard I am, did it. The momentum knocked him down and we landed with a huge thud. He let out a pained scream. I look at him to make sure he was okay but as soon as our eyes caught we began to laugh hysterically at our poor decisions. He looked to me brushing some hair out of my face.

       "I'm proud of you," He said in a hushed tone.

       It all but shocked me. A blush rose to my face and I sat up. I stuck out my hand helping him up. I helped pull out a few impaled pieces of mulch from his back before we went back to his house to treat him. However, my mind is still reeling on his comment. Why would he be proud of me for jumping off a swing? When we got to his house Leon was home but Miss Bianca wasn't. Again another oddity in the O'Hara household. We went straight to the bathroom where we talked about our stupidity and I helped him with the scratches on his back. We studied for a few hours until his mom came home and made dinner.

       Dinner was awkward because Axton chose to not wear a shirt because of the ointment on his back. Which is fine, however, his parents kept making suggestive comments and giving us suggestive looks. Axton tried to tell them it wasn't so but of course, they did not listen.

       Axton drove me home after dinner still without a shirt. When we pulled into my driveway I gathered my things to get out the car. My hands touched the handle and I felt Axton touch the nape of my neck. I instinctively scrunched it up to protect myself. When he pulled his hand away I snapped my neck in his direction giving him a bewildered look.

       "What?" I bark out kinda peeved he would touch me like that.

       He opened his mouth but there were no words so he simply shook his head. I muttered an insult before climbing out the car. I gave him a quick wave before going inside. My mother was laying across my father's lap as they watched a movie. My dad ran a hand absently through mom's curls. When they get into their moods I always feel as though they will get a divorce but I forget how in love with each other they actually are. But again it was only an oddity to see them like this in the Singer household.

       The next day at school Axton beamed with pride as he showed me his math quiz. It was a 79 which is okay but he needs to get an 85 by the time he graduates or he'll be stuck in summer school. So after school, we went to his house to study for a test coming up. As we studied together for his upcoming test. I could tell he wasn't in the mood. He did anything and everything to divert my attention. Finally, he got sick of trying and laid down. He had an arm loosely splayed on my lap. He let out a whine as if he were a child throwing a fit. He lifts his arm up and forced me to lie with him.