Black Roses «Jamilton»

1 « Unpropitious

Alexander's POV

"Come on Alex," Peggy gripped my hand playfully, her fingernails digging into my pale skin. John stifled a laugh behind us.

"No." I demanded, making sure to glare at John. He shrugged innocently, but his eyes crinkled with delight.

Peggy inched down the crowded sidewalk, towing me along. Her grip was fierce, and I could tell she wasn't going to let go anytime soon.

"Alex, you know you can't spend your whole life in your dorm," she protested, giving me a knowing look. She yanked my arm to prove her point. Despite her small figure, Peggy was not a force to be reckoned with.

I secretly knew Peggy was right, but was too stubborn to agree. Instead, I scrunched up my face in objection, wishing I could've stayed cooped up in my room.

John followed us gleefully, smirking whenever a stranger would bump into us or frown with disapproval.

I let Peggy haul me through the city, mentally sighing. If I wasn't so annoyed with my friends, I would probably laugh at the scene we were making.

The chilly spring air rustled through my jacket as I took a slow, deep breath. Skyscrapers outlined both sides of the street, all of them different shapes and sizes. Colorful advertisements decorated the sides, covering up a few of the large windows.

          Assortments of smells wafted out of the buildings as swarms of people entered and exited. I didn't recognize almost any of the structures, but Peggy seemed to know the way as she pulled me along. Her eyes glinted with enthusiasm, reflecting the bright Sun.

          Something like a smile twisted onto my face, and I gazed around in awe.

          A wide street sat in the middle of it all, winding around corners and out of sight. Sounds emitted from the backed up traffic; bright yellow taxicabs standing out against the bland colors.

In all honesty, it would've been a nice day if it wasn't so busy. Ugh, socialization.

I gave up struggling against Peggy, and began to walk at a normal pace besides her. Her grip around my wrist loosened and her hand fell to her side. I assumed she trusted me enough at this point to not run away.

          John flanked my left, his brown hair bouncing with every step. It was carelessly tied on the back of his head in a ponytail. Freckles were splayed across his face like a constellation, and his bright smile never faltered.

          "Hey, John, what time is it?" Peggy asked suddenly, turning her head to look at us.

            "Show time," John muttered under his breath.

          "What?"

          "What?" John repeated, creasing his forehead like he hadn't said anything. Peggy sighed.

          "My Dad said I need to be home by sundown," she explained as I took my phone out of my jacket's pocket. I had forgotten that Peggy didn't live in the dorms with everyone else.

         The screen flickered to life, and I squinted to see the dim light. John peered over my shoulder to see.

          "It's 14:51," I announced, slipping the device away. I could feel its weight through the thick fabric. In a way, that was a comfort in the large crowd because I knew I would have a link to escape.

          "14:51?" John echoed. Peggy cocked her head to the side in confusion.

           "Oh, err..." I stuttered, struggling to form sentences. Sure, I was an amazing writer and all, but communicating was a completely different story.