Becoming Agent Rider

Picnics and Bombs

The next morning, he and Sabina went out for a walk and a picnic at Golden Gate Park. It was a bright Sunday with clear skies and a light breeze - perfect weather. The vibrant green leaves seemed to wave gently at the people while the strong tree trunks provided shade for the park goers to relax under. Surrounding them, the picnic tables were all full, there were children laughing, some couples taking a stroll, a man sketching the park landscape, and a few people reading. There were even people playing different instruments at various intervals.

But for Alex and Sabina, the atmosphere was tense and awkward. Neither knew what to say. Alex wanted to have an honest conversation for once but that was exactly what the Pleasures had been avoiding. After all, it can't be an honest conversation when the person you're talking to refuses to acknowledge a major part of your past, a part of who you are. Finally, Sabina had had enough of the silence. She started to chatter on about the latest gossip at school and poking fun at the recent theories of Alex their classmates had come up with, hoping to elicit more than the nod and smile he gave her at various points. When he had first come to live with the Pleasures, he had decided on the cover story that he had gone through several abusive foster homes before becoming friends with Sabina and her parents had been kind enough to adopt him. Most of the students just ignored him. However, because of his cover story, and the fact that he was a quiet foreigner with a haunted look to his eyes, some bullies had decided that he was the perfect target. They often blocked his way, taunting and spreading rumors about him. The latest rumour was that his parents hadn't wanted him so the Pleasures took pity on him but that he was actually just taking advantage of Sabina. There was a time when he might have retaliated but he didn't want to have a record of behavioral problems for the Pleasures to deal with. Besides, after Jack's death, he just didn't have it in him and he didn't want to draw even more attention to himself. Lately though, he found himself thinking more often about how easy it would be to put them in their place. He could easily knock them out and they wouldn't even see it coming. While he was lost in these thoughts and listening to Sabina's chatter, he had subconsciously been watching the people around them. A toddler waved at him, a group of teenagers had started a game of frisbee, and a lone man was slowly making his way towards the barbeque pits. Odd. Maybe he was waiting for some friends to join him for a barbecue.

"The football team is having a party tonight at 6. You should come join," Sabina suddenly said. It was only at this point that Alex realized she had stopped talking for awhile. Alex opened his mouth to refuse but Sabina plowed on. "And before you say no, I know you don't have anything else to do and you haven't been socializing. That can't be healthy for you."

"What are you talking about?" He held out his arm, like he was preparing for an arm wrestle, with an amused smirk. "Look at the muscles I have! Lean, strong body - I'm definitely healthy." He wanted to lighten the mood and it had worked, if only for a moment.

Sabina let out a surprised laugh and rolled her eyes. "That's not what I'm talking about and you know it." She sobered up and hesitated before continuing. "Maybe you should try going to a different psychologist. The two that Dad found for you might not have been what you needed but...maybe you should try again. Third time's the charm, right? You need to learn how to socialize with your peers again. And you need to learn how to trust again. You can't stay alone forever."