CHAPTER TWO

MY CRUSH

The loud unbarable yells and baby cries from down stairs were what woke me up from my nap.

“Oh gosh” while yawning and stretching my arms wide open.

I clumsily stepped off my bed almost tripping from the wooden chair my eyes had missed. I yawned then slowly walked out into the lounge.

“So, you are back?” I asked my mother who had just entered the door.

A smile appeared on her puffy face and I knew she was exhausted. Working at Rush’s dry clean and washing store wasn’t an easy job.

Well most people in the Eastside of Mino City hated washing their clothes especially men, making Rush’s dry clean and washing store the most crowded place to be. She would leave the house early in the morning before I even get up for school and come back at the latest hours of the evening when I’m asleep, although I would normally wait for her to show up.

I guess the feeling of also losing her was what drove me to stop myself from falling asleep. Just like my late father would say, “A great soldier never blinks.”

I also was not going to sleep if I didn’t see my mother walk through the front door, even if it took a decade I would stay awake.

“Let me help you” I insisted.

I carefully pulled her old yellow sandals off her small foot which was decorated with grenish veins.

“So, tell me how was school?” she asked. 

“It was normal I guess” I replied as I sat near her.

“Good” with a smile on her face. “So, tell me, how is your friend?”

“You mean Apple?” I asked.

She nodded.

“She’s good” I replied. “Plus, she’s in a school debating team which will be competing with other schools.”

“That’s nice” 

It was no secret that my mother liked Apple who happened to be Mr. Sun’s granddaughter. My mother was good friends with Apple’s grandfather who I never liked by the way. I guessed their friendship was built in Rush’s dry cleaning and washing store since the old man always took his coats for dry cleaning.

“Don’t you have a homework to do?” she asked while turning on the television.

I knew very well that she was just trying to get rid of me since she was going to watch her soaps which I hated by the way. They were so dramatic and boring just like her if I may say.

“I do actually”

I kissed her on the forehead like always did then went inside my bedroom. I looked around my hallow room then slowly walked toward my single bed.  I rested my head on the yellow-ish  pillow behind me facing the old ceiling above me. Strangely I found myself recalling the day the police officers came to report that they had found my little brother’s corpse after being reported missing for a whole week.

They had found his body dumped in the lake after being sexually assaulted and all his toes cut. It was unbelievable that people could really do such evil to a nine-year-old child.

Tears started running down my cheeks without me realizing it.

My ear suddenly caught the noise from the railing sirens which I knew belonged to police cars.

In this part of Mino City sirens were music to our ears and death was the song to our lips.

I stared at the flying moth which kept flying around and around the light bulb. My eyelids started feeling heavier and heavier until I finally lost light.

~ ~ ~ ~

The whole history lesson my eyes were focused on Sorrow who was seated on a desk located on the third row as I carefully sketched him on my sketch book. The tapping of his pen on his calculator was music to my ears.

The siren suddenly went on as everyone got up and rushed out to break without waiting for Mr. Winter to dismiss them.

Crazy enough Sorrow remained seated as I watched him while I slowly took out my lunch box from my bag.

“Tell your classmates to write page six and eight” Mr. Winter said looking at Sorrow.

“Yes Sir” replied Sorrow.

“Now you can go to break” Mr. Winter said walking out.

“Siren!” yelled Apple standing near the window. “Are you taking out an army or a lunchbox in there?”

Sorrow let out a short laughter while getting up from his seat and heading out to his crowd of friends who were waiting for him in the corridor.

He had just laughed at me and I wasn’t sure what to feel. Was it bad? Or was it good?

“Hey!” yelled Apple walking toward me as she placed her lunch box on my desk. “What’s up?”

“Nothing” I replied taking my lunch box out of my bag. “Shall we go?”

“Of course,” she replied leading the way.

We walked inside the crowded eating zone as we sat on one of the thousand tables.

“Guess what?” said Apple.

“What?” I asked as I watched Sorrow and his crowd of friends approached the eating zone.

All his friends were talking and laughing but he said nothing. Only walked liked a model on a runway.

All the girls kept turning from their tables as they moved passed them.

“Siren!” yelled Apple banging the table. “I’m talking to you.”

“Sorry” I said moving my eyes to her.

She suddenly laughed.

“What?” I asked looking confused.

“Don’t tell me you are still thinking about what happened yesterday” she said.

“Yesterday?” I asked.

“The dancers” replied Apple.

“OH” I said.

“To tell you the honest truth I thought they were going to mug us” said Apple.

“Yeah” I replied.

She then turned back then quickly looked back at me all red.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Sorrow” she said in a whisper.

I moved my eyes around and that was when I saw him and his friends sitting on a table behind us.

“He’s right behind us” she said softly.

“Yeah, he is” I replied with a smile on my face.

Suddenly the speaker went on as Mrs. Legion’s voice was heard.

“Dear students can all the students doing debate join me in room twenty” she said.

“I have to go” said Apple getting up.

“I’ll wait up for you” I said.

“Sure” she said heading toward the other girls who were also in the debate team.

I watched them until they disappeared down the hallway.