That Boy - Page 6

The next day was the same. Talk about the emo boy, who had an outburst yesterday at Travis. Teenage drama, the usual.

The boy was silent, as always. He was in the morning classes, but not in fifth period. He probably got checked out. The whole rest of the day, I didn't see him.

He wasn't in history, and his seat cast an unusual emptiness. After school, I grabbed my coat from my locker and walked home.

My route home was easy and lasted fifteen minutes. My friends pitied me and offered rides home. I told them it wasn't far to walk.

My route home: From the school, I walked to the bridge that overpassed the highway. From there I walked along the main road, passing a few junky stores. Then I turned into my abandoned neighborhood street and turned left, where I went in through my chain link, backyard door.

As I approached the bridge today, the wind picked up, sending my blond hair everywhere! I stopped and leaned by a tree, tying my hair up in two ponytails on the sides of my head.

I liked my hair up like this, but my friends said it made me look childish. They say a lot of things about me. Who cares what they think?

I kept walking toward the bridge. I stopped when I saw him. The boy. He was leaning under the bridge, against the chain link fence. He had probably sluffed the second half of the day. How long had he been out here? It was in the middle winter—wasn't he cold!?!?!

He stood up when he saw me. I kept walking; he fell into step beside me. I didn't know what to do. I said, "Hi", being stupid again.

He didn't say hello back, as we climbed up the arched bridge. It felt weird to have him walking beside me.

"Um… that guy…Travis?" He asked, quietly.

"Yeah." I confirmed. We were at the top of the bridge. Cars zoomed under us, their smoke polluting the air.

"Do you know… where he lives?" His voice was so different. It wasn't matured fully, or was it? I couldn't tell.

"Yeah, he's that house right there, with the white walls and red balcony." I stopped at the corner and pointed to the house in the distance. Well it wasn't far away or anything, but you could see part of it form here.

He saw it and we continued down the ramp. I didn't think much as of why he wanted to know where Travis lived. I was stupid. I could only think of the way he walked. Full of purpose, and yet totally lifeless.