The Role

Chapter 11: The Role

 

 

 

 

The day after behind the library desk he looked around to see if anyone was there. The coast was clear. He opened the bag he’d been given. He pulled out what was probably necklaces and put them down in front of him.  He had an impression to call them amulets, for they had wood designations with seemingly average looking shapes on them. All unwary looking designs from their being etched in these things. Of course, he was fraught of where they came from. Eccentric and suspicious as they were, with a clear look, they had seemingly average shapes on them. One like the medical cross or sign of addition. One like a heart with a tender spot on top. Another like a teardrop or of rain, and a crest like a family’s or a shield, another a circle split in the center like the Earth’s equator, and a star and crescent moon. He kind of laughed this off all the way to last period. Putting back the book he’d gotten while with Michelle. He’d not read but a few pages. Afterschool was comfortably warm. September in this state was unpredictable. He realized he literally had no one to socialize with anymore at school. “Oh! I forgot about David!” he deduced. “I wonder…” He got up from the bench he was sitting on and walked hastily up the stretching hill of a parking lot. He spotted nothing. Tons of people were gathering in the afternoon. He got a good view. Scanning the area from the upper-right corner all the way back. Not a trace of his friend. He whipped out the cellular telephone. Gave Jamie a call with faith he would answer. “Hey!” Trevor greeted enthused. “Hey, what’s happenin’?”

“Not much, seeing if you wanted to hang out.”

“Are you at school?” he asked. Trevor answered him back, “Alright. See you in a few.” Trevor ever vigilant and wary of his arrival. Keeping a lookout for anyone. Most vehicles leaving were vacated, and he wasn’t having any luck searching for how he would be rolling up. A red Chevy Camero flurried around the corner, coming with speed and confounding loud music out of it. Finally, it pulled up to him, like at first it didn’t see him there. Jamie in the passenger seat, poised there. The music, which just sort-of sounded like loud sound before, lessened to a halt. In the driver’s seat, a girl who looked just out of her teens. Tan, with a fairly ideal visage, looking unconcerned. Like she was missing a meeting at work or that type of deal. Thick framed glasses on her face showed no glimpse of her facial expression. Trevor thought he’d never experienced this before. The car vented the pervasive smell of flavored cigar smoke and that which smelled of a filled blunt. The static driver turned around and said coolly, “Hey. How are you?” This made Trevor feel better. As pacified as they were he wasn’t sure how to feel. “This is Stacey.” Jamie said. Followed by an abiding pause. “Hi there.” Trevor responded. A minute or so of changing music and back-and-forth between the two front-seaters.
Then off they went. He knew he had no idea where they were going to go. Rolling down side streets, past apprehensively guarding homes and such. Coming to a crossroads where they flew past and turned down a dead-end road. Trevor felt like he had déjà-vu for some reason at this time. They parked off the side of this street and stopped. The staunch smell of a sweet burning filled the cabin with nowhere to escape. Jamie spouted something about it being some good s**t with a stifled breath. They laughed. After time of distant quiet and pure smoking, the A/C turned on and smoke floated out of the windows as they came down between the cracks of car doors. Moving round, three-pointed turn, and some gas. He could feel the wheels on the pavement below as they moved to the main road. Heading out to the last leg of the journey to his house. Parked by his home, rearing at how stoned they were. Giggling at the chants of rap music most likely made recently; more or less. Diving into his bag, he pulled out one of the necklaces. He gave it to Jamie.

“Hey, I got these at the tattoo shop.” He saw the one which had adorned a particular design.

“Sure, I’ll have it, man.” He said. Then inspected it for a moment. Right now he was hesitant. Stepping out of the tight frame of the backseat as Jamie let him out. He gave a dap handshake and bustled inside. He hadn’t told his parents he’d be doing this today, but guessed it wasn’t an issue. Not much time had passed since school got out. Sifting through unladed schoolwork, Trevor had a few things left to do. So he hit the books. The night had blanked out the room as he finished up a report on 19^th century literature. It felt like the best of his school studies. Bouncing from Salinger to Bradbury, to Maupassant and Paulson and his survival novels. Thoughts of sentimentality seemed futile. Why would this moment be any more tremendous? It was fine to relish in. He turned on the television, setting his eyes up to watch. He was on the cartoon station. He changed the channel. He caught the premiere of a series that piqued his interest. He’d seen the promos for it and it struck him that he was catching it as it was on. A name so presumptuous, he found himself intrigued. Engrossed by it, he was left smitten and could not unwind for the day. He simply wrung himself out and worked on keeping calm. As he stood, waiting out the mild-feeling.  He felt estranged with nightfall. He was f*****g stressed. To be expected.