PebblesA Chapter by Julia LedoWhen the front door slammed close I locked my own. It shut out the shouting and the screams, the sound of falling blows. My father was a thunderclap and my mother was a raindrop. Or maybe he was the gravity that slammed her to the pavement. I was a raindrop some days too. There was a tapping and I prayed that it wasn't coming from my door. Out in the house things had quieted. I didn't know if he had finally passed out or was standing there waiting for round two. Tap tap tap. It was coming from my window. I waited to hear it again before allowing myself to see what it was. My ripped screen was getting rained on by small pebbles. Theo stood on the frozen grass in his white t-shirt and jeans, smiling. He chucked one more pebble at the window making me jump back. What was he doing? He motioned for me to open up. I gave one last glance to my closed door. The small sliver of light peeked under it, like my room was a median between two different worlds. He took out a cigarette and lit it as I climbed to the ground. "Thought you might've changed your mind," he said before he took a drag. "Theodore, I didn't know you smoked," I said. "Theo." "Sure." "Are you coming?" He asked before turning to the tree line. I followed. We were silent, heading to the power lines. Snowflakes were falling down lightly and I regretted not grabbing a sweatshirt. Theo didn't seem to mind the goosebumps that rose on his pale skin at the snow's caresses. His smoking trail wavered in the air above us. "How rude of me, you want one Dana?" He asked and held out the box of cancer sticks. I paused before reaching for them. I smoked cigarettes once before when I was about thirteen. "You seemed like you needed one." "F**k it, why not?" I said and took one out. "Lighter?" "Here," he said and tossed it to me. "Thanks." "... Are we going to talk about that?" He asked glancing back to my house. "What's there to talk about?" "That normal?" "Yeah." I took a drag and held it for a moment. I closed my eyes and let it burn. Even being used to this feeling, I coughed for a few seconds. Theo nodded and dropped the subject. “I can’t believe you threw pebbles at my window,” I said finally. “What else was I supposed to do? I can’t exactly knock on the front door.” “Yeah, but pebbles?” I laughed. We reached the power lines tucked into its blanket of snow. Theo cleared a spot on the boulder for us. "All set!" He called down then offered his hand. I refused and climbed up myself. I should've taken his hand because my fingers were now freezing and wet. My butt became numb sitting on the rock as we smoked another cigarette and watched the the clouds trail across the moon. I still hadn't read that book of fables.© 2015 Julia Ledo |
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Added on May 11, 2015 Last Updated on May 11, 2015 AuthorJulia LedoMAAboutI write sappy things, sentimental things, mushy love things, and sometimes I write good stuff. Eat your heart out tough guy more..Writing
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