The Things We Hide - Scene 2

A Story by metaltylah

Enjoy...again

Joe stepped off the bus as lively as he had stepped on. He let the angst ridden lyrics of Blink 182 flood his ears, ebbing his stress away, until it was all but gone. His frown has been replaced with a smile, and now he was walking quickly because he was happy, not because he was angry. He had a bounce to his step, and he smiled as he walked, waving to a few of his neighbors even. The whole block was shrouded in the multicolored magnificence of the fall. The leaves were a cornucopia of yellows, oranges and red. He pondered its strange beauty, the fact that all of the trees were dying. They were shedding their leaves, getting ready for the winter when they would give up their ghosts. He thought about irony, the fact that you’re as soon as you’re born you’re dying, and how brilliant the lead singer of Iron Maiden was for adding that into a song. He didn’t think about where he was going when he walked into a tree.

WHAM! He collided full force with a giant oak that was about 100 years older and 3,000 pounds heavier than he was. In a matter of moments, he was lying on the ground, his books and utensils scatter about the sidewalk like broken glass. “God damn it,” He cursed softly, noting the blood now running from his nose. He stood up, hastily collecting his things, hoping know one had seen him. But walking straight into a tree apparently doesn’t count as ‘knocking on wood’ in God’s eyes. Not four feet from him was an angel incarnated. Her long hair was shatteringly red. Her eyes, piercingly green. The smile that graced her thin lips grew wider the longer I stood there. Then finally her voice broke the silence.

“Aha, are you okay bro?” He shook his head, touching a finger to his bloodied face. “C’mon inside, I’ll clean you up.” She said with a smile. He was completely under her spell. She pulled him into her house by some imaginary leash around his neck. He followed her in through the front door, passed an old car under a tattered cover. “I’m sorry if this place is a little bit of a mess. But, it’s just my dad and I. My mom ran out with my little sister a couple years ago.”

It was perplexing him why she was being so open. He hoped she couldn’t see it on his face. “Don’t look so surprised, Joe.” He coughed. “H-How do you know me?” She laughed lightly. “We go to the same school, we’re in like three classes together. You honestly gonna tell me you haven’t noticed me? I’m not exactly flying under the radar.”

In all reality, he had seen her. He had noticed her. He’d never admit to it though. “You don’t have to tell me, Joe. I already know what you’re thinking.” She smiled, and he couldn’t help but realize a slight, burning sensation over his scalp. Probably just his nerves. She led him through a twisting maze of boxes, passing a sleeping man on a couch and a couple worn guitar cases. “Here, let’s get this blood wiped off, it’ll make you sick if you lose much more of it.” She kicked open the battered door of their bathroom and popped open the medicine cabinet. With some cotton balls and a bit of antiseptic, she sat me down on her bathtub and began fixing me.