• I felt something cool touch my hand. I looked down so see my mother's elegant fingers holding my long boyish ones. "I love you to mom." I hadn't even realized that we had reached school. She kissed me on my forehead, I didn't care if anyone saw, being cool didn't matter to me; and this was the only time my mother could show me any affection. My father forbid my mother from seeing any of her male friends, especially her brothers. He didn't even allow her to say that she loved another man, not even me.

    I jumped as someone threw them self against the window. "Hi Mrs. Valkin!" It was my best and only friend, Lynn.

    "Lynn," my mother greeted. "I've missed you."

    "Indeed!" she replied in her enthusiastic manner.

    She rustled my hair, "Careful," I put on my best beach bum voice. "You'll ruin the doo."

    Lynn laughed and her short hair fell in front of her face. "Come you! Else we shall be late for English!" she put her hand to her mouth in a dramatic manner. "THE HORROR!"

    My mom mirrored her expression. "She is right! Off you go now!" Lynn opened the door as my mother shoved me out of the car. No sooner was the door closed that Lynn jumped on my back, I caught her legs and nearly fell as her leg hit my bruise.

    "Ben are you alright?" she tried to wiggle off my back.

    "No, I'm fine, you've just packed on the pounds!"

    "I know!" she put her arms in the air. "I am so going sumo!"

    *********

    In English class I took notes while Lynn spit her gum up into the air and caught it in her mouth.

    "Stop that," I complained. "Thats disgusting!"

    She looked at me with wide eyes that said, "Why whatever do you mean?"

    Mrs. Wiles slapped Lynn on the back of her head. Lynn looked up at her and raised a finger,"You know in most places that would be considered child abuse." Mrs. Wiles groaned and continued her lecture.

    "You know Lynn," she popped her gum. "You might want to pay attention, we have finals soon."

    The bell rang and Lynn jumped over the table and ran into the hallway. "Freeeeeeedoooommm!!!" I saw her dancing out of the corner of my eye and smiled. She always did this before our off block.

    "So are we going to get pizza? Or Chinese fooood!" She made an odd face when she said Chinese food, which implied that was where she wanted to go.

    "Chinese," I smiled and put my books in my locker.

    She peeped over my shoulder and poked my cheek, "Lets take my car!"

    "It's two blocks away!"

    "Shhhhh, lets be off!" She pulled my shirt sending me flying backwards. We started for the school parking lot. She jumped up and down while I casually walked beside her. She wasn't always this perky and there had to be a reason why she was today.
    *******************

    "Lynn! That was a RED light!"

    "It was PINK!" she pulled into the parking to the Chinese restaurant.

    "How can you almost kill five times in a mere two blocks?"

    "I'm just that good," she put the car in park, smiled and stepped out of the car. As she was heading for the door, I followed her watching the way her body moved as she walked I felt a smile start to work on my lips.

    She caught my eyes, "What are you looking at?" she glanced around self consciously.

    "It's nothing."

    "How many?" the Chinese woman at the counter asked.

    "Two," she lead us to a table in the back and handed us two menus, I didn't know why she bothered we were here almost everyday and we always ordered the same thing.

    I will continue more tomorrow, my eyes are getting really tired lol. Let me know what you think.