Split by A.M. Bryker (good books to read for beginners .txt) 📖

Bek

     At home, Kadon sits on a couch in the living room watching television.

     When I walk in, he remarks, “That was quick.”

     Shrugging even though he’s not looking at me, I reply, “I wasn’t that far away. Next door, in fact.”

     “Who lives there?”

     I sit beside him and sigh. “An acquaintance from school.”

     I don’t know why I’m withholding the existence of Jade from him. Normally, I tell him everything. What changed?

     “Oh? Making friends already?” He smiles.

     “Something like that.”

     A pause. Then, “Do you feel like you fit in?”

     “Not in the slightest.”

     Nodding, he states, “Good, good.”

     I glare at him, puzzled. “How’s it a good thing to feel totally out of place around here?”

     Finally, he tears his gaze away from the TV and replies, “Everyone needs a chance to know what it’s like to feel out of place. It’s a way of showing that you’re different from everybody else, and that’s usually a good thing. Perfectly normal. Don’t change who you are just because you want to fit in. Be your own leader.”

   Sighing again, I let the subject drop. “What’s for dinner?”

     After filling myself with some store bought pasta heated up in the oven, I tell Kadon that I’m going for a walk.

     “Don’t be out too late,” he calls from the other room. Appearing in the kitchen doorway, he adds, “And be careful.”

     I nod. Closing the door behind me, I head down the sidewalk, toward Jade’s house. I was planning on going right by, but I hear something that stops me.

     Music.

     I look around to make sure no one is nearby, and then—keeping to the shadows—creep over to the window that must be one belonging to the room with the piano.

     Luckily for me, the curtains are open. Light pours through the window. Inside the room, I see Jade sitting at the grand piano. She’s smiling widely as her hands flow gracefully across the keys. I can’t help but stare. She’s absolutely amazing. Nothing interrupts the melody that she plays. She turns her head to speak to someone else in the room, and then she laughs, without missing a beat.

     The song ends too soon and, to my alarm, she gazes out the window. I trust that it’s too bright inside for her to see outside. If that’s not in my favor, I’m hopefully too far into the shadows for anyone to see me.

     A few moments later, the guy I met earlier today at school—Cody—appears behind her and rests a hand on her shoulder, smiling. He says something to her that I can’t hear, and they both laugh. I feel envious of the closeness they share, and my heart aches. Mayla should be alive right now, not me. That arrow had my name written all over it, but for whatever reason, Mayla erased it and wrote her own name. For pitiful, unhappy me.

     I turn away from the window and make my way back to the sidewalk. I enjoyed their laughter before, but now—even though they didn’t know I was there—it feels like they’re mocking me. Showing me exactly what they have and I don’t, all because of a girl with Jade’s likeness in appearance.

     Shoving my hands in my pockets, I trudge down the street, not knowing where I’m headed but not wanting to go back to the house.

     Out here in the open air, I feel like I can think more clearly. Those buildings sometimes make me feel claustrophobic. I wasn’t raised in a house—the forest was my home. All the sounds here are so strange, nothing like the noises of the forest.

     Don’t even think about feeling homesick, I scold myself. This is your home now. Get used to it.

     Sighing, I take in my surroundings. I’m surprised to see my new school in front of me. Then I wonder why I’m here. Sure, I was wandering, but here? Of all places?

     Shaking my head, I start to head back the way I came.

     That’s when I hear them.

     Footsteps.

     They come up behind me. I wonder where they came from and if they’re following me.

     Whatever they’re doing, I decide not to worry about it. If they were out to hurt me, they wouldn’t be making so much noise. Unless they wanted me to know they were there before attacking me.

     I stop at a corner before crossing the street. The footsteps behind me—male, from the sound of them—stop as well. That tips me off.

     This guy is definitely following me.

     Meaning, I won’t go back to the house until I find out what he wants.

     Crossing the street, I recall seeing an alley around the area. I decide to go there.

     I walk at a normal pace to give the guy behind me the impression that I don’t know he’s there. That way, he probably won’t do anything unexpected.

     Arriving at the alley, I suddenly wish I had a weapon. Just in case.

     I swivel around.

     It’s dark, but not too dark to see surprise cross over the face of someone I recognize.

     “You lost, pretty boy?” I sneer. I don’t know what comes over me, but I suddenly feel derisive.

     Regaining his composure, Justin remarks, “I could ask you the same thing.”

     “Why are you following me?” I demand quietly, taking a step toward him. Direct and to the point.

     “Who says I’m following you?” He shoots back.

     I reply with a humorless smile, “Something tells me that you don’t live here, and neither do any of your friends.”

     He doesn’t say anything, just glares at me.

     “There’s no one else around to follow,” I continue, cocking my head to one side. “So I’ll ask you again. Why are you following me?”

     A few moments pass before Justin says, “I came to warn you.”

     “About what?”

     “Stay away from Jade,” he states bluntly.

     Oh, so that’s what this whole thing is about. Justin has a crush on Jade and I’m clearly a threat. Nice. And here I thought it was something to worry about.

     Chuckling, I reply, “No promises.”

     He frowns. “I don’t think I made myself clear,” he says, taking a step forward.

     I’m glad I took my hands out of my pockets while we were talking. If I hadn’t, I would have had to dodge or allow Justin to take advantage of me.

     As it is, his fist is in my hand, the result his attempt to punch me in the face. He drives his other fist toward my stomach, and I grab that one as well. In his eyes I can see astonishment and rage as he unsuccessfully tries to make me let go. Yeah, I’m stronger than I look. Kadon saw to that.

     “I think you made yourself perfectly clear,” I tell him calmly. Backing him forcefully into the wall, driving the breath from his lungs, I add, “And I’m quite certain that I made my answer very clear.”

     I step back, letting him go and giving him space.

     “You’ll leave me alone if you know what’s good for you,” I say. “Next time you try to hurt me I might not be so nice about it. However, if you insist on bothering me further, I’d advise you to bring backup. It would be more fun for me, and I hope not as easy.”

     Then I walk away.

Publication Date: 11-21-2014

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