We skated all the way up to the restaurant we camped at earlier. J hopped off his skateboard, laughing and panting heavily. I practically fell off mine and dropped to my hands and knees on the wet pavement taking in big gulps of air and trying to calm my adrenaline filled nerves.
My legs felt like noodles and my newborn headache had acquired a heartbeat. J was probably feeling like I was, though he didn't show it one bit. He shook his head, kept laughing, and brushed a strand of stringy hair out of his eyes.
Mumbling something, he picked up the baseball bat I set against the dumpster earlier. I forced myself to stand, closing my eyes and tr
*~*~*~*
I stayed behind the big doors as J ran off. I sighed in exasperation and turned around, looking at the storage room I was in. Crates and boxes were wrapped in plastic packaging on tall shelves. The room was cold, and I was still soaking wet from the rain. I sat down and started rubbing my shoulders, trying to create some friction for warmth.
J told me to stay here. I didn't know for how long. After waiting for five minutes, I started to have doubts. What if he just left me? If he did, did he do it on purpose, or did something force him to leave me?
No, he didn't leave me. I know he didn't. He'll come back. I waited for f
After another few minutes of hearing nothing but water running down the gutters, I lay down and tugged my hood further over my head so the rain wouldn't ruin my black eyeliner.
Harl huffed out a soft laugh. "This might take a while." She stayed sitting up, much to my liking. I hate copycats.
"They'll do it." I assured her, closing my eyes. I felt her gaze on me. After a while, she asked the question I hoped she wouldn't. "Are you really in a criminal group... J?"
I opened one eye and peeked from under my hood at her. I couldn't figure out her emotions. She wasn't scared, but she was sort of concerned about something. I wondered
*~*~*~*
We crossed the street again into the shopping district. Some cars were out and about now that school was over. I could see the Target in the middle of the shopping square, it's parking lot half full. I continued following J to a nearby restaurant.
"Do you really think they'll do it?" I asked as we slunk around to the back of the restaurant. J closed the lid to a red dumpster and climbed on. "Of course they will. The leader won't miss a chance like this, even with a headache like the one you gave him."
I set my bat against the dumpster, on the gritty ground and climbed up next to him, trying not to make a lot of noise. "That was a p
Jonathan did his homework at the kitchen table. Sometimes it was too easy for him. With three different math books and eight worksheets for science, he was never bored. School ended half an hour ago, once the rain started to increase. He glanced over the rim of his glasses to watch his dad, talking on the phone.
"Do you think they need to be at Arkham? What is your diagnosis?" His dad paced around the living room, talking in a low voice.
Jonathan's dad worked as a high ranking psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum. A place where crazies are observed, and are kept safely locked away from the rest of the city. A very interesting place. Jonathan was p
I was probably more shocked than the thugs surrounding J. What was all this talk of break in's and criminal gangs!? What the hell is he talking about?
The thugs seemed strangely interested. "So we just, break in that store, don't get caught, and "
"I'll find you." J told them. He picked up the baseball bat. "Well if you gentlemen are satisfied with my little deal, you won't be needing this anymore, will you?" he tossed it over in my direction, the bat clattering to the wet cement and rolling closer to me. Did he know I was here? Why did he throw that to me?
The leader of the thugs motioned for his men to walk on. All three of th
One of them revealed a baseball bat from behind him, grinning at his buddies. "Kid, you don't know who you're talking to." I pleasantly smiled at them.
"Three guys who could become rich? You're not them? Oh, my mistake." I turned my back to them and started to walk away.
The middle one took the chance to swing at me with his baseball bat, but I was ready. I ducked as he swung, turned around, stood up and grabbed it right out of his hand, all in one swift motion. I laughed and backed a few steps away, twirling the bat.
"You think you're FUNNY!?!" The 'leader' of them roared, embarrassed.
"Hilarious." I grinned. "So, uh, how about tha
*~*~*~*
Harley followed me out into the sprinkling rain. I flipped my hood over my head and glanced back at her, trotting to catch up. We walked in silence for a few minutes, leaving the school behind and entering an old trashy neighborhood. The rain slowly and gently showered down, making small and sparse pattering sounds on the darkened sidewalk.
Harl stayed at perfect pace with me, glancing behind us only once to see the school disappear behind a row of old city houses. I could tell, without having to look at her, that she was drowsily in thought, still a tad confused about our almost kiss.
The rain made dark speckles on my black hoodie
At the back of the library, J turned around and scanned the room. "This is SO not the place I usually go, by the way. I'm not like, a nerd or anything." I told him.
"Of course not, Harls." He walked backwards to the emergency exit doors. I glanced behind me. No librarian, no kids. "Uh, won't those trigger an alarm or something?" I asked, seeing that he was gonna go outside.
"Nope. " That's all he said as he leaned back and pushed the red doors open. I followed him outside. The wind sent shivers down my back and my hair was whisked up in my face. I tied it in a single ponytail behind my head as we headed toward the bridge.
Gymnastics distracted my mind, as always. I focused on my body's movement, on the world spinning around me as I flipped and twisted in the air. We were practicing in our costumes now, and I felt more confident wearing the beautiful red and black diamond pattern.
There was still a month or so until the performance. Our teacher wanted everything to be completely ready before the whole school saw us.
Lunch. No thanks. I'm not hungry today. I went instead to the library. I acknowledged that only the nerds and anti-social people went here instead of the cafeteria. Oh well.
I browsed the comic section. Nothing good. This school didn't invest a l