Alone Time

Alone Time
Cody Mills1

The bell rang.
I stood, grabbing my possessions, and headed for the door as quickly as I could. I must not have been fast enough, however, because I ended up at the back of the student pack.
"So, Christian, are you gonna have your short story ready by tomorrow?" Ms. Harmon asked me.
"Of course. I haven’t missed an assignment yet, have I?"
"No, but you teens are "troublemakers", so I thought I would make sure you weren't slacking off."
I laughed at the comment. Most of the students thought Ms. Harmon was a mean teacher, but I found her to be funny. That, and watching everyone else get yelled at always amused me.
"Nah, I'll have it finished and printed out tonight when I get home. Don't worry."
I gave a grin.
"Well, I guess I'll see ya tomorrow."
"All right. See you tomorrow, Christian."
I was finally free for the day. All that was left was study hall, and then I could leave. And, of course, since it was study hall, I could get some alone time to think about things. Quiet isn't important, as I planned on listening to music while I pondered. I just need to be away from distraction.
I walked into the cafeteria, taking my assigned seat. (Assigned seats always have made me angry, for some reason...) When I noticed there was a substitute today, I immediately stood up, going to have my agenda signed. As soon as she had finished scribbling her words onto the page, I was down the hall. Some students passed me as I walked, probably headed to the gym. When I got into the library, I went to have my agenda signed, then took my usual seat by the wall, near the door. I grabbed one of my books and opened it up, but I had no intention of reading. This was just a cover. Then, I pulled on my headphones, turning on my MP3 player, and made sure the volume was down. The first song to come on was the last one to play while I was on the bus, "Totalimmortal" by AFI. Most of my friends thought they were a gay band, and there was a ring of truth to their words, but I liked the sound of the music, and that was all that mattered to me.
As I started to think of what had already happened during the day, I felt a sudden burning pain in the back of my neck. I jumped, and accidentally fell to the floor. I pulled my headphones off, looking up, already knowing who it was. Michael Sanders. He was grinning, which always bothered me, since he had perfectly straight, white teeth, unlike a lot of bullies that stalked the hallways.
In fact, he was far different in appearance compared to your average bully. He was incredibly well-liked by most of the students, and not because they all feared him, either. He had short, spiked blond hair, and piercing blue eyes. I always felt like he was looking through me, not at me, when he glanced my way. And his words always seemed cold...like the last real snow of a winter. His features were very smooth, very refined, as though he had been created by some master sculptor at the pinnacle of his career.
"What do you want, Michael?" I asked, already annoyed before the conversation began.
"Well, I saw you sitting here, alone, and decided to see what you were up to."
Obviously he was lying. He just wanted to piss me off! I glared at him.
"Well, I was trying to sort things out, when you so rudely interrupted my thoughts. So, I thank you!"
We both knew the answer was smart-ass, because that's how we talked to each other.
"Well," said Michael, "I guess they weren't important thoughts if you lost them so easily."
Michael offered a mischievous grin, flashing his whites yet again.
"Whatever. You need to back off, man. I mean, really, what have I ever done to you?"
"Nothing in particular. Oh, and do you have homework tonight?" he asked.
"No...why?"
"Oh, no reason. I guess you won't need your books, then."
I tried to get a hold of my books, but before I reached them, Michael had picked them up. I watched, seemingly in slow motion, as he walked over to the trash can. He paused for a moment, as if in thought, then grinned as he released the books. I ran over as he started to walk back, and retrieved my books.
As I turned around, I watched Michael take the headphones off my MP3 and put them in his pocket. I was about to argue, but stopped. I've seen what he has done to other students. And besides, it didn't really matter now, anyways; I had another set of headphones in my locker, and at least now I was alone.
Just as I took back my seat by the door, a small group of freshmen girls (only three, surprising I know), walked through the door, talking rather loudly. They took no immediate notice of me, but instead went straight to a table after having their agendas signed. I guess my plans to be alone for a while weren't going to happen here. I just sat, listening to the girls and their gossip, hearing nothing in particular that held an interest in my mind. After a few moments, they finally glanced my way, then began talking more quietly. One of them even giggled, for some reason. What she was laughing at, I have no idea. It didn't matter.
I watched the clock for the last few minutes, actually counting down the seconds as they rolled by. Finally, the bell rang. I wasted no time removing myself from my seat and bolting to the nearby door, but still had manners enough to be polite and hold the door open for the girls. Only one of the group thanked me, which was slightly annoying, but it didn't matter at the moment. I was free for a day. I hurried down the hallway, and when I reached my locker, I rapidly turned the numbered dial, hurrying to enter the code that would allow me access. Before I was able to lift the lock and open the door, however, Michael came around the corner, walking towards me. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I guess I got off lucky. All he did was shove my books to the floor. I hurried to shovel them into my locker, and while my back was turned, he threw my set of headphones at me, the cord twisting and coming to a rest around my neck. I stood, putting my headphones into my pocket, and then kicked the metal door shut.
"Michael, you need to leave Christian alone. What has he ever done to you?"
It was Allison Smith. She was one of those girls in the school that nearly every single guy in the school found attractive; I myself was no exception to this phenomenon. She wore a pair of black jeans and a white tank top, which exposed more of her lightly tanned body than other shirts would have. I found it odd that I had that particular thought, but I guess it's because I'm a guy. I watched as she pushed her light brown hair out of her face, staring up at Michael with her hazel-green eyes.
"Alright, I guess I can leave him alone...but it's your problem now."
Michael grabbed Allison by her arms, bending them down to pin them at her sides, then picked her up and shoved her into her vertical metal rectangle. She screamed for Michael not to shut the door, but he just laughed and slammed it in her face, trapping her. He turned his back, walking out of the building.
I quickly walked over to the door that was being furiously beaten at by a trapped teenage girl.
"Allison?"
"Christian? Help me!"
"Alright, Allison. What's your combination; I'll open your locker!"
There was a momentary hesitation on her part.
"28-7-49."
I twisted the dial, concentrating on the numbers she had recited, saying them back in my mind. I had to concentrate, because I was used to using my own locker combination, not Alley's. I was almost afraid to mess up, if only because she would be imprisoned in the metal box even longer. There was no way that was comfortable. The first try, I accidentally missed one of the numbers, and was forced to start over. However, on my second attempt, I managed to get it right, and lifted the latch, opening the door. Allison stepped out, slightly pale and looking a little shaken, but she looked all right. She smiled when her feet hit the ground, and she gave me a hug. It made me happy, getting a hug from Alley, and I returned it. I could feel my face turning red.
"Thanks so much, Christian. I'm sorry about that jerk, Michael."
"You're sorry? Why should you apologize, he shoved you in a locker."
"Yeah, I know." she said, frowning. "But he shouldn't be messing with people. But yeah, though, thanks for getting me out of my locker."
"It's not a problem. After all, you did stand up for me..." I was starting to feel bad now.
An awkward silence followed, and for a few seconds, we just stood within it.
"Well," I started, "maybe we should leave? The school day's over."
Allison replied, "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."
We walked out of the building together, not saying a word. I always walked home, so when we reached her bus, we said our goodbyes, and parted ways. I pulled the headphones out of my pocket, plugging them back into my MP3 player, and hitting the play button. I had it set on random, so instead of the next AFI song on my device, "Let The Bridges Burn" by Killswitch Engage came on. I walked slowly, enjoying the warm spring weather, watching as the buses (they always made me think of Twinkies, since they're flat on the front) rolled past me, one after another, to deliver the burdens back to their keepers.
As I walked, I thought back to Allison's defending me. It was the first time anyone had stood up for me, and I was rather surprised by her actions. I was the kind of person that let things go, and forgave too easily. And fighting seemed really stupid to me, because it didn't solve a thing. I could see why people at least fight back, though.
This got me thinking about Alley, herself, especially our very first conversation. She was a transfer student from another school (North Adams, I think...), and I had seen her around the school building a few times. I took one look at her, and assumed she would be just like very other prep at our school; stuck up, unpleasant, and especially egocentric. Our first conversation arose while working on a dissection in Marine Biology. It started out slow enough, with me asking her about the school she had went to before, and then me talking a bit about my own school experiences. Once the conversation really got started though, I was amazed. She actually seemed like a human being, instead of a decorated walking mannequin. She actually had things to say that were actually worth listening to.
Oh well. Now that I was alone, I had more pressing things in my mind I needed to think about. And I had reached town. I started walking towards the park, while organizing my thoughts. I walked by a few of my friend's houses, but paused for the briefest of moments in front of Alley's house. Then, I kept walking. I reached the park, walked in, and took a seat on one of the tables.
Well, the immediate thing that came to mind while thinking was prom. It was coming up in about three weeks, and I had already ordered a tux, but I didn't have a date. My plan was, that if I didn't have someone to go with by prom night, that I would just hang out with my friends. After all, most of them either didn't have dates, or their dates were also my friend.
And then, there was my mom's idea about moving to a different house. Not out of the school district, or course. (I had to beg her for that, using the argument that I only had one year of high school left.) She hated our current house, however, as it was a trailer in disrepair. She wanted an actual house. And with the prospect of another marriage looming on her doorstep, she wanted a house with enough room for everyone, not just herself and her children. The only question was, where?
As I started to think about homes I had seen for sale while walking home from school on various days, I felt a finger tap my shoulder. I pulled my headphones off, slightly annoyed, and spun around where I was sitting. It was Allison. She stood smiling at me, and, I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised that she was even here.
"Hey, Alley."
"Hello Christian."
I looked around, trying to see if anyone else I knew was in the area. No one.
"So, what's up?" I asked her, curious as to why she had come up to me outside of school. After all, I didn't associate with most of my friends in public.
"Well, I decided that since it was such a nice day, I would come down to the park and enjoy the weather. That, and I saw you stop for a moment in front of my house. You always look lonely when you're walking around with your headphones on."
Lonely? That was a surprise. I hadn't been feeling alone, in particular, just deep in attempted thought. And now, my alone time was again compromised by someone's presence. I was just a little annoyed, but I decided to let it go. It was Allison, after all.
"What was up with that hug, earlier?" I asked.
"Well, I was glad that you helped me. Plus, and promise you won't tell anyone, but I'm kind of afraid of the dark. Only like pitch black, though."
"I see..." I replied, feeling as though I understood what she was saying.
"So, Christian, what have you been up to lately?" I noticed she asked a little hesitantly, as if unsure of the response she might get. Maybe she saw a hint of my very slight aggravation in my face.
"Not much, really. Just dealing with the idiots. And pretty much being bored with everything. Especially school."
"Ah, I see." she replied. "So you haven't done or seen anything interesting at all?"
"Well," I started, "I did go to see two concerts. One had the band As I Lay Dying, and the other had Demon Hunter." I saw the questioning look in her eyes. "They are Christian metal bands, my favorites!"
"That's cool. Hmm...have you found a date for prom, Christian?"
Allison's question surprised me quite a bit, not so much because she had asked me, but because the question seemed out of place in the conversation. It pretty much came out of nowhere.
"No...at least not yet." I answered.
"Oh. Well, why don't you take one of those goth girls you're always hanging out with? You seem to get along with them pretty well."
I raised my eyebrow a little at the comment, and then gave a sort of chuckle.
"Well, those "goth" girls are OK to hang out with on occasion. But, they whine so much, they get annoying really quickly. They are always complaining about how much their lives suck. I think they're emo, not goth. It wouldn't surprise me if they cut themselves."
Alley looked a little taken aback by the question. I don't think she expected the response she got.
"Oh." she said.
"And what about you, Alley? Have you found yourself a date, yet?
"No..." she said, growing quiet.
"That's surprising." I quoted her. "I figured you would go with one of them jocks you always hang around."
She gave a small laugh.
"I wouldn't dream of going with one of them. All they want is to get in a girl's pants at the end of the day. And I really don't wanna go with someone like that."
"That makes sense..." It did, in a way. But that didn't lessen the surprise I felt from her response. I just looked at her for a second, thinking. Maybe I could ask her to prom. Even the idea of it got my heart pounding a little, my nerves beginning to eat away at my edges.
"Have you thought about asking anyone, Christian?" she asked, sounding genuinely curious, a very slight smile curving on her face.
"Yeah, I'm thinking about it. Hey, I need to start walking home. You're welcome to walk with me, if you want."
"OK." Allison replied, giving me a nod.
We started walking, and grew quiet. I could feel my heart beating in my chest, and I was afraid that she might actually hear it, from how loud it sounded to me. My breathing quickened slightly. I was starting to give the idea of asking Allison Smith to the prom serious thought. I mean, we were walking alone, so I wouldn't have to worry about embarrassing myself in front of other people. It couldn't hurt to give it my best shot. The only problem was, I always felt stupid when I talked to girls about going out to anything. The first time I asked a girl out, she pretty much laughed in my face, and told me it wouldn't have worked out. Of course, I've had a few girlfriends since then, but it didn't make the prospect of asking Alley any less nerve racking, even though it was just to a dance.
"Hey, Alley?" I asked. I felt like there was far too little oxygen in my lungs, and my arms and legs felt like I had held them in ice water for a few seconds.
"Yeah?" she asked back, glancing over at me.
"Would you...want to go to the prom with me?"
Even though it was probably really just a few seconds, I waited for what seemed like an eternity for her reaction to my question. As I watched, a smile very slowly spread across her face. It seemed like one of the weirdest moments in my memory, as I hadn't ever seen a girl smile like that at me in my life.
"Why, yes, I would love to go with you."
I couldn't help but smile at Alley, and I could feel the heat building up in my cheeks. But I didn't care, all that mattered was that she said yes. We walked in silence for a few moments.
"Just outta curiosity, why'd you say yes to me?" I asked. A stupid question, I know, but I was curious.
"Well, your a nice guy, and I like you."
Her answer made me smile again.
"Well, I need to get back home before my mom has dinner done. I'll see you at school tomorrow, Christian."
I replied, "Yeah, I'll see ya later, Alley." I didn't know what else to say. I waved to her as she turned and began the walk back to her own home.
I had reached my road, and it wouldn't be long before I got home. I was alone, but i didn't put back on the headphones. Instead, I just walked along the side of the road, smiling and humming. Now, not only did I have a date to prom, but she was a girl I wouldn't hold a hope for taking. I guess that, for that part of the day, missing out my alone time was beneficial. I tried to imagine the night that was still a few weeks away, tried to think of how much fun we might have. And, perhaps, she might want to go on a few more dates with me, as well. Who knew...after all, only time could tell with matters such as these.
I had reached the top of the last hill before I reached my driveway, and was less than ten minutes from walking through the front door, when I felt a sudden, sharp pain on the back of my head. I listened as the sound of two rocks hitting was emitted by the pavement. I spun around on my heels, and less than twenty feet behind me was Michael, sitting on the seat of a bicycle.
"So, I saw you walking with Allison. Anything interesting come up?" I felt like a captive at an interrogation.
"Oh, nothing much, just talked about how much of an idiot you and your friends are."
I laughed as his face contorted in anger. I was amazed by how easily he was enraged, and by such a childish comment on my part. I would have just laughed at anyone who told me that, but apparent me and Michael don't have the same sense of humor.
He started walking up the hill towards me, and I thought I knew what would happen. When he was within five feet, he threw the bike to the ground, and then got up in my face.
"Get away from me." I said, then shoved him backwards.
When he looked back at me, I could see slight surprise written into his expression. He probably hadn't ever even been pushed by someone else in his life. I waited for a response, but I wish I would have turned and ran. He curled his fingers into a fist, and slammed his sledgehammer-like fist into my chest. I felt the wind immediately leave me, and I was left gasping. It only took one more of his mighty hits, taken right to my temple, to send me rolling down the hill. The last thing I remember before fading into darkness was his laughter. My world was a spinning around me, a tumble of green, blue, and white. I just let myself fall into the emptiness of unconsciousness.
* * * * *
When I finally awoke, I was laying at the bottom of the hill. The grass had grown warm under my body. Every blink made the headache I had feel even worse, and my entire body as a whole ached, although this was probably from my tumbling down the hill. I just lay there, staring at the setting sun. As I watched the orange globe descend towards the horizon, I realized that I was alone. All alone, no other people around to distract me from my thoughts. All was completely quiet.
For a few moments, I just lay in the silence, and then realized that all was not truly silent. Crickets were already chirping. I couldn't help but laugh at the irony; even in a place absent of other people, I wasn't truly alone. It was quite funny, and I couldn't help it, I burst out in laughter. After a few moments, I stood, and began the last bit of walk to my house.
As I began the belated ten remaining minutes of my walk home, I tried to imagine people's reaction if they knew what had just happened. My mom would undoubtedly be angry, would say that even though I pushed him, he started the fight by throwing the rock at me and hitting me in the back of the head.
Of course, some people at the school would just laugh at my misfortune.
And Alley, I had no idea how she might react. Since she was going with me to prom, finding out that I had been beaten up might get her angry, and she might try to defend me again. I didn't want her to defend me, though; she would just get caught up in the conflicts of bullies and their victims, and in turn, would become another victim herself. Things would be better for her if she manages to not involve herself in the conflict. But, of course, I'll still tell.
I smiled at the thought of Alley, even in the context of my thoughts about her. At least I had a date to go with me. As far as I knew, Michael didn't have a date.
I walked across my yard, alone, but not truly, the crickets and their singing my companion for they steps.
"Oh well..." I said to myself.