The game we know

After a class by Misses Swom everyone gets out as fast as they can to smoke their cigarette, not that they would ever miss a chance for it. I personally don't care much, it's more a mood thing, even if I admit after that kind of a class I am with them in the race. The race of smoking your cigarette, walking to the other school building while pushing by the lower graders and standing in front of the class room before the teacher does. Not a easy game to play if you're a freshmen. While we're not freshmen anymore we don't care about helping them finding the right way, not only to life but to the different buildings. Making our way, we walk slowly and talk about last weekends events.

“I wish there was a birthday to celebrate every weekend” George says.

Of course he doesn't care for the birthday (well not entirely true he gave me a present for mine) but more for the event of itself. And mostly a party without taste, if you even dare to call it a party. There is no use in trying to describe it, just imagine a garbage dump with drunks laying in between the different types of vodka bottles. Not very tasteful, but still there is some fun involved with it.

I feel somebody giving me a kiss on my forehead, it's Alisha. She always does that and I hate it. She is so much taller than me anyway and with her kissing my forehead in front of everyone I feel like a baby. Alisha is blond and blue eyed and mysterious and a party girl. A bunch of amazing features right? Well yeah, she kind of has a strange way to dress (I couldn't say good or bad) and to be honest a light over weight. Don't get me wrong, I don't fucking care what people look like (well not entirely true but almost) I just try to keep up my self esteem, which is the most important attribute you must have if you want to survive at this school.

“Hey stop dreaming, this is important”.

She had pulled me aside wanting to tell me either a new rumor or the main topic of the day which was probably hot out of the oven coming from her mouth.

“Yeah, sorry I slept bad”

“We all did, now listen! Josh got into trouble last night.”

By the mentioning of his name my pulse got just a bit higher.

“How bad?”

It is never important what the guys have done and most of the time no one knows anyway but there is a scale of `how bad is it`. And with the expression on her face Josh has crossed the 'your mom will kick you out' line. Of course this makes me smile. The others are watching us and I see Katy coming closer. Alisha grabs my arm lightly and whispers closely to my ear, so no one can hear her. I nod very slowly. She walks away leaving me behind, because she knows I need a moment for myself. Katy is standing right beside me now. So much to a moment for myself.

“Whats up? You look so pale”

“Oh it's nothing, I just decided to leave early”

“Great “ She replied “I wanted to skip class anyway”

God that's the last thing I need, another person involved in another game of ours. So I just say:

“listen, I'm sorry ,but I have something important to do”

Satisfied with my answer Katy takes a puff of her cigarette and passes it on to me. I take it with a light and thankful smile. My next lesson would be a geography class. I go through the possibilities, either I sit in a stuffy class room for the next one and a half hours, listen to the lame life stories of my much too old teacher because she has nothing other to offer or I get on my bike, race home and try to get there before my brother does. I think the decision is obvious.

“Bye guys see ya tonight”

I don't know if I'll see them again today, still we always say so, since it's pretty likely we will. While driving away, I hear the mumbled goodbyes and the whispered questions

“where is she going?”

Not that I wasn't the type for skipping school, but it hadn't happened on a Monday for a long time and certainly not alone. My bike is a piece of shit and I'm scared it'll brake riding over all the potholes in the street. Normally I stare at every little thing passing by me, but not today. There is no time for such things at this moment.

“please don't be there yet, please don't” I chant in my head.

After ten minutes I arrive at our house. Well not a real house but a house with 14 large apartments. Yes, I live in a apartment with 5 bedrooms one living room, two bathrooms and a kitchen with only my older brother and my parents. I dig out my key from the bottom of my bag, sprint up the stairs and come to a halt in front of our door.

“What if they're there already? My hair must look like hell after all the racing around” So I take out my mirror and fix myself. Then I step inside.

“Jack!” I shout.

No response. To put my things down, I walk towards my room while passing Jack's room.

“Jackson”

Saying his proper name makes him look up. I glance around his room to make sure no one else is here. Looking back to his face I see his eye color has changed again. It varies from blue to green to gray. And of course today he wheres gray. I don't quite understand the situation yet but can't ask either . Jack isn't a person you just ask what is or isn't going on in his life. Not even me his own sister. Just now as the bell rings it clicks. He stands up and walks towards the door to answer it. Of course I follow, I mean how could I not. We stand, both staring at that phone thing for answering the door. It feels like minutes, but I'm sure only a few seconds past until I press the key button, that opens the bottom door to the house. We both know who was standing down stairs and I wasn't about to pick up that thing and talk to him over that loud cracking noise.

Jack examined me with his gray eyes, carrying a strange and foreign expression, before opening his mouth.

“You can't just open the door, go in your room”

I knew he would say something eventually, although I hadn't exactly hoped for an order. But again it is only a game. And I know the rules by heart.

“We don't want our guest feeling like he is left out in the cold, do we”

With that I turn on my heels and walk towards my room. Just before I close my door, I can catch a glimpse of Joshua standing in our entrance.