CHAPTER THREE

On Friday I walked to school again, freezing, looking down, playing some music with my earphones, my brain knew the path by hand, all the curves and trees were burned into it and believe it or not I bumped into something, surprised because that has never happened to me before, that's when I realized it was not something but someone.

"I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention" I looked up and faced Roy. "Nah it's okay I saw you walking and wanted to bother you" "Oh?" "Come on, we are going to be late" He walked with me to school, a little small talk but we were quiet most of the way.

Arriving at school together he accompanied me to my locker and that's where we ran into Linda and Lucas, oh boy. "Hey guys, Roy this is Linda and Lucas" "Hey" he waved, smiling. "Hello" Linda gave him a flirtatious smile and Lucas just stood there, with his eyebrows furrowed.

"Hey we are hanging out at Zack's house today, how about you come with us?" Linda smirked at Roy, could she be any more obvious? "I don't know... Are you going?" he turned to me, waiting for my response. "Oh no, I don't usually go out" Linda gave me a dirty look and I didn't understand why. "We could make our plan…?" "Sure, if you want to." I think Lucas by this point was about to explode. "Hey, Roy, could you leave us alone" "Sure, see you in class" He walked away raising his hand. "So, you prefer going out with him than us now?" This is so weird; he is being so weird. "No, I prefer hanging out with a small group of people than a party, you know that, why are you being weird about it?" "I just don't like that guy okay? He pisses me off" "Well stop it, you are too obvious and he didn't do anything to you, now stop being annoying" I closed my locker and hurried to my class, pissed, I'm tired of him acting like this.

I sat beside Roy, leaned back, and folded my arms, looking straight at the teacher, pissed, I couldn't even make out what he was saying. That's when Roy leaned back too and close to my ear "Why you mad Gray?" I didn't answer. "Hey come on, is this about your weird friend? Did I do something?" "No and that's the problem" "Hey just chill, I don't care, I'm going to cheer you up today" I nodded and started taking notes, or may I say, pretend to take notes.

After school we were coming up with places we could go, we weren't hungry yet so it was tough to come up with ideas, but in the end, we decided to go to the park until we got hungry. We were going to Roy's house first, he wanted to get a warmer jacket and some money.

Outside his house I could hear some yelling from the inside "Sorry about the noise it's nothing, I will be quick" He hurried inside leaving me on the sidewalk. A couple of minutes later I heard a glass shatter inside, I wanted to go in but didn't want Roy to think I was being noisy or something like that, the yelling kept going for a few minutes until I saw Roy with a frown on his face, the vein on his forehead about to pop, he grabbed my arm and pulled me to the park without a word.

We sat on the swings, since there were no kids around and just stayed in silence, a little awkward, he didn´t want to tell me about his family and I didn't want to ask so we just stayed seated for a while. A couple of minutes later Roy took out his cigarettes and lighted one, he handed me one and I took it, I didn't even smoke but I just didn't want to talk.

I have always wanted to smoke, it seems cool to me and it makes people look hot, I know it is wrong to think that way, it is bad for your health but I don't know why I feel that way, he handed me the lighter and I just copied actors' movements on movies, I put the lighter at the other end and inhaled, my throat itched and I started to cough, like if I had swallowed dirt.

"Why did you take it if you don't smoke?" He turned to look at me and started laughing, he was nearly falling off the swing, I didn't even know why he was laughing, his laugh was loud but no annoying, it was contagious too, wait, now that I think about it, I have never seen him laugh or smile for that matter "What is so funny?"

"You didn't even light the right end, the yellow side is supposed to be on your lips dude, really why did you take it?" "I don't know, I always wanted to try it and I didn't want to be awkward" I looked at my feet. "It was already awkward, just, it was nothing okay?" "If you say so…"

"Let's talk about something else" "Sure, like what?" "Uh I don't know, what's your family like?" "Oh, so we can't talk about your family but we can talk about mine?" "Fair point Gray, 1-0. Then… tell me your favorite food" We simultaneously started to swing. "Ramen, you?" "Really? Ramen?" "Hey, you asked my favorite food remember? It doesn't have to please you" "Touché, you are on fire Gray, 2-0. Mine are Hamburgers" We started to swing harder, wanting to beat the other one but without actually calling it a competition.

We stayed at the park for at least two hours, asking each other questions but keeping our families or sensitive subjects out of it, it was honest and, in some way, fun. I was the one who called it a night, I had to go make dinner for my mom and maybe, I was scared of ruining it, if we stayed out here talking about so much stuff, then, what would we talk about the next time we see each other?

I walked home, wishing that this night wasn't the end, I wanted to be friends with him and I didn't know why, it just felt that it was the right thing.