Joy Ride-Chapter 4
4
Crushes And Bangs
“You better have a good reason for being late.” My father said as I entered.
I made my way up the creaking stairs leading into our living room, which was filled with dim lamps and leather furniture. He was reading a newspaper, resting a leg across his knee. Neither of us spoke for a few minutes.
“There was a shooting at school today.”
He dropped the paper and turned to me, eyebrows raised. “Did they find out who the shooter was?” My father asked. I shook my head.
“I ran back in school with a friend, then we were kicked out.”
He grunted, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “You okay?” I nodded.
“Well, I’m glad you made it home safely. So who’s this friend of yours?”
I grinned. “Her name is Veronica.”
“Ah,” he said enthusiastically. “Am I going to meet her soon?”
“She’s just a friend.”
“But that’s how it starts, remember that.”
Everyone knew about what happened in the parking lot the next day. Students I never spoke to before approached me, asking questions. I tried my best not to brag, but it felt good watching their faces shine with interest. Soon the bell rang for lunch. Veronica met me in the cafeteria entrance and brought me over to a booth, where a few others were waiting. Completely different from most of the students at Lake View, they wore comfortable fitting clothes, listened to techno music and actually cared about their grades.
“Veronica told us you were with her when the shooting happened.” said Juan, a tall boy.
“Yeah, but I never saw who fired them.” I replied.
“I heard it wasn’t some gangster,” Jessica began, tossing her auburn hair behind an ear. “It was one of the guards.”
Lewis, a teen with a dark fade also chipped in. “If you think, it makes sense, because they had no control.”
“How reckless,” Veronica grumbled. “Someone could’ve died.”
“Well, thank God that didn’t happen.” I said.
For the first time since entering high school, I felt like I belonged. We joked and spoke about things we all had in common. Lunch ended quickly. On our way out I spotted Mark and his friends piling into the exiting line. Veronica patted my back.
“Don’t worry about them. You got us now.”
