Ivy

Safe

I’ve never seen mom cry before, but now I see her standing at the other end of the parking lot with tears streaming down her face. When she sees me she lets out a loud gasp and runs at me with her arms out wide. She throws herself on me and squeezes me so tight that I can’t breath, “oh thank god” she whispers letting go of me. Dad walked over and his face was so pale that it was like he was a ghost. His eyes were wide when he looked at me, and he looked terrified. He pursed his lips and the terrified look on his face melted away into something I could not place. “I’m so glad you’re ok” he hugged me and it took everything in me not to burst into tears. I saw my brother in the back seat of car, his carrot colored hair the same as mine. I waved but he just stared at me like I had a second head. When I sat with him in the car he held out his hand and I took it. It took every bit of me not melt into tears as he looked at me with is little freckled face and whispered “your okay now”, but then I began to cry.

By the time mom and dad got in the car I had wiped all trace of crying off my face. It took every bit of strength I had left to put on a small smile for them as they looked back at me. “You know” I spoke and my parents looked at me like I was saying my dying words. “I’ve always wondered what happened after the stuff they show on the news” I grip my legs and try to stop the shaking in my voice. “You always see the hugging and the kids getting taken to the hospital” mom lets out a small noise at that part “but you never see what they do after all the...” I trail off then clear my throat “you know...” we all sit in silence. Dad puts on a extremely fake smile and talks in an overly sweet voice “well I know where this kid is going” mom raises her eyebrow “Sweet Swirl!” I lift my head a little but my stomach is in no mood for ice cream.

My favorite song was blaring on the speakers when I sat down at Sweet Swirl. My brother came over and sat by me “hey Todd” I put on what was my first real smile since... the event. Todd held his hand together and pressed them to his legs, his lips were drawn in a tight line and he didn’t look at me. “Hey, you ok?” I tilted my head down to look at him. His whole body trembled and he bit his lip “I-I’m...” his words shook like an earthquake. I put my hand on his shoulder and he turned to look at me, his arms were wrapped around his chest and tears ran down his freckled face. He took in a huge breath before his words came pouring out all shaken and high pitched as he choked on them. “I didn’t know if you were ok, mom came in all panicked a-and said we had to go. Dad explained that some guy was at y-your school and he shouldn’t be there. Mom was crying so h-ha-hard I thought something must’ve happened to you” he began to hiccup so hard that it took him a minute to continue “all the cops were there and an ambulance, so I just assumed the worst. All I c-could think of was how I would never see you again, and a-all the t-times I said I hate you and that I wished you would go away. I’m s-sorry !” He burst into sobs and I pulled him close “shhh its ok” I looked him in the eye “I’m ok”. When he finally settled down he looked me straight in the eyes “the worst part though was seeing you cry” he hugged me again and all my fear vanished. All my tears stoped wanting to come out and for the first time in a while I felt safe.