Pieces of us

Chapter Two

4 hours. That's how long I've spent in this library. At least it's the one good thing I've found in our new environment. The books here are top tier, I'll give them that. Plus, there's wifi. None of it is free though, I had to get mom to pay for me. I know she thinks paying for my library visits will keep me from her boss's line of sight and thus away from trouble. It's all good for me anyways, I'd rather have it this way than be cooped up in a room 24 hours in 7 days.

I hang my headset on my neck and grab my phone while I return the books I borrowed to the shelf. I look at the last book, the one I haven't finished yet, where I'd rather be, Janice, an orphan, kind of feels like me, except I do have a biological mom. Mom and I… we have each other, comfort and love each other, but still have never really had a home.

Not a house.

A home.

I, for one, have always felt that way. I've never mentioned it to her though. I don't want her thinking that I'm being a pessimist or have her start preaching to me about gratitude.

I step out of the library, with music blaring into my ears from my headset. It's 4:45 pm now. Mom would be expecting me at 5. That's 15 minutes to walk around and feed my eyes for a bit.

There are those boys I saw earlier on the basketball court still there, I slow my pace as I walk past the court. They're not playing anymore though. And a few of them have started to leave. One guy catches my eye. He's really fair skinned. Judging from his complexion and curly hair, I'd say he's biracial. He's talking to a guy and a girl and smiling really brightly.

He has a beautiful smile.

I look away before he catches me staring.

I can feel my foot snag on to something and before I know it, I am on the ground, watching my phone make a dramatic escape across the pavement. And my headset has slipped off one ear

“You should pay attention to where you're going,” I hear a girl's voice as I pick myself up from the ground.

“You're right.” I chuckled, “I wasn't looking at where I was going.”

I grab my headset before it drops. The girl hands me my phone.

“Thank you,” I tell her.

“Your knee… it's bleeding.” she says,

“Oh ,” It's not a lot but it's enough for mom to fuss about. “I'll clean it up when I get home,” I tell the girl with a smile. I take a good look at her for the first time. Dark skinned, like me,has a small round face, slender, but slightly taller than me. I think we'd be around the same age. She looks like every other kid around here. Confident, well dressed, and obviously from money. Her trainers probably cost more than everything in my wardrobe combined.

“You should wait here,” she says, “I have a band aid you can use. Let me get it for you.” She hurries into the basketball court. I watch her through the iron mesh, as she walks up to the guy I'd been staring at before I fell. He hands her a small bag. And she hurries over to me.

“You can use this till you get home, so the blood doesn't spill down to your foot.”

“Thank you,” I say with a smile. She simply nods and opens the band aid for me. She hands it to me and I place it carefully on my scraped knee.

She looks like she is examining the rest of my body to be sure I'm okay. I can't help but smile.

“Hey Nora, let's go,” I turn to see her friend with the others standing a few feet away from us. Nora. I note her name in my head.

Nora turns to me. “Bye,” she says and walks away.

“Who's your new friend?” The guy's asking her as they walk together in the opposite direction.

I smile the rest of the way home.