Ashe plugged the headphones into his ears and grabbed whatever papers the teachers had given him throughout the day. A girl from his last period class had given him a flyer that had been around at school. It was for a ‘Pumpkin Bash’ on Halloween. Being the first week of October, it was still a while away. Ashe wasn’t particularly interested, but he had kept the flyer anyway.
Walking out of the school he saw his peers running to their cars, huddling up into their little groups to see what they would do after school, or just rushing to get away from the school itself. The weather had not changed since the morning. It was still cloudy, wet and somewhat dark, for four o’clock anyways. Ashe took one final look to see if he could spot Nia anywhere but didn’t see her.
“Hey new guy.”
Ashe turned to see Sue behind him with her wide grin that he hadn’t gotten used to yet.
“So how was your first day?” she asked.
“It could have gone better.”
“Oh right,” said Sue, “that thing at the cafeteria. Right. Well, stuff like that just sorta happens, ya know?”
“Yeah, it’s just sorta a lot better when it doesn’t happen to you ya know?” Ashe said with a scowl. “That way everyone could just sorta watch.”
“Hey!” Sue crossed her arms, “That’s not fair.”
“Sorry,” he said quickly. Ashe turned away and started home. “I’ll see you later.”
Ashe was lucky enough to move into a place near the school. He went down the street and crossed several blocks to reach the apartment he lived in. He pulled out the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. Inside was his uncle or at least was supposed to be. A fat balding man in a muscle shirt and shorts lay asleep on the easy chair in front of the TV. On him were remnants of beer, cheese puffs and chicken wings.
Ashe sighed. “Right where I left you.” After shutting the door, Ashe went into his room and dropped everything on the floor. He looked over everything to make sure it was still there. A bed with no pillow, a shelf with a variety of DVDs, a small TV/DVD player on the other side and a computer set up in the corner. He brought up the browser and checked his e-mail. Today, he only got one from his mother. Ashe opened it and read:
Ashe,
How are you? Are you eating well? I wanted to see if you’re alright. I left you some money on your account so you can use the card. Your father is trying to close it but don’t worry. I’m on it. Tell him to f**k off the next time you see him.
Love, your mother
P.S. Veronica says hi too. :)
Veronica was his mother’s secretary. Ashe’s mother worked for a well-to-do law firm back in the city and his father was a business executive for a company Ashe didn’t care about. Each one somewhat successful and wrapped up in a private war called marriage and divorce. His father had pulled a few strings to get Ashe his own bank account and debit card so that they could provide for him without actually doing anything. Each one would gloat to the other on how they gave their son more money than the other and see who could gain Ashe’s complete favor first. It was all part of their little war to see which was better. They would always look for ways to destroy each other leaving little time for Ashe. Veronica was the one who wrote the e-mails to Ashe and showed some concern for his overall well being.
Ashe closed the browser and took his keys. He said, “I’m going out,” while passing through the living room.
He left the apartment and went down the street, trying to follow the directions Drake had laid out for him earlier to a place called The Scene. Drake told him that The Scene was a cool place to hang out and get a drink, for teens anyway. Ashe passed three blocks, turned left on Main Street, then right on Brian Parkway and into the tie-dye colored building with a red neon sign. Ashe pulled the door to be greeted by the smells of different fruits and fried foods. There were enough people to fill up most of the tables and filled the air with conversations Ashe didn’t care about. There were TV monitors hung up in every corner playing bad music. Ashe pulled up to a barstool across the counter and looked over the menu. They served smoothies and different types of iced coffee.
Before Ashe could make an order someone smacked him on the back. “Hey, well look at that.” Ashe turned and saw the same upperclassmen from the cafeteria. “What are you doing here? Freaks and losers aren’t allowed in the Scene.”
“Then what are you guys in here?” Ashe asked. His hand slipped behind the counter and grabbed a butter knife.
“Alright you little smartass, I don’t have to put up with your crap. Get out or we’ll make you leave.”
Ashe hid the knife in his sleeve, “Fine, whatever. I’m out.” Ashe pushed through the crowd and out the door. As soon as he was outside he tossed the knife to one side. “I should have stabbed his dumb a*s.”
Ashe went down the street to get away from the Scene. ‘This is stupid,’ he thought. Even in this little town, there should be a place for him to get away from everything. He just felt like being with his thoughts or his music player.
“Meow.”
Ashe stopped in his tracks to see where the sound came from. After a while he looked up to the tree beside him and saw a small grey cat stranded on one of the branches. The cat shivered and watched the floor desperately.
“Stupid thing,” Ashe said. He reached over for it and tried to make it release its grip on the tree. “Come on. Let go stupid.” After a few seconds he managed to separate the cat from the tree and set it on the floor. The cat ran away from Ashe behind the girl dressed in black and purple.
Ashe froze in place but managed a quick, “hey.”
Nia replied, “Hey.” She picked up the small cat and held it in her arms.
“Is he yours?” Ashe asked.
“Yeah, she is.”
They both stood there for a while, not sure what to say to the other.
Ashe took a step forward, “I’m Ashe.”
Nia looked up at him with a confused look, “What?”
“My name.”
“Oh right,” Nia took a step back and turned away. “I’m Nia.”
Ashe called out to her, “Wait. I was wondering if we could hang out sometime.”
Nia looked back at him, “Why?”
“Because…”
“That’s not much of an answer,” she said.
“I know.”
“What were you doing out here?” she asked.
“I wanted a dry place to hang for a while,” he said, “but some retards kicked me out of the Scene.”
“That place sucks. Come with me.” She started walking with Ashe following shortly.
“Where are we going?”
“Someplace better,” she lead him away from Main Street, to the other side of town. Ashe tried to remember landmarks and street signs in case he wanted to go back to wherever she was taking him. After a while, she lead him to a plain looking building in the middle of a lot where plants had failed to grow. Ashe noticed a “please use other door,” sticker on the only door of the building.
After Nia walked in Ashe asked, “Is it alright to bring the cat inside?”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it.”
“I’m not worried,” he mumbled, “just curious.”
Inside was an empty room with a flight of stairs going down. Nia set the cat to one side to go down the stairs, but not before noticing Ashe’s look of uncertainty. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh sorry, I’m just a little apprehensive about all this,” he said.
“Apprehensive?”
“Yeah, wouldn’t you feel weird about being lead to a suspicious looking place that went underground?”
“No,” she said defensively, “because I would try to give the person who was leading me a little bit of trust and faith.”
“I’m a man of little faith,” said Ashe.
Nia smiled, “Then why did you still follow me?”
“Because…”
“That’s not much of an answer,” she said.
Ashe smiled back, “Yeah, I know.”
Nia went down the steps and Ashe hesitated but followed soon after. The stairs led to a dimly lit café with black wallpaper and all-wooden furniture. The intriguing scent of spices and cigarettes gave an atmosphere Ashe found strangely welcoming. At one end was a stage with an acoustic band playing melodic yet still somehow gritty sounding music. Walking across to the counter, Ashe got the strange feeling that he was being watched.
Nia called out to the barkeeper and a straggly-looking guy came out to flash a smile at Nia only to scowl after noticing Ashe. “Who’s the guy?”
“He’s…a friend, from school. He just wanted a place to relax for a while.”
He gave Ashe a suspicious look only to have Ashe throw back a blank face. “So what’s it gonna be…friend?”
Ashe shrugged, “How about a cherry soda?”
“I’ll have one too,” said Nia.
The barkeeper turned around and brought back a couple bottles of fizzy drinks. “Welcome to BlackBerry, friend.”
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