I tried to settle into my classes and make sense of what I was supposed to be learning. My parents had homeschooled me since I was little and had taught me well—writing, history, math, science. Most of it was related to what we needed to know to survive, but my mom had a thing for poetry and novels, so I’d read widely. They had brought a big library of books with them when they moved out to the woods and built our home. Sometimes my dad would pick up new books in town that he’d ordered through the mail.
Most of what I saw in my classrooms didn’t make sense. Kids sat at their desks looking bored or sneaking glances at their phones. Teachers lectured about things that didn’t seem important—not to me anyway. So I kept to myself and tried to roll with it. Mostly I worried about my father and wondered how we’d ever get back to our old life.
DeMarco walked with me between classes. He seemed to be well liked by many other kids and introduced me to some of them. I never knew what to say. My social skills were a bit lacking. But I found myself looking at girls. I sure liked looking at girls, and I guess it showed. DeMarco noticed. “Yep. Definitely not gay,” he said.
And I found myself thinking about Alexis. I was glad she liked me again. Lesson learned. Best not to say too much about the world I had come from. Better to try to fit in. I can do this, I said to myself. But what I really wanted was for my father to get better and for all of us to go home.
At the end of the school day, DeMarco went off to work and I decided to wander a bit. I wanted to see more of the city and get a feel for the place. After walking for a while, I noticed some kids on skateboards, and others who were begging for money and saying they were homeless. I stopped to talk to a guy about my age with a dog. His sign said Nowhere to live. Can you spare some change?
“Sorry,” I said. “I don’t have any money I can give you.”
“It’s okay, dude. But thanks for stopping.”
I petted his dog, a large friendly looking German shepherd. And I couldn’t help saying, “I don’t quite understand. Why don’t you have a place to live? What about your parents?”
He shook his head. “You don’t know my parents, bro. I can’t live with them. This may not look like fun, but leaving home was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
I felt bad for him and wanted to ask more questions, but I knew I’d be intruding on something private and personal. “My dad’s in the hospital here. That’s why we’re in town.”
“Sorry to hear that, man.”
“I’m staying with my mom in an apartment. Maybe we can help you out.”
He shook his head again. “Thanks, but no. Sounds like you have your own grief. I’ll be okay. Made it this far. Me and Genius here.” He looked at his dog, and the dog wagged his tail.
“See you around,” I said.
“Cheers.”
I walked on, thinking about him. Another piece of this large puzzle—life in the city—that just didn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense. When I turned the corner near a store that sold musical instruments, I caught something out of the corner of my eye. No way.
Yeah. I was being followed. Austin and one of his friends. The one Alexis had said was named Jacob. I turned down another street and, sure enough, they followed. I pretended I hadn’t noticed them and kept on walking. There was an old cemetery up ahead. I liked the look of all the big trees and the green grass. I headed in that direction.
Funny how your brain works. I was remembering what my father had taught me about bears—black bears. If you ever come across one in the woods, leave it alone and back away slowly, giving the bear eye contact. Don’t run, because he can outrun you. Don’t go in the water, because he can outswim you. And whatever you do, don’t climb a tree—for obvious reasons. If the bear doesn’t leave you alone, put your arms up in the air to make yourself look larger. Make noises if you have to. If he comes after you, don’t lie on the ground—fight back. It’s the only thing you can do.
I’d come across bears in the woods. Not often, but a few times. I could always just back away and they’d leave me alone. Bears don’t really want to eat people. They just want to be left alone.
Austin and Jacob were on my trail and getting closer. Maybe going into the cemetery wasn’t such a good idea. And I was thinking it was too bad that mean goofs like these guys weren’t a little more like bears.
So I stopped and turned. They walked right up to me.
“Visiting dead relatives?” Austin asked.
“Just out for a walk,” I said. Jacob circled behind me. “Yeah, we noticed. We thought we’d join you for a stroll.”
“No thanks. I’d rather be alone with my thoughts.” I shifted my weight and stood so I could see them both, then began to back away over the green grass over the graves.
“A lot of dead people in here,” Jacob said. I saw the look in his eyes. It wasn’t good.
“I’m just gonna walk away, okay?” I said. I was trying to stay cool, but maybe I sounded too much like a wimp.
“No, it’s not okay,” Austin said. He lunged at me, but it was easy to shift out of his way. He went down face first. I tried to turn, but Jacob had come up from behind and grabbed my arms. There were some older people on the walkway not far away, and they were watching. A man was talking into his cell phone.
Austin was getting up off the ground, and I knew I had to make my move if I was going to get away. So I shoved Jacob to break his hold on me. He fell backward and landed hard on the gravestone behind him. I thought I heard something snap as his arm hit the stone. Austin lunged at me again, but he was clumsy and it was easy enough to deflect him and shove him back onto the ground.
I waited. I wanted to finish this and not have to deal with these creeps again. I stood my ground.
Jacob was whimpering now. “You broke my freaking arm.” And then: “Somebody help me.” Austin started to get to his feet again, and he had venom in his eyes. He was more interested in getting another shot at me than helping his friend. And what if I had really broken Jacob’s arm?
So I kept my eyes locked on Austin. “Let’s get him some help,” I said, trying to be reasonable.
“You’re gonna be the one who needs help, asshole,” he said. He was reaching into his pocket for something.
That’s when I saw a policeman coming through the gates of the cemetery and running our way.
I now had at least two good reasons to get the hell out of there.
So I ran as fast as I could toward the far end of the cemetery and through the gate. The running felt good. But I knew this wasn’t over.