Excerpt: Porch Light Kids

They had found me outside, pink nosed and alone. Past the clearing behind the track field, through a small hidden path of trees and thorns, where three large rocks and a knocked down chain link fence laid. I had been asleep when I heard tapping on the right ear of my headphones. Two upperclassmen were looking down at me almost hatefully. I froze. What could I have possibly done already to piss them off? Having lunch in the school was too noisy and overcrowded. It was like rooming with more than a thousand annoying siblings. I had just wanted to have some space to myself. That’s when I realized they had wanted the same thing; they had found the same thing. This was their home and I was an alien, but I wasn’t about to be kicked out. I had vowed to myself that year that I wouldn’t let myself be walked on again.

“Yeah?”

The taller one, who I’d later learn was named Benny, spoke first. “What are you doing all the way out here? Don’t you know school is that way?”

“It’s lunch. Is there a problem?”

He pointed to the rock I was laying against. “Seat’s taken, kiddo.”

“Yeah, by me. There’s two more rocks over there if you want.”

They both glanced at each other; telepathically wondering if it would be worth the trouble to beat my scrawny ass no doubt. The redhead, Reyes, didn’t seem to think so. He was already turning to leave.

“Let’s just go somewhere else, man,” he said.

“No, no, no. Freshmen have filled up every other single gap. I’m not letting this one get taken over.” He stomped over and for a second I thought he was going to hit me, but instead he took a seat on the rock across from mine. Reyes watched Benny and me carefully before sitting down beside him. It didn’t feel like such a good idea to be brave anymore. In fact, all my courage was already abandoning me. I wanted to stand up for myself, not have people hate me because of it. We formed a triangle made of tension. Benny stared at me, Reyes kicked around dirt, and I tried my hardest to keep my legs from shaking.

“So, what’s your name?” Benny asked, sounding too eager. There was no readable expression on his face.

“Isabel?” I answered.

“I’m asking you, not me. Isabel, that’s a nice name. Don’t you agree, Reyes?” The redhead looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. His face scared me more than Benny’s. It clearly read don’t you dare try anything stupid. My imagination went wild with what stupid could possibly mean. “Do you have any nicknames?”

“Um, Isa.” I tried to get the confidence back in my voice. It had sounded so small and easily breakable.

Benny held a hand to his chin and scratched at his dark blond stubble. His eyes looked me up and down. I should’ve run right then and there. I never should’ve messed with these guys, especially since the next words out of Benny’s mouth were, “Have you ever seen a dick before, Isa?”

I could’ve died on the spot. “Excuse me?”

“Well it’s a very simple question. Have you seen a dick before or not?”

My mouth dropped to the ground, along with Reyes.’ At least I wasn’t completely alone. Benny’s eyes seemed to twinkle at the both of us; a devil’s smirk grew across his face. My foot inched towards my bag. I had two choices now: either run like a ninny or take Benny’s challenge. Staying would’ve been the fool’s choice, but I had wanted things to be different that year, hadn’t I? I wanted to be tough.

“Why the hell do you care?” I took pride in the fact that in spite of my quivering, my voice didn’t break.

“That’s the default answer for no,” he chided, leaning back.

“What? No it’s not.”

“Oh yes it is, but not to worry.” He stood up and reached for his belt. Oh God, he had reached for the belt. “I’ll gladly relieve you of your first virginity.”

I ran. No, I bolted out of there. I grabbed my bag and didn’t look back, even when I heard his voice calling me back and one cruel cackling laugh. My heart had turned into a lump in my throat and my eyes burned with embarrassment.

“Jesus Christ! What the hell is wrong with you?” I remembering hearing Reyes say.
“Relax man. I wasn’t actually gonna do it, sheesh. Least we got the spot back.”

These two would become the greatest friends I would ever have.