A place to run, and a kiss goodbye.

one has a place to run, the other receives a kiss goobye. Thats all that each side of this gets out of a quick and flamey confrontation with the one another.

The large yellow busses rumbled, shooting its exhaust against the pavement as hundreds of kids exited the massive High School excitedly. They jumped and cheered, waiting in packs of genres and cliques. Nora held her books to her close, and the silver aluminum coffee cup containing this morning's left over hot chocolate. Her black puffy coat with a fur lined hood broke some of the wind before hitting her in the face and on her bare hands. It was nippy, but the sun shown beautifully, and the pale blue sky was cloudless. Nora strained her neck to see threw the window of bus 72, checking if her bus, 62, was next to it in the second row. Nora hopped on, smiling to her friends, and sat down.

Immediatly she noticed who was just two seats back. Sitting in fornt of his blue-eyed sister, whome Nora privatly considered to be a "burn-out," was Shane. The cute boy from her Social Studies class. He had long curly brown hair that hung in his deap brown eyes. He smiled widley, laughing with his blue-eyed sister. His car must've had troubles because normally they drove to school. Nora's cheeks went pink as she fussed with her dark brown hair. Not that he would ever notice her, but she wanted to look good if he did. Nora enjoyed the bus ride home, stealing glances and laughing with the two girls across from her.

Self-conciousness burned in her gut as the bus screeched to a stop in front of the worn-down apartments Nora currently called home. She didn't show off that she lived in such a lower class place, even if it was just until her house was built, it still did not make her happy. Nora let her legs take her down the steps of her bus as the bus driver angrily honked at cars who failed to stop.

Nora dropped her books on the pavement as she rummaged threw her bag viciously to find her key. She finally found it and threw her things on the floor as she ran to the bathroom, as she did everyday. Nora went to her bedroom and stripped her tight, uncomfertable clothes off of her and threw her hair up into a ponytail. She came out wearing black basketball shorts and a gray baggy Alabama hoody. She rubbed the makeup away from her eyes as she began to walk to the kitchen. There was a knock at the door. Her brother didn't get to home until four. So who was this? Nora peered threw the hole the door to see a mess of curly brown hair and anxious brown eyes.

"What in the world?" Nora blreathed to herself. She opened the door and Shane pushed himself in. He locked the door behind him and then spun around to look at Nora. "Hi." He quickly walked over to the window, looking out of it, and then tightened the cream blinds. Nora was plastered in place.

"What are you-"

"My name is Shane."

"I know that, but-"

"Im sorry for barging in like this." Shane paused, waiting for Nora to interupt him again. When she didn't, he continued. "The cops were waiting at my bus stop, they arrested my sister Lexi." He said. "So i put my head down and walked away. I couldn't wander or they'd think something was up and I saw you come into this apartment."

"Yeah, so?!" Nora said.

"So, i have to lay low for a few hours. That is, if you dont mind."

"Yes i mind! I dont even know you! And my brother gets home soon, what do i tell him?"

"That were studying?"

"He'll tell my mom and i'll get in trouble for-" Nora stopped. She couldn't possibly reveal what a goody-goody she was by admitting she wasn't normaly aloud to have boys over. It just, didnt happen.

"For?"

"Nevermind that. Just get out!"

"I cant get out! I am not getting arrested again!"

"AGAIN!?" Nora was flustered. It was like having an infected bug in your home. She could be in so much trouble.

"Yes, again." His voice softened. "Im not a juvenile, and im really not a bad kid. So dont go thinking im going to rob you or something." He smiled at her, making her chuckle. How could she laugh at a time like this?

"So, what did she do?"

"Posession. They found her drugs."

"Drugs?" Nora got a sour look on her face. She didn't like people who smoked drugs, or took pills. She thought it was utterly discusting and wasted a ridiculus amount of some peoples lives. Like her own mother, for example.

"Its not her fault."

"Oh what, are you going to tell me the toothfairy forced her?" Nora was not a gullable person, nor nieve.

"No." He paused, sitting down on her couch. "We were in a car accident. I broke my arm, and damaged my knee and she had spinal injuries. We took a lot of pain killers and realized drugs really got our mind off the pain of our injuries and the pain of losing our dad." Nora didn't speak as she watched him stare across the room. "I managed to stop because my friends pushed me. But theres not a hope in the world for Lexi." Nora's face softened and she managed to push out an "im sorry."

"Its okay." He jumped up, trying to look built and tough. When in reality he was slightly scrawny. "I just want to stick around until the cops stop circling the area. Then i can call my mom and tell her where my sister is and make sure shes okay." And that was her cue to cave.

"Alright, fine. But when my brother gets home-"

"Im out. Completely. You'll never hear from me again." He turned to look out the window once more, to Nora's luck. Only then could she let the sadness breeze across her features. The only reason he was speaking to her was because he needed to get out of trouble. Thats all. He turned around and faced her.

"Were you wearing that at school?" He pointed towards her black baggy shorts and gray Alabama hoody. Her face became warm with embarassment. His smile was crooked and beautifully imperfect as he chuckled a little. "Its alright. You look fine." They laughed together. Nora took a seat in an arm chair across the room.

"So at school everyone says your pretty hardcore." Nora smiled, almost teasingly.

"Oh yeah, im the big man." He joked. "I have the girls bendin' over like-"

"Woah there buddy!" Nora stopped him, laughing about something that normally was not funny to her at all. "Too much information."

"Sorry, sorry." He laughed, sinking into the bergundy couch. "No im really not like that."

"Your a virgin?" She was truly shocked.

"No, but-" He paused. A cop car zoomed by and the red and blue lights slide over the room. "Im not a whore." Nora just looked at him. "I have six sisters. No one knows this, but i have a soft side."

"So why are you telling me, then?"

"I dont know. I geuss i'll trust anyone who lets me slip the cops." They smiled again at eachother. A hard knock at the door made them both jump.

"Quick! Hide!" She said, in a borderline whisper.

"Where?"

"Anywhere!" She gasped, getting up to the door. He was gone and a door clicked shut down the hallway. Nora swung open the door, and saw her little brother standing there.

"Why was the door locked?" he pushed inside and threw his backpack on the floor.

"Oh...uh sorry." Nora stuttered, shooting glances down the hall. "Going to play video games?" She called out as he headed down the hall way.

"Yes." He answered dully. He got half way and halted suddenly. "Nora."

"Yeah?"

"Quit acting weird." He stopped at the bathroom door and after jiggling the handle for a few moments he yelled for his sister. "NORA. WHY IS THE DOOR LOCKED?"

"My bad." She screeched. "I must've locked it. Sorry." She jiggled the handle. Then she looked back and saw her brother waiting to use the bathroom. "Oh, uh, I have to go first." She said. "Bad. So...go play your video games until im done. This one'll be a stinker. Whooee." She pretended to waft the air with her hand, turning back towards the door after her brother disapeared into the bedroom. "It would be wonderfull if this door would OPEN." She said loudly. She heard the doorknob click and she fell into the small bathroom. Nora stood, pressed up against Shane, too close for comfert. Shane smiled at her.

"This one'll be a stinker?"

"Shut up! I told you to hide!" She said in a horse whisper. He hopped up on the counter and started going threw Nora's make-up bag. She snatched it from him and threw it in the sink.

"I am hiding!"

"In the bathroom?!?" Her voice got too loud, and she caught herself.

"I thought your bedroom would be akward." Shane whispered. Nora looked down at the porcelain toilet and at her blue ducky bath robe.

"And this is obviously past akward." She said. "So can you leave yet?"

"No! Two cop cars just passed by!"

"Ugh." Nora groaned, openeing the door and peeking her head out. "Im chlosterphobic. Come on." They tip-toed to her bedroom and she shut the door. Shane sat down at her desk, resting his feet way too close to her computer. "Do you insist on making yourself comfertable?"

"Yup." He stretched his arms. Another cop car passed.

"Are you sure all your getting busted for is drugs?"

"Those cops arent after me in particular. But if they spot me, im as good as caged."

"Caged?"

"Behind bars, jailed-up, yadda yadda yadda."

"Yeah i know, its just weird."

"So whats up with these notebooks?" He was flipping threw her poems and stories on the dresser.

"I write." She sat down on the edge of her bed. "A lot."

"Thats cool."

"No its not."

"What'd you mean?"

"Its not cool."

"I never thought you cared." Shane sat up, and looked at her. Nora didn't know what he ment. "I dont know, in Social Studies your so goofy and have so much fun. I never really thought you cared what other people think." He got up, and sat next to her on her bed.

"I dont know...everyone cares. I just hide it better than others."

"I wish my girlfriend had thought that way." Shane picked up a lime green notebook. "Maybe I wouldn't have broke up with her." The words 'broke up with her' seemed to sooth Nora and make her nervouse at the same time.

"Do you care what people think about you?" Nora asked, taking Shane a little off-gaurd.

"Yes and no. Imperticular people make me sit up straight and some dont even get a second thought. It all depends, ya know?" Shane's eyes glided over the paper slowly. She hadn't really thought of what he could have been reading at that moment, nor did she care. For some reason it didn't seem to bother her much. "-And his eyes peirced the night like shimmering crystal stars in the sky." Shane read aloud from one of the stories. "Your really good."

"Thanks." Nora said, getting up to see what story he was reading. "I write random little paragraphs or sequences. Its fun."

"Its fun if your talented. Which, i can see, you are very talented."

"Thank you." Although it wasn't much, his words made Nora's cheeks turn pink.

"NORA!" There was an opening and slam of a door. "IM HOME EARLY!" Nora's mother could be heard in the kitchen. Why today, why now? What luck.

"I think i should get out of here." Shane tossed the notebook on the dresser.

"Go through the window." Nora whispered. "See you at school." Shane hopped out the window and Nora didnt wait to see him leave to shut the blinds. Her door opened.

"Hey honey. Why is your window open, its cold."

"Uh, really? I thought it was warm in here."

"Okay then. Im going to start dinner." Nora's mother left the room, closing the door behind her. A light tapping was heard on the window. Nora pushed the blinds aside and Shane's deep brown eyes locked on hers. He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Then Shane took off down the busy street twards the sun.