The Monarch In The City

Chapter One.

All she heard was screaming. “Go wake up your sister Joshua! Go now!” Alice’s body lurched forward, sweat droplets beading at her forehead. She rotated her neck slowly, wincing at the slight pain. It took her a moment to register the noises that had just awoken her a moment before. That was when Joshua threw the door open, allowing it to crack on the thinly plastered wall. The girl quickly regained her bearings. Alice lifted herself off of the bed, grabbing her robe off her closet hook, and standing in front of Joshua with panic in her eyes. “What is it?” She asked him, eyes wild. This was not the first time she had had her world shake at ungoldly times of night but she would never grow used to it no matter how many times it took place.

Joshua sighed, already knowing where the thoughts of the young girl were headed. “We’re fine Alice. The water’s off....and so is the power.” Alice leaned her back against the wall in relief. She was cautious, but for good reason.

“I heard her scream.” She uttered. The boy shook his head at her, unsurprisingly calm. As he usually was after this occurring for the millionth time in his life.

“Alice, he’s been gone for a year now. He’s not coming back. She’s just frustrated with the apartment, and since everything seems to be breaking down these days, we’re going to a motel. Go get your stuff.” Alice almost chuckled. As he exited the room she walked over to her miniature chest of drawers and flung one open. Inside lay a couple camisoles and three pairs of washed out jeans. The girl took a moment, laying her head that had begun to feel so heavy on the open drawer. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply. There wasn’t even a point to wishing this could end. There was just tiredness.

Alice closed up the drawstring bag, placing it by the door. “Is that it?” Josh slung the small bag over his arm, preparing to exit the stuffy room. Alice almost said yes, but a thought suddenly dawned upon her. She clucked her tongue, letting out a humorless chuckle. Slowly she lifted her head up to reach Joshua’s eyes.

“A motel? Josh, me and you spent the last three weeks scrounging up enough money to just pay rent. ” The boy’s eyes drifted to the floor sheepishly, but only for a moment. His demeanor instantaneously changed, revealing an anger in his eyes that Alice could relate to another. He seemed to know exactly what she was implying.

“Don’t start.” He gritted out, making a turn to go back to his adjacent room. Alice stomped after him, intent in her eyes, and pain in her balled up fists.

“Joshua! Joshua!” She whisper barked at him, reaching out and tugging on his burly arm. “I swear I’ll tell her.” She whisper yelled into his face.

The boy laughed haughtily, using his elbow to shove her into the wall. Alice landed against the thin panel with a smack, but Joshua was not done. “You tell her and you’ll have no one else to blame but yourself. You think cleaning project buildings makes enough money to put clothes on your back, and food on your plate? It doesn’t!” He inched closer to her, so close his breath was hot on her face. “So tell her. Tell her what I’ve been doing. Watch her fall apart. Watch us lose this dump site of a home, and watch her go back to your piece of trash father!” Alice wanted to pull his face apart. It took everything in her to keep her fists at bay. She looked down at her shirt, noticing a small pool of blood forming from where she had been unknowingly biting her lip. “Go clean yourself up.” He spat, stepping into his room, and slamming the door on her face.

“What’s all that noise in there?” Questioned Mama, who appeared at the end of the hall, with worry lines on her face. “Alice, there’s blood all over your shirt, baby.” Josefa, grabbing a hold of her daughter’s shoulders forced Alice to look at her. “What’s going on?” Her tone of voice got deeper, and Alice quickly grabbed a hold of herself.

“It’s just nightmares, ma. Sometimes I bite my lip in my sleep. It’s nothing.” She pushed her hands off, turning to go into her room. “Don’t forget to grab your school bag! You’re both still going tomorrow!” Her mother yelled after her. Alice and her brother were heard giving frustrating “yes’s”, but they both knew the truth. Only one of them would make it to school the next day.

Alice could find no deeper love than the love she held for her mother. Nothing hurt her more than seeing her mama sit on that lawn chair in the living room, counting bills over and over again like the numbers were just going to disappear. They weren’t. Joshua was a lost cause. He ran the streets at night, and slept the rest of the day away. Alice was all her mother had. The only companion who gave her any comfort. Alice found a way to appreciate it though, because it always could be worse. Instead of her mother spending loose change on Marla’s Ice Cream Cones, she could be wasting it on bottles in brown paper bags. So, Alice accepted the way life was, because after all they’d been through, the family should be dead, and it only seemed to be luck that kept that from coming true.

Alice always hated the subway. She knew that loving it would sound artistic, and dramatic, and beautiful, but it was the truth. She didn’t love it. She didn’t admire it, and she hated having to smell it. The rush that it gave her did nothing but make her lightheaded, and the stares from the visibly older men around her made her nauseous. Joshua was opposite from her, giving her bitter looks that could be considered hateful.

Eventually he must have lost his inward battle and trudged his way over to her, tugging her hand out of her armpit and dropping change into it. “Don’t use all of it, grab a snack and save some for mom. Stay away from the girls in large crowds, they’re nothing but trouble. And if-”

Alice cut him off, finishing his sentence immediately “I know, if any boy tries to talk to me, tell him that I’m broke, I don’t take showers, and I’m five weeks pregnant. At least one part is true.” Alice finished, stuffing her change into her messenger bag, and softly pushing her brother out of the way. Sometimes she was almost convinced her brother loved her but she had no time to ponder that now. The doors had slid open, and the once barely lucid pack of people suddenly became alive again and they bustled towards the platform. Alice turned to look at her brother in the midst of the sea of baggy eyed travelers shoving her out of the way. “Come home today, Josh.” The words were meant as a statement, a general command, but instead the tone of her voice turned it into a question. Josh’s eyes were doleful. Alice knew he wasn’t going to say anything. Joshua made it his mission to never say words he didn’t mean. He wasn’t going to be coming home today.

Rhile City High School wasn’t a high school you would see in a movie. It wasn’t happy, and cheery, and full of life. There were no bright book bags so fluorescent they hurt your eyes, or packs of pencils lying on desks. There were no teachers standing outside of their doors, waiting with wide smiles to greet you. Instead there were most likely stolen Loui bags hanging on the edge of hands, and razors tucked away in back pockets. There were lousy and touchy feely security guards stalking the front entrance, and a regular cop car parked a block away. Instead of vibrant colored walls of a suburban school their abode displayed beige brick walls that were starting to peel at the sides, and ceiling chips collecting in a heap on the floor. The bathrooms were darkened with cannabis clouds, and the stalls were covered with scrawls of insults hurled to the next girl at risk of being tackled in the lunch room. There were no glee clubs, or mock trials, or even cheerleading. Teachers didn’t hang around long enough to sponsor activities. If you asked anyone who attended the God forsaken school they would tell you that the students ran the place, if you could even call them that.

Alice couldn’t remember a time where she had felt safe. The thought had become so foreign to her that she had almost become comfortable in it. It was the moment her fingers grazed the tip of her pocket knife that she remembered where she was, and that safety was nowhere in sight. “Baby girl! Come past here for a minute!” Alice’s eyes darted to the most corrupt guard of them all. Carl Barkley. Story was that Carl was a level one police officer and that after looking up one too many skirts he got demoted to mall cop. After the school’s last officer, dear old Cooper Morris was released due to a dislocated shoulder, navel, and ankle, of unknown and mysterious reasons, the school welcomed Barkley with open arms. Alice inhaled tightly, closing her eyes for a moment. Mr. Barkley knew Alice kept a pocket knife, just as much as he knew about every other student’s weapon of choice. In exchange for his silence Alice gave him her ears, allowing him to chat her up with an occasional innuendo here and there. After releasing her breath, she begrudgingly treaded up the staircase, occasionally feeling the push of her fellow students bodies colliding with hers.

Carl Barkley wore clothes five sizes too small, and that showed clearly as his stomach protruded out from his waistband. Alice approached him gingerly, wary of his toothless, eire grin.“Hey, Mr. Barkley. Ready for today?” She questioned half heartedly, her eyes darting around the entrance. Carl reached out and took her hand, squeezing it.

“Hey, keep your eyes on me, sleepy head.” His voice sounded coarse, and altogether icky. Alice wanted to rip her hand out of his and drop it in a bucket of acid, but she knew there was no other way. She needed her pocket knife.

“Sorry. Just a bit distracted that’s all.” Her cheeks darkened with uneasiness. He finally let go of her hand, instead gripping her shoulder with his palm and pulling her closer.

“You keep that little knife of yours tucked away, and I’ll keep my mouth shut. Next time, bring me a coffee, will ya?” Alice had lost track of what he was saying, only watching the disgusting way he opened and closed his mouth. “Kid!” Carl shouted. Alice jolted out of her trance.

“Sorry, Carl. I’ve got your coffee tomorrow.” She reluctantly patted his hand that had yet to leave her shoulder and pulled herself away to walk inside.

“Be safe in there, Master! First day is always ruthless.”