Me and Zach gather out things, I decide to take the poster with me and stick it in my bag. I put all my books away, and walk to lunch alone. The rest of my school day was pretty much get to know you stuff, I have two more classes with Zach, which is awesome. Every time I see the football players, I realize I have only one real friend, and I met him today. I don’t even know if we are considered friends. I mean I said we were and he didn’t deny it. So maybe we are. I learn more about him as the day goes on. He loves dogs, specifically German Shepherds, but his sister is allergic so they can’t have one. He lives with his mom and dad, but his parents are getting a divorce and I feel really bad for him. He is staying here with his mom, while his dad is moving to a different state. He told me he has a sister who is in the grade above us. She’s plans to a in-state college next year. School gets out at 3. I drive, and so does Zach. I know this because I saw him in the parking lot, getting into a jeep. I swear I don’t know how he isn’t popular. He plays hockey, he drives a jeep, and he’s smart. I guess maybe my definition of cool is different from literary everyone else. I get home and pocket my keys in my sweatshirt because I’ll be using them in about an hour and a half to go to Zach’s house. My parents aren’t home, not surprised. They will probably call me later tonight and apologize for leaving without any notice. It happens a lot, I’m used to it. I take a short shower, then head down to the living room and turn on a football game. Chiefs Vs Rams. Like I said before I do enjoy watching the sport, just not playing it. Even though I play it. I’m a very complicated person. I pull out my phone and scroll through my messages. Nothing. Zero. Nobody reaches out to me unless it’s homework related. Which makes me realize how sad my life actually is. My parents are never home, my “friends” treat me as a human cheat sheet, and I hate the sport I play. You know what, I’m going to quit football. That’s what I’m going to do. It’s around 4 when my my phone suddenly vibrates and it’s a text from Zach, all my football thoughts suddenly are forgotten. I open it and it reads, 

I’m actually free right now. My mom just told me she doesn’t want anyone at the house tonight, so just park a few blocks away, and climb though my window. My house number is 324

I find myself smiling, and gather my things and put them in my backpack. I text back 

Ok, I’m starting my drive now

I park like he said, put my bag on and start walking. I see a brick house numbered 324 about 30 feet away. I also see a tree that leads right up to a window. I get to the tree and start climbing, I reach his window. I see Zach sitting on his bed on his phone. I knock on the window and he looks up. We make eye contact and he jump off his bed to open the window. “Wow, you where here fast.” He says, I reach and grab the brick wall to steady me as I set my foot on the ledge of his window. I get mostly inside before my foot slips. Zach grabs my arm to steady me. My face heats up really fast and I scramble inside. He lets go of my arm, quickly. “Yeah, I actually live in the same neighborhood just a couple blocks away, I couple practically walk to your house.” I say, trying to shake the awkwardness and to get my face to stop burning. “Cool,” he says. Setting down my bag, I look around at his room, it’s gray walls, and white carpet. His bed is off to the side, then there is a lot of open space, then a desk. There is a few hockey trophies on a shelf next to his bed. I walk over to them, “These are impressive,” I say, looking at them. There is seven total, five for Championship wins and two for runner up. “Thanks,” he says looking down, but I still see him trying not a smile. “Is this you?” I ask, pointing to a team picture. He walks over next to me and looks where I’m pointing. “Yep, that’s me,” I look at him, then back at a different picture of him, actually playing hockey. When I see him playing his sport it reminds me about mine. I suddenly remembered that I told myself that I was going to quit football, and I really want to, I am a little worried about what my parents might think, but they want me to make my own decisions so, I’m deciding to quit football. “I think I’m going to quit football.” I say, thinking out loud, I set the picture back on his shelf and sit on the ground next to me bag. “Really? Are you sure?” Zach asks, taking a seat next to me. “Yeah, I’m not really enjoying it, as you know.” I looks up to hear knocking on Zach’s door, and as he gets up, I see a small bruise on the right side of his face, it’s red, and some small sports are already purple. “What hap-“ I start to ask but he interrupts me, “Hide in my closet, behind my clothes.” I stand up quickly and go behind the cloths in his closet. I shut the door as quietly as I possibly could. I hear his door unlock and open, “Hey mom,” I hear Zach say. “Dinner is ready in half and hour and remember you have practice tonight from 6:00 to 7:30 .” A woman’s voice says. “Yeah yeah, I know,” he says, I hear the door creak. “Wait a second, whose bag is that, and why is your window open?” His mom asks. Shit, my bag is laying in the middle of the room. “Oh, that’s um one of my old ones I found  under my bed, and I just needed some fresh air.” “Oh alright. Dinner in a half hour.” “I know, I know,” and the door shuts. I stay in the closet until Zach opens the closet door. “All clear,” he says. I walk out. Zach goes over and shuts his window. “What happened to your face, you have a bruise.” I say, Zach stops and turns to me. “I got hit with a baseball in PE remember?” We have PE together, and that didn’t happen. “What really happened?” I ask him, he sits down on his bed. “Jaxson pushes me down in the hall when I went to get the poster during science.” His face grimaces and I can tell he is watching it over in his head again. “Oh my God. I am going to kill him.” I sit down next to him, “Turn your head,” he does and I examine his bruise. “I doubt you applied ice after it happened,” I ask. “Nope,” he says. It’s to the right of his eye. “Try applying ice every few hours, it will help the swelling.” “Okay. How do you know so much about bruises?” “I’m on the football team, the coach tells us to do that, with bruises and sore muscles. I’m surprised you don’t know that considering you get thrown into walls” He laughs,“Normally just let the bruise heal on it own.” I laugh with him. Then I remember the poster in my bag. “We should probably get to work,” I say looking at my bag. “Oh yeah. I forgot about that.” He says, following my gaze to my bag. “We can work at my desk over there, I think it’s big enough. I’ll go get another chair from downstairs,” I pull out the poster as he exits his rooms. I stand up and lay it out it out on his desk. Then I get the same two markers we used earlier, and set them on the paper. Zach returns with a stool looking chair and sets it down, “Hope this is alright,” he says. “Yep,” I take a seat and write a few more thing down. My favorite color is green, I have no siblings, I like watching football, I like Rap music, and my drink is Coke. I decide to only have 5. And when I look over at Zach’s side he’s done and he has 5 to. “Dinner,” I hear Zach’s mom’s voice yell from downstairs. Suddenly the bedroom door opens to reveal a girl who I assume is Zach’s sister. “If you didn’t hear mo-,””Claire. Don’t tell mom. Do not.” I stare at Zach. “Trust me I won’t, I used to sneak people in this house all the time.” She looks me up and down before shutting his door. “Well there’s was my sister.” “Yep, got that… um well you should probably get to your dinner, and I should probably get back to my house. I will bring the poster tomorrow.” I say standing up and putting the poster in my bag. “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Zach says, standing up to. “Yeah, see you tomorrow,” I climb out the window and down the tree and start walking back to my car.