Dreams Or How I Live My Life in Daydreams

Sweater Weather

"What gives, Autumn?" Nara said, tapping her pencil rhythmically on the solid oak table. "What is going on with you and Mad Zach?"

Feeling eyes on them, Autumn reached across the table and clutched the redhead's hand to stop the endless tapping. "Nothing is going on between us," she whisper-spoke. "He gave me a ride. That's all."

"Couldn't your father bring you?  I know the muffler is noisy and all."

Releasing her firm grip, Autumn shook her head. "No. He couldn't. Someone slashed the tires on our car."

Wide-eyed, the redhead bit her lip, contemplative. "Do you think—"

"No," Autumn replied, surprised at her abrupt response.

The redhead arched her brow. "This is Mad Zach that we're talking about."

"His pranks, mostly, are harmless," Autumn replied, averting her gaze from her best friend's probing stare.

"Tell that to Jenny who had to transfer to another school because of the teasing," Nara countered, leering at her friend over the thick-rim of her eyeglasses, scrutinizing. "I never thought I'd see the day that you defended him so vehemently."

Autumn blew out a breath, agitated. "I'm not defending him.  Slashing tires goes beyond just a prank. You're destroying personal property with malicious intent."

The redhead smirked.  "You sound like a lawyer."   She closed her book with a loud smack. "You should go into that profession. You'd be good at it."

Autumn shrugged. "I don't know."   She hadn't thought of what she wanted to do once she finished high school. She still had two more years to decide.

She took out her iPhone and opened the apps to download GoFundMe. For the moment, her future career was the least of her worries.

*********

"Yo, Maddox!" Dante said, chasing after the prankster as he stepped outside to smoke an e-cigarette. "Nice progress," the elf-face boy said. "I saw Autumn get out of your car from Ms. Ashley's classroom window."

Rolling his eyes, Maddox took a puff from his fruit-flavored Pod and blew the smoke directly into the boy's face.

The boy coughed. "Those aren't good for you. Haven't you heard?"

"As though you care about my health," Maddox scoffed.

"I don't," the boy replied bluntly. "All I care about is you getting Autumn to accept your invite to the dance. You owe me. I'm the reason you're walking around free while Marc is—-"

"I know that already!" Maddox snapped. "You remind me about it every damn day!"

The taller boy's face darkened. He reached inside his back pocket and took out his iPhone 11. "One phone call. You're looking at ten years in prison."

"All right," Maddox stammered. "I'll give you what you want. She'll be at the dance. Easy-peasy."

A smug grin on his face, the boy slipped his phone back inside his pocket. "That's more like it." His hand resting on the metal handle, he turned it. It clicked open. "Don't disappoint me," he warned, stepping inside. The door slammed shut. To Maddox, the sound was akin to a prison door closing.  He shuddered.

*********

Ambling down the hallway, Autumn stopped by the water fountain, digging through her overstuffed handbag for her aspirin bottle. Overhearing her parent's doleful conversation sucked the joy out of her, leaving in its place unease and a splitting headache. Finally, she found the bottle buried at the bottom underneath scraps of paper.

"I can ask my dad if he could loan your father the money for the repairs," Nara offered. Autumn gave her friend a comforting squeeze on the shoulder, touched by her thoughtfulness. "My dad will never accept a handout," she said. "He has too much pride."

"But if someone offers you help," the redhead insisted.

Sighing, Autumn twisted the cap off the aspirin bottle, shook out two pills, tossed them into her mouth, and took a gulp of water from the fountain.

Wiping her mouth, she straightened herself. "My dad is of the mindset that the man is the provider of the house."

Autumn could practically see the steam surging out of her friend's ears. She held up a finger, stopping the redhead before she went on an outraged rant.

"Before you say that his thinking is chauvinistic, my mom has an associate degree in paralegal studies. She took a break from getting her bachelors to care for my brother because she didn't want to miss out on raising him during his formative years."

Squeezing her eyes shut, the redhead massaged her temples.

Her rationale floundering, Autumn went on the defense. "My dad doesn't think like a caveman. He doesn't!"

The redhead opened her caramel-colored eyes, her lips upturned in a sympathetic smile. "I didn't say that he did," she said.

Autumn swiped her moist eyes.

Nara nudged her shoulder. "The GoFundMe route doesn't seem like a bad idea, honestly," she said. "He doesn't have to know where the money came from."

Autumn nodded. "I just wish that there was more I can do to help you know." "I know," the redhead replied.

Autumn heaved her bulky book bag onto her back. "Well, I'd better get to class before the bell rings."

"See you after school," the redhead said.  Waving, Autumn walked away into the cacophony of the hallway chatter.  Nara watched her retreating form.  

Pivoting, the redhead bumped headfirst into Maddox's broad chest. The boy caught her as she stumbled back. "Thanks," she said. Her smile contorted into a frown. "Were you listening in on my private conversation with Autumn?" 

The boy scratched his cheek sheepishly. "No," he replied. "I was looking for you to ask what's troubling Autumn. She's not her usual chipper self."

The redhead quirked her lips.  "So now you're an expert on body language?" she said, watching with amusement as the prankster's face turned the same shade as her hair.

"Can you please just tell me?" he said, exasperated.

"Why should I tell you anything?" she said.  "What is going on with Autumn is none of your business."

Maddox sobered.  "I care okay," he said. "I know something is bothering her. I want to help."

Weighing the pros and cons, the redhead relented. "Okay. I'm only doing this once. Don't make me regret it."

"You won't," Maddox said, crossing his heart.

The redhead sighed. "Okay. Here's the thing."