sweet sin (the devil all the time)

5. fist fights

Leonora and i ran down the hallway, gene dinwoodie, tommy matson, and orville buckman gaining on us, we got to the front doors and pushed them open seeing arvin sitting there cigarette hanging out his mouth

"Go, go, go" i repeated quickly, arvin opened the passenger side door then reached back to open the backside door

We both got in the car slamming our doors shut, "Leonora, slone come on!" One of the 3 boys shouted as arvin started driving looking out the back window a few times

"Are yall okay?" He asked turning the corner leaving the parking lot

"Yeah its fine were okay" leonora said breathing hard

"It aint fine leonora" he shook his head angrily "its alot of other things but it sure as hell aint fine"

Silence settled over the car for a little bit "so how was your day?" Leonora asked arvin jokingly

Arvin glanced at her "fine yalls day seemed to go just as well" he said sarcastically glancing at me in the mirror

I held 2 thumbs up and raised my eyebrows smiling "it was great, bought a jello cup at lunch and it was the best ive ever had" i said sarcastically

Arvin shook his head pulling into the church, i slid down in my seat seeing my fathers car

"That preachers a little flashy" he said looking at my fathers car pulling to stop

Leonora put a hand on the door handle "are you not coming?" She asked arvin

"No i got something to do before we go home"

"Cant we do them after i see mama?"

"No you ladies go on ill be back after"

Leonora stared at him blankly

"Go on" he nodded his head off to the side

I seen my father in the church window "I-Im not going anywhere, if my father sees me get out of a boys car lets just say id prefer my body and your face intact" i said sarcastically sinking back down in the seat

"Slone-"

I cut him off "i gotta talk to you anyways"

"I-" he sighs "fine but i will not hesitate to throw you out of the car" he said meeting my eyes in the mirror

"Spoken like a true gentleman" i said teasingly narrowing my eyes back him

Leonora smiled back at me then looked at arvin "behave yourself" then shut her door

Arvin started driving and once we were out of view of the church i climbed over the front seat "will you please sit still" he glared at me gripping the steering wheel

"Okay look" i turned to him putting my knee up on the seat "my fathers an ass point plank, aint no other way of looking at it, but if anyone is mad at me that hurts me so just say your not mad at me and we wont ever have to speak again"

Arvin shook his head "im not mad at you" he said

"Like you mean it"

He rolled his eyes looking at me

I put a hand on my chest "you hurt me, i cry" i said dramatically putting my other hand on my forehead

He ran his tongue over his teeth shaking his head trying not to smile

"Look at that now we dont have to speak again" i smiled sitting in my seat properly, it went quiet for a bit

"Can i drop you off here?"