Mis- understood - Sarah McGibbon (best non fiction books to read txt) 📗

The boy fell to his knees as his whole world crashed down. Glass flew everywhere, showering him. He felt pieces slice through his skin, stick in his arms and back, but nothing hurt as much as the pain he felt in his chest as he saw her small body lay limp in the middle of the street. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t find the strength to go over to her. All he could do was just sit there and watch all of the people stop and stare. Someone ran over to her and tried to help her, but they couldn’t do anything. Soon enough he heard sirens coming closer and saw two tall, well built men come out of an ambulance with a gurney. They gently lifted her up onto it and strapped her in.
As they wheeled her away, her eyes flittered open, looking directly at him. They were sad and pleading. They had pain in them. He felt hot tears run down his face I’m sorry he mouthed to her, not able to make a sound. She smiled and closed her eyes again. The paramedics loaded her up into the ambulance and closed the doors. As the ambulance drove away, another one pulled up. One man ran over to him, asking him what had happened. He couldn’t process anything, all he was able to do was stare at the back of the ambulance, the one she was in.
Faintly in the background he could hear yelling. A man was asking someone if they were okay, if they needed assistance. It took him a while to realize that it was the paramedic yelling at him.
The boy looked up “What?” He croaked
“Are you okay?” The paramedic repeated, anxious.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He replied, attempting to get up.
The paramedic gently held the boy’s arm, helping him up. “Well, you need to go get all of this glass out of you.”
“Okay” He said, lifelessly.
The paramedic led him over to the ambulance and told him to sit down inside. When he did, she came over to him and gently held his arm up.
“Not too bad.” She said sympathetically and began to pull pieces out with tweezers.
She kept on stealing glances at him every once in a while.
“She’ll be okay,” She stated, keeping her eyes on his arm “Don’t worry.”
He shook his head, looking up at her. “It’s my fault. None of this would have happened if it weren’t for me.”
This time she looked at him, really looked at him “It’s nobody’s fault” she shrugged “It happens all of the time.”
“I guess but, this is different.”
“Just buy her flowers, it will make everything better.” She smiled that familiar smile.
“I wish it was that easy.”



The rain ran down the windshield, making it look as if the world were melting away. It might as well melt away, we’re all going to die in the end anyways. One of you might die tomorrow, and you don’t even know it. I know what you’re thinking- Is this seriously another one of those stories about a girl hating her life? No, it is not. For many reasons. One of them being: I’m a guy. And I don’t hate my life, I’m just not very fond of it at the moment. I would tell you why right now, but it’s a very long story and who likes the guy who ruins the story? So, I guess I should start in the beginning. When I met Alice.
It was a cold friday night, a few years ago, I had just moved in with this new foster family. They lived in one of those small towns where everyone knows everyone and they are all butting into each other’s business. I had only been there for a few weeks and I already hated it. The only bright-side was that I could walk everywhere. I didn’t have to rely on a ride, so I could just go. The only problem with that was that there was nowhere to go. I decided to take a walk anyways.
I was walking down the street across from mine, dodging puddles from the previous night’s rain. I took a puff of my cigarette, yes I smoke, and looked around the block. It looked like your average small town street. All the houses virtually the same. Small cars and mini-vans in the driveway. Child toys on the front lawns, chairs on the front porch. And the occasional dog tied up, or a cat roaming around. Still, there was one house that stood out. It was a two-story house at the edge of the street. There was a really nice convertible in the driveway. No toys out front, no chairs, no dog or cat. There was barely any sign of life other than the few dim lights on inside. 
 I leaned against the lamp post, letting the light illuminate me. I heard voices coming from inside the house, which raised and turned into yelling. After a while the porch light came on and the door swung open. A girl about my age with dark hair walked out in pajamas, letting the door slam behind her. She hastily walked down the steps and towards the street. When she got to the lamp post she brought out a phone and starting hitting buttons. After she was done, she closed the phone and put it back in her pocket. She had a nice body, what some may call an hour glass figure. Her hair was black, but I could see the red roots growing out. It took her a second to notice me, when she did she looked at me curiously.
“I don’t know you” She stated, with curiosity laced through her words.
“Yeah. I know,” I said simply “I’m new.”
“But, nobody new has moved here in 4 months. I would know, because my mom owns the real-estate company here.” She was getting suspicious
I took another puff of my cigarette “I moved in with the Burelsons, I’m their foster child.”
“Oh,” She said quietly. Yeah, she wasn’t expecting that. “Well, I’m Alice”
I nodded “Jake”
“Um, if you don’t mind,” She said, hesitantly walking closer to me “could I get a cigarette off of you?”
“Sure” I said, pulling out my pack. I pulled one out and handed it to her.
“Thanks” She said, taking it. She patted at her pockets, looking for something.
I pulled out my lighter and handed it to her.
“Thanks.... again” Alice lit her cigarette and handed me my lighter.
“So,” She said, blowing out smoke “Why are you out here so late?”
I shrugged “I like walking. I wanted to get to know the town a little better”
“How long have you been here?”
“Few weeks”
She nodded and looked across the street. I took this time to examine her. Her eyes were almost black and she had light brown freckles across her nose and cheeks that you could hardly see. She had her ears pierced, with dark purple diamonds in. Around her neck was a necklace with a ring on it. She wore a tight black shirt with ‘Love’ written across it in red letters and loose black pajama pants with little pink cartoon kittens. Her feet were bare, with dark purple painted toe nails. They matched her fingernails. Her fingers were long and skinny. On her middle finger on her right hand she wore a man’s class ring.
“What do you think so far?” Alice asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“To be honest, I’m not very fond of it.” I said, honestly.
“Are you starting school after the end of fall break?”
I sighed “Yep”
“It’s not bad.” She said “There are a few cool kids there, well I don’t know what you consider cool, but they’re the best people there in my opinion.”
“I’m assuming it’s you’re group of friends” I said, with a smirk on my face
“Yes, it is. Well, one of them I don’t like very much. She’s my best friend’s cousin and she is the complete opposite of me”
“What’s she like?”
“Here name’s Bianca, and her family is extremely rich. Her dad gets her anything she wants because he owns some big company. I’m not sure what her mom does, I think she’s a lawyer or something. She doesn’t seem to like anyone that isn’t like a rich snob or something, she absolutely hates me. I could honestly care less, I’ve never liked her. But, we all have to deal with her because she’s Beth’s cousin and nobody else at the school wants to be around her.”
“Hmmm, she sounds like a royal pain.”
“You don’t know that half of it.”
I threw my cigarette on the ground and stepped on it.
“I need to get home.”
“Okay, it was nice to meet you”
“Yeah, it was.”
“I guess I’ll see you around then.”
“Yes, yes you will.”



I slammed down on my alarm clock, hitting the snooze button. Today’s my first day of school and I really did not want to go but, it’s way better than sitting around in an un-familiar house doing nothing. So, I got up, took a hot shower, and threw on some jeans, a black T-shirt, and my old Converse shoes.
When I went down stairs, Jeanie, my foster mom, was cooking breakfast: eggs, bacon, pancakes, oatmeal and orange juice. Her 11 year old son, Ben, was sitting at the table eating. He looked up at me when I walked into the kitchen and smiled.
“Morning, Jake.” Jeanie said, warmly.
“Good morning.” I replied “Morning, Ben.”
“Good morning, Jake!” He shouted back happily.
“Is the breakfast good?” I asked
“I don’t know,” He said “I think she might be trying to poison us” He then proceeded to fake choke for about a minute, ending up on the floor, holding his throat, breathing deeply. Jeanie just laughed and handed me a plate.
“Should I eat it, Ben?” I asked as he got back up and sat in his chair.
“Well, you have super powers that can fight against any type of poison, like me, so I think it’s okay.” He said, completely serious.
I chuckled “Okay,”

I calmly stepped out of the car, taking in the school. I had been here last week to get my schedule and my locker and all of that other mandatory stuff but, it looked so much different with around 900 students there. More intimidating. It was a small school, but it was still a new school. And I only knew one person here; Alice. Although, I had only talked to her that once, so I don’t really know her.
I pulled my schedule out to see what room my homeroom was. After I had walked inside I got about five steps before some girl came up to me smiling. She was about 6 inches shorter than me, maybe 5’3”, with short light brown hair pulled back into a high pony tail. She was wearing a bright blue sweat shirt, which made her green eyes pop, tight ripped jeans, and those fuzzy winter boots.
“Hi!” She said, cheerfully “I’m Jessie.”
“Hi, Jessie,” I replied, quietly “I’m Jake.”
“Hi, Jake! So, you’re new here?”
“Obviously,” I said, rolling my eyes
Her cheerful smile faltered a bit, but picked back up right after.
“Do you need any