Something beeps. "Monday" my voice comes out raspy as I groan.

I take a shower I must admit the water feels incredible againist my tense muscles. I get out of the shower it feels like I've been standing in there for thirty minutes without doing anything. I can't stop thinking about Julie and that car the thought of the surly person sends chills through me.

I put on my clothes.

"Morning my boy" my mom greets me with a wide bright smile.

"Morning" my voice comes out lower than I intended I don't feel like talking to anyone today. My mom notice my mood.

"Wanna talk about it?" her eyes rake my body. I'm well aware of how wrinkled up my clothes are.

I let out a huge breath "Nop, can I not go to school?" I sigh.

"No you can not but you can iron your clothes" what is wrong with me last night went well. I hadn't gotten any sleep last night I kept tossing and turning thinking about the shooting. Why would someone wish to kill me? I sigh.

"Dale honey are you okay?" I turn to go iron my clothes.

"Yea." I iron only the front part of my clothes. I decide to leave my phone behind seeing as my mom will be calling me after every hour.

My mom yells bye to me immediately when I close the front door.

"Hey Dale you are ten minutes late today" I meet Julie and Marvin at our 'go home' corner. They give me a very lucid smile. It's too bright, too bright I look away. How does she manage to do it? She acting as if nothing happened yesterday. I give them a lazy smile.

"Yea. I know."

"You don't look good" I know Marvin I know.

"He will be fine" I doubt so. Keep hoping though. The rest of the walk is quiet and I'm thankful for that.

"Hey guys" I look up. Oh no I cover my eyes with my hand.

"How are you Dale?" She smirks. Grace the twit plus a blue Monday? this can't be good for my health I'm mentally exhausted. I walk past her and head straight to the bathroom. Dale you've got to keep it together. The rest of the day zooms in and I don't want to hang out with anyone.

I tell Julie that my mom called and said she needed me to rush home this instinct.

"Is everything okay?"

"Everything is just fine."I say my goodbyes and walk away. I hear her calling for me so I stride faster.

I open the door as carefully as possible so my mother does not hear me when I come in, the door makes a loud miscellaneous sound as soon as it collides with the door frame. "Dale is that you??"

"Yea" I rush to my bedroom.

"Hold it right there Mister" I stop dead in my tracks and gulp "Come take a sit."

"Mama i have a lot of schoolwork to complete." I tell her. Do I? I wasn't even paying attention in all my classes.

"What I'm going to say won't take up more than five minutes. Now sit!" I oblige I don't have it in me to argue with her. I know how consistent she can be.

"Dale is something bothering you?"

"No nothing is bothering me." I sigh.

"Dale I can tell if something is bothering you and right now something is. Let me in." She takes my hands in hers. I inhale as much air as my lungs can allow.

I begin to tell her how Julie bailed out on my for our lunch date! I begin to tell her that I decided to go to the park just to clear up the confusion and there's where I found Julie. I begin to tell her that I started to comfort her and that things were going well. I leave out the kissing part. I tell her that the surly person appeared from out of nowhere and started shooting at us well... not exactly at us but I make my point straight that a shooting occurred while we were there. I tell her about Julie's reaction towards the shoot she is as shocked as I was and how she held herself together today as if nothing happened yesterday.

"My word! Why didn't you say anything last night?"

"I don't know" I answer honestly. My mom opens her mouth to speak I'm really not in a good mood for her lectures so I raise my hand out at her to not say anything. I realize my action is wrong so I apologize.

"Mama I know what you are going to say but to be honest I don't want to hear it" I sigh. "May I be dismissed now I'm tired?"

"Okay my boy" she pulls me in for a hug and later sheds a tear. I leave her alone.

I stare at the ceiling within minutes I find myself drifting off.

"Dale ??"

"Come in."

"Are you alright my boy your mother here told me what happened yesterday. Why didn't you say anything? Do you feel safe walking alone in the streets?" I chuckle lightly.

"It's cool dad. Yea I don't feel baffled in anyway." My parents both look at each other with uncertainty in their eyes before turning their attention back to me.

"So there was a shooting yesterday and you don't feel frightened by that?"

"Yep." My dad moves to sit on the edge of my bed, my mom stands by the doorway. He is at his loss of words. I'm glad he is.

"So this guy follows you around and shoots at you and you not worried?... I think we should call the cops." He adds. My mom nods.

"No I dont think that's a good idea. We not even sure that he was shooting at me." I don't know where my parents get the idea taking legal repercussions I don't want to be a witness against a criminal.

"Can we talk about it tomorrow I really had a bad day." I cover my eyes with the back of my hand.

"Dinner is ready." My mom tells me.