Why Me?

My name is Amara Drenan, age fifteen, height; well let’s just leave that as short. I was born in a snow storm on February 24th 1993. I almost died after I was born and the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with me. I was as I like to call it the “defective kid”. Forever more plagued with horrible outcomes.
To me today was just going to be another one of those horrible outcomes. I sighed as I walked as slowly as possible to my gym class. I wondered if anyone would notice if I skipped. Probably not, my gym partner would most likely be happy to work alone. I mean every time I worked with him he ended up in the nurse’s office. Last gym class I broke his nose by smacking my tennis racket into the net which bounced back and hit my partner square in the face.
By the time I reached the locker room everyone was almost ready to go so I got my gym clothes and changed quickly. "Hey Amara you ready for the new unit today. It's on basket ball." Marie snickered. She knew that I sucked at basket ball and she also knew that when I played I usually took out anyone that was stupid enough to be near me.
We walked into the gym and lined up with our partners. Justin my partner smiled at me and took a few steps back in case I created another disaster. Justin was always nice to me even though all of the crap and pain I had caused him.
"OK class, today were starting our new unit in basket ball." Our coach said there were a few cheers in the line. The coach droned on and on about the rules and then set us lose to practice. The first thing we had to do was the chest pass. Justin grabbed a ball and moved until I was only about four feet away, he bounced the ball. I caught it and bounced it back. Justin started to smile again.
"Hey Amara, good job! I think this is the first time you've played that there has been no natural disaster."
"Thanks Justin." I said glad that I had him for I partner. He joked with me through the rest of the short drills I was doing really well today no natural disasters at all. Of course that was short lived. The next drill was a jump throw. Ok I thought I can do this, I can make the hoop.
Justin went in front of me and demonstrated how to make the shot. He ran then jumped up and used his left hand to propel the ball towards its target. The ball went through the hoop, Justin caught it then handed me the ball.
"You got it Amara?"
"Yeah I have it. I can do it." I ran forward like Justin had and jumped up like he had but time seemed to have paused. As I was about to make the shot I felt my shorts fall down. I dropped back to the ground about twenty different shades of red. I quickly pulled my shorts back up and hoped to god no one had seen. I looked up slowly as I did though everyone started laugh. I put my head back down. I wasn't sure what I wanted to more cry or run away from the gym as humanly possible.
"Alright class calm down. It's time to go now so line up in alphabetical order and we can go." The coach started to jog towards the doors. I trudged into my spot in line. Everyone was snickering as we started to head towards the locker rooms again. I went in and grabbed my bag. I didn't bother changing I just ran out of the locker rooms and headed for the school doors. I was so glad gym was the last period of the day. I kept running even when I was out of the school. I blew by the buses and waiting parents.
I ran until my breath was ragged. I looked up and realized what I had done. "Crap!" I yelled to no one in particular. I had run from my only ride home which was the bus. What was worse is I could see the stupid putrid yellow thing going down the street next to the one I was on. I considered running to catch up with it, but thought against it.
"Amara?"
I turned around and saw Justin, he was on his motorcycle. I wondered how I hadn't heard it coming, had I heard it coming I could have dived out of sight into the bushes or an oncoming car, which ever. The last person I wanted to see was him. "Yeh" I said looking down again.
"Are you alright, you seemed really upset?" Justin asked sounding concerned.
"I'm fine." I said starting to walk again.
"Uh, you want a ride?" Justin asked moving his bike forward until he was next to me again.
"No I'm fine but thank you." I said walking faster.
"Amara come on. Knowing you it'll take you until midnight and then you'll get eaten by rabid bunnies." Justin said jokingly.
I sighed and got on the bike. I knew I wasn't going to win this battle. He handed me a helmet and told me to hold on. I was so glad he couldn't see my face I was turning pink. I wrapped my arms around his waist and then we were off. We blew by everything as we went. I liked this feeling, it was a feeling off freedom that I hadn’t had before.
It didn’t take us long to reach my house, maybe five or six minutes. As we pulled in the drive way I saw my dad come out with his riffle. Oh shit! My dad’s going to kill the one guy in school that cares about me enough to save me from rabid bunnies! “Justin pull out, get out of the drive way now! You see that gun; my dad’s going to shoot you with that please get out of here.”
Justin backed his bike up and we took off at a very high speed away from my house. I knew I was dead; my dad was going to kill me for taking off on a motorcycle with a boy. He probably wouldn’t have cared if I was just driving the motorcycle, but the fact that there was a boy attached to the motorcycle was a whole different story. I sighed and watched the trees blur by. Justin stopped about three miles from my house. I took off my helmet and got off the bike. Justin did the same and stood next to me.
“Soo, you really think he would have killed me?” Justin asked. He smiled and played with the strap on his helmet.
“Yes! Are you kidding me, I mean the last time I had a boyfriend he shot him in the butt with a pellet gun. He skidded out of our driveway so fast that there was smoke coming from his car tires.” I looked over at Justin to see his reaction. Sadly enough he was laughing. Did he think I was joking? “What?!”
“Wow you don’t have very much luck do you. I’m sorry.” Justin patted my back. “I’m sure you’ll find a boyfriend who doesn’t mind being shot at, or taking the abuse of your bad luck streak. I found this hilarious because he dealt with my disasters all the time and didn’t seem to mind, he also didn’t seem to upset about almost being shot at. I looked at him quizzically, I wonder if he realized yet that he just described himself. He must have realized it because he blushed and looked away. “Uh, hey, do you want me to take you home now? Or do you want to go and do something?” He was still blushing. Did he really like me, was he nuts? I’m a walking disaster! Dude back away now before a meteoroid drops from the sky and crushes you!
“Um I think it would be better if you took me…” Oh what the hell it he wants to endanger himself and be with me I guess it wouldn’t hurt to do it once. “Actually where do you want to go? I’ll go anywhere so long as it’s fun and I don’t have to deal with too many people.”
“Hmm, well we could go to the beach….. Um never mind you’d probably drown.”
“Ha ha. Soooo, funny.” I said smiling. “How about we just walk along the beach?”
“Okay that sounds good. No danger in that. I think.” We laughed, put on out helmets and got back on the bike. My dad was still in the driveway with his gun. I waved as we went by. It looked like he smiled. No that couldn’t be dad didn’t smile like that unless he was actually happy and I couldn’t see how he’d be happy with me zooming away on a bike with a guy. Oh I get it, he must be thinking he’ll get him when he brings me home. Ha! Fat chance I was going to have Justin drop me off a few houses down and walk the rest of the way.
By the time we got to the beach it was almost six a clock. It was still relatively warm though. We walked along the beach watching the wave’s crash on the shore. “You know what I’ve always wanted to do?” I asked.
“Hmm, no what?” Justin ran one of his hands through his hair and gazed out at the water. He seemed to be just a mesmerized with it as I was.
“I have always wanted to go surfing. I mean it would be really fun!” I almost thought he was going to laugh at me, but he didn’t, he didn’t even say anything about me being to clumsy to try.
“I could teach you. I know how to surf I learned a few summers ago.” He returned his gaze to me now. “Besides that I don’t think I would trust anyone else to teach you. They’d probably forget a safety measure and end up drowning you.”
“Really! You would teach me!”
“Yeah, I’ll teach you.”
“Oh my god! thank you!” In my excitement I jumped at Justin and hugged him. He returned my hug and we just stood there for a little while. As much as I liked being in Justin’s arms I realized now that it must be late and we should get home. I tried pulling away but Justin held on to me for a little longer then released me.
“Time to go home now.” Justin said.
“Yeh.” I said sad that we had to leave so soon it seemed like we just got there. I knew better though it was nearing eight o clock now and my dad would get really upset if I didn’t come home soon.
We walked in silence for a little while just watching everything around us. Justin grabbed onto my hand and pulled me closer to him. I smiled and leaned into his shoulder. I guess today wasn’t so bad, besides being humiliated in front of everyone. That was okay I guess. I did that almost every week.
On our ride home I wondered how I was going to calm dad down. Well more of what I was going to say to him. I had never done this before. I had never just taken off without telling him. Actually I sort of did tell him. I waved I guess that sort of counts.
We were nearing my house now. I could see my bedroom window from where we were. Oh crap I forgot to tell him to drop me off a few houses back! I tried to get him to stop but he didn’t seem to get that I wanted him to stop. He pulled into my driveway and I saw my dad. OH MY GOD HE WAS STILL STANDING THERE WITH THAT STUPID SMILE! I got off the bike asking god to tell Justin to get the hell out of here. Nope. Justin also got off the bike and walked with me to where my dad was.
“Amara please go in the house.” My dad said pointing at the door with his gun.
“Sure dad but can I have the um the gun? Please!” I tried to take the gun but dad pulled it away. I looked at Justin then at my dad then went inside to watch from the window.
“Sorry about not asking you before taking Amara out tonight. It was just she had a really bad day at school and I thought she would enjoy some fun at the beach.” Justin said scratching his head and looking nervous. My dad was silent. Oh no that wasn’t good.
“What do you mean by fun at the beach?” My dad asked. I smacked my head off the window; of course he would assume something like that.
“Uh it was nothing like that sir, all we did was walk on the beach and talk.”
“Hmm, not sure I believe you.” My dad said lifting his gun. AHHHHHHHH OH NO!
“Sir I swear we didn’t do anything!” Justin said staring at the gun. Dad put his gun down.
“Good boy, now you like my daughter right?”
“Yes sir.” Justin was still eyeing the gun.
“And you want to date her right.”
“I would like to yes.” From inside the house I screamed. Yes, oh my god yes!
“Okay then you can date her on one condition. You can date her so long as I can come along on any dates.”
“Okay then sure.” Again I smacked my head off the window. Oh no, my dad coming on a date with me. This was going to suck.
My dad smiled then. “I was just kidding you don’t have to have me there with you. Well actually I wasn’t kidding if you had answered differently I would be coming with you for every date. Good job you’re the first one she’s brought home that I’ve liked.”
Justin looked at the gun again. “Hehehe, thanks I guess.” My dad also looked at the gun. He picked it up and Justin backed up.
“Your safe kid I’m not going to shoot you okay. Well you should be getting home now shouldn’t you?”
“Yeh, I um should be getting home. Uh Mr. Drenan can you do me a favor and go in the house with your gun before I leave. Not that I don’t trust you haha.”
“Sure thing.” My dad said laughing and walking towards the house. Justin walked to his motorcycle started it and then took off. I sighed. At least this one would be coming back.