Altercation

----------------------------> September 12th, 2019, 6:31 AM

As I close the gate behind me I glance back at the Brownstone I try to call "home". I watch as my Aunt drops the blinds upstairs to go back to sleep. Somehow, I manage to catch a glance at her pink nightgown and matching bonnet. I turn around and continue walking down the block taking in my surroundings as I go.

The crisp Brooklyn air fills my lungs giving me the illusion of breathing a minty scent. I observe the rows of identically constructed buildings, differentiated only by different colors of gates and doors. When I was young my father used to say that it looked like God had squeezed all the little houses together like legos. But New York is a big city with an even larger population. It makes sense that they would maximize the city space.

I continue walking and look up at the grey overcast sky. It seems to be warning me that at any moment a torrent of water could be released upon the unsuspecting. Maybe, I should buy an umbrella.

"Haa...", I sigh. I have been walking for about 20 minutes now and the quiet ambiance of the morning sets an unnaturally good vibe. At the very edge of my vision, I noticed my destination, the park. If I walk through the park it will cut down the time it takes to get to school from about an hour and ten minutes to around 45. It'll also give me enough time to enjoy the lack of noise in front of the school building before the doors open.

I cross the street and walk under a path beneath the trees. There is a homeless man sleeping on a bench beneath a worn-out black jacket. As I pass him, I wonder what series of events led him to his current reality.

I walk off the main path unto a smaller trail. It's quiet. But not the type that I enjoy. This is eerie. The birds are silent and not a single car seems to have passed on the road behind me.

*SNAP*

The crackle of a broken tree branch and the shifting of leaves snaps me out of my engrossed state. I whip around to see a kid around my height of 6 foot behind me.

"Is it you who touched her?", he snarls.

My brain short-circuits as I back away, "What are you talking about?"

"Is it you who touched my sister?", he questions again.

Before I can formulate a proper answer a female voice calls out from behind me," Yea, that's him."

"H-Huh?", I stutter as I look behind me. "Who are you guys?"

Standing behind me is a pretty light-skin girl with red box braids. Standing like bodyguards on her left and right are two identical-looking Hispanic guys. Both of them and the girl are glaring at me like I am their worst enemy but that only confuses me further. Who the hell are these people?

"So you sexually harass me and then pretend not to know what I'm talking about?", the girl says accusingly.

"This bastard...", the bodyguard on the right says. The one on the left cracks his knuckles.

"Listen, I don't know what you are talking about and I think you have the wrong person", I raise both hands into the air.

"So you're telling me that you weren't the one that grabbed my tits in the gym on Monday?", she questions mockingly.

What is she tal-oh. Oh no. It all comes rushing back to me. On Monday we were told to gather in the gym and I was trapped between this girl in the front and a group of loud boys behind me. In the midst of all the playful banter, a kid bumped into me. I lost my balance and ended grabbing what was in front of me to get my balance. That happened to be the breast of this girl. I had hastily apologized since the entrance ceremony was over but it seems like that created a misunderstanding.

"Hmph, it seems you remember now, asshole", The girl says." I wonder how many other girls you harassed on 'accident'"

Panicking, I reply with "None". But before I can correct myself a searing pain rips through my right shoulder blade and my vision goes slightly red.