When I was in love, trust me, I knew. – Series Part 1 - January 2010
“Don’t look at me like that kid. It’s barely a fcking scratch. Cover it up.,”
There was an indescribable look of fear on Jordan’s features as the boy looked instinctively at the floor… unable to look up at his father. Rather, Jordan’s eyes focused on what was left of his worn out… secondhand shoes that he found at the junkyard while one of his father’s… meetings happened.
“I’m not going to fcking repeat myself, you peace of sht. Cover it up. We don’t want a repeat at what happened at the last fcking place, you ungrateful brat.,”
Jordan simply nodded, still not looking at where his dad was sitting in the driver’s seat of the rundown truck that barely moved most of the time. After a second, he fixed his long shirt sleeve, so it fully covered his arms where the bruises from his dad’s… when his father… it’s… it wasn’t not his dad’s fault… he just… gets a little angry when he drinks… that’s… that’s it. It may have been January and the middle of the school year… but after… after his teacher started asking questions about bruises at his old elementary school, his dad transferred him so… so now he was going to Cerulean Elementary.
“Get out kid,”
After a second, Jordan’s little hand went to the door handle and after a second, he found himself once again all alone, this time outside of the car. With a little puff of smoke, and a sound that no car should make, his father drove away – leaving a child of 8 alone with nothing but the clothes on his back. Walking inside, Jordan looked up to the secretary in the front – mustering a smile. “Hi… I’m new. My name is Jordan.”
–
There was, of course, much confusion as a kid walked in for his first day of class in the middle of the school year without his parents. The lady had, of course, asked where they were, and Jordan just shrugged. Over the years, Jordan realized sometimes shrugging was the best answer. Stay quiet… that’s what his dad had always taught him. “He dropped me off and told me to go to class,” . Maybe an older Jordan would have realized that this wasn’t normal. That… well… parents were usually supposed to come with you on your first day, register you, love you… but… well that was a conversation for later.
All Jordan Williams knew was after a long time – many adults coming to talk to him… and many adults talking amongst themselves… Jordan was being led to a classroom by what the nice lady in the front had said the principal.
“Alright Jordan sweetie. You’ll be in Miss. Hawk’s class today. When your dad comes to pick you up today, make sure he comes in so we can get paperwork signed okay?”
With a nod, Jordan walked inside with the principal, who walked to the teacher and mumbled something.
“Hi Jordan, I’m Miss. Hawk. It’s nice to meet you buddy. Today we’re practicing some self-reading for an hour, and then we’re going to practice some math. Why don’t you grab a book from the shelf and take a seat next to… Jezebel over there? If you have any questions, raise your hand, okay?”
Jordan didn’t say anything as he nodded and walked towards the bookshelf and… grabbed a random book before sitting next to where the teacher had pointed. Honestly… Jordan hadn’t even paid attention to who he was sitting next to… just… stay silent. That’s what dad said. Though, Jordan felt his heart rate racing when he looked at the book. Jordan wasn’t… well… the strongest reader… he didn’t… really get to practice much at home and school really was the only time he could.
Honestly, Jordan didn’t even know what book he picked up. There was a hamster on the cover, and it looked interesting? T…Tro…Trebel? acc…um…sound it out Jordan…accor…sigh.
[color= #049fe0] “Psst. You like the Humphrey books too? I love that series,” [/color]
Jordan turned his head to meet the girl sitting next to him with a soft smile on her features. She looked… nice. For a second, Jordan’s eyes moved to the book in her hand which kind of looked like his because it had hamster on it too, but the color was different: while his was green with a hamster coming out of a box, hers was orange with a hamster on a sailboat. [color= #049fe0] “I’m on the 5th book, you’re on the third one?” [/color]
Jordan looked back at his book before looking back at her, “I…um… I’ve never read it before act…actually,” he whispered and her eyes widened.
[color= #049fe0] “OH then you should read the first one. Let me go get it for you.” [/color]
Jordan didn’t even have a chance to say anything before she jumped out of her seat and ran over to the bookshelf, returning with a blue book, this time with a hamster on a stack of more books. [color= #049fe0] “Here you go. You’re going to love it. It’s so interesting.” [/color]
Nodding, Jordan turned to the first page… there were… it was a lot of words. It only took Jordan a few minutes before he sighed and laid his head on the desk, his eyes closed. [color= #049fe0] “You don’t like it?” [/color]
“N…no. I just… I can’t… read very… well,” he admitted softly.
[color= #049fe0] “Oh… well let’s just read it together,” [/color]
Huh? Jordan looked up, surprised as the girl grabbed his book, opening it to the first page before she started reading the words, pointing her fingers to each word so as she said it, he could visualize it. Honestly… no one had… ever done something like this… and… well she was just really nice 
.
Okay… that Humphrey dude was really cool. He was a pet hamster that got into a loooot of trouble all the time. And… and Jezebel said that she would be his friend. Jordan… well Jordan never really had friends before. There was a smile on Jordan’s features for the first time in a long time as he waited outside for his dad, with all the other kids who were waiting for their parents. For a while, he sat by himself before the girl he had met today joined him on the floor and… and they talked. She was telling him about all the other adventures Humphrey got into in the next few books, but she told him she wasn’t going to spoil anything big. There was… something about her. How she was so excited about the books that made him excited.
Though… sitting outside, Jordan felt himself shivering after a few seconds – being the only kid without a jacket in the early January weather.
[color= #049fe0] “Oh… that’s my grandparents. I have to go now. Bye Jordan,” [/color]
Though… before leaving, he saw her take off her jacket and hand it to him. [color= #049fe0] “You can give it back later, okay? It was nice to meet you,” [/color] And then… she ran off… but… well… there was a kindness in Jezebel that Jordan had… never experienced before and… well… he felt his heart skip a beat watching her jump into her grandparent’s car. It was a kindness that Jordan now realized he wanted to…share… towards all others… a kindness that contrasted what his father made him feel.