Page 4 of Perfect Tragedy
Panic begins to enter my chest for a brief moment until I hear Jack curse again as he scrambles down the tree. This validates I’m still earth bound because I’m confident there’s no cursing allowed in heaven.
“Are you okay?” The boy asks me.
“I-I-I-don’t-”
“I’m sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He shifts and I can see his face a little more fully now and W-O-W what a face. He must be an angel on earth, because I’m sure I’ve never seen a boy that looks like that.
“Don’t move!” Jack orders as his head joins the other standing over me. “You’re bleeding,” he states the obvious and looks around helplessly. “I need to get something to wipe the blood away and see how bad it is.”
“My wrist hurts,” I croak and turn my head to see my brother pick leaves from the tree. Scrunching my nose at him I prepare to tell him that’s not going to work, but before I can, the boy who is still standing over me pulls a cloth from his pocket. Bending down, he gently presses it to the cut at my brow.
“Does it hurt very bad?”
“No,” I lie not wanting to sound like a sissy.
“Oh, thank you,” Jack says to the boy noticing his help. Kneeling down he pulls the cloth away from the cut and frowns. “I think you may need stitches.”
“Mom’s going to be mad,” I tell him.
“Who are you?” Jack asks looking at the boy.
He answers Jack, but doesn’t take his eyes from me. “I’m Blake. I’m moving in next door,” he points in the direction of his house as if we don’t know where he’s referring. “We were told that kids my age lived next door and so I walked over to see if you were outside.” He pauses and then finally breaks eye contact with me and looks at Jack, “Were you…” he looks at the binoculars now on the ground. “Spying on us?”
I feel my face flush, but Jack simply shrugs unembarrassed, “We were curious about who was moving in. Unlike you, we weren’t told if there were any kids, let alone one our age.”
“Can I help you up?” Blake asks me.
“She’s okay, aren’t you Sienna?”
Blake ignores Jack and reaches down to me anyway. When he takes my hand, it hurts my wrist and I hiss in pain. He immediately pulls away and reaches for my other hand instead. “I think you hurt your wrist too,” he says.
Biting my lip, I feel very aware of his hand in mine. My body aches and feels incredibly sore. He holds onto my arms and makes sure I’m steady before letting go. Looking up, I finally get an even better look at Blake.
Dark hair so thick it looks like a helmet, green eyes like the grass he stands on shaded with dark lashes. A dusting of freckles that tells me he enjoys long hours outdoors cover his nose and cheeks.
“Thank you,” I finally manage and he smiles at me.
That smile. It lights up his whole face and makes my tummy flip in a way I don’t quite understand.
“So, you guys are moving in today, huh?” Jack asks the obvious, completely forgetting about me at the moment. It takes Blake’s attention away from me which makes me frown.
“We are.”
“I saw a girl too, that your sister?”
“Yes, my older sister, Mandy. It’s just the two of us and our parents.”
“Same here. Just me, Sienna and our parents. How old are you?”
“Almost twelve.”
“Me too,” Jack says excitedly. “Hey, do you like to play video games?”
“They’re my favorite, I play them all the time. Why? Do you? What’s your favorite game?”
I tune them out, the pain from my fall becoming more apparent by the minute. “Jack?” I say but he ignores me, too distracted by his new friend.
“Do you want to go play?” Jack asks with excitement.
