The Experts Say I'm Delirious
"We can all go to the zoo!"
Jack opened his eyes to find two hazel ones staring at him. He jumped up into sitting position, quickly grabbed his glasses, and looked to see who had found their way into his bed. The young girl, which had now been staying with him for a little over a week, sat up too and clenched her puppy plushie. Her hand swept her brunette hair out of her face, but it just fell back into place.
“I’m sorry that I startled you,” Alesia said. “I had a nightmare last night, so I climbed in here with you.”
Jack rubbed the bridge of his nose, before signing. “It’s ok. Do…you want…to talk…about…it?” He was starting to get the hang of this. As of this moment, he just had to think hard of what the next sign was.
“No.” Jack sighed. He really wanted to know what was causing this girl so much pain, but she just refused to let him into her world. “I will someday, just not right now.” He felt a little bit better. At least she said that she would eventually tell him. That was a start.
“What do you want to do today?”
“I wanted-. Wait. You’re signing everything you’re saying. I’m so proud of you! You must be practicing every night. Am I right?” He nodded. “I’m so happy!” She tackled him with a hug. It was a good thing that Jack was expecting it. If he hadn’t, the two of them would have fallen off of the bed. “Oh, and I want to go somewhere fun. I know! Why don’t we get Beanie and Muscle and Beard come too! We can all go to the zoo! I haven’t been to the zoo since I was 12. Can we!? Can we!? Can we!?”
Jack didn’t know the next signs, so he pulled her off him and talked slowly. “I actually wanted just the two of us to do something together. We can still go to the zoo.”
“Ok then. The two of us can go. We can have so much fun! I’m going to go get dressed now."
The teenage girl ran out of the room. Jack just smiled to himself. He was going to get to spend the whole day with her. He lifted his body out of the bed, grabbed a change of clothes, and headed into the shower. After stripping down, Jack got in and let the water run down his chest. His hands lathered shampoo in his hands. As the soap ran down the drain, he thought about how the day was going to go. He wasn’t going to act all mature. He was going to be himself. He was going to be as childish as Alesia was.
He got out, and dried his hair off. Jack put on his black boxer briefs, one of his “JAGK” shirts, and a pair of black skinnies. After he was ready, he left his room and entered the living room to find Alesia, sitting on the couch, watching TV. Jack walked over and grabbed the remote. He clicked the menu on and put it the subtitles on. He showed the girl before turning the TV off. “Ready?” he signed.
“I’m always ready for a new adventure!”
“Good.” He took her in. Alesia was wearing bright blue shorts that clung to her legs, a bright yellow T-shirt, and a neon pink shirt.
They duo walked out of the building and into Jack’s car. He started up the car and drove off towards the zoo. When they got there, they got out and went up to the entrance. Jack paid their way in.
“Can we go see the monkeys first?” Alesia asked.
Jack nodded and held his hand out to the smaller girl. She took it and they walked over to the monkeys. Alesia was seemed to like the squirrel monkeys the most. Her eyes watched them in wonder as they climbed around on the ropes. Now was Jack’s chance to act like he usually did. He tapped on her shoulder, and Alesia turned around to look at him. Now that he had her attention, he started jumping about like a monkey (probably on crack). He was getting weird stares, but that didn’t stop him because the cute girl named Alesia was giggling the most she has ever giggled before.
“You’re so cute when you act like a monkey.” She stopped herself. Why was she feeling embarrassed all of a sudden? Was it because she called him cute? She had called him cute before. Why was this one moment making her stomach flutter?
Jack noticed her blushing and couldn’t help himself from doing the same thing. He wanted to hold her hand again, but his nerves wouldn’t allow it. He stuck to motioning her to follow instead. She did.
Jack walked all the way over to where the animals that needed to be in a colder environment where. He had a feeling that she would like his impression of a penguin. He turned around to find that Alesia was not there. Where did she go!? Jack started to panic. She shouldn’t be walking around the zoo on her own. What if some strange pedophile picked her up? He started to search for her. His legs ran around frantically as his eyes searched through the groups of people. She couldn’t have gone far. The only place nearby that he hadn’t checked was the building with the snakes. Why would she be in there? Oh well, it didn’t matter. He just had to find her. He ended and started to look around. In the corner, he found her looking at a green python. He quickly ran over to her and pulled her into a big hug. He pulled away and looked her straight in the eye.
“Don’t ever do that again! You scared me half to death!”
“I-I’m s-sorry. Echo wanted to look at the snakes because she likes them.” Alesia eyes watered up and slowly the tears started to spill. Jack felt horrible. He never wanted to make the girl cry.
“Hey. It’s ok. I’m sorry I made you cry. You just scared me, ok?” He pulled her into another hug and rubbed her back.
“I understand what you mean. I just wanted to please Echo. She’s been wanting some time with you, and I didn’t want to share you. I wanted you all to myself. I’m really sorry.”
He pulled away and gave her a smile. “It’s ok. Do you want to look at the penguins now?”
“Yes, please.”
The rest of the day went by smoothly. They went to see the penguins. Jack did his impression of them, which cases Alesia to feel better. They ended up going to see the giraffes, the polar bears, and even the flamingos. Alesia thought they were beautiful. She tried to balance on one leg as long as they did, but this only caused her to fall down on Jack. Alesia had the second greatest day of her life. Even though they were short, she greatly enjoyed the piggyback rides.
Alesia ran to get her sketchbook after they got home. Jack tried to look over her shoulder to see what she was drawing, but she told him that he wasn’t allowed to look until she was down. Her pencil sketched the moment onto paper. Even though she only drew that tragic scene, she decided to draw what happened today. She never wanted to forget the day.
“You can look now,” Alesia told Jack after she finished the last bit of shading.
The sketch in front of him was a collage of what they did at the zoo. The upper right hand corner held a picture of Alex trying to balance on one foot with Jack standing next to her. Underneath it was Jack and Alesia acting like penguins. To its left, there was a picture of the two of them eating ice cream. Jack had gotten some on his nose. The upper left hand corner was a picture of Jack acting like a monkey with Alesia giggling at him. The image in the centered, which also took up most off the page, was a picture of Jack giving Alesia a piggyback ride.
“That’s amazing,” Jack signed. He spoke the next part. “I like it more than that picture of the ocean that you’ve been painting constantly.”
“I like drawing us together more. I just need to draw the tragic scene. I can’t stop myself. Maybe I’ll stop when I finally tell you.”
“Why don’t you tell me? If you think that it would help, you should tell me.”
“Not now. I can’t do it now. It still hurts too much. I’d rather share moments like today. Today was the second greatest day of my life.”
“What was your first?”
“When Daren and I went to the zoo for the first time with Mommy and Daddy.”
That was the first time that she even mentioned her parents. He wondered why? Maybe she didn’t get along with them. Maybe she just didn’t want to remember her life when whatever happened happened. Perhaps he would learn everything soon. Perhaps the secrets in the young girl’s head would finally be revealed.
“I’m sorry that I startled you,” Alesia said. “I had a nightmare last night, so I climbed in here with you.”
Jack rubbed the bridge of his nose, before signing. “It’s ok. Do…you want…to talk…about…it?” He was starting to get the hang of this. As of this moment, he just had to think hard of what the next sign was.
“No.” Jack sighed. He really wanted to know what was causing this girl so much pain, but she just refused to let him into her world. “I will someday, just not right now.” He felt a little bit better. At least she said that she would eventually tell him. That was a start.
“What do you want to do today?”
“I wanted-. Wait. You’re signing everything you’re saying. I’m so proud of you! You must be practicing every night. Am I right?” He nodded. “I’m so happy!” She tackled him with a hug. It was a good thing that Jack was expecting it. If he hadn’t, the two of them would have fallen off of the bed. “Oh, and I want to go somewhere fun. I know! Why don’t we get Beanie and Muscle and Beard come too! We can all go to the zoo! I haven’t been to the zoo since I was 12. Can we!? Can we!? Can we!?”
Jack didn’t know the next signs, so he pulled her off him and talked slowly. “I actually wanted just the two of us to do something together. We can still go to the zoo.”
“Ok then. The two of us can go. We can have so much fun! I’m going to go get dressed now."
The teenage girl ran out of the room. Jack just smiled to himself. He was going to get to spend the whole day with her. He lifted his body out of the bed, grabbed a change of clothes, and headed into the shower. After stripping down, Jack got in and let the water run down his chest. His hands lathered shampoo in his hands. As the soap ran down the drain, he thought about how the day was going to go. He wasn’t going to act all mature. He was going to be himself. He was going to be as childish as Alesia was.
He got out, and dried his hair off. Jack put on his black boxer briefs, one of his “JAGK” shirts, and a pair of black skinnies. After he was ready, he left his room and entered the living room to find Alesia, sitting on the couch, watching TV. Jack walked over and grabbed the remote. He clicked the menu on and put it the subtitles on. He showed the girl before turning the TV off. “Ready?” he signed.
“I’m always ready for a new adventure!”
“Good.” He took her in. Alesia was wearing bright blue shorts that clung to her legs, a bright yellow T-shirt, and a neon pink shirt.
They duo walked out of the building and into Jack’s car. He started up the car and drove off towards the zoo. When they got there, they got out and went up to the entrance. Jack paid their way in.
“Can we go see the monkeys first?” Alesia asked.
Jack nodded and held his hand out to the smaller girl. She took it and they walked over to the monkeys. Alesia was seemed to like the squirrel monkeys the most. Her eyes watched them in wonder as they climbed around on the ropes. Now was Jack’s chance to act like he usually did. He tapped on her shoulder, and Alesia turned around to look at him. Now that he had her attention, he started jumping about like a monkey (probably on crack). He was getting weird stares, but that didn’t stop him because the cute girl named Alesia was giggling the most she has ever giggled before.
“You’re so cute when you act like a monkey.” She stopped herself. Why was she feeling embarrassed all of a sudden? Was it because she called him cute? She had called him cute before. Why was this one moment making her stomach flutter?
Jack noticed her blushing and couldn’t help himself from doing the same thing. He wanted to hold her hand again, but his nerves wouldn’t allow it. He stuck to motioning her to follow instead. She did.
Jack walked all the way over to where the animals that needed to be in a colder environment where. He had a feeling that she would like his impression of a penguin. He turned around to find that Alesia was not there. Where did she go!? Jack started to panic. She shouldn’t be walking around the zoo on her own. What if some strange pedophile picked her up? He started to search for her. His legs ran around frantically as his eyes searched through the groups of people. She couldn’t have gone far. The only place nearby that he hadn’t checked was the building with the snakes. Why would she be in there? Oh well, it didn’t matter. He just had to find her. He ended and started to look around. In the corner, he found her looking at a green python. He quickly ran over to her and pulled her into a big hug. He pulled away and looked her straight in the eye.
“Don’t ever do that again! You scared me half to death!”
“I-I’m s-sorry. Echo wanted to look at the snakes because she likes them.” Alesia eyes watered up and slowly the tears started to spill. Jack felt horrible. He never wanted to make the girl cry.
“Hey. It’s ok. I’m sorry I made you cry. You just scared me, ok?” He pulled her into another hug and rubbed her back.
“I understand what you mean. I just wanted to please Echo. She’s been wanting some time with you, and I didn’t want to share you. I wanted you all to myself. I’m really sorry.”
He pulled away and gave her a smile. “It’s ok. Do you want to look at the penguins now?”
“Yes, please.”
The rest of the day went by smoothly. They went to see the penguins. Jack did his impression of them, which cases Alesia to feel better. They ended up going to see the giraffes, the polar bears, and even the flamingos. Alesia thought they were beautiful. She tried to balance on one leg as long as they did, but this only caused her to fall down on Jack. Alesia had the second greatest day of her life. Even though they were short, she greatly enjoyed the piggyback rides.
Alesia ran to get her sketchbook after they got home. Jack tried to look over her shoulder to see what she was drawing, but she told him that he wasn’t allowed to look until she was down. Her pencil sketched the moment onto paper. Even though she only drew that tragic scene, she decided to draw what happened today. She never wanted to forget the day.
“You can look now,” Alesia told Jack after she finished the last bit of shading.
The sketch in front of him was a collage of what they did at the zoo. The upper right hand corner held a picture of Alex trying to balance on one foot with Jack standing next to her. Underneath it was Jack and Alesia acting like penguins. To its left, there was a picture of the two of them eating ice cream. Jack had gotten some on his nose. The upper left hand corner was a picture of Jack acting like a monkey with Alesia giggling at him. The image in the centered, which also took up most off the page, was a picture of Jack giving Alesia a piggyback ride.
“That’s amazing,” Jack signed. He spoke the next part. “I like it more than that picture of the ocean that you’ve been painting constantly.”
“I like drawing us together more. I just need to draw the tragic scene. I can’t stop myself. Maybe I’ll stop when I finally tell you.”
“Why don’t you tell me? If you think that it would help, you should tell me.”
“Not now. I can’t do it now. It still hurts too much. I’d rather share moments like today. Today was the second greatest day of my life.”
“What was your first?”
“When Daren and I went to the zoo for the first time with Mommy and Daddy.”
That was the first time that she even mentioned her parents. He wondered why? Maybe she didn’t get along with them. Maybe she just didn’t want to remember her life when whatever happened happened. Perhaps he would learn everything soon. Perhaps the secrets in the young girl’s head would finally be revealed.
Yep. I made the fist chapter 12 pages because I'm adding a bunch of stuff. The second is 10, but it's not the second chapter of this story. It's actually her just getting her stuff and having the guy character (his name is Elijah) driving her to his place. I did the same with another one that I started writing, but I haven't finished the finally copy yet. The rough draft has been done, but I only have four and a half chapters done because I'm adding more stuff.
The main difference would be that they do call her Aly in the begining because I found a way to work with it and the chapter where Alesia reveals herself, she has nightmares, and Elijah has a backstory that is also going to be a book. That, and I don't know what to call it yet because it will have a different name.
I'm happy you like this though! :) :) :)
And that's cool about your friend!
6/28/13