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I sat on one swing, threwme dry, but I didn’t care I waited patiently for Jaxon to e the park on his way home

I reflected pleasantly on how different he and I were We didn’t like the same foods, didn’t have the saood friends and he hated the few I had It was alright this way, though Itwe did just the two of us, and I longed for any alone ti to be out of Gosnells one day and would never look back That he would be rich and own the fastest cars and have irlfriends When I asked hied and said, "It doesn’tto make money any way I can"

His ambitions reflected a lot of his insecurities He wanted women because he didn’t knohat a relationship evennone He wanted to get out of town because he felt too sht this of hio, but I also didn’t think it was i that thrilled hiirls that came and went, he was actually very s he’d ever read froreat ated him for three or so hours with a ten dollar note on the side) He enjoyed reading when no one was around, and the books on his bookshelves in his room orn out and tattered from overuse Yet when it came to school itself, he just didn’t care He skipped nments, and passed only by the hairs of his chinny-chin-chin

I talked too About everything I could tell Jaxon what life was like at home I could tell him what my father used to do to my mother I wasn’t embarrassed to say that I still slept on aoff the governht because she was lonely and missed my father That she hardly ever talked to me Hardly cared if I was around In fact, sometimes she looked at me like I was to blame for my father’s absence That look only drove et out of here too," he promised me "Even if I have to steal you from Gosnells, you won’t be like your stupid o to Winthrop and you’ll get a good job and be happy I swear"

I sht

"You okay, kid?" I juuy’s voice from behind ainst my chest as I turnedover to the swings beside me How had I not heard hi so intensely I hated strangers, and I especially hated strangers in the dark while I was alone at a park much more

"I didn’ta seat on the swing next tolook ridiculously tiny under hiht

He was an adult, early twenties He was donning a black leather jacket, and the emblem of a jackal’s ferocious snarl on the back of his jacket in white ink was inescapable under the full ht A bikie I’d never talked to one before I’d always been told to turn the other way and never under any circuhtened me into obedience Yet here I sat next to one, and he’d been the one to engage in conversation

I looked up at his face He was looking down at his boots, kicking the sand idly I couldin I absently thought he looked funny having more facial hair than on his head which sported a buzz cut

"It’s okay," Ito steady my shaky voice

His dark eyes danced about my face for a few seconds before he broke into a wide sot nothin’ to be ‘fraid of Alright?"

I nodded slowly, taking in his friendly sesture