Every Dawn Will Find Me, 2004

Laura Beth Noble
English E Block!
October 07, 2004

                Every Dawn Will Find Me

Tonight Rich and I went to the market. It was cold out. I left my sweatshirt at home, so I borrowed his beige Lido Venice zip-up. I love this one. Not only because the cotton inside is worn so it is fluffy and soft, the sleeves are ripped and sewn back together with all kinds of different colored threads and patches. I have artwork up and down my two arms.
“I need to grab some bottled water.”
Rich just went inside the grocery store.
There is a flower vendor next to where I am standing…
I should buy a flower.
Too late, he came back out already.
“Did they have any?”
“Of course, what grocery store doesn’t carry water?” He gave me that smile.
“They can sell out you know.” I winked.

We keep on walking farther down the sidewalk on Main Street, periodically stopping to say hello to a neighbor or two. Rich is so amiable it makes me sick. I think that is one of the reasons why I love this boy so much.
“Caleb.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you still cold?”
“No, no, I’m fine. Really.”
He loves walking down the busy streets, watching all of the people. I don’t want to tell him I can’t feel my toes or my hands. I don’t want to turn around and head back to his house on the hill. I wish I wasn’t so obvious.
“Let’s head home.”


I don’t know what just happened. I am sitting on the floor of the library. Rich has one of those houses where you have extra rooms you don’t know what do with, so they receive names such as “library,” “family room,” and “guest study.” My head hurts. My wrist hurts, too. There is a bruise around it.
I stand up and walk over to the door. Rich is across the hall, in his bedroom. I know he is in there because his record player is playing. He never leaves it going when he isn’t there. He doesn’t like to miss a song.
Right now The Postal Service is playing.

I remember Rich yelling. I remember yelling myself. He grabbed my wrist and threw me into the library. He then slammed his bedroom door. I think I should sit back down and wait for him to cool off.
Bang.

I get up, and walk out of the library. I walk to the front door, grab Rich’s old Lido Venice sweatshirt, and walk home in the cold. It was bound to happen sooner or later.