C3 NEW VIBES

Eden woke up with an acrid pain on his head. He looked around the room and it was morning already. The pains of yesterday were still fresh in his mind and he thought about the lady who helped assuage his pains. He didn't know her name, and she had left without a trace.

He stood up from the bed and heard his mother's voice from the living room. He knew she was back from her trip already.

"Hey son," Emilia said on sighting him walk into the living room.

"Hi," he mumbled and tried to walk back to his room as he saw Derrick behind her.

"Hey, what happened to you?!!!" She panicked as she saw his wound. Eden stopped and turned to look at her. He could see Derrick's eyes piercing him from behind.

"What happened son?" She asked, looking at the wound carefully.

"Um ... I.. Um.." He tried to speak while Derrick continued to smirk from behind.

"I fell, I got injured at school," he lied.

"What!! How many times have I warned against playing dangerously at school!!" She fumed.

"Hey honey take it easy, he's just a boy," Derrick chipped in from behind.

"Eden is just too stubborn!! Urgghh!! Now get into your room and dress up for school you're almost late!!" She ordered and he turned to leave at once.

After dressing up for school, he walked out to the living room and met Derrick and his mom having breakfast.

"Hey son, come and have your breakfast before leaving," she motioned to him.

"Um.. I'm fine, I'm not hungry," He said, turning to walk away.

"Hey what's with all these ambivalences uh?" She asked angrily but he didn't reply.

"Hey let him be, he says he's not hungry," Derrick said.

"No, ever since we came here he's been acting weird not like he hasn't been weird, but this time around he's getting weirder.." She remarked with anger.

"Let him be honey," Derrick advised and Eden walked out without waiting for her to speak again.

***

The bell rang at school and all the kids hurried to get their lunch. Eden remained in his seat wearing a long face. He had no friends at school plus he didn't have lunch to eat so he remained sitting after every other kid must have gone out to play and have their lunch.

"Hey," a little boy said walking towards him.

Eden raised his face to see a boy of the same age with him with blonde curly hairs walking towards him. The boy smiled as he got closer to him.

"Can I sit?" He asked and Eden nodded.

"Hi.. I'm Julius," the boy introduced.

"Eden," Eden replied and returned his gaze on the floor.

"I'm sorry about your wound," Julius said again but Eden kept mute.

"Did you fall?" He asked and Eden shook his head.

"Seems like you don't talk much," Julius remarked but he didn't reply.

"Are you OK?" Julius asked again and Eden turned to face him.

"I'm fine," he answered bluntly.

"I packed my lunch for two, would you care to join me?" Julius asked and Eden's face brightened. He was really hungry since he had skipped breakfast earlier. He nodded and Julius smiled.

They both had lunch together and Julius tried to make him laugh. They played happily together and Eden was happy to have found a friend.

"Hey, do you have one?" Julius asked, showing him a bible. Eden shook his head in response.

"Are you a Christian?" He asked Julius.

"Yeah, almost every Spaniard is a Christian" he replied and they both laughed.

"You're a Spaniard?" Eden asked and he nodded

"You?" Julius asked

"My dad is Italian but I grew up in the United States before we came here to Mexico," Eden replied.

"Wow, you're a globetrotter then," Julius remarked and they both laughed.

"I grew up in Spain, but dad was posted here for a job and so we moved here not long ago,'' Julius added.

"What's in that bible?" Eden asked

"Oh, the bible is about God, you know God?" Julius asked and Eden shook his head. He has heard about God but he doesn't know much about him because his parents were strong atheists.

Well, God lives in heaven and he cares about you.. Julius continued to relate all that he knows about God to Eden. Eden found it interesting knowing that someone up there cares about him. And he felt drawn to him at once.

"You can pray if you want God's help," Julius added and he smiled.

After school, he didn't feel like going home anymore, he felt like staying around Julius for a while but Julius urged him to go home.

As he got home that afternoon, he saw Derrick sitting on the floor smoking and drinking as he listened to loud music coming out from the stereo.

"Hey come over here, '' Derrick ordered in a grumpy voice. Eden began to fidget at once.

"Faster you slum!!" He yelled and Eden walked faster to meet him.

"Sit," he ordered and the boy sat down at once while inhaling the smell of the cigarette and alcohol that filled the air.

"Good boy," Derrick smirked as he rubbed his hand on the boy's head.

"You were lucky not to have spilled the beans to your mom that morning," he continued. "I would have peeled off your skin and thrown them to the vultures, '' he added and Eden flinched.

"I like you, you'll do better than your dad," Derrick remarked with a chuckle.

"Have you had a taste of this before?" He asked, pointing a cigarette at him. Eden shrieked at the sight of the cigarette and he shook his head at once.

"Come on, don't be weak, '' Derrick urged as he handed a stick of cigarette over to him. Eden received it with shaky hands.

"Put it in your mouth, like this.." Derrick demonstrated with a stick of cigarette in his mouth. Eden kept staring at him with fear in his eyes

"Come on," Derrick coerced and he did as he was told. Derrick lit the cigarette on Eden's mouth and smoke began to puff out from the cigarette. Eden began to cough vehemently, his eyes became red and he threw the cigarette on the floor.

"Pick it up now!" Derrick barked but Eden was reluctant. Derrick grabbed hold of him and shoved him on the sofa. He continued to punch him against the sofa.

"Now take this and smoke!!" He thundered. Eden got up from the sofa and picked the cigarette on the floor. He sat down with tears rushing down his cheeks and with the cigarette in his hands. He placed it on his mouth and inhaled before puffing out the smoke from his mouth. He coughed again trying to catch his breath.

"Do it, come on," Derrick urged. Eden continued with the process and no doubt, he fell in love with it. He had learnt something new and he loved the kind of vibes he received from it.