An eerie place to live

A kid falls off of his bike in the suburbs.

"I am out of control! I am out of control!" he screams as he speeds his BMX down the hill.

I don't think he is serious so I don't make any attempt to stop him. He goes crashing into the pavement. He looks up at me, crying, with a blood soaked mouth, so I go over and hug him. His tears fall on my pant leg. It is a real, pitiful moment in the suburbs. For a moment I think it's blood on my leg and I reconsider the hug. But no, it's just tears. I tell his small companion to get their mom. Blood keeps coming out of the injured kid's mouth. I think his braces have cut into his gums or he's lost a tooth or something. That blood is so bright!

'How serious is this?' I wonder. 'Should I be doing something else?' I feel like I can taste what he tastes. Blood and metal. But those things taste almost exactly the same, so does he even know he's bleeding? He doesn't act like he does. Makes no attempt to wipe any of it away, just lets it all gush out, tears and blood and wails and slobber. Just like kids do. They are so good at being hurt. So unapologetic about their pain. The mother comes out.

"Where is your helmet?" she says before scooping him up and taking him into one of the homes with the brown vinyl siding . She appears embarrassed and doesn't thank me.
I think maybe this is because we are in the suburbs. So you are supposed to be taking care of your own kids, that's why you're here. To look after yourself. To get what you deserve. People here don't seem to help each other out much.

Things that I have discovered are NOT considered weird in the suburbs are as follows:

1. Uncontrolled anger when your neighbor parks her car in the space in front of your house that is normally reserved for your own car.
2. Sprinkler system induced orgasm.
3. Running people over you with your truck and then acting like it is their fault.
4. Glaring
5. Starting a fight with someone over something that hasn't happened yet, but might happen. Like, getting at angry at the owner of that small dog because it looks like he might shit in the empty lot beside your home...

Your home, your home, your styrofoam home. It all begins with these thin, flimsy houses. Available in warm brown, slate grey or white with torquoise trim. It's an eerie place to live.