Collide by Shelly Crane Page A

subject.
    “Construction. HVAC.”
    “Oh. Hmm. Well, do you like it? Or did you, rather?”
    “Yep. It kept the ol’ guns-a-blazing.” He grinned and lifted his arm not around me and flexed his bicep, making the muscles jump up and down.
    Oh boy. My view of Bobby was quickly going down in a blaze of flames.
    At lunch the next day he grabbed my hand in the kitchen like we were a couple already while I waited for the soup to boil. I finally was able to pry myself from his grip and practically ran to my room with him calling after me that he’d see me later. As cute as the guy was, he was a little grabby and had seemed to already have claimed me in some way. Hmmm. I didn’t like that.
    I did mine and Danny’s laundry, cleaned my room, again, cleaned the bathroom. I was so incredibly bored already and it was only week one.
     
    By the time I got to the kitchen that night, the kitchen was full of bustling and, to me, looked like unintentional and intentional shoving. Oh boy. This was what happened when civilized people got shoved into confined spaces together. Civility went out the window, if there ever really was any. I decided to wait until later, not craving more conflict.
    Maybe everybody was just having a hard time adjusting. It was quite a blow, finding out our loved ones were in danger and being hunted something we couldn’t even really defend ourselves against, just hide from.
     
    The basketball room was empty so I settled myself on the floor and laid down on the freezing hard linoleum, more tired than I realized. If I closed my eyes I would miss dinner, and so will Danny, because all he knew how to do is microwave soup. I saw Merrick walk by through the glass but didn’t stop. He seemed startled to see me in there alone, lying on the floor but kept on going.
    The haunting silence was all around me. I wished I could have my ridge for a minute, some of the noise, the lights, the old feeling of calm I got from it.
    Then a gust of wind. Looking up I saw Danny standing in the door.
    “Whatya doing in here, shorty? It’s eating time.”
    “Yeah, I’m just letting the trough empty out a little bit.”
    “You know, I can’t believe you did that. That’s not like you,” he said as he came to lay down beside me and I knew what he was referring to. My earlier outburst. He’d been sleeping all day since then and hadn’t had a chance to rake me over the coals about it yet.
    “I know. I feel terrible.”
    “They all need to grow up a little if you ask me.”
    “I’m sure they won’t ask you. And look who’s talking Mister I slept all day... I shouldn’t have done that.”
    “No! I mean it was great! They needed to hear that. They’re scared and they need someone to tell them how it is. We can’t have a panic and melt down every time some one gets upset or their feelings hurt.”
    “You sound like someone else I know.”
    “What’s with Merrick?”
    “You noticed that too, huh?”
    “Yeah. He’s...anxious.”
    “More like disgusted. I bet he couldn’t wait to take a shower this morning and wash my human stink off.”
    “What are you talking about?” He rolled over on his side facing me, putting his head on his elbow, so I did the same.
    “He just freaks... I had to lean against him in the car and I thought he was gonna have a coronary. He doesn’t like human contact apparently.”
    “What did he say?”
    “Nothing, just that being in a human body is different and intense for him. Whatever that means.”
    “I’m sure it is different but, Sherry, I don’t think he didn’t want you touching him.”
    I saw where he was going with this.
    “Danny, that’s sweet, but you didn’t see his face. I promise you that my touching him was not something he enjoyed.”
    He chuckled like he knew a secret.
    “Well, I’ve seen his face since he’s been back. He couldn’t keep his eyes off you while you were ranting out there and just now in the hall...he just looks so...strangely confused.”
    “Yeah,