moving but if she was
saying anything, I couldn’t hear her. As much as I could have sat and laughed
at them all morning, I needed to get to the shelter. I felt guilty about
ditching community service last night, so I wanted to go today. But first I
needed stop at home for a quick shower.
I moved around the room quietly, folding the blanket
and pulling my jeans on. With a quick look in the mirror above Lauren’s dresser
and seeing that my hair was somewhat tame, I snuck out the door.
I was tiptoeing down the stairs when I saw someone
coming out of a room at the end of the hall. He turned around and I saw Nate
staring at me with surprise. He was dressed casually, wearing a white T-shirt
and jeans. His sun streaked hair falling over his forehead.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, taking the last
few steps to the bottom. The smell of pine drifted around us.
“Mr. Riley asked me to come over this morning to talk
about the shelter. Why are you here?”
I repressed the urge to hold back, still hurt and
angry at him. “I came over to hang out with Lauren and her friends.”
“Why didn’t you come to the shelter last night?”
I tried to look indifferent, which wasn’t easy with
him standing in front of me. “I didn’t feel like it. I have to go.” I stepped
around him, heading to the entrance.
“Megan,” he called after I opened the door. Rain from
outside blew in my face.
“What?” I stopped, but didn’t turn around.
“Are you all right?” His voice was so tender and soft.
He seemed so genuinely concerned. I wanted to jump in his arms and tell him all
the gory details of my dramatic drive over here. And yet, I couldn’t. If I did
he would be sweet, caring and helpful and when I was just about to be
comfortable with our new friendship, he would pull away.
“I’m fine, now I need to go.” Before I gave in to my
urges.
“Mr. Riley told me there was some kind of problem on
your way here.”
I turned my head slightly wondering how Laurens father
had known. He wasn’t here the whole time we were up. “It’s not your concern.
You’ve made it clear that you don’t socialize, so there is no need to trouble
yourself.” I walked out and ran to my car. I didn’t know why I was so upset.
He’d never made me any promises, but I had let myself believe that he liked me
and I couldn’t take his rejection again.
The ride home was wet. The rain must have started in
the night. At some point I had to turn the wipers on full blast, but no one
followed me, so it was a step up from the drive over.
Chapter Nine
Manic
I met Julia in the shelter parking lot, noticing that
Nate had arrived already, but of course, I wasn’t surprised. “Do you need some
help?” she asked, opening her umbrella and holding it over both of us.
“No thanks, I got it.” I picked up the two loaded bags
that I had packed when I went home to shower and change. We walked quickly
together into the back door, out of the rain.
Instead of the usual clanging sounds of the pots and
pans, the buzz of the blender floated out from the kitchen.
“So, where have you been the last few days?” Julia
asked as she hung up her rain coat and then took mine to hang it up next to
hers.
“Oh, I’ve been busy. But I brought DVDs for the kids
to make up for it.”
She glanced inside, fingering a few of the movies.
“Oh, they’ll love it. Thanks, Megan.”
We stepped into the kitchen where Nate and Theresa,
Natalie’s mother, were blending what looked like fruit smoothies. I said hello
to Theresa, but ignored Nate before he could ignore me.
I followed Julia out to her work space. “So what do
you need me to do?” I leaned my arm on her desk and picked up a picture that
must be of her family. She sat in the middle with three kids ranging in ages
from five to fifteen. A man with red hair stood behind her with his arms on her
shoulders.
She took the picture from my hand, placing it back on
the desk. “Uh-uh, you know you
saying anything, I couldn’t hear her. As much as I could have sat and laughed
at them all morning, I needed to get to the shelter. I felt guilty about
ditching community service last night, so I wanted to go today. But first I
needed stop at home for a quick shower.
I moved around the room quietly, folding the blanket
and pulling my jeans on. With a quick look in the mirror above Lauren’s dresser
and seeing that my hair was somewhat tame, I snuck out the door.
I was tiptoeing down the stairs when I saw someone
coming out of a room at the end of the hall. He turned around and I saw Nate
staring at me with surprise. He was dressed casually, wearing a white T-shirt
and jeans. His sun streaked hair falling over his forehead.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, taking the last
few steps to the bottom. The smell of pine drifted around us.
“Mr. Riley asked me to come over this morning to talk
about the shelter. Why are you here?”
I repressed the urge to hold back, still hurt and
angry at him. “I came over to hang out with Lauren and her friends.”
“Why didn’t you come to the shelter last night?”
I tried to look indifferent, which wasn’t easy with
him standing in front of me. “I didn’t feel like it. I have to go.” I stepped
around him, heading to the entrance.
“Megan,” he called after I opened the door. Rain from
outside blew in my face.
“What?” I stopped, but didn’t turn around.
“Are you all right?” His voice was so tender and soft.
He seemed so genuinely concerned. I wanted to jump in his arms and tell him all
the gory details of my dramatic drive over here. And yet, I couldn’t. If I did
he would be sweet, caring and helpful and when I was just about to be
comfortable with our new friendship, he would pull away.
“I’m fine, now I need to go.” Before I gave in to my
urges.
“Mr. Riley told me there was some kind of problem on
your way here.”
I turned my head slightly wondering how Laurens father
had known. He wasn’t here the whole time we were up. “It’s not your concern.
You’ve made it clear that you don’t socialize, so there is no need to trouble
yourself.” I walked out and ran to my car. I didn’t know why I was so upset.
He’d never made me any promises, but I had let myself believe that he liked me
and I couldn’t take his rejection again.
The ride home was wet. The rain must have started in
the night. At some point I had to turn the wipers on full blast, but no one
followed me, so it was a step up from the drive over.
Chapter Nine
Manic
I met Julia in the shelter parking lot, noticing that
Nate had arrived already, but of course, I wasn’t surprised. “Do you need some
help?” she asked, opening her umbrella and holding it over both of us.
“No thanks, I got it.” I picked up the two loaded bags
that I had packed when I went home to shower and change. We walked quickly
together into the back door, out of the rain.
Instead of the usual clanging sounds of the pots and
pans, the buzz of the blender floated out from the kitchen.
“So, where have you been the last few days?” Julia
asked as she hung up her rain coat and then took mine to hang it up next to
hers.
“Oh, I’ve been busy. But I brought DVDs for the kids
to make up for it.”
She glanced inside, fingering a few of the movies.
“Oh, they’ll love it. Thanks, Megan.”
We stepped into the kitchen where Nate and Theresa,
Natalie’s mother, were blending what looked like fruit smoothies. I said hello
to Theresa, but ignored Nate before he could ignore me.
I followed Julia out to her work space. “So what do
you need me to do?” I leaned my arm on her desk and picked up a picture that
must be of her family. She sat in the middle with three kids ranging in ages
from five to fifteen. A man with red hair stood behind her with his arms on her
shoulders.
She took the picture from my hand, placing it back on
the desk. “Uh-uh, you know you
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