Angela
up from school, though it hadn’t taken much effort once he’d explained his
reasons. So now all he had to do was wait for his only sister to come into
view. And as he waited, he watched the other teenagers run around, celebrating
their temporary freedom. He could still easily recall his high school days, and
watching the largely unfamiliar teenagers had him remembering why he was glad
those years were behind him.
But none of that
mattered, as his eyes locked on to the dark-haired girl he’d been waiting for.
She was walking in synch with her now-eighteen-year-old boyfriend and laughing
faintly. Neither appeared to have noticed him, parked as he was at the curb off
to the side of entrance. When they were close enough that he wouldn’t have to
bellow, Blake called out, “Angela!”
Several heads
turned in startled curiosity, but Blake paid them no attention. When his sister
and her boyfriend looked over, he lifted a hand in a lazy wave. He watched
silently as they exchanged looks before altering their course and heading over
to him.
“Hey, Blake,”
Angela said hesitantly. “What’re you doing here?”
Cocking an eyebrow
and keeping his tone light, Blake replied, “What’s it look like? I’m giving you
a ride.”
“It’s a nice day,”
Angela argued, “we were going to walk.”
“I was gonna walk her straight home,” Eric offered helpfully.
“No need,” Blake
said, pulling his keys from his pocket. “I’ll drive you home, and then take her
home.”
Angela frowned at
her brother. “That’s not necessary,” she insisted.
Holding her gaze
pointedly, Blake said, “Humor me.” He clicked the button as he spoke and
unlocked his car. When he had the door open, he smiled and said, “Hop in.”
Heaving a martyred
sigh, Angela looked over to her boyfriend and said, “I’m sorry. Apparently my
brother’s in a strange mood.” Then she turned and ducked into the car.
Eric hesitated, his
eyes flicking to Blake, and Blake inclined his head. “Go ahead, I won’t bite.”
“Uh, thanks.” Eric
moved around him and ducked into the car.
Once the teenagers
were settled in the backseat, backpacks at their feet, Blake re-positioned his
seat and angled himself into the car. He had it in motion in no time, and as he
eased into the after school traffic, he called over his shoulder, “Your sister
hasn’t moved, right?”
“No,” Eric replied
easily.
Blake nodded to
himself and started the easy drive to Emma’s home. He said nothing, keeping his
music low and pretending to ignore the hushed conversation going on behind him.
It took him only a few minutes to reach the suburban neighborhood that Emma and
Eric Matthews called home.
As he pulled into
the slightly slanted driveway, Blake couldn’t help but reflect on what he knew
of the siblings’ history. Emma was a couple of years older than him, and so
he’d only seen her in passing during his first two years of high school. From
what he’d heard through Angela, Mrs. Matthews had died only a couple of years
earlier, and when she had, she’d left her two children alone.
“Here you go,”
Blake declared as he put the car in park and set the brake. Then he eased out
and pulled his seat forward so that Eric could actually exit the car, stepping
back to try to keep the situation from being more awkward.
Eric unbuckled and grabbed
his backpack in one hand. Turning to Angela, he said, “Uh, I guess I’ll see you
tomorrow, then.”
“Yeah,” Angela
replied, cutting a pointed look at her brother before returning her attention
to Eric and quickly leaning forward to cover his lips with hers. She pulled
away a heartbeat later, blushing, and murmured, “See you tomorrow.”
Eric swallowed and
nodded but said nothing as he scrambled from the car. He deliberately kept his
gaze on the ground as he stepped wide of Blake, and it wasn’t until he was
several feet from the car that he turned back to call, “Thanks for the ride.”
Blake
up from school, though it hadn’t taken much effort once he’d explained his
reasons. So now all he had to do was wait for his only sister to come into
view. And as he waited, he watched the other teenagers run around, celebrating
their temporary freedom. He could still easily recall his high school days, and
watching the largely unfamiliar teenagers had him remembering why he was glad
those years were behind him.
But none of that
mattered, as his eyes locked on to the dark-haired girl he’d been waiting for.
She was walking in synch with her now-eighteen-year-old boyfriend and laughing
faintly. Neither appeared to have noticed him, parked as he was at the curb off
to the side of entrance. When they were close enough that he wouldn’t have to
bellow, Blake called out, “Angela!”
Several heads
turned in startled curiosity, but Blake paid them no attention. When his sister
and her boyfriend looked over, he lifted a hand in a lazy wave. He watched
silently as they exchanged looks before altering their course and heading over
to him.
“Hey, Blake,”
Angela said hesitantly. “What’re you doing here?”
Cocking an eyebrow
and keeping his tone light, Blake replied, “What’s it look like? I’m giving you
a ride.”
“It’s a nice day,”
Angela argued, “we were going to walk.”
“I was gonna walk her straight home,” Eric offered helpfully.
“No need,” Blake
said, pulling his keys from his pocket. “I’ll drive you home, and then take her
home.”
Angela frowned at
her brother. “That’s not necessary,” she insisted.
Holding her gaze
pointedly, Blake said, “Humor me.” He clicked the button as he spoke and
unlocked his car. When he had the door open, he smiled and said, “Hop in.”
Heaving a martyred
sigh, Angela looked over to her boyfriend and said, “I’m sorry. Apparently my
brother’s in a strange mood.” Then she turned and ducked into the car.
Eric hesitated, his
eyes flicking to Blake, and Blake inclined his head. “Go ahead, I won’t bite.”
“Uh, thanks.” Eric
moved around him and ducked into the car.
Once the teenagers
were settled in the backseat, backpacks at their feet, Blake re-positioned his
seat and angled himself into the car. He had it in motion in no time, and as he
eased into the after school traffic, he called over his shoulder, “Your sister
hasn’t moved, right?”
“No,” Eric replied
easily.
Blake nodded to
himself and started the easy drive to Emma’s home. He said nothing, keeping his
music low and pretending to ignore the hushed conversation going on behind him.
It took him only a few minutes to reach the suburban neighborhood that Emma and
Eric Matthews called home.
As he pulled into
the slightly slanted driveway, Blake couldn’t help but reflect on what he knew
of the siblings’ history. Emma was a couple of years older than him, and so
he’d only seen her in passing during his first two years of high school. From
what he’d heard through Angela, Mrs. Matthews had died only a couple of years
earlier, and when she had, she’d left her two children alone.
“Here you go,”
Blake declared as he put the car in park and set the brake. Then he eased out
and pulled his seat forward so that Eric could actually exit the car, stepping
back to try to keep the situation from being more awkward.
Eric unbuckled and grabbed
his backpack in one hand. Turning to Angela, he said, “Uh, I guess I’ll see you
tomorrow, then.”
“Yeah,” Angela
replied, cutting a pointed look at her brother before returning her attention
to Eric and quickly leaning forward to cover his lips with hers. She pulled
away a heartbeat later, blushing, and murmured, “See you tomorrow.”
Eric swallowed and
nodded but said nothing as he scrambled from the car. He deliberately kept his
gaze on the ground as he stepped wide of Blake, and it wasn’t until he was
several feet from the car that he turned back to call, “Thanks for the ride.”
Blake
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