Walking through the doors, it was all she could do to not stop and gape. The place was huge. The school’s foyer was two stories, two large trophy cases took up an entire wall, and there were pennants hanging down from the ceiling, proclaiming different championship wins and titles the school’s sports teams had earned.
There were people everywhere. Groups of kids, some obviously freshmen, others seniors, teachers, who knew who else. All of them seemed to be watching her and Kane.
He kept walking, saying hi to one or two, but otherwise staying by her side.
“Here’s the office.” They’d stopped in front of the door, and she hadn’t realized it.
“Oh. Thanks again for walking with me. I’ll see you later.”
He shifted his backpack onto his other shoulder. “What are you talking about?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m not going to drop you off here.” He shook his head, like he couldn’t believe she’d think he would do something so stupid. “Go on in, and I’ll wait for you.”
“Kane, there’s no need. I mean, you have so many friends.”
But instead of looking relieved, he just looked even more annoyed. “Do you know your way around this school?”
“You know I don’t.”
“Then stop worrying about me and go get your schedule.”
She felt like they were fighting, but she didn’t even know what they were fighting about. “Fine.” She pushed open the glass door, sidestepped around a pair of girls about her age wearing tank tops and short shorts, and almost ran into a lady with frizzy gray hair, a harried expression, and readers perched on the end of her nose. “Sorry,” she said.
The teacher barely spared her a glance as she strode out of the room.
“Can I help you?” a petite woman with a chin-length blond bob asked as she thumbed through a pile of papers.
“Jah. I mean, yes. I’m Naomi Troyer. I need to pick up my schedule.”
The lady looked at her directly for the first time. “You’re our new girl.”
“Yes. My sister and I registered last week?” Worry settled in. What if they’d forgotten? What if she was supposed to have gotten to school earlier? Kane had to get to class. “Is there a problem?”
The lady paused. “A problem? Oh, no, dear. I just realized that I need to get you a buddy for the day.”
“A buddy?”
“Yes. Someone to stay close to you. Help you get acclimated and find your way to all your classes.” She scanned the office. “Not to worry. I’ll find someone for you. Maybe—”
“I don’t need a buddy. I’ve already got a friend here.”
“Are you sure? Because we pride ourselves on helping new Mustangs.”
Mustangs, the mascot of their school. “It’s Kane.” She pointed through the window at Kane. He was currently standing with another boy.
“Oh! Well, go get him!”
“I’m sorry?”
She waved a hand. “Hurry, now. The first bell will ring soon. Kane’s going to need to help you find your locker and such.”
“I could just show him my schedule when I get out.”
She slid a hand on top of the sheet of paper she’d just printed out. “That’s not our way, though.”
Naomi could practically feel the secretary’s impatience. She didn’t want to go bother Kane, but what could she do? The woman was holding her schedule hostage. “All right.”
With a feeling of foreboding, she walked toward him. Kane’s eyes darted in her direction, then warmed. “Hey.” The other guy stopped talking and stared at her. “Stone, this is Naomi. Naomi, Carl Stone, but everyone just calls him Stone.”
“Hiya.”
Stone’s eyebrows rose. “Hiya to you, too.”
“Got your schedule?” Kane asked.
“Not exactly.” She lowered her voice. “Can you come into the office with me?”
His brows snapped together, but he nodded. “See ya, Stone.” Walking toward her, he lowered his voice. “What’s up?”
“I’m so sorry, but I think you’re my buddy.”
He paused. “What?”
“They were going to assign me someone standing around in that office, and she wouldn’t let me have my schedule until I came and got you. I’m so sorry.”
“Oh. Sure.” He opened the glass door and strode through with hardly more than a brief glance her way.
The blond lady was smiling at him. “Hi there, Kane. I heard you’re being a real help today. That’s so sweet.”
Kane shrugged. “What do I need to do, Mrs. Cabrilo?”
“Show Miss Troyer here around, help her find her locker, make sure she gets her lunch all right. Can you do that?”
“It’s not a problem.”
Mrs. Cabrilo smiled at him just as the bell rang.
“I need my schedule, please,” she said.
“Oh, yes. Of course. Here you go, dear. Welcome to Walnut Creek.”
“Thank you.”
Holding on to her schedule, Kane led the way out. “Hey,” he said to her when they stopped in the middle of the hall. “It says your first class is honors calculus.”
She nodded. “Do you know where that class is?”
“I know where five A is. Honors calculus is usually a senior class, I mean, for anyone who usually gets that far.”
She didn’t know what to say about that. She’d never been embarrassed about her grades, but she was starting to hope that everyone wasn’t going to just see her as the nerdy new girl.
Looking at her curiously, he added, “I knew you were smart, but you’re really smart, aren’t you?”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“I would. Well, come on. Let’s get you to your smart class before they mark you tardy.”
“I’m sorry about this. It’s taking forever.”
He looked at her, then slowly shook his head. “If you learn anything about me, Naomi, it’s that I don’t do anything I don’t want to do. Ever.”
She smiled. She couldn’t protest that, so she remained quiet as she walked through the halls by his side. They walked upstairs and down a long hallway, passing open doors with students standing around desks or teachers talking with other teachers or lone students. Something was announced over the intercom, but it was so garbled that Naomi couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
All the while Naomi wondered why God had decided she needed to make this change in her life. At the moment, not a bit of it made a lick of sense.
FIFTEEN
“I didn’t want to walk around in a smelly dress, so I said okay. And Andy? He grinned like I’d done the right thing.”
MONDAY
“What’s the deal with you and the new girl?” Erin asked over his right shoulder in the middle of government class.
Kane mentally groaned. He should’ve known that gossip would have spread like lightning about Naomi Troyer’s arrival and the fact that he was showing her around.
Naomi was really pretty. That alone would have caused notice. But the fact that he was paying a lot of attention to her made her even more interesting to his peers. It wasn’t that he was that popular, but he had a reputation for never putting himself out there.
“Nothing is going on,” he finally answered. “Naomi needed someone to walk her around today, and I didn’t mind.”
“That’s not what I heard.” Erin pretended to lower her voice, but in actuality, it had risen to a pitch that encouraged everyone within a two-foot radius to lean in a little closer. “I heard Naomi told Mrs. Cabrilo in the office that she had you so she didn’t need anyone from student council to help her find her classes.”
“She said that because we know each other. It’s not a big deal.” If he knew anything about high school, it was never make a big deal out of something that could be fodder for gossip—and everything was fodder for gossip in high school.
“Are you going to sit with her at lunch?”
He could practically feel the rest of the class waiting for his
answer, even though he was sure nobody but Erin even cared. But gossip was gossip, and for a class of graduating seniors, it alleviated boredom. It was time to go on the offensive.
After double-checking that Mr. Howell was still going over something on his laptop with Diane, Kane turned to look Erin in the eye. “What’s up with you? Why do you even care who I walk with or eat lunch with?”
As he’d expected, twin spots of color tinged her cheeks. “I don’t care.”
“If you don’t care, then why are you acting like you do?” he pressed. “All I’m doing is helping someone out, and you’re acting like that’s a crime. I mean, you’re on all those committees and student council and stuff. Shouldn’t you be trying to help people like Naomi instead of gossiping about her?”
“There’s no need to get so defensive,” Erin shot back.
“I’m not defensive. But I’m not going to act like your interest in my relationship with a girl you’ve never met before is normal.”
Three people near them snickered. Erin shot him a death glare and pursed her lips but didn’t say another word.
Kane leaned back in his chair. He wasn’t exactly proud of himself, but putting Erin in her place was worth it if she stopped talking about Naomi.
“Mr. Law, is there a problem?”
He looked up at their teacher. “No, Mr. Howell. Erin just was confused about something, but I helped her clear it up.”
“Oh, good job.”
“Thanks.” He grinned. The guy behind him made a sarcastic remark, but Kane pretended he didn’t hear.
After scanning the room again, Mr. Howell cleared his throat. “All right, gang. Last week, we were discussing a bill that is currently lingering in the House. Who can explain what the ramifications will be if the bill dies on the floor?”
People started raising their hands. Kane flipped open his notebook and pretended to listen, but all he could think about was Naomi. He hoped she was doing all right and that not too many people were pulling an “Erin” on her and asking her a bunch of questions that didn’t need to be answered.
After class an hour later, Kane headed toward Naomi’s English classroom. He wanted to catch her in case she’d decided to not wait for him and sit by herself for lunch.
“What was up with you and Erin?” his buddy Billy asked as he reached his side in the crowded hall.
“You know how Erin gets. She’s always into everyone else’s business. She wouldn’t stop, so I decided to put an end to it.”
“She was ticked.”
“I was, too. What I do isn’t Erin’s business. You know, just because she asked me a hundred questions doesn’t mean I had to go and answer them.”
Billy shrugged. “Yeah, I guess not.” But he didn’t sound all that convinced.
What was it with everyone and their interest in him and Naomi? “You ready for the game Thursday night?”
“Sure. All of us should be, since Coach is making us stay late for practice every night this week.” He grinned at him. “Having a Thursday night game under the lights is cool, though.”
“Yeah. Friday morning is going to be awful, but it will be worth it.”
“Especially if our quarterback does his thing.”
Happy to be talking about football instead of his personal life, Kane grinned. “Of course he will. Shawn’s going to get us to state.”
“I heard that college scouts will be there.”
“That would be cool, though Shawn told me he’s already committed to play for Dayton.”
“I heard they were looking at you, dude. Oh, hey, I’ve gotta go. See you later.”
Him? In spite of his best intentions, he started imagining the possibilities. He was a good player and was having a good season, but he hadn’t let himself believe that he had a shot. “Yeah, later.”
Walking up the stairs, he gave in to the impulse. If he got recruited, he could go to college, which meant he would have more of a future than his grades had afforded him. Maybe his parents would even be proud and realize they hadn’t lost everything when they’d lost Andrew.
He was still thinking about his brother and the possibility of going to college when he spied Naomi walking out of her classroom. She was smiling at a pair of junior guys who looked like they were trying real hard to impress her. When she caught sight of Kane, her shy smile widened. “Hi, Kane.”
It was obvious that she’d already forgotten about the pair of guys standing next to her. That was all the encouragement he needed. “Hey, Naomi, everything going okay?”
“Everything is great. Better than I expected.”
Casting the guys a look that silently said to move on, Kane moved closer to her side. “Ready for lunch?”
“Jah. I’m starving. Now I’m really glad my sister made us so much,” she replied, not even seeming to notice that the other guys had walked away. Suddenly, worry clouded her face. “Oh. Do you still want to eat lunch together? It’s okay if you don’t.”
“I’ve been thinking about that food all day. I’m starving. Come on,” he said, grabbing her stack of books and leading her out the parking lot door.
They decided to sit in his Jeep with her giant cooler between them. That way he wouldn’t have to worry about everyone talking about the two of them eating together. When she started passing him food, he grinned. After trying a bite of everything, he sighed in contentment. Naomi might have been embarrassed about the amount of food she’d brought, but as far as he was concerned, she could bring it every day.
“It’s all really good, Naomi.”
“Thanks. I don’t know what to do about Kendra. I think she’s either trying to make me feel better about living with her, or she’s wishing so bad that she was me, trying to imagine what being in high school would be like.”
“Do you think she’s jealous of you?”
“Nee. Maybe wistful? Or, I don’t know.” She slumped. “It’s just that she never even had a choice, you know? She sees my future, and it’s so different from what hers was. Boy, I bet I’m not making a bit of sense.”
Thinking that he might actually get the chance to go to college when he’d been sure those doors were closed to him, he said, “Actually, I understand everything you said. It’s crazy when you’re confronted with the opportunity to make a dream a reality.”
“What dream of yours might come true?”
“A buddy of mine just told me that he heard a college scout might be watching me at the game Thursday night. Don’t tell anyone, though.”
Her eyes widened. “Wow. You must be really good at playing football.”
“I’m all right. I didn’t think I was scout-worthy, but maybe they’re still trying to fill their roster. Hey, don’t say anything about the scout to anybody, okay? It’s probably just a rumor.”
“Kane, you’re sitting with me in your Jeep, eating my sister’s lunch after walking me to half my classes this morning. You also introduced me to tons of your friends, who are all seniors, so all the kids in the junior class think I’m okay now. I owe you big-time.”
“You don’t owe me anything.”
“Well, how about this, then? I know how to keep a secret. I promise, you can tell me anything, and I’ll keep it to myself. You can trust me.”
“Thanks.” Taking another piece of fried chicken, Kane grinned at her. While he didn’t really know her, he had a good feeling about their future. She was different from any other girl he knew. More mature, more serious. He could be wrong, but he had a feeling he could trust Naomi Troyer with just about anything. She was that kind of person—a trustworthy one.
SIXTEEN
“Now, since then, I’ve been in a lot of Englischers’ houses. But that day, back when I was fifteen, awkward, and shy? I never had. So, seeing Andy Warner’s fancy house, all clean, bright, and filled with so much stuff… and seeing that swimming pool in the backyard? I felt like Alice in Wonderland when she went down that rabbit hole.”
MONDAY AFTERNOON
“Thank you so much fo
r coming in,” Kendra said as she handed her very first customer a large bag filled with yarn.
The middle-aged lady smiled. “I’m delighted you are here. I’m going to tell everyone I know about your store. You’ve got an excellent selection of yarn and gift items.”
“I’d appreciate that. Thank you again,” Kendra said as she watched her leave.
When the door shut with a merry ringing of the door chimes, Kendra gazed again at the credit card receipt. Her very first transaction in the store had been over a hundred dollars! She hadn’t expected anything so big. To think she almost had decided to forgo getting a credit card machine!
After carefully putting the slip into the right envelope, she toured the store and straightened the yarn display. It didn’t really need fixing, but she couldn’t just stand in one place. She was too excited.
When the door opened again, she turned, ready to welcome her second customer into the shop, but then she saw who it was.
“Oh. Hiya, Nate.”
“Hi, Kendra. It’s really good to see you, too.”
She winced at his sarcastic tone. “Sorry, I guess I didn’t sound too gracious, did I?”
Luckily, he laughed. “I get it. You’re on the lookout for customers, aren’t you?”
“Maybe. Or maybe I’m still floating on my success. My first paying customer just left!”
“You’ve had a purchase. Good for you.”
“She used a credit card. I was a little worried about not using the machine right, but it worked just fine.”
“Let me guess… you practiced?”
“Only about a half dozen times. I felt foolish, practicing for something so simple, but now I’m glad of it. I was afraid I would push the wrong button and overcharge someone.”
“I’ve gotten the impression that you don’t leave a lot to chance.”
“I try not to. My life goes easier if I plan for everything.” Realizing that she still hadn’t tried to figure out why he had come in, she walked toward him. “Did you need something?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact. I came over to see if you needed anything, on account of your sister being at school today.”
The Trustworthy One Page 10