The people I met today were sincere and real, a contrast to almost everyone in my life. Not a fake one in the bunch. It was refreshing not to have to guess if there was a hidden meaning behind a smile or word. These people were straightforward and spoke their minds. I had found myself talking to some of the residents, getting their stories on how they ended up at Riley House. But the one that really touched me was Eddie’s. I couldn’t imagine growing up like he did. The idea of having to steal to help feed his siblings was utterly heartbreaking. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he chose to stay on volunteering and help others after his own community service was over. “You’re right, but aren’t you always?”
“Yes, I am,” she said with a sigh. “It’s so true.”
The night was peaceful and quiet. I felt as though the stars were out and glittering just for me. Why was I in such a good mood? Wasn’t I supposed to be complaining about my community service? Maybe Julia was right and I was hooked. “Hey, Mona, how would you like to raid my parents’ closet? I’m going to give old work suits they never wear anymore to the people at Riley House. And I’m not going to tell them until I’ve already done it. Won’t that be fun? I love ticking my mother off.”
A laugh slipped out and Mona quickly covered her mouth to stop it. “Meg, you really shouldn’t try and pick fights with them.”
“Why not? Otherwise they don’t even notice me. Where are they anyway? I need to know how long I have.”
“Some charity event. Haven’t you talked to them today?”
“Nope. I haven’t seen or heard from my mother since I left last night. Or my father since I called from jail.”
“Honey.” The word was laced with love and concern as she touched my hand that was resting on the edge of the hot tub.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine. But I am in the mood to raid their closet. Want to help me?” I asked her, standing and picking up my towel. Water dripped off my arm onto the wooden deck, creating an odd pattern.
“Alright, I’ll help. But if they ask, I was at home watching a game show.”
I laughed at her as I dried myself off. Together we slipped into my room so I could change out of my bathing suit.
A few hours later, I had four garment bags loaded with at least four suits each. I hung them up in my car and then headed to my room to go through my closet.
The next day Eddie helped me unload my bags. They were piled on the tables in the center’s dining room. The women and teenage girls were going through them like it was Christmas morning. The laughter and squeals had a few of the men and children running in to see what the commotion was about. They only laughed harder at the men who didn’t understand how women felt about clothes, especially free designer ones. Julia and I stood back watching. I felt a warm, happy glow inside me. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this good.
Julia turned to me with a huge grin on her face. “You did a good thing,” she said wrapping her arm around my shoulder. We stayed that way for a while, enjoying the girls’ excitement.
I turned my head at the sound of a noise behind me. Through the glass in the French door, I thought I saw Nate’s reflection watching me. I blinked and he was gone.
“Megan, come here; show me how this goes on.” Natalie, a girl my age, held up one of my halters that were a little confusing to figure out. There were two straps that criss-crossed at the back and if you had never seen it on, it was hard to figure where each one went.
I held the top up to demonstrate which arm went where. Before I could back away I was sucked into the chaos, choosing the clothes for everyone that I thought would look good on them. It was the most fun I’d had in a long time.
At lunch I worked with Eddie again, serving homemade chicken soup and freshly baked buns. I learned that Nate was the cook for all the meals, which was surprising since everything I had tasted so far was delicious. I didn’t see him much until I was leaving and then he just nodded and thanked me. He no longer scowled. Now his expression was always that look of shock and confusion.
When I arrived home, I took out my phone to read my texts. It had been beeping all day and by noon I had finally had enough and turned it off.
Sitting on my bed, I took the phone out of my bag and saw that most of the texts were from Mandy. The last time I had seen her, I was running to a burning building. This was the first she had tried to contact me and it wasn’t even to ask how I was or what had happened. It was about the all-important cheerleading practice. She wondered where I was and if I was mad at her. (I never said she was smart.) I turned my phone off again and decided it was time to do my homework. It took me the rest of the night. My parents still hadn’t come to talk to me. It had been about forty-eight hours since I had seen them. It seemed impossible considering we lived together, but it was a big house.
The next day at school I went right to my locker without meeting my friends at the lounge. It was our morning ritual to sit on the benches with our coffees. I’d listen, wishing I was anywhere else in the world, as they made fun of the other students who walked past. It was an activity I really didn’t miss.
My first class was calculus with Mr. Robinson. From the corner of my eye I could see Jenny, who had this class with me, waving, trying to get my attention. I stayed focused on the chalkboard, ignoring her not-so-subtle attempts. The same thing happened in my next class, American Literature with Mrs. O’Neil and it was Mandy this time waving at me. It was harder to ignore her, since she sat in the desk next to mine. I was never as interested in school work as I was today, not once looking away from the teachers’ lectures.
Last night I thought about what Mona had said and she was right. I didn’t need people like them in my life. I chose to be happy and that wouldn’t happen with them around.
I avoided my friends the rest of the day. I tried to talk to Nate, but he ignored me. I was turning into a loner. I took my lunch and ate in my car. So far my day had sucked.
The rest of the week was more of the same, avoiding my now old friends, while Nate avoided me. I tried speaking to him a couple of times at school and at Riley House, but failed miserably. At night I did my homework and then sat out on my patio staring up at the stars, in a chair, not the hot tub. It had been almost a week since the fire and I was suddenly a loner. My friends still tried to get me to talk to them, but I would always find a stupid way to avoid them. Once I ducked into a janitor’s closet when I saw Shane coming down the hall. I kept my phone turned off most days. Mandy was driving me crazy with texts.
The one good thing that came out of this mess was working with the residents of Riley House. I went there every day after school. I helped the teenage girls pick out outfits from my old clothes and gave them makeup tips. And playing games with the children was so much fun. They were the family I never had, complete with little brothers and sisters, extended cousins and eccentric old uncles. A few times I saw Nate watching me with the kids, but if I tried to approach to him, he’d walk away.
Thursday morning I woke up hopeful. This awful week at school was almost over.
After my second class I walked quickly to my locker trying to avoid a confrontation with Mandy. I traded my books for my lunch and when I slammed my locker shut I saw Nate heading down the hall. I ran up to him before I had a chance to change my mind.
“Hi,” I said, falling in step with him. He didn’t look surprised to see me, but he wasn’t happy about it.
“What do you want?”
“Nothing. I just thought I would eat with you, if you don’t mind.”
“I do,” he said, walking faster, trying to lose me.
“Look, I’m trying to avoid my friends for reasons you can probably guess. Come on, what’s the big deal?”
“I don’t socialize.” His pace quickened, but I wasn’t giving up that easily. I matched his pace.
“Here, but at the shelter you’re the life of the party. Why is that?” I asked, starting to lose my breath in attempt to keep up with him.
He stopped suddenl
y. I had to take a few steps back to stand in front of him, my sneakers squeaked against the floor. “Go away,” he commanded, his old scowl returning.
I was about to argue some more when I heard a voice behind me. “Is this guy bothering you, Megan?” Nate and I both turned to see Shane standing beside a locker. His broad shoulders squared, his chest puffed out, he looked ready for a fight.
“No,” I answered with a sneer.
“Let’s go. Everyone’s waiting at the table.” He took my arm and started to lead me away. His fingers dug into my skin. I would have had a hard time getting away from him without causing a scene if Nate hadn’t interfered.
“Sorry, but she already made plans with me,” Nate informed Shane, yanking his hand from my arm. Shane glared at him as if he were a bug he’d love to squish. “Yeah, right, like she’d hang out with you.” He turned to me again. “Let’s go.”
I stood my ground, inching closer to my reluctant protector. “No thanks, I’m sitting with Nate today.” I took Nate’s hand, which surprised us both and led him to a table in the back of the cafeteria.
He sat across from me looking very uncomfortable. His vivid blue eyes darted around the room.
Ignoring the fact that he obviously didn’t want to be seen with me, I took out my food, a salad that Mona made for me. I’ve told her many times that I could buy my lunch but she always insisted, saying that you never know what they put in cafeteria food.
“Thank you,” I said. “Shane can be kind of obnoxious. If you weren’t there I’d probably be sitting with them against my will.”
His face softened. “If he gives you any trouble let me know. I hate guys like that.” He paused, glancing over at my old friends. “You know, I never understood why you even hung out with those jerks. Eventually I just assumed you were like them.” He looked more shocked than I was that those words came out of his mouth. “Anyway, you can sit with me today, but you’ll have to find somewhere else to sit from now on. I told you I don’t socialize.” He stood up and got in line for food. I was worried that someone from my group might come over, but Nate didn’t take long. His tray was heaping with food when he came back. He picked up a burger and ate it without looking at me once. By the time I finished my salad, he had scarfed down two burgers, two orders of fries and a piece of cake. I gaped at him, in shock at how much and how fast, he ate.
He looked up at me. “What?”
“How can you eat so much?”
“I’m a teenage boy,” he said with a grin. Was it because I was an only child and had never really paid attention to the way my friends ate? Was this normal?
I glanced up in the direction of my old table and saw everyone there staring at me. “Oh great, we’re being watched. They are terrified that I’m going to tell the police what really happened. I’ve been avoiding them all week. Mandy’s been texting me constantly. She’s driving me nuts.” I sighed. “You know, the last time my best friend saw me was Friday night when I was driving to a burning building. She waited until Sunday to contact me. And even then it was to ask why I wasn’t at cheerleading practice.” I shook my head and sighed. “I don’t know what the right thing to do is.”
He gazed at me thoughtfully and then pushed his tray beside him so he could lean forward, elbows resting on the table. “Well, most of the time it’s to be honest.” He paused. “Will you tell me? I won’t say anything. I told you it should come from you. But it might help to open up to someone about it.”
Now I was seeing the guy Eddie talked about. His face had so many expressions. This one was filled with concern and I had never seen it directed at me. I took a deep breath and began. I told him everything that happened, the drinking, how I didn’t want to be there. How they refused to help when the fire started and that they tried to convince me not to help the family. “I told them they were wrong for running away and I left them in the parking lot. That’s when you found me.”
His gaze was intense as he watched me, as if seeing me for the first time. “I’m sorry I was so hard on you.” His stare was making me uncomfortable. Finally his lips turned up at the corners and he looked away. “Anyway, I won’t tell the police. You don’t have to worry. But I still think you should, although I know how hard it must be for you.” Both of his hands were resting on the table between us. I was sure he was about to take mine into them, but just as I lifted mine, he pulled away. He shook his head as if to clear it and then stood up. “Lunch is over; I’ll see you in geography.” He walked away, heading to the door before I could respond.
Disappointment flooded through me as I watched him go. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to happen, but it had to stop. Nate never dated, I knew that. He hadn’t even looked at a girl the whole three years he’d been in school here. Don’t get your hopes up, I scolded myself. I stood slowly, picking up my bag and both of our trays. I dumped our garbage into the bin and paused in front of the can. Out of curiosity, I took a quick peek at Mandy, who was sitting alone with Jenny. She was watching me.
I held her gaze for a moment then quickly left the room.
Chapter Six
Football Bullies
I rounded the corner heading to science class. Shane, Brandon and Chris were waiting in the stairwell, blocking my way. I tried to get around them, but Shane stepped in front of me.
“Be nice. I mean it,” Brandon demanded from where he stood behind Shane.
Shane shot a defiant look at him, but Brandon stood his ground. “Look, Megan, we just want to know why you’re avoiding us. The police have been talking to each of us, asking questions. We want to know what you told them.”
“If they’re asking questions, I probably didn’t tell them anything. All I said was that I was at the school getting a book when I noticed the smoke. But they saw your beer bottles and fireworks. They can probably figure out who my friends are. They know I’m lying, but I was arrested anyway and I got stuck with two hundred hours of community service. How was your weekend?” I folded my arms in front of me and smirked at Brandon.
“Look, we’re sorry you got in trouble, but we told you to come with us,” Chris said, leaning against the railing.
I stared at each one of them. “There was a family in that house. If I hadn’t gotten there when I did and pounded on the door, Nate wouldn’t have heard me and saved them. The paramedics said they would have been dead before the ambulance got there. You guys can’t be that heartless not to care.”
“We’re sorry about what happened. But if you had come, they wouldn’t be looking at us. My dad could cut me off,” Brandon said with some anger and resentment showing on his face. Where was the nice guy I thought I saw in him the other night? All it took to change him into a carbon copy of Shane was the threat to take his money away. This realization made me relieved I had never given in to his advances.
“You make me sick,” I said, starting to leave.
Shane grabbed my arm roughly as I walked by. “Megan, if you make it hard for us, we’ll make it hard for you.”
Chris and Brandon came over and stood next to Shane.
“Is that a threat?” I asked, my voice a little more shrill than I had intended.
They smiled, enjoying the fear in my voice. “No, it’s a promise,” Chris said with his arms folded in front of him.
“You’re going to let her go. If you don’t, I will break your arm,” I heard Nate’s voice coming from behind me. I turned and immediately saw that he meant what he said. His eyes were wild, his jaw set in a hard line. He looked dangerous. Brandon shoved me behind them. They stood like a wall in front of me, facing Nate. I was so close to them, the smell of all their colognes wafted around me. But blended into one, it was a little on the strong side. I peeked in between their shoulders and saw that Nate didn’t back down from these three linebackers, he only looked more determined. He clenched his fists at his sides as if he was preparing to fight.
“I’m sorry, this doesn’t concern you. I’m just trying to have a conversation with my girlfriend,” Brandon e
xplained, marking his territory. What was next? Was he going to pee on me?
Nate laughed darkly. “We all know she’s not your girlfriend. Now move aside and let her go.” His voice was deep and commanding.
I squeezed through Brandon and Shane, but before I could walk away Shane gripped my arm again. “We’re not through with you yet.”
I glanced down at his hand, about to tell him off., but was suddenly at the end of the hall. Nate had pulled me out of Shane’s grip and I was now standing behind him.
“Leave her alone,” Nate growled to the trio. They gaped at us, wondering, like I was, how I got to where I was so fast. Nate took me by my arm and led me to class.
“I’ll pick you up when class is over. It doesn’t appear that they’re going to give up.”
“What am I supposed to do? If I tell, it might get worse.”
His eyebrows creased into a worried expression. “I don’t know. I’ll think about it. But wait for me. I’m going to walk you to classes and it looks like we’ll be eating together after all.”
“So much for your no socializing rule.”
For the second time today, I saw a genuine smile. “You’re going to ruin my reputation,” he said softly. My heart raced as I watched him disappear into the crowded hallway and I felt myself smile, butterflies dancing in my stomach. Oh no. I recognized these symptoms. I had feelings for Nate Green. And I’d probably had them for years.
Science class went by in a blur; I didn’t even know what we discussed. All I kept thinking about was Nate walking me to my next class.
Near the end of the hour I received a text from Mandy. Are you coming to cheerleading practice?
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