I searched through my backpack for the ten dollar bill I knew was there, stuffing it in my pocket with my phone, I headed out the door.
It was cold and humid. The air was thick with fog and moisture, making a glow around the street lights as I made my way down Broad Street. One street over was Main. I lived right smack in the middle of town my whole life. I didn’t have a car because I didn’t need one. I could walk anywhere I needed to go and the diner was only five blocks down and over.
But I wasn’t headed to the diner. I had no idea where I was going but I just needed to get away. Dad had completely changed. We used to get along. Play games, go to movies, cook together, rake leaves together. We were a typical uptown normal street family from Tennessee. But, when my mom left, my dad may as well have left too. He would never have said anything about my weight before, especially since there’s nothing wrong with it, and never ever would have just sat there while his only daughter graduated. He also wouldn’t have let me get a job just so I had money to buy things I needed because he was too buried in his grief to go to work anymore. He was not the same man and I missed him.
I also have an older brother, Bish, who was adopted, but he’d been out of the house for a long time now. My parents decided when I was eight to adopt a kid from the state. They got a boy, a sixteen year old kid who’d been pulled from a foster home. He’d apparently been in lots of them and was pretty happy to actually be adopted being so old.
I liked him right off and he liked me. He let me follow him around and pester him. He played games with me and took me shopping. I helped introduce him into youth group at church because he’d never been to church before. But he left to go to art school on a scholarship and moved to New York to be an intern for some jerk at a law firm. I rarely see him anymore. We text but he’s so busy and I can’t seem to find anything to talk about but how much life sucks here without him.
I made my way to the stop light and waited for it to turn red so I can cross. There was only one other person there, a guy with his back to me. He’s wearing his earbuds and bobbing his head a little to whatever beat he’s listening to with his hands in his pockets. He looks back. Smiles slightly and nods before facing forward again. I check my phone again and see that I still have no text. I wonder why I’m so worried about it. I wasn’t even thrilled about going with Kyle in the first place but now I can’t seem to stop thinking about it.
I think maybe I’ll get a coffee while I wait. If Kyle doesn’t text me, at least I can sit there. Maybe read a little from the kindle app on my phone before heading home. I put my phone back in my pocket and looked up just in time. The light turned red, the guy was already walking without looking to the side first and was crossing. I see the red truck turning, the driver’s head turned left but he’s turning right.
It all happened so fast I didn’t even get a chance to think. I just reacted. I ran forward, grabbed the back of the guy’s jacket and pulled him backwards with all my strength just as the truck sped by in front of us. We tumbled back and he landed pretty hard on top of me, his backpack banging against my face. My breath slammed into my chest painfully.
I heard a screech and looked to see the truck slam to a stop just a ways ahead of us. He yelled some obscenities out his window; something about stupid kids but more colorful and then sped away.
The guy immediately rolled off me, yanking the buds from his ears and looking at me with awe.
“Are you ok?”
“Uh...yeah, I think so,” I groaned.
“I can’t believe I just did that. You- you saved my life.”
“It’s fine. It’s a good thing I was here, I guess.”
He scooted a little closer and winced as he brushed my hair back from my face.
“You cut your head,” he said breathlessly and looked a little dazed.
“I did?” I felt it with my fingers and squinted as it stung. My fingers had a little blood on them but nothing alarming. “I guess I did. It’s ok, really, just a bump.”
I tried to stand but he held me down with a hand on my shoulder.
“Whoa. Wait, ok? Let me call an ambulance. If something happened to you after you saved me...”
“Really, that’s not necessary. I’m fine.”
He frowned and paused, screwing up his lips like he was debating it. I looked at him in the soft glow of the streetlights. He was tall, that I’d seen from before, and broad but his hair was brown and shaggy, curling around his ears and forehead, and his eyes were light; blue maybe or hazel. His lips were fascinating as he sucked them in and out of his mouth in contemplation. He was wearing a gray hoodie that said ‘VOLS’ in big orange letters on the front. Great.
That was one of my biggest problems with Chad. He’d been so set to go to Florida to be a Gator when the University of Tennessee was right here. Right down the road. His dad went to UF, I get it, he wanted to follow his dad’s footsteps but it just felt like he wouldn’t compromise. I don’t know.
The guy’s eyes drifted to mine and we just sat there, eyes locked on one another’s. Then the corner of his mouth rose slightly. And it was unnerving.
“Please, let me take you to the hospital at least.” He brushed my hair back again and leaned closer to inspect. I heard my swift intake of breath at his closeness and he did too. He looked down into my eyes again and watched me closely. “It doesn’t look too bad but...let me call someone for you. I’d feel better,” he said softly.
“There’s no one to call,” I muttered but wished I could take it back when I saw his face. “Really, I’m fine.”
“I’m so glad you were here. I can’t believe I did that. And I’m sorry you got hurt. I must have hit you with my book bag when we went down. That’s a pretty good grip you got there,” he said and smiled and I had one of those moments where you stare and can’t look away.
He smiled wider when I didn’t say anything and chuckled right as I came back to myself.
“Uh, thanks. Are
you
alright?” I asked and he nodded.
“So. There’s no one to call? Your parents? A boyfriend?”
“My dad won’t come and my boyfriend and I- Well, we aren’t together anymore. I wouldn’t feel right about calling him now.”
“You don’t think he’d come?”
“Oh, he would. That’s why I don’t want to.”
He seemed confused and amused at the same time.
“Ok. I’m gonna assume there’s a story there and you’re not just suffering from a head injury.”
I realized then that we were still sitting on the sidewalk next to each other, in the middle of town.
“No, I’m fine. Look, I’m sorry. I’m fine, I promise. I didn’t mean to hold you up,” I stammered and stuck my hair behind my ear.
“Are you kidding? You saved my life. The least I can do is make sure you get where you’re going. Here.” He grabbed my arm gently and helped me stand, keeping it there to make sure I was steady. “You good? No stars, no spots, no blurs?”
“I’m good.”
“Where you headed?”
“I have no idea. Nowhere. I’m just waiting for someone to call and needed to get out of the house.”
“Did you go to graduation?”
“Yeah, I graduated.”
“Really? You look too young to be graduating.”
“Seventeen. My birthday’s in a few weeks. I, uh, skipped a grade so I graduated early.”
“Aha. So, I was saved by a genius. This just keeps getting better,” he said grinning.
End of Preview
If you wish to get further information on this and Shelly's other books, please visit her website
http://shellycrane.blogspot.com