Carry Me Home by Jessica Therrien

Author:Jessica Therrien [Therrien, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Published: 2017-08-14T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER 25

Lucy

I AVOID DANI FOR a few days, ditching sixth period and climbing the fence behind the building before she gets there. I’m not ready to face my embarrassment. I wait at the park for a while, then take the long way home, lingering at the place where Gabe’s street crosses my path.

I don’t remember what I said to him. All I know is that I was mean. I want to say sorry, but I’m reluctant to see him for the same reason I’m not talking to Dani. I don’t know what I said about Angel.

I don’t have a clue which apartment is his. I can’t imagine I’d find it, even if I tried, so when I see him coming toward me, I’m shaken. I immediately turn around and start speed walking the other direction, hoping he didn’t see my face.

“Lucy!” As soon as he calls my name, I know I have to stop and say hi, but it takes me a while to muster the confidence.

“Hey.” My throat catches a little as I try to act surprised.

He slows as he gets closer, keeping a generous distance, and winces. “That’s a fucking gnarly bruise, Luz.”

The low hum of his voice distracts me, but my hand flies up to my forehead on impulse. “Oh. Yeah. Looks worse than it feels.” I tried covering it with my hair, but apparently not well enough.

“I’m glad you’re okay. We haven’t heard from you or seen you. I got worried.”

“I’m fine. I—”

“Gabewiel,” a little boy, who looks just over two years old, runs our way. “Look. Look. A pollie wollie.”

He holds it up for us to see, but his eyes stay on the bug.

Gabe kneels down to the boy’s height, and I notice their resemblance immediately. Golden curly hair, deep walnut eyes, and perfect caramel skin.

“Oh my God. Is this your son?” I ask, kneeling with him to get a better look.

Gabe laughs. “No. He’s my brother. He does look like me, though. I raise him. Mom’s got five of us. I have three brothers and a sister.”

“One sister? That’s one against four.” I widen my eyes playfully at the little boy and he smiles, shying his face away from me.

“Eh, it toughens her up.” He looks over his shoulder toward his apartment and nods in the general direction. I catch sight of a little girl with long brown pigtails. She’s probably five. “She’s spying on us,” he says, standing to look for her.

“Come on, Gordo.” He tugs at his brother’s shirt, and the boy takes a few stumbley steps as he obsesses over his pill bug.

I follow Gabe and Gordo to the open door of his family’s ground-level apartment. A Christmas tree with too much tinsel is pressed into the corner, and empty stockings hung with push pins line the windowsill. His sister is hiding in the doorway. She beckons for Gabe to come closer and whispers something in Spanish.

He laughs and looks at me. “She says you’re very very pretty, and she wants to play with you.

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