Gift by Andrea J. Buchanan

Author:Andrea J. Buchanan [Buchanan, Andrea J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-03-27T07:00:00+00:00

On the way home, I sat on the handlebars of his bike, the wind in my face, as we rode away from the beach.

“I feel like a little kid,” I said.

“Just hang on,” he laughed.

When we got to the place where the beach road joined the freeway, he slowed so I could hop off and then we walked along the bike path back toward my house. It was getting dark, and I realized with a sudden urgency that I had been due home long ago. My mom had a rare evening off, and the plan was, when that sort of event occurred, that I would be home waiting for her. Like always. Without a cell phone, our routine involved my utter and total predictability: coming directly home after school unless I had something to do that she knew about. And here I was, not home, not anywhere I was expected to be, not anyplace where she could even make contact with me. I tried to send a silent wave of “be home soon” energy in the general direction of my place, but I knew it was half-hearted, and, more than that, futile. She would be freaked. There was no getting around it.

We walked for a while in silence broken by the occasional force of sound and wind as a car raced by us.

“Thanks for being so cool about all this weird stuff,” I said, trying not to look at him so I could sound as though all of this—everything that had transpired over the course of this strange day—was perfectly normal.

“Are you kidding? This has been great. Really.”

“Really?” I asked. I couldn’t help the goofy grin that took over control of my face, so I turned my head, pretending to scan the traffic.

“Really-really,” he said. “I hope this is just the beginning of us getting to hang out together on a regular basis.”

My face composed, I turned back to him. “Pinkie swear?”

He held out his pinkie, and I grasped it with mine. “Pinkie swear.”

And then before I knew it, we were at the entrance to Pacific Breezes.

“Well, this is me,” I said. “Yeah, it’s a trailer park, but I figure after everything you’ve learned about me today, the fact that my mom and I live in a trailer park is probably the least of the weirdness.”

“Nah, that’s cool,” he said. “You guys have a tricked out RV situation?”

“No, not at all,” I laughed. “Want to see?”

“I would,” he said, smiling. “But I have a long ride back to my place, and it’s already dark, so I should head out, I think.”

“Okay,” I said, trying not to sound disappointed. I knew it was irrational, but I felt as though once this day was over, everything would disappear. Everything would go back to normal, and he wouldn’t like me anymore. Or everything would change.

“Hey,” he said. “Seriously. Today was great. Thanks for telling me all that stuff, and listening to me ramble about my thing.”

“Pshh, whatever,” I said, digging my hands into my pockets.

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