Guardian by A.J. Messenger

Author:A.J. Messenger [Messenger, A.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2014-05-18T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

The next morning at school I’m actually looking forward to practicing my “energy shield” powers.

“Where’s Molly?” I ask Finn. She was absent in homeroom and chemistry.

“You’re searching for the girl who sends you spiraling into anxiety attacks?”

Finn sees the expression on my face and although he isn’t great at picking up on things he can tell I’m hurt. “Sorry, Dec. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s okay. You’re right—I do feel rotten around her. I don’t know why she upsets me sometimes and I have no idea why she hates me so much.”

“That’s easy. I know why.”

“You do?”

He nods. “Your latest transgression is dating Alexander, but it started long before that. She’s been mad at you since that day in fourth grade.”

Huh? “Finn, what are you talking about? What day?”

“The day she told you I was weird.”

I shake my head. “Still lost. Can you please start at the beginning?”

“Okay. Do you remember when my mom told your mom I had Asperger’s? It was near the end of third grade.”

“I thought you said this happened in fourth grade?”

“You said to start at the beginning. Just go with it. My mom talked to your mom because you and I were best friends and she wanted your mom to understand my bluntness and stuff.”

“How do you know this?”

“I overheard my mom talking to my aunt on the phone about it, but that’s not important. Do you know what your mom said?”

“I remember her talking with me back then. She said something like we’re all wired differently with unique strengths and challenges and she told me some of the things that were difficult for you so I would understand. I don’t think she mentioned Asperger’s. In fact, you were the one to first tell me about Asperger’s later.”

Finn nods. “My mom was nervous to tell your mom. She wasn’t sure if it was the best thing to do because she didn’t want to label me. She didn’t even tell me until almost a year later—which still ticks me off because it was a huge relief. Before that I just thought there was something wrong with me and I was afraid to ask.”

“Oh, Finn,” I say sympathetically, hugging him around the shoulders as we sit beside each other.

“The way your mom responded made my mom cry … in a good way. She was crying when she told my aunt about it on the phone.”

“What did my mom say?”

“She said she was honored that my mom trusted her enough to share the information. But she said as far as she was concerned, I was the same old Finn she had always known and loved, and it didn’t change a thing about how she felt about me.”

I smile. I can picture my mom saying that, and it encapsulates exactly how I felt when Finn told me in fourth grade. I mean, it helped explain some things but, in the end, what does a label matter? Finn has Asperger’s, I have panic attacks—everyone has something they’re dealing with that makes life challenging.

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