Won't You Be My Neighbor? by Bartal Vanessa Gray

Author:Bartal, Vanessa Gray [Bartal, Vanessa Gray]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Vanessa Gray Bartal
Published: 2012-08-07T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Sully’s little pep talk helped prepare Blair to go back to the church. Until then, she had planned never to go back again. His reaction, along with his words, made her realize that she was being overly sensitive. Who cared if someone yelled at her? She was doing what she had been asked to do; she hadn’t done anything wrong.

Still, she skulked around like a cat burglar, keeping a keen eye out for the woman who had screamed at her. Not until she fully lost herself in her task was she able to relax.

“Excuse me.”

The small voice could never be confused with that of the screaming woman, but still Blair jumped. The old woman’s teenage companion stood in the doorway, looking as frightened as Blair probably did.

He seemed to be waiting for her to respond before he spoke again. “Yes,” she prompted.

“I came to apologize about yesterday. My grandma is, uh, well, she sort of has a short fuse. I know it’s no excuse or anything, but she’s under a lot of pressure. My grandpa has been sick, and she’s raising me, and, well, I’m, um, sorry.” He looked down at the floor in a gesture Blair knew well. She recognized a kindred spirit; the boy was shy.

“It’s okay,” she said.

He was still frowning and staring at the ground between them, probably trying to think of a graceful way out.

“I don’t know many of the teenagers here. What’s your name?”

“Tyler,” her muttered.

“How old are you?”

“Sixteen.”

“Do you go to the high school in town?”

He shook his head. “I do the virtual academy; I’m homeschooled.”

Homeschooling plus shyness could be a lethal combination without parents who pushed for proper socialization. Without her school friends, Blair would have been a social recluse much earlier. As it was, she’d had a few friends. She wondered if Tyler had any friends. Her heart went out to him. “Are you involved much in the activities here?”

He shrugged. She didn’t blame him for not wanting to confess the details of his life to someone he probably viewed as middle-aged. Blair blamed her newly-acquired and insatiable curiosity about other people for the uncomfortable interview. Tyler tugged at her heart, though. In him, she sensed a resounding loneliness, one that echoed shades of her own teenage years. At last, inspiration struck.

“Sometimes I need someone to do odd jobs around my house. I don’t suppose you might be interested in earning a little money.”

His eyes brightened as he finally looked up. Money—the universal language. Who didn’t long for the chance to earn a little extra spending money? “Sure,” he said, all enthusiasm now. “I’m a hard worker. I can do anything you need.”

Blair scavenged in her purse for a pen and paper. “Write down your phone number and name. I’ll give you a call as soon as I decide what needs doing the most. As long as you clear it with your grandmother.” Propriety demanded that Blair be the one to make the call, but she was terrified of the woman.

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