A Love Like This (Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

black eyed Suzan ’ s. ”  
    Black eye Suzan ’ s are daisy- like flowers with   a huge brown center that look like giant black eye s .     “ I was thinking about adding them but I ran out of space.   A green roof could be very efficient.   It could help the university save energy by insulating against heat and cold. ”
    The woman nods thoughtfully,   “ Are you an agricultural major? ”    
    “ No architecture. ”     I ’ m Leila by the way I say offering my chalk covered hand.     “ How do you know so much about plants? ”   I ask.
    “ It ’ s just a hobby of mine.   My son and I do a lot of landscaping around the house.   You have really good ideas. ”
    “ Thanks, I love architecture more for the artistic aspects rather than the practical. ”
    “ I run a small non- profit in Marin. If you ever want to come out and do some community service we could really use your help. ”  
    She hands me a b usiness card.   T here ’ s something calming about her demeanor.   She reminds me of my mom.   The card says Joan Noland   ‘ Room for Growth Disabled Services ’ .     “ I ’ ve never really given much thought to volunteering but I ’ d love to help out. ”
    “ It ’ s a program for disabled adults.   We help them learn independent living skills.     We teach them things like money management, how to use public transportation and other skills that most of us take for granted.   You can come and teach some of the residents about saving energy and different species of plants.   You can also just come and hang out because interaction helps them develop social skills. ”     The woman stands to go.   “ I should head out I ’ m supposed to meet my son for breakfast.   Give me a call and we ’ ll set something up if you ’ re interested. ”
    “ Thank you I ’ ll do that.   Nice to meet you, ”   I say.  
    She smiles warmly and pats my shoulder before walking away.
    _____
    Tucker and his best friend Mike are sitting side by side at a juice bar on the Berkeley campus after completing a five mile run.   They met in the seventh grade at Longfellow Junior High School.   Mike was dating a girl named Samantha   Ceballos.   She was the daughter of a famous guitar player and the prettiest girl in school.     Mike was a gangling pimple faced boy with thick glasses and a dry Jerry curl.   He pursued Samantha   tenaciously buying her candy and stuffed animals even giving her money on occasion. He showed up at her house nearly every day to carry her books to school.   She finally relented and agreed to go out with him and he was thrilled.   She said,   “ You can be my   boyfriend if you promise to carry my books to every class. ”   She crossed her arms over her budding chest and added,   “ But you ’ ll have to walk behind me when I ’ m with my friends and we can ’ t hold hands in public. ”     Mike happily agreed to all of her terms he didn ’ t care if no knew she was his girl as long as he knew.   They were going out for nearly a week and Mike was euphoric.
    He would have happily gone on   being her lap dog forever if it wasn ’ t for Tucker walking   into Mrs.   Armstead ’ s   homeroom one sunny day in May. Tucker with his sapphire blue eyes and his shiny braces made all the girls swoon. Samantha stuck a note in Mike ’ s locker that very day informing him that her father said she was too young to date.   The same day she had her friend put a note in Tucker ’ s locker.   The note said,   “ Do you like Samantha, ”   with the words,   “ yes or no, ”   printed in bold letters at the bottom of the page.   Tucker and Samantha   were   an item by lunch and Mike was destroyed.   He confronted Tucker after school and a crowd quickly gathered chanting,   “ fight, fight, fight. ”     They pushed Mike into Tucker and both boys ended up in detention for fighting.   Samantha sent Tucker a note w hile he was in detention