Stacey. At a few inches over five feet she hit me right under the collarbone, so I had to look down at her. “I heard you talking to Dr. Greenberg. She’s right you know.”
Stacey squinted at me and bunched up her shoulders. “Right about what?”
“You. Me. You aren’t responsible for my actions.”
“No, I’m not. But I’ve worked with Dr. Greenberg long enough to know what to do. I messed up. I know the consequences for making mistakes.”
I repositioned myself so my side rested against the building then crossed one foot over the other. “I don’t need your help.”
“Who’s picking you up?” Stacey reached out, but pulled back at the last second.
“No one. I’m walking.”
Stacey straightened her shoulders and tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear. She softened her voice, “Luke. I don’t know why you’re being so stubborn. Please let me take you home.”
I considered her offer. The rain fell in sheets around us. If I walked home my wet clothes would piss off Dave. I laughed at the entertainment value of that, but figured the benefits didn’t outweigh the consequences. Dave was a mean son of a bitch, but there’d been enough drama for the day already. The desire for more was nonexistent.
If Stacey took me home, my mother’s interrogation would begin the moment I stepped foot through the door. Who brought me home? Is she nice? Was I dating her? Another bit of drama I could do without. Either way the odds weren’t in my favor. If the principal followed course, my parents already knew about the fight and trip to the station. Yep, it was going to be a very long night.
“Fine, might as well be dry when I get home. It’ll make the beating easier.” I said with a sigh. “I need to get my car from school.”
Stacey turned away from me, back to the lobby. “You know, you’re awfully dramatic considering the badassery vibe you give off. I just want to help, Luke. I’ll go where you tell me to go.”
Only three people knew what happened behind closed doors at the Pierce house, and two of them didn’t care. Stacey didn’t know, and wouldn’t if I had a say in it. If she ever found out, life as I knew it would change. That idea didn’t make me happy. Sure, I wanted things to change. I wanted Dave to quit beating the shit out of my mom and leave me the hell alone. But I didn’t want to bare all to everyone. The idea of telling over and over what happened at home only pissed me off. It was personal, no one else needed to know. Not until I knew how to get mom out of there unharmed.
I followed Stacey through the front door to her desk. Rather than grab her things and take me home right away, she sat back in her seat and pulled her headset on.
“Umm, aren’t you going to take me home?”
“Yes, but I’m not done for another two hours. Have a seat. When I’m done I’ll take you home.”
“I should’ve known. Ok, then I’m going to get some food. Do you want anything?” Stacey shook her head and answered the incoming call.
Two hours later Stacey and I were on the way to my house.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked.
“Doing what? Taking you to your car?” Her eyes didn’t veer from the road.
I stared out the windshield. I didn’t want to see the look on Stacey’s face, afraid of what it would tell me. Her voice was even, empty of emotion. She was a nice person and dropping me off was a nice thing to do. That was all.
“I shouldn’t be.” In my peripheral vision I saw Stacey glance away from the road to look at me before she continued. “But you needed a ride, and I thought it’d be nice.”
“Stace,” I paused.
“Yes.”
“Are you seeing anyone?”
Stacey inhaled a sharp breath. Whether it was in surprise or disgust I wasn’t sure. I knew the question was stupid, but I’d asked anyway. There weren’t many people that seemed to care about me, and I liked Stacey. I liked her no nonsense attitude when it came to
Stacey squinted at me and bunched up her shoulders. “Right about what?”
“You. Me. You aren’t responsible for my actions.”
“No, I’m not. But I’ve worked with Dr. Greenberg long enough to know what to do. I messed up. I know the consequences for making mistakes.”
I repositioned myself so my side rested against the building then crossed one foot over the other. “I don’t need your help.”
“Who’s picking you up?” Stacey reached out, but pulled back at the last second.
“No one. I’m walking.”
Stacey straightened her shoulders and tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear. She softened her voice, “Luke. I don’t know why you’re being so stubborn. Please let me take you home.”
I considered her offer. The rain fell in sheets around us. If I walked home my wet clothes would piss off Dave. I laughed at the entertainment value of that, but figured the benefits didn’t outweigh the consequences. Dave was a mean son of a bitch, but there’d been enough drama for the day already. The desire for more was nonexistent.
If Stacey took me home, my mother’s interrogation would begin the moment I stepped foot through the door. Who brought me home? Is she nice? Was I dating her? Another bit of drama I could do without. Either way the odds weren’t in my favor. If the principal followed course, my parents already knew about the fight and trip to the station. Yep, it was going to be a very long night.
“Fine, might as well be dry when I get home. It’ll make the beating easier.” I said with a sigh. “I need to get my car from school.”
Stacey turned away from me, back to the lobby. “You know, you’re awfully dramatic considering the badassery vibe you give off. I just want to help, Luke. I’ll go where you tell me to go.”
Only three people knew what happened behind closed doors at the Pierce house, and two of them didn’t care. Stacey didn’t know, and wouldn’t if I had a say in it. If she ever found out, life as I knew it would change. That idea didn’t make me happy. Sure, I wanted things to change. I wanted Dave to quit beating the shit out of my mom and leave me the hell alone. But I didn’t want to bare all to everyone. The idea of telling over and over what happened at home only pissed me off. It was personal, no one else needed to know. Not until I knew how to get mom out of there unharmed.
I followed Stacey through the front door to her desk. Rather than grab her things and take me home right away, she sat back in her seat and pulled her headset on.
“Umm, aren’t you going to take me home?”
“Yes, but I’m not done for another two hours. Have a seat. When I’m done I’ll take you home.”
“I should’ve known. Ok, then I’m going to get some food. Do you want anything?” Stacey shook her head and answered the incoming call.
Two hours later Stacey and I were on the way to my house.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked.
“Doing what? Taking you to your car?” Her eyes didn’t veer from the road.
I stared out the windshield. I didn’t want to see the look on Stacey’s face, afraid of what it would tell me. Her voice was even, empty of emotion. She was a nice person and dropping me off was a nice thing to do. That was all.
“I shouldn’t be.” In my peripheral vision I saw Stacey glance away from the road to look at me before she continued. “But you needed a ride, and I thought it’d be nice.”
“Stace,” I paused.
“Yes.”
“Are you seeing anyone?”
Stacey inhaled a sharp breath. Whether it was in surprise or disgust I wasn’t sure. I knew the question was stupid, but I’d asked anyway. There weren’t many people that seemed to care about me, and I liked Stacey. I liked her no nonsense attitude when it came to
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