Fire And Ash Read Online Free PDF Page A

We’ve had a lot. And I want it to be different than all the last ones. Oh and Derek’s not my brother. He’s the uncle I told you about. I know that sounds weird but I promise it’s not hillbilly weird,” she rushes to explain after a confused look crosses my face. “If you don’t count me, Derek is technically the baby of his parents. Their oldest child was Derek’s brother and my dad. So Mom is really his mom and my grandmother. But my real mom and dad both died when I was a baby and I’ve lived with Derek’s parents who are my grandparents since then. Derek and his siblings called them Mom and Dad so I grew up doing the same.”
    Wow. Um. Okay. That was a lot of and kind of heavy information. I don’t know what to say so I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. “I’m sorry about your parents.” Which sounds so like I am not really sorry and just saying what is the thing to say. Trying to sound less cliche I add, “My mom passed away too. I was six though.”
    Cassie chews on her bottom lip. “That must have sucked.”
    “It did,” I say picking up a fry and dipping it in a pile of ketchup simply to have something to do.  
    An awkward silence settles between us.  
    “So your uncle’s the baby. That explains a lot,” I joke trying to lighten the mood.
    Cassie follows suit and exaggeratedly shudders. “Please don’t ever refer to him as that again. Especially not when he’s within earshot. He thinks it means he can tell me what to do.”
    “Cass,” Derek calls from the booth he is now standing beside. He holds up a plastic bag that says TAKE OUT across it in red letters. “Time to go.” He turns around and exits the diner.  
    “Is he always such a jerk?” I ask genuinely curious about the answer and about the amount of energy he has to expend being one all the time.
    Cassie smiles at me apologetically. “Unfortunately, when it comes to everyone other than family the answer is yes. It’s not an excuse but he hasn’t always been like that. His dad and sister died two years ago in an… accident. It hit us all pretty hard, but it affected Derek the worst. Mom and I have always been the perkiest ones of the family and Derek has always been the most…serious. It got worse last year and it’s one of the reason we’ve moved three times in the last twelve months. He keeps getting into fights and getting expelled. Mom worries about him and keeps trying to find the right fit. I’m sorry I’m babbling.”  
    A horn sounds from in front of the diner. The black Mustang I’d first seen Cassie in is idling in front of it. I roll my eyes.
    “I have to go, but do you want to hang out tomorrow. I was thinking about going to the mall in Highland Village and getting an early start on back to school shopping. I was planning on going by myself. Shopping with Derek or Mom drives me crazy. He’s ready to go five minutes after we get there and Mom ends up taking over and picking out clothes for me and making me try every last one of the items she picks up on. Do you want to go?”
    “Sounds great,” I tell her. “I’ve been meaning to go to the bookstore there and get my summer reading books and I actually need to do a little bit of back to school shopping myself.”
    My grandmother said I could not go to Highland Village alone. So I technically am not going against her wishes. Plus, I figure if Grandma is concerned about me going by myself then going with Cassie who was going to go alone is the responsible thing to do.  

    ******
    “I’m all ready to go,” I tell Cassie as I hoist my messenger bag higher up on my shoulder and grab my car keys from the wall beside me.  
    “Your house seems really quiet,” Cassie mentions as I lock the front door.
    “Yeah it is. My family is out of town for a few days so I’m home alone.”  
    “That’s cool. Are you going to throw a party while they’re gone?”
    My Aunt had suggested the same thing. “Nah. My grandfather doesn’t really like