“I’ll catch you later,” I told Matt as I sat down next to Noah. “You okay?” I asked Alyssa, noticing tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.
“Fine,” she said, a bitter edge to her voice. A moment later she got up, tossed her mostly uneaten pizza in the garbage, and walked towards the exit without so much as a backward glance
I didn’t know what to say. I looked over at Noah, who looked down and stabbed a fork through his mostaccioli, examining the noodle before throwing fork and noodle back down on his tray.
“That guy has been making her life hell ever since he started with the fat jokes in grade school. Real piece of work.”
I nodded. “Miserable people lead miserable lives, and they take that out on other people.”
“Yeah?” Noah was standing up now. “I gotta go after her. You want?” He pointed down at his pasta as I shook my head no and watched him run after her.
There was one thing that could be said for high school. No matter how rough it got, or how awful other people tried to make your life, it was also heartwarming to see friends protect each other.
I, however, had never felt so alone. I was left at the edge of the table with a half-wilted salad I had dug out of the fridge that morning.
“You’re invited,” Bailey stated unenthusiastically.
I looked up just in time to see a postcard soar through the air and land right on top of my salad.
“Not like I was going to eat that anyways,” I mumbled as I shook balsamic vinaigrette off the corner of the postcard.
“Good.” Bailey and two of her fellow volleyball players were standing at the edge of my table. Each of them had pursed lips and stood with one hand on her hips. “You’re too skinny anyways.”
“Thanks?” I asked, unsure of how to act. This was my first interaction with her since the day we met.
“It wasn’t a compliment. Anyways, that’s an invite to the school harvest festival. Everyone’s invited, and it doubles as a fundraiser for senior prom, so the more the merrier.”
“Look, the ‘o’ in ‘prom fundraiser’ is a little pumpkin; I did that,” one of the girls standing behind her chimed in.
“Cute,” I said, only half paying attention to her as I scanned the flyer. The event was set for mid-October at the festival grounds located downtown.
“I’ll be there.” I looked up, but they were already sauntering over to the next table in perfect unison, fliers clutched firmly in their hands.
I watched them as they made their rounds from table to table. Whatever else they might be, they were efficient. I suddenly had an idea.
“Hey, Bailey, a word?” I tried to get her attention as she chatted up a nearby table. I couldn’t tell if she was deliberately ignoring me or if she just couldn’t hear me. I waved my hands wildly above my head. It worked. I caught the eye roll she gave her friends.
When she was done talking, she made her way back over, this time without her cronies.
“Yes?” she asked without even skipping a beat.
“I need your help with something.”
Bailey laughed. “Oh. You’re serious. What’s up?”
“You know basically everyone at this school, right?”
“Well, being volleyball captain since sophomore year, yearbook editor, and class president gets you a few friends,” she laughed. “And enemies.”
I gave her a chance to brag, and she took the bait immediately. “Look, can you help me get to know people in this school?”
“You need friends or something?” She was already looking back over at her friends, who had moved to another table, as if hoping they’d come save her. I needed to think quickly or she’d be gone.
“No thanks.” I really was pegged as a loser. Then the idea came to me. “Senior project for Mr. Nash’s class, actually.”
“Oh, the Polaroid’s.” She was suddenly interested again. “Which one did you get?” I had already told the librarian, so what was the harm in letting one more person know? On the other hand, a secret holds the power to snag the interest of the most uninterested person...
“I forgot the exact words.” I shrugged innocently. Bailey was already digging through her backpack to show me hers. She gave up after a moment, trying not to drop the giant stack of flyers she was still holding onto.
“All right, I’ll help you.” She lifted a finger towards her friends, who were now hovering closer. “But what’s in it for me?”
“I’ll help you plan the best festival ever.”
She nodded. “Fair enough. It’s hard enough to get people to help with the logistics. Everyone just wants to reap the benefits of the event.” Bailey was slowly becoming more tolerable. Matt was wrong about everyone else, so maybe he was wrong about her, too.
“So, what about tomorrow?” We didn’t have school.
“I should have some free time after conferences. Text me.” She hesitated for a moment before flipping one of the flyers over and printing her full name and number on the back. She folded it into a perfect square and placed it next to me before heading back to her friends, who had crept closer and closer during the course of our conversation.
My interaction with Bailey sent my mind spinning until I was home and in my bed for the night. In heaven there had been countless doors that opened to purposes other than my own. What were they, and were they being fulfilled right at that moment? Who was to say that while I was fulfilling my main purpose, I couldn’t branch out and fix things like those other mysterious doors implied? Maybe by treating everyone at this school with just a little bit of kindness, that was sorely lacking, I could change the narrative. It wouldn’t just stop the shooting, it would have a ripple effect too.
“Why should I wait until December 15 to save a life?” I asked myself. “Why not start now?” Burt, whose warm body was pressed up against mine, started purring quite forcefully, giving me the vote of confidence that I so desperately needed. I grabbed my phone and texted Jenna, asking if she could have a visitor. I held my breath until she texted back. Luckily, it only took her a few seconds to send me a simple “Yes.” Jenna was out of the equation as a shooter, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that she needed me. Maybe I still needed her. She had information about the end of the year project.
When I opened my eyes the next morning, light was already spilling through the curtains.
“Crap.” I felt around for my phone. What time was it? I needed to get to Jenna by 9 a.m., ensuring enough time to visit before she had to report for breakfast. I dislodged my phone from the crack between my wall and bed. Great. It was completely dead.
“No. No. No.” I grabbed my charger and tapped my foot impatiently as I waited for it to turn on. My heart dropped as I noticed the time. It was already 8:05 a.m. and the rehab facility was easily an hour away.
I threw on some makeup and a sweater, grabbed my keys off the counter, and flew out the door. I didn’t even have time to read Dad’s signature note, something I looked forward to each morning.
I couldn’t let Jenna down, not with my newfound determination. No one from school had even contacted her yet. Once you fell from the social graces, what good were you to the rest of the school?
“I can make it,” I told myself as I pulled out of the driveway. I’d be okay with just getting there to say hi and show her that at least one person from school was rooting for her recovery.
I zipped down Highway 47 and took the correct exit as the clock inched closer and closer to 9. Finally, I could see the parking lot up ahead. I turned my signal on and entered just as I saw the car coming at me. It was exiting through the entrance, and I had to veer sharply to the right to get out of its way as I lay down on the horn. The other car just kept going without ever looking back.
I had driven up onto some sort of raised flower bed, snapping my neck forward with a loud thunk as my car came back down to the cement parking lot.
Not only had I most likely destroyed precious roses, I had most likely destroyed my car. I looked around the pack
ed parking lot, but there was no sign of anyone. The clock now read 8:55 a.m. and everyone was most likely still inside, enjoying the last moments of open visit with their loved ones. Real freaking great. I circled the parking lot when a sudden grinding noise interrupted my thoughts.
I screamed in frustration. “Seriously?” All hopes of getting in to visit were dashed. Not to mention that there was seriously something wrong with my car. I pulled off to the side and lowered myself to the ground. I knew absolutely nothing about cars, which was made painfully clear at that moment.
I sat down on the parking curb and buried my head between my knees. I had failed Jenna, and I was stuck in an unfamiliar city with no clue what to do next. Wasn’t that what guardian angels were for?
“Glen?” I yelled out. No response. I checked my phone, hoping for a response that way. Instead, I was greeted with a reminder that I had 1% battery power thanks to my rushed exit. I didn’t even try to brush away the tears that came out of nowhere. My head was pounding, and the whole scene and feeling of hopelessness felt familiar.
I was going to be sick. I put a hand to my mouth and ran as fast as I could to a row of bushes nearby. I made it just in time.
Afterwards, I stumbled backwards, wiping the tears from my face. I was right underneath a ‘Menlo Grove Health and Rehabilitation Center’ sign. Great, I was literally in the place where as many glances as possible could fall on me.
“Abigail?” called a voice behind me.
“Glen?”
I spun around, but it wasn’t Glen. I was face to face with a wide-eyed Ethan.
“Mr. Nash?” I remembered what he said about using his name out of school and quickly corrected myself. “Ethan?”
“I thought that was you.” He was digging in his pocket. A second later, he stuffed a tissue into my hand.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” My voice cracked as soon as the words were out of my mouth. “I’m not fine.” Tears were threatening to fall from my eyes again.
Ethan raised his arms before quickly lowering them. It was as if, for a moment, he had wanted to reach out and hug me before his brain told him that it was a bad idea.
“Come here.” He put an arm on my shoulder gently and steered me towards the curb near my car, where I took a seat. “Wait here.” I watched him as he weaved through the cars. When he returned, he had a full pack of tissues and a bottle of water which he handed to me.
I took a gulp.
“It was the strangest thing,” Ethan continued, taking a seat next to me. “I was actually thinking about you right before I saw someone stumbling through the bushes. For some strange reason, I knew it was you.”
I raised my eyebrows as I wiped the tears and the streaked makeup they had left behind from my face. I didn’t know what to say, so I just stared straight ahead.
“Do you want to talk about what’s wrong?” His voice was so gentle that I suddenly had the urge to burst into tears again.
I had no idea where to begin, and his kindness was becoming too much to bear in my moment of weakness. I reached out, my hand resting briefly on his arm. “Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were real.”
Ethan laughed. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I have no idea.” I lowered my voice. “It’s just...I’m having all of these problems, and suddenly you appear, out of nowhere, at the exact right moment.”
“Right.” He nodded, back to business. “I was visiting Jenna.”
“Really?” I studied his face. He was staring at me, unblinking.
“Yes, really. Her dad is on the school board, and I heard about the rough time she was having. My class was also her favorite, so I brought her some of the books we’ll be reading for the rest of the semester. They’re such crowd-pleasers.” He winked and I felt myself instantly blush, as I did every time he did that.
He didn’t seem to notice and continued, unfazed, “So. What can I help with?”
I got up and gestured for him to follow so that I could show him the pipe that was hanging from my car.
“The thing is…” I trailed off, unsure of how to formulate my thoughts. “I don’t think that this is the first time something like this has happened.”
“Huh.” He crouched down and peered underneath. “What’s that?”
“I mean.” I cleared my voice, knowing I needed to get the truth off my chest without sounding crazy. “My car has done this before.”
“Oh.” He looked up at me. “Well, that sounds like rotten luck. It appears your muffler broke apart. Was it attached properly the first time? Did you hit something?”
“I don’t know.” My head was suddenly spinning again. I sat down next to him, pressing the cool water bottle against my forehead. “I just don’t remember.”
He had a puzzled look on his face. Great, he really was going to think I was crazy.
“I mean, I hit something today,” I quickly backtracked. “But I feel like I’ve hit something before but don’t remember when. I don’t understand what’s happening,” I trailed off. The tears had made a comeback. “Just forget it.”
“Hey, it’s okay.” Mr. Nash sat back down next to me. “Take a deep breath.”
I took several, and it still didn’t seem like enough.
“Do you have a tow service with your car? Most do.”
“I can call my dad.” I took out my phone before remembering that it was now completely dead. “Never mind.” Guardian angels could repair cracked screens but apparently couldn’t be bothered to charge phones. Ethan handed me his phone without skipping a beat.
A few minutes later, a tow was on its way. I told Ethan the news.
“See, everything is fixable.”
“If only it was that easy.” I hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
“Sometimes it is.” We were standing. Ethan had his hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie. He had saved me from a predicament yet again, and I couldn’t help but wonder, who was assigned to save who?
When the tow truck finally arrived, Ethan talked them through everything. When they pulled away with the car, he handed me his phone. A number I recognized as my dad’s popped through. He was calling to check that everything went smoothly and, before he hung up, he left me with a phone number for a taxi service.
I asked Ethan if he wouldn’t mind me making one more phone call for a taxi. My hand was shaking as I tried to enter the number.
“Hey,” Ethan’s gentle voice was back. “I can take you back. I’m going that way anyways.”
I handed him his phone back and followed him to his jeep. I felt numb but managed a weak smile. I wanted to formulate the right words for a ‘thank you,’ but I couldn’t come up with anything. I was sure Ethan understood, however.
“For what it’s worth,” Ethan said as he turned the keys in the ignition, “Jenna told me she was really happy that you had thought of her enough to call and check.”
I know he was trying to make me feel better, but I felt worse. “She had sounded so hopeful last night when I told her I was coming to visit, and I bombed it.”
“Oh.” Ethan suddenly looked horrified. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”
“It’s okay. Nothing against you, I just feel awful about the whole thing.”
“Hey. Hold that thought.” Ethan killed the motor he had just started and unlocked the car doors. “Actually, don’t hold that thought. Hold onto something happier. I have a phone call to make.”
He stepped outside, and I watched him as he paced back and forth, talking with someone on the phone. When he returned, no more than a few minutes later, he flashed a perfect smile at me.
“You can see Jenna today.”
“What? Really? How’d you manage that?”
“Yes. I just made a call. They’re having breakfast now, and she’s got a morning session, but after that you can see her. They think having someone from school will be good for her. She’s not taking this all so well...” Ethan trailed off a bit awkwardly.
He cleared his throat before speaking again. “Just maybe check in with your dad and see if it’s okay?”
A moment later, I had confirmation from Dad, who told me that it was fine and that he’d loop me in on the car stuff when I got home. I didn’t know what to say to Ethan. Where would I go for the next hour or so until I was allowed to visit? I was suddenly all too aware of how my palms were starting to sweat as I sat awkwardly in the front seat of my teacher’s vehicle. Luckily, my stomach answered for me. A loud grumble broke through the uncomfortable silence, and I laughed for what felt like the first time in forever. “I’m so sorry.”
“Hungry?” Ethan’s hand hovered over the ignition, unsure if he should start his vehicle or wait with me.
“Starving,” I responded. I felt slightly embarrassed, but there was nothing that could be done. I had already had a mental breakdown and a car breakdown in front of him. My stomach making noises was the least of my worries.
“Would you like to go get breakfast somewhere?”
My heart did a little flip-flop, and I had to remind myself that this was not a date. It was a teacher coming to the aid of two of his students, both having problems in two vastly different ways. Jenna’s problems were slightly more evident, but...
I nodded.
“Great,” he said enthusiastically, turning the key in the ignition and driving out of the lot. “I hope you like French toast.”
“I love it.”
“Good. There’s a place that has the best stuffed French toast, and it’s only a few minutes from here. I can never justify driving the hour to go to it unless I’m already in the area. Like right now.” He sounded excited, and I was suddenly intrigued by this mysterious stuffed toast.
“What are they stuffed with?”
“Oh, man. Anything your heart desires. I recommend the campfire s’mores.”
“Marshmallows in French toast?” I wrinkled up my nose.
“Yep, and they aren’t skimpy with the little graham cracker crumble on top either.” Ethan smacked the steering wheel. “Man, I’m excited.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Gone was the awkward pause from before.
If Heaven Had Cheese Fries Page 18
