Airel - Aaron Patterson [6]
I loved the energy the town had. Everyone seemed to always be doing something or planning events or trips to somewhere, whether it was out into the woods or off to Seattle or Portland for the weekend. It had this unexplained energy, as if something great was about to happen. Nothing ever did, but it still felt like it was just around the corner. Kim and I would practically live at the river in the summertime, or we’d be up hiking in the foothills.
I ate a pop tart, which tasted good all the way down to my painfully empty stomach, and tried to banish Michael’s face from my mind. I had to squash any thought in my head that he would ever even look at me, let alone talk to me.
What would he see in me? I don’t really stand out. Then again, why would I want him to notice me? Sure, he’s hot, but what else is there to the guy? He probably gets girls falling all over him everywhere he goes. Especially the rechargeable kind, the ones with perky, dumb personalities and nothing to say but nonsense. And guys are so stupid, anyway. Always falling for blonde hair and blue eyes and cheerleader uniforms. He’s probably just like every other guy—just let it go. Ignore him, girl—he’s bad news.
But the more I tried to convince myself about him, stop thinking of him, the more I couldn’t help myself. He was this force that wound its way into my subconscious and lodged there.
What would happen if he did talk to me? Something dangerous? Hmm, sounds like fun. Aw, who am I kidding.
I grabbed my jacket and started for the door, trying not to wake up Mom. She never slept in and today was her day off, so I knew she would want to. My mom was like most moms. Protective and a bit overbearing, but she meant well. She worked at a flower shop. Not that she had to, but she liked to keep busy.
I was an only child, and since I was in school most of the day, she would climb the walls if she didn’t do something, so Dad told her to go find something she would enjoy. She had found a little shop called Just Flowers and started working there years ago. I teased her constantly about being so old-fashioned; such a stereotypical woman, working at a flower shop—but she loved all things plants. If it was nice out she could be found, without exception, in the yard planting, digging, or pulling weeds. We had the nicest yard in the neighborhood.
As for Dad, well, I wasn’t not sure exactly what he did. And why should it matter? He was a quiet guy and didn’t talk about his job much at all. I thought it had something to do with sales, though. He got bonuses sometimes, which we always used to go on family vacations.
Last summer was the best. Dad took us all to Disney World, and I even got to bring Kim along with us. Kim’s mom is cool with stuff like that. Her dad left when she was young, so we’re like sisters and do everything together.
My dad was long gone for work by the time I was getting ready to leave. He had left the house at an ungodly hour. That was the usual, but he was always home with Mom and me in the evenings. I figured either Mom or Dad must have taken Kim home last night after I had gone to bed. I must have fallen asleep instantly, because I couldn’t remember anything. I figured I had caught a bug or something, because I was out for the night.
I walked outside to the curb, where my Civic waited for me in the rain. My stomach felt better now that it had something in it, though I won’t go into the nutritional value of a breakfast that can be cooked in a toaster. I was still a little weak from yesterday and the wet weather made me feel it.
I opened the driver’s door to my Honda and sat down. Before I could turn the key, I felt sharp pain running its claws up and down my arms and legs. “OWWW!” I cried out before I could stop myself, but just as fast as the pain had hit me—it was gone.
What’s that supposed to be, some kind of growing pain? Am I seriously ill here, or what?
Chapter IV
I made it to school without any more bizarre episodes, but I still wondered why I was getting sick all of a sudden. It was irritating. True to form, the rain