chapter nine
*backyard*
I sat in
that tire swing for about 20 minutes reminiscing. That was until I felt a hand
on my shoulder.
“Hi.”
Greeted Justin.
I spun
the tire around and noticed Justin standing there. I looked at him for a moment
and then looked down.
“Ya
hungry?” he asked. “Erik’s making burgers.”
I stood
up and walked into the house.
Couple
minutes later, Justin took the same route and was teased by his buds.
“Ahh!
She rejected you without using a single word.” Lance tormented.
“She
made a world’s record of rejecting you the fastest.” Chris teased.
“Ha,
ha. Very funny.” Justin answered.
I walked
into the living room to pick up my duffel bags and headed to my room to unpack.
Dropping off my bags, I walked back downstairs to get my two suitcases.
“Ugghhh.”
I sighed trying to carry them up the stairs.
I was on
the third step when I leaned back.
“Uhhh
… uhh!” I yelled.
Justin
heard me and followed my voice.
“Gotcha!”
he said as he caught me from the stairs. “You O.K.?”
“Yeah,
I guess so.” As I answered in a quiet whisper. Those were the first words
I’d ever said since I arrived there.
“Wow!
You can talk.” Justin said jokingly.
I just
smiled and picked up a suitcase as he picked up the other. We both climbed up
the stairs to my bedroom. I opened the door and let Justin in.
“Wow!”
he said as he dropped the suitcase and ran to the far right corner. “You met
Shaquille O’Neal?!”
“Yeah.
You haven’t seen that before?” I said confused. “I thought you guys come
here all the time.”
“We do,
but Erik never lets us go into your parents’, sister’s, or even your bedroom.”
He answered.
When he
said parents I just plopped onto the carpet of my room and put my head in
between my knees.
“Oh,
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to be offended in any way.” He said as he
plopped next to me and grabbed my shoulders just like Erik did when I first met
the five strangers. I brought my head up and said, “It’s O.K. I know you
didn’t mean it. I just miss them so much.”
Justin
pulled me closer to hug me as he said, “Don’t worry. You have your brother
and us.”
I
suddenly pulled away when I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. The door
opened.
“Hey,
foods done.” Joey said as he was eating a veggie burger.
“We
better get down there before Joey finishes everything else.” Justin suggested.
“Ha,
ha.” Joey laughed sarcastically.
All three
of us walked down the stairs and headed to the backyard. The patio lights were
turned on, for it was around 6:45 p.m. The table was fixed with lots of goodies
such as burgers, hot dogs, salad, chips, and much, much more.
Erik
introduced me to the two new people joining us at the barbecue.
“Arlene,
I want you to meet Lynn Harless and her son, Jonathan. She’s Justin’s
mom.” Erik announced. “Lynn, this is my little sister, Arlene.”
We shook
hands and said our hellos. Erik escorted me to the table.
“I have
something special for you tonight.” As he reached a plate covered with a metal
dome. He pulled off the dome, which revealed my favorite food. “Chicken!
Boneless, too!” he yelled out loud.
“Thanks,
bro.” I said taking the plate. I headed to the spa and reached for one of
those wooden stools. I ate my supper on the counter of the bar as I looked up at
the dark blue sky.
“Is
this stool taken?” A familiar stranger said.