July 23

July 23

            I saw that girl again; the girl from last week who ask if I could read. This time she was sitting at a table reading to a boy who looked her age. She was hunched over mumbling the words of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone. I wished I were Harry Potter. At least he could Apparate if he didn’t want to be seen.

            I felt the sudden need to count to 100, but I fought it off long enough to scrabble across the library.

            “Whoa Aelge. No running.”

            I stopped and turned around to see Janna. She was looking sharp in a gray pencil shirt and blazer that may have lead the girl to sit beside her.

            “Aelge,” She waved “C’mon here!”
            I felt myself sink a few inches. Do I really have to? She kept waving me over and I knew I should oblige. I sat in the seat by Janna and waited awkwardly for someone to say something.

            The girl placed a bookmark that read ‘Jesus Love You!’ into the book and spoke, “I never told you my name.”

            I shook my head.

            “I’m Jamie. I go to Kendall College. I’m trying for a degree in Culinary Arts.” She cocked her head to the right slightly. At that moment see look neurotic. I wonder if college makes you nuts.

            “You know my name.” I said coolly. “I’ll become a junior in the fall.”

            “Have you thought about college?”

            “Not at all.” I lied. Of course I have. I just wasn’t sure where I was going, what degree I wanted and most of all how I would pay.

            Jamie picked up the book and told the boy to check it out so they could read it again next week. After he left she clean up the little pile of papers by her side and spoke, “I don’t see your dad anywhere. How did you get here?”

            I felt myself loose color. Hell would freeze over before anyone at church will learn that I’m bulimic. I looked at Janna expecting her to rescue me, but she was look at another group who looked like they were about to fight.

            “I… I …. Ummm… Ya.” I cleared my throat. This time Janna was watching me like a hawk, I guess to see how I would react.

            “I haven’t seen any other teens here either. Did you come by yourself?”

            Without a sound I nodded. The volunteers here have to dress up. I’m in sweat pants and a hoddie that are a size too big. Since I started eating more and taking vitamins my hair has grown back a lot and I have to control it by keeping it in a ponytail. I looked nothing like a volunteer.

            “How wonderful. Have you meet Janna? She’s a counselor.”

            I turned around and mumbled “We’ve met somewhere along the line.”

            I felt like trash, terrible. I shouldn’t lie. I brought this up during group therapy.

            “Why didn’t you say anything to me?” I asked. There was an hour between now and then that let me stew in my emotions.

            Janna shrugged. “If you didn’t want her to know then you don’t have to say anything.”

            “But I’m a pastor’s kid!”

            “Oh,” Janna said sarcastically “So pastor’s children never sin. I thought it said in the Bible that all have fallen short of the glory of God.”

            “You’re a pastor’s kid!” Eva said erratically.

            She still had bags under eyes. Apparently during lunch a few days ago she burst out with sexual innuendos and death threats to anyone a mile near her. She was put into an observation center for 72 hours until they could fix her Lithium. Now she looks like a dog with an electric leash. It’s as if she knew if she does beyond a certain point she would be shocked.

            Janna ignored what Eva said and answered me “I was a pastor’s kid and I sinned.”

            “Ya,” I said. “But is shouldn’t be lying. I’m always screwing up. I’m one huge, fat mistake.”

            Janna looked sad but answered with, “Why do you think that?”

            “I have my proof, and it won’t make a bit of sense to you, but to me it makes a ton of sense.”

Reviews

[PyroKitty24]

This is the first time in a while that you had the last sentence font size problems. But I'm glad that she has healed so much physically that she can be mistaken as a volunteer. Now she needs to heal mentally, which is a much tougher route.

[Chris38]

A bleak ending to the chapter but honest.

[Tina Kline]

Very entertaining chapter. I enjoyed reading it.