The defeated look in her eyes made me want to rise from my seat and wrap my arms around her. She came off as cold, but I’d bet that was because no one took the time to see how she was or gave a shit as to how she was feeling.
“You have something they don’t. They can give her all the iPads in the world and decorate her room any way they want. They aren’t her mom. She’ll always fit with you, Sara.”
Our food came and brought a welcomed halt to our heavy conversation.
“You’re pretty wise,” Sara noted as she poked at her scrambled eggs.
My mouth fell open. “Did you just pay me a compliment? Look at you being social AND pleasant.”
She gave me a wry grin. “I mean, wise for a comic book geek. Marvel or DC?”
I tapped my chin. “Probably DC. I’ve always been a huge Batman fan.The Dark Knightshould have won the Oscar for Best Picture.”
“Of course, it should have.” She nodded with a hint of a smile. “I’m glad I found you here today.” She said it so softly it was almost inaudible.
“I’m glad you did, too. You know, you’re pretty when you smile. Beautiful, actually. You should try it more often.”
She scoffed and rolled her eyes.
“See, that?” I jutted my chin in her direction. “That, not so much.” She laughed around the rim of her coffee cup.
“You can find me here on Saturdays or Sundays usually. Want to make eggs and sad stories a regular thing?”
She peered up at me, showing a hint of the smile I was starting to yearn for.
“I’ll try to keep the sad stories to a minimum, but . . . sure, why not?”
I dropped my head, smiling to myself. I’d get through those walls she caged herself in, one tiny crack at a time.
Sara
“I’M SUCH ANidiot,” Emma lamented as we strolled out of class. “This burn is going to make lab suck for the next week.” Her mouth twisted as she examined the scaly burn on the side of her hand.
“You aren’t an idiot. It happens all the time. I see your burn and raise you my cut.” I held up my palm to draw attention to the slice I made down my hand when I was supposed to be carving a chicken. “You should’ve seen my waitress injuries. I came home looking like I handled a snake in a fire pit.” I laughed to myself. I could laugh about those days now; it was anything but funny back then.
“What did you do? I can’t miss lab.” She cradled her injured hand against her chest.
“A good cream and liquid bandages work wonders.” I gave her forearm a reassuring squeeze. “You’ll live, I promise.”
“How did you work through all of that?” She scoffed and shook her head. “I couldn’t.”
A humorless laugh fell from my lips. “You’d be surprised what you can do when you have no choice.”
My landlord wouldn’t have cared that I burned my hand, and the supermarket didn’t allow you to put food on loan, so I worked through the pain. Because I had to.
“Hey, ladies!” Drew waved as he passed us on the way inside. “Good class? Any leftovers?” He gave us a wide smile, but Emma groaned before I could answer.
“No. We’re the walking wounded. I got burned and Sara got cut.” Still clutching onto her hand, she nodded her chin at me.
“Wounded? What’s wrong?’ Drew’s brow pinched as he squinted his eyes in concern—at me. Emma was forgotten to him, but she was too busy over-nursing her burn to notice.
“A cut, it’s no big deal. Occupational hazard. My personal best is ten stitches down my wrist from a serrated knife.” I jutted my chin out in mock pride, but Drew didn’t laugh.
“I’m going to find some cream and run more cold water over it.” Emma backed away from us, regarding her hand as if it were about to fall off. Poor thing. She’d learn soon enough.
Drew grabbed my hand to get a closer look. He shot me a concerned glance as his thumb drifted down the open cut. I gasped, but not in pain. I didn’t want to acknowledge the jolt of electricity caused by his skin sliding across mine.
“It’s fine, really.” I withdrew my hand, wincing at the sting as I wiped the sweat from my palm onto my jeans. “Comes with the territory. All I need is a liquid bandage or even some Krazy Glue.” I shrugged, and the flat line of his lips curved into a smile.
