I lifted my head from gazing at the ground as tires crunched over gravel. It was too early for Dawn, but sometimes she came home earlier to check on me, or to drop off takeout for dinner if it was going to be a late night of paperwork.
Who knew selling houses took so much time. I sure didn’t, but it was something she loved to do. And she was great at it, since she worked so much.
Waiting for the back door to open, I was startled when someone rounded the side of the house, walking between mine and Mrs. Lee’s.
My heart stuck in my throat as two boys came into view. One I knew only by name, the same one I tried to not ever see if I could help it. The other, I had yet to meet.
Jasper waved my way before heading towards his grandmother’s house. His sweater hid the tattoos on his arms, although I wouldn’t have been able to see them clearly from my swing anyways. The other boy said something to him before he jogged towards me.
My hands clasped the rope tightly as my heart picked up speed just a bit. My heart, at least, wasn’t goinga million miles an hour, so that was progress.
“Hey,” the boy greeted, stopping about a yard away from me. This close, I could see the darker blue eyes as he looked me up and down, like he wasn’t sure he should even be talking to me. “I’ve been hoping to catch you out here. I’m Trace.”
I blinked, not caring.
“You’re never outside when my brother makes me come here to help,” he went on, not seeming to be too bothered by my lack of response. “But Grams said you are always out.”
How long would it take him to figure out the reason for that?
“You don’t gotta hide from us. We won’t hurt ya. Plus, if I’m stuck here for the summer, I’d like to have a friend. Whatcha ya say?”
No thanks?
“Well, I’ll see ya around then, man.”
I rolled my eyes as he turned his back. That was going to put a damper on my summer. I was used to the quiet of the world out here.
So much different than hearing cries and sirens and abuse every waking and sleeping moment.
Here, there were birds, the wind, and nothing but my thoughts.
I never wanted to move to a city again. This type of life was what I wanted.
“Oh!” Trace stopped a few feet away before turning back around to face me. “The cookies you made last time were the bomb! My brother loves oatmeal, even though he hates that kind.”
That’s what most people said when they tried them. Everyone always thought oatmeal in a cookie made it uneatable, but not if it wascooked right. Although, no one needed to know how many times I had to remake the batch to get the texture just right to make them seem healthier than they were.
“Grams can’t stop talking about all the goodies you make her. So, uh…thanks. I think that’s all she’s been eating lately anyhow.”
I figured the last part. The last few months, Mrs. Lee had grown a bit weaker, leaning heavier on a cane when she answered the door.
I nodded once, already thinking of ways I could make other healthier options that would taste good.
I never had a grandma, but Mrs. Lee was like one to me, even though I never talked. She understood me in a way, or maybe she just liked the company. There had been too many times to count that I had wondered over there when I couldn’t stand to be alone for a bit. She’d talk about her grandkids a lot. And also, about how she was fighting tooth andnail to not move into an old folk's home.
She was a lot like me, finding something peaceful in the country where the world moved too fast outside of the land we called home.
Chapter 20
Age 17
“Happy birthday, Koda.”
I grunted as strong arms wrapped around my shoulders.
I still didn’t understand the need to celebrate my birthday. Three years, and it was still weird to be happy about me being alive. Sure, I was okay most of the time, but that didn’t mean Dawn needed to buy a cake that I could make better myself.
To me, it was just another day. I didn’t see that ever changing. Just because I was another year older meant nothing to me. I was still just Koda, as I’ll always be.
