I wasn’t sure what I looked like at that moment, other than possibly a sweaty, and now a bit wet, mess of a being.
I blinked, willing myself not to panic.
“I picked up pizza on the way back home,” he went on, slowly letting his hands fall to his sides. “Figured you might be hungry.”
I just blinked again before jerking as a louder song reminded me that I had headphones on my head.
I quickly paused the music before slipping the headphones down around my neck.
“I’m assuming you’re almost done?” he went on, his eyes glancing around the bathroom.
One single nod from me.
“I’ll find you a shirt to change into, since I made you make a mess.”
Another nod.
Jasper gave me a small smile before turning and disappearing down the short hallway. Only then could I get my body tomove. Looking at the mirror above the sink, the only thing that really still needed cleaning in here, reflected back my wide eyes and crazy dark hair that stuck up around the band of my headphones. My glasses were a bit too big for my face, causing my eyes to seem a bit bigger than they were.
To me, I hadn’t changed all that much over the past few years. I was still just Koda. The frightened boy who cried at a drop of a pen. Although I wasn’t crying now, my eyes were red rimmed. Or maybe that was just permanently from all the tears I’ve shed.
Shrugging, my reflection had no better answers than I did.
By the time I finished rinsing out the mop bucket, Jasper was back with a black piece of clothing over his arm.
“It’ll probably be too big, but there’s a shirt and sweatshirt. Choose whatever.” He held out both pieces towards me. I was slow to take them.
It wasn’t worth trying to tell him that I’d be fine. My shirt would dry. It wasn’t the first time, nor would it be the last. Some water spots weren’t going to be the end of the world.
Instead, I dipped my head in thanks and took the two pieces.
“I’ll meet you downstairs.”
I waited until he was out of sight, his steps silent once he hit the halfway mark onthe stars, before I put the cleaning supplies in the hallway and shut the bathroom door so I could change.
Of course, the two items would be way too big on me. Jasper was twice my size, and that wasn’t because he was big. I was just freaking small. It was no wonder why some adults thought I was twelve still.
Some of my ribs would forever poke out, but it was better than five years ago. I had some meat under my forever tanned skin, thanks to genetics.
Huffing out a breath, I pulled off my soiled shirt, replacing it with just the hooded sweater. Some sort of music band’s name was written across the front, faded from being worn so much. But the inside was soft against my skin, even though the sleeves were five inches too long.
Oh well. It was comfortable, and warm. And smelt so much like Jasper, I already knew I’d never return this piece of clothing.
Looking in the mirror, swimming in the sweater, I felt even smaller than normal. And not just physically. I felt like that ten-year-old I looked like.
I’d never be seen as an adult, even though I was trying. Dawn knew what I was capable of, and didn’t treat me like a little kid. She never has. But how was I to ever get the world to see me as I am at my age?
Was I cursed? Was that why I was the way I am?
Having no answers, and currently no stuffed animal to cuddle up with to make the worried thoughts go away, I grabbed the bucket and mop, my phone, and damp shirt before making my way downstairs.
“I’m going to go lay down for a bit,” Mrs. Lee said before she spotted me rounding a corner. “Thank you, Koda dear. I’m running out of things for you to clean around here.”
I half shrugged. There was plenty of stuff that could be done around her place still, but I knew my cleaning days were about to come to an end.
Mrs. Lee patted me on my shoulder before shuffling, without her cane once again, as she passed me by.
“Cane, Grams.”
