Ten minutes was all it took for everyone to be sorted and out the door. Silence fell across my empty classroom. I slumped, exhausted into a chair, my fat, adult ass hanging over both sides.
With my head in my hands, I didn’t have to see Mia to know she stepped into the room. I’d been waiting for my berating from the moment I’d spotted her. “Just hit me with it.”
“You’re really not feeling good about this, are you?”
Her words shocked me. What the fuck did she think of me? Obviously she had no idea who I was or what I was about. I mean, I wanted to be pissed at her for that, but I knew I couldn’t be. It wasn’t her fault we were barely strangers. I just couldn’t help but hate what she did know about me. We’re always taught as kids, hell, I teach the kids the same thing, that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and now I was faced with the reality that’s exactly what Mia was doing.
“No.”
“Thought as much. That’s why I’m here.” I quirked an eyebrow. Wiping my sweaty palms on my thighs.
“What happened?” I asked, not really sure if I wanted to know the answer.
“Josie is my sister and I love her, but she’s got more than her fair share of issues. It’s not my place to spill her secrets. I’m sure she’ll tell you what she wants you to know when the time’s right. But I can see this is haunting you, so I’ll give you the Cliffs Notes version.”
I gulped. Hard. Adrenaline pumping through my body.
“Josie comes across as cocky, confident, and full of sass. The truth is, it’s all bullshit. Josie made some decisions, some mistakes, and got judged pretty harshly. It’s pretty much the main reason she’s here.”
“Here?”
“Staying with me. She needed a safe place. Somewhere she could put herself back together. Josie and our parents, well, let’s just say that relationship is pretty much dead and buried.”
“That sucks.”
“It really is. Josie made some mistakes and she knew it, but she needed their support and they couldn’t give it. The girl you met, the girl you took out, is what’s left after all that. Josie’s a good girl and she has a massive heart, she’s just got to deal with her crap first.”
“And you’re not going to tell me what that is, are you?”
“Nope. Like I said, not my place.”
“Fair enough.”
“Just be patient with her, okay?”
This was starting to sound like a hell of a lot of hard work. I didn’t even know if I wanted to deal with it. I couldn’t say that to Mia, though. She hadn’t kicked my ass yet, but I wouldn’t put it past her. Instead I offered a pathetic nod, not really trusting my words.
“Thanks.”
“The other night…is she…is she all right?”
“Yeah. I found her sitting in the grandstand in the rain crying.”
“Shit!” I leapt to my feet, running my hands through my hair.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Nate,” Mia stated calmly as she reached out and took hold of my forearm. “She just needed some space to work through things.”
“I didn’t…I didn’t force her or expect anything…”
“No one thinks you did. Trust me, if we did, you’d know about it. Honestly, I think Josie’s biggest issue right now is her own embarrassment. She’ll be okay.”
“Should I go talk to her?”
“Not yet. Give her time. She’ll come to you when she’s ready.”
“Okay.”
Mia reached up and kissed my cheek before whispering in my ear, “You’re a good guy, Nate. Don’t give up on my sister just yet. She’s worth the effort. I promise.”
