“Simon. My name’s Simon, and I’m so sorry to take you away from your work. Won’t they be mad?”
“Who’s gonna be mad? Marcy? Ha! Do you know how often I cover for her as she takes calls from her loco boyfriend, Darren? All day long. That’s how often. No, I’m fine. I have a few minutes. So, tell me what brings you in here looking like you’re about to have a heart attack? Didn’t school start today?”
“Yeah, it’s the first day of school. Why I’m here and not there…that’s difficult to answer.”
We stare at each other for a few moments.
“Well, friend, you seem like a nice kid. You remind me of my little brother, Carlos, and maybe myself as well.”
He is tall, strong, handsome, and confident. What about me could possibly remind me of him? My eyes glaze, but I force myself out of my head to listen to what he’s saying.
“If you want my advice, head to school. Sure, you’ll be late, but skipping school is not smart. Now, I’m not saying I’ve never skipped school before, but you don’t want to go down that path. I know from experience.”
I shift uncomfortably in my seat. I wasn’t expecting a lecture. I get enough of that from Mom.
“Now, with that being said, I can also see that something is bothering you. If you ever need to talk, you can give me a call. Here, hand me your phone.”
I unlock my phone and hand it to Hector. He furiously taps the screen.
“Okay, Simon, now you have my phone number. I am only a text or call away. You can always come here to Starbucks as well. My schedule rotates, so you might want to text first to see if I’m here. Okay? But now, I’ve got to get back to work. Marcy is terrible at customer service. Better to have her making drinks than taking orders and talking with customers. Know what I mean?”
Hector pushes his chair under the table and brushes a few crumbs to the floor. Before he steps away, he grips my shoulder and whispers in my ear, “Go back to school and don’t tell Marcy what I said about her.” With a wink he’s gone. I sit there wide-eyed, trying to process what just happened. I’ve never had a stranger be so nice to me before. I watch customers come and go as I finish my tea. Hector never looks my way, but I can still feel his hand on my shoulder. I take the last sip and leave the store.
4
The Awkward Phone Call
Back in my car, reality hits hard. There’s no escaping the mess I’ve made. I hear Hector’s voice telling me I should go back to school, but I just can’t will myself to do it. Tremors run down my arms and legs. I don’t recognize myself. Part of me wants to go on my very own Starbucks crawl and deal with this later; I’ve seen at least three or four of them along the Pike. How many Trenta iced green teas could I drink in an afternoon? But then what happens tomorrow? How can I possibly explain my absence? I need someone to help me out of this predicament. I pick up my phone and scroll through my contacts until I find the number I’m looking for.
“Hello? Simon? Why are you calling me at the library? Is everything all right?”
“Hi, Carole. Sorry to bother you at work. I…need some help. I didn’t want to call Mom. But I think I might have made a poor choice.”
“What poor choice? What did you do? You’re in school, right?”
“Um…no. I never went in.”
“What! Why? It’s only the first day. Why would you do that? This doesn’t sound like you at all. Are you at home?”
“No, I’m not at home. I’m at Starbucks.”
A sustained release of breath hisses from the phone. There are a few moments of silence before she speaks again.
“I see. Well, come on over to the library, I guess. We’ll have to sort this all out when you get here. I won’t tell your mom just yet. But come straight here, though, and come right now! Got it? Don’t go anywhere else.”
“Okay, Carole. I’ll be there in a few minutes. I promise.”
I end the call. My eyes fill with tears, and here I am, crying in the car again. I’m so confused and ashamed of myself. She’s right. This is not like me at all. I turn on the car, clip my seatbelt, and, in silence, drive toward the Rockville Public Library. Carole was lucky to get a position here after Mom got her new job. I’ve been to the parking lot to pick Carole up, but this will be my first time venturing inside. I’m nervous to face her.
Once inside, I spot Carole behind the circulation desk and approach her cautiously. She squints her eyes when she catches sight of me. She begins to say something I can’t make out, but once she sees my face up close, she closes her mouth, and all frustration leaves her face.
“Are you okay?” she asks. She reaches across the desk to take my hands.
I nod.
“Good. That’s good. Go find a cozy spot in the library, and I’ll come find you as soon as I’m able to leave the desk. Okay?”
I pick an empty table in a back corner that overlooks the stacks. Bored, I bite at my nails and pull my phone from my pocket. I scroll through my contacts to find Hector’s entry. I stare at his name and run my finger across the screen. No last name is typed in, just a first name and number. No, wait. There’s something below in the notes. I look closer.
