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-Keene to Ande
KEENE
It was time to elaborate on a few things.
I’d do that today.
“Hey, you want to go to a graduation with me?” I asked. “It’s a couple hours away, though.”
She frowned. “Whose graduation?”
I thought about telling her then, but I felt like I might need to have her locked up in a car where she couldn’t escape.
“I’ll tell you everything on the way.”
Her eyes lit at my words. “Everything? Even the stuff you so conveniently polished over?”
The meaning was clear. She wanted to know everything there was to know about all the things that I purposefully left vague not to scare her too badly. To underplay how scary my life really was at times.
“So whose graduation is this?” she asked as she pointed at the gas station.
I pulled in, even though I didn’t need gas, and got out.
She followed behind, and I held the door open for her as she barreled inside.
Then she proceeded to buy one of everything.
Reese. Snickers. Hershey. Nuts. Chips.
You name it, she bought it.
By the time we left, we had more drinks than we could consume, food enough for twenty, and a stomachache pending.
It was when we were finally out of Dallas, and heading toward Sunnyvale, that I started to tell her the fine details.
“So you just what… go save them? Then what?” she asked.
“Depending on if they need any extra care, Winston works with them on that. We check in. Let them know they’re not alone.” I jerked my head toward the sign that read ‘Sunnyvale 3 miles.’ “That’s why we’re going to this. One of the first kids I rescued graduates today.”
“Wow,” she breathed. “That’s kind of beautiful, Keene.”
“It’s penance,” I admitted. “I’d do it anyway, because the world needs help. But this way… I feel like I’m making up for the disgusting human being who ‘raised’ us.”
“And your sisters know?” she asked.
I winced. “I should probably tell them. Crimson has to lie to them… and I know that’s not fun. Especially after all we went through over the years.”
“Then tell them,” she encouraged. “They’re not going to overreact.”
“No,” I agreed.
“They probably already know,” she offered. “I mean, you only think you’re good at keeping secrets. But what makes you think they didn’t notice you gone, and then ask Folsom to spy on you?”
“They might know.” I sighed. “I guess it’s just nice deluding myself.”
She cracked open a liter bottle of Dr. Pepper, then said, “What now?”
I bit my lip. “Now’s the time where I beg you to stay.”
