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I clear my throat, “It’s cool.”
“It’s not. Yesterday I had a chat with a good friend of mine and he sort of helped me sort through a lot of things I’ve been going through lately. I mentioned that you tried to help me once and he told me you were exactly the kind of girl I should be friends with and I couldn’t agree more. So, friends?” She asks, holding out her hand.
“Friends,” I say and squeeze her hand.
“I’m glad because I’m going to need one.”
“Well, a friend in need is a friend indeed.” I shake my head. “Sorry, that was lame. I’m out of practice.”
“No, it kind of wasn’t,” she says through fought tears.
“You okay?” I asked and pushed my shoulder into hers.
“Yeah. Well, I mean, I will be. I suppose,” she cleared her throat, “I suppose you may have heard a rumor or two about me?”
“What? That you’re extraordinarily kind?” I tease.
She laughed.
“Maybe you caught wind of the one that said something along the lines of ‘Robyn Larson is pregnant’?”
“I may have heard that from a little birdie.”
She grinned and brought a tissue to her nose.
“Well, it was true.”
“Was?”
“Yeah, well, it’s a long story but the gist of it is this; I fell in love with a boy who I later found out was mature enough to have sex but not to have a baby.”
o;Be right back Chuck,” I say, and toss my book onto the counter.
I chase after him but I’m too late. He’s gone. Probably a good thing, I remind myself. I need to get over this obsession. He may be the sweetest boy I’ve ever met but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to break my heart. I return to the store and make my purchases.
Saturday proves to be harder to sit through than I thought. The books are just not doing it for me, not distracting me the way I wanted them to. I sit up, resign myself to doing something outside. I promise myself that I am not getting out to search for Elliott today but even I know that’s a lie. I push my books from my lap and onto the bed and head to my dad's study.
“Pop? Want to walk into town with me?”
“I would schnitzel but I’m swamped.” Schnitzel is a nickname he gave me at two.
“No prob Bob. I’m gonna’ go to Sadie’s shop then. Take a look around. See if there’s anything good on the shelves today.”
“You know your mother hates it when you shop at the thrift store.”
“Yeah, but it’s the only place I can find pre-loved jeans the way I like them loved.”
“Alright, have fun.” I've been dismissed.
I walk to Sadie’s and open her door.
“Sadie?”
Sadie is in her early thirties, never been married, though I can't see why. I think I remember something about her being in love with a boy from town and when he left town for college he promised to return for her but never did. Tragic. I can't see this in Sadie though. She's too independent and strong in her self-worth. I bet it was more like she refused to wait and ended up alone anyway. She never brought it up and I never asked. Everyone has their secrets.
“Yes, darlin’. I’m back here.”
I head in the direction of her voice and stop sharply in front of a wicked dark orange velveteen floor length fitted jacket. I pick it up and toss it over my shoulders in front of the mirror she has close to the front of the shop. I gasp. It is the cutest thing ever and it fits me like it was tailored for me.
