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For me, the woman in the parking lot had said, as if she were the one in need.
Yeah, right. Lauren knew charity when she saw it. Shed wanted to turn it down, maybe laugh lightly and say Youve got me all wrong. Instead, shed run all the way home.
She wiped the leftover tears from her eyes and knocked on the door.
Mrs. Mauk answered. When she saw Lauren, her smile faded. "Youre soaking wet. "
"Im fine," Lauren said. "Here. "
Mrs. Mauk took the money, counted it. There was a small pause, then the woman said, "Ill just take one hundred of it, okay? You go buy yourself something decent to eat. "
Lauren almost started to cry again. Before the tears could fill her eyes, she turned away and ran for the stairway.
In her apartment, she called out for her mother.
Silence answered her.
With a sigh, she tossed her backpack onto the sofa and went to the refrigerator. It was practically empty. She was just reaching for a half-eaten sandwich when someone knocked.
She crossed the small, messy apartment and opened the door.
David stood there, holding a big cardboard box. "Hey, Trix," he said.
"What--"
"I called the pharmacy. They said you didnt work there anymore. "
"Oh. " She bit her lip. The softness of his voice and the understanding in his eyes was almost more than she could take right now.
"So I cleaned out the fridge at home. Mom had a dinner party last night and there were killer leftovers. " He reached into the box and pulled out a videotape. "And I brought my Speed Racer tapes. "
She forced a smile. "Did you bring the one where Trixie saves his ass?"
He gazed down at her. In that single look, she saw everything. Love. Understanding. Caring. "Of course. "
"Thank you" was all she could say.
"You should have called me, you know. When you lost your job. "
He didnt know how it felt, to lose something you needed so desperately. But he was right. She should have called him. Even at seventeen, as young and immature as he could sometimes be, he was the steadiest person in her life. When she was with him, her future--their future--seemed as pure and shimmering as a pearl. "I know. "
"Now, come on, lets get something to eat and watch a movie. I have to be home by midnight. "
FIVE
MR. LUNDBERG DRONED ON AND ON, FLITTERING from one contemporary social issue to another like a child chasing soap bubbles.
Lauren tried to pay attention; she really did. But she was more than exhausted.
"Lauren. Lauren?"
She blinked awake, realizing a second too late that shed fallen asleep.
Mr. Lundberg was staring at her. He did not look happy.
She felt her cheeks grow hot. That was the problem with being a redhead. Pale skin blushed easily. "Yes, Mr. Lundberg?"
