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“Noted. Continue.”
“Jimmy Deluca said I was pretty at the beginning of camp. We hung out all the time. Then he said Brittney B was prettier. Brittney told him he was ugly then he came crawling back to me.”
“I’m not seeing how any of that resulted in a broken leg.”
“I’m getting there. By then, I was hanging out with Bobby Shea from my school. Bobby is not stupid, but Jimmy challenged him to a fight. They were fighting and I got in the way. Jimmy crashed into me, and I rolled down the hill and smashed into the canoes that were standing to dry. Bobby knocked Jimmy out and then he ran down the hill and carried me back up. I’m going to marry that boy someday.”
“That’s quite dramatic.”
“I’m a thirteen-year-old girl. Of course I’m dramatic. Bobby’s in the waiting room.”
“What?”
“He refused to let the ambulance take me without him. Eventually, Janna let him come with me.”
Suddenly, the door to her room bursts open bouncing off the wall behind it.
“You’re awake, Thumbelina,” Bobby says. I recognize him from Nat’s science study group. They alternated houses to study in. I’m pretty sure Bobby’s dad runs the Shea Crime Family, but of course, I have no proof of that.
“Thumbelina?” I ask, raising my eyebrow.
“Hey, Mr. Hardy. It’s on account of her being so small.” His eyes never leave her, even as he shakes my hand.
“Right.”
“I’m okay, Bobby. I promise.” I watch in shock as the boy moves past me and takes her hand in his.
“Where are your parent’s Bobby?”
“On the way. I got kicked out of camp when I fought.”
“Right.”
“I’m not going back either.”
“Of course not,” Bobby and I say at the same time.
“You need to heal, Natalie,” Bobby says, the concern in his voice evident. I didn’t know thirteen-year-old boys cared about anything but video games this much.
“There is still two weeks left before school starts.”
“We’ll be fine, Oliver,” Natalie says, starring at Bobby.
Fuck, I’m in trouble.
* * *
January isn’t answering my calls anymore and I fucking hate it. I can’t leave Natalie, but I’ve been putting out feelers for starting a business. Bobby is here every freaking day so much so that he moves Nat to the living room couch every day, so they aren’t hanging out in her bedroom. He waits on her hand and foot. It’s honestly adorable but I know I’ll have a problem later.
Natalie is on crutches as we do back to school shopping. It’s the first time I’ve had to do this, Mom and Dad were still alive this time last year. It’s taking my mind off of January, but I know my life isn’t going to be the same again.
“Are you ever going to smile again, brother?” Natalie asks from the passenger seat of my truck.
“Yeah, you seem really glum, Oliver,” Bobby says from the backseat. I almost forgot he was with us. He does he own shopping since his parents are far too busy to help him.
“Thanks, Bobby.”
“This is about January, isn’t it?” Nat asks.
