more murders in town
either.
The mountain opened early and Jesse was up there
every weekend and even during the week sometimes. He had landed a
part-time job serving burgers and fries, which paid minimum wage
plus a free lift ticket for the winter. He invited me along, but I
didn’t see the point. I couldn’t board anymore and just sitting
around at the lodge would make me think of the things I couldn’t
do, the person I used to be.
I took some jobs that included walking the
neighbor’s dog in the afternoons and gift wrapping at Macy’s. I
didn’t mind them so much. The dog was friendly and Macy’s gave me
good discounts. I worked in the back of the store out of view and
although I occasionally saw a familiar mom or a teacher, it wasn’t
too often. It was also kind of nice to associate with other people
who weren’t part of Bend High, even if the store was filled with
grumpy old women employees complaining about their adult children.
It amounted to just Christmas money, but I was able to buy Jesse
some cool snowboarding goggles, a green Kate Spade leather wallet
for Kate, and an Italian silk tie for Dr. Mortimer.
I hadn’t seen much of Dr. Mortimer lately, but he
still kept in touch through emails and text messages. He always
asked about my recovery and school. He also talked about the insane
hours he worked at the hospital, sometimes not even having one day
off all week. I figured that would help Kate in that he didn’t seem
to have too much time to find a girlfriend.
The local meteorologist predicted that we were
heading for the coldest winter on record. Jesse loved it. Besides
boarding up at the mountain, he could be found flying down inclines
all over town, including the hills at local golf courses.
Even though we hadn’t talked about my new feelings
since that day at the house, I was sure I was still in love with
him. And at least he knew it. I had decided to just let it sit for
a while. I couldn’t take any more rejection, and at least we were
back to being friends. That felt good and for now it was enough.
But I was still hoping that he would be able to forgive me someday
and that we could be together.
Matt was still hanging around, especially at the six
o’clock hour, but I was getting the feeling that Kate was growing a
little tired of him. Most nights she didn’t get home until late and
while I assumed she was probably working, I kind of had my own
hunch about things. Kate was tight lipped, as always when it came
to her personal life, but on Saturday especially I began to wonder
what was really going on. She had left a message saying she was
working late and then would be out for the evening. I had assumed
she would be with Matt.
Jesse and I had gone out to see Blood Thirsty 2 and
I got home late. I had forgotten to leave the lights on and the
house was dark. As I walked up, fumbling for my keys, I saw Matt
sitting on the doorstep, shivering.
“Hey, Abby,” he said. He had a canvas under his arm
and was only wearing his usual long-sleeved striped T-shirt with a
thin down vest. He must have been frozen to the bone. His scraggly
goatee had snow sticking to it.
“Matt! What are you doing out here?”
I opened the door and quickly handed him one of my
coats. He put it on and I turned up the heat high.
“You must be freezing,” I said.
“Yeah, a little,” he said. “It’s cold out
there!”
“Hey, where’s Kate?” I asked. “I thought you guys
were hanging out tonight.”
Matt suddenly looked sad.
“I don’t know. I was hoping she was here, that’s why
I stopped by.”
I realized that Matt probably had been out in front
for hours.
“She canceled earlier, said she was working late. I
went over to her office, but she wasn’t there. I wanted to give her
one of my organic carob muffins that I made this morning.”
He looked around the living room as I turned on
lights and took off my coat.
“But she’s not here either,” he said.
Matt handed me a small foil package. I
either.
The mountain opened early and Jesse was up there
every weekend and even during the week sometimes. He had landed a
part-time job serving burgers and fries, which paid minimum wage
plus a free lift ticket for the winter. He invited me along, but I
didn’t see the point. I couldn’t board anymore and just sitting
around at the lodge would make me think of the things I couldn’t
do, the person I used to be.
I took some jobs that included walking the
neighbor’s dog in the afternoons and gift wrapping at Macy’s. I
didn’t mind them so much. The dog was friendly and Macy’s gave me
good discounts. I worked in the back of the store out of view and
although I occasionally saw a familiar mom or a teacher, it wasn’t
too often. It was also kind of nice to associate with other people
who weren’t part of Bend High, even if the store was filled with
grumpy old women employees complaining about their adult children.
It amounted to just Christmas money, but I was able to buy Jesse
some cool snowboarding goggles, a green Kate Spade leather wallet
for Kate, and an Italian silk tie for Dr. Mortimer.
I hadn’t seen much of Dr. Mortimer lately, but he
still kept in touch through emails and text messages. He always
asked about my recovery and school. He also talked about the insane
hours he worked at the hospital, sometimes not even having one day
off all week. I figured that would help Kate in that he didn’t seem
to have too much time to find a girlfriend.
The local meteorologist predicted that we were
heading for the coldest winter on record. Jesse loved it. Besides
boarding up at the mountain, he could be found flying down inclines
all over town, including the hills at local golf courses.
Even though we hadn’t talked about my new feelings
since that day at the house, I was sure I was still in love with
him. And at least he knew it. I had decided to just let it sit for
a while. I couldn’t take any more rejection, and at least we were
back to being friends. That felt good and for now it was enough.
But I was still hoping that he would be able to forgive me someday
and that we could be together.
Matt was still hanging around, especially at the six
o’clock hour, but I was getting the feeling that Kate was growing a
little tired of him. Most nights she didn’t get home until late and
while I assumed she was probably working, I kind of had my own
hunch about things. Kate was tight lipped, as always when it came
to her personal life, but on Saturday especially I began to wonder
what was really going on. She had left a message saying she was
working late and then would be out for the evening. I had assumed
she would be with Matt.
Jesse and I had gone out to see Blood Thirsty 2 and
I got home late. I had forgotten to leave the lights on and the
house was dark. As I walked up, fumbling for my keys, I saw Matt
sitting on the doorstep, shivering.
“Hey, Abby,” he said. He had a canvas under his arm
and was only wearing his usual long-sleeved striped T-shirt with a
thin down vest. He must have been frozen to the bone. His scraggly
goatee had snow sticking to it.
“Matt! What are you doing out here?”
I opened the door and quickly handed him one of my
coats. He put it on and I turned up the heat high.
“You must be freezing,” I said.
“Yeah, a little,” he said. “It’s cold out
there!”
“Hey, where’s Kate?” I asked. “I thought you guys
were hanging out tonight.”
Matt suddenly looked sad.
“I don’t know. I was hoping she was here, that’s why
I stopped by.”
I realized that Matt probably had been out in front
for hours.
“She canceled earlier, said she was working late. I
went over to her office, but she wasn’t there. I wanted to give her
one of my organic carob muffins that I made this morning.”
He looked around the living room as I turned on
lights and took off my coat.
“But she’s not here either,” he said.
Matt handed me a small foil package. I
Similar Books
