A Big Life in a Small Town (Bellingwood #2) by Diane Greenwood Muir
Authors: Diane Greenwood Muir
Ads: Link
terrify me. I'm sorry to be such a bother."
Polly put the food and coffee on an antique study carrel she had found. "Don't worry about those boys or Henry. They will not bother you and probably feel as badly as you do about the crash. They're all good guys and if they thought you were uncomfortable around them, would probably hide rather than let you see them."
Elise slumped down in the chair. "I'm awful with people. That's why this was the perfect place. No one knows me here and no one will try to get me to go out and do things."
"Do you want to do things or be with people?" Polly asked.
"Not really, but," Elise looked up at her. "I don't know what I want. Sometimes I want to be normal and have friends and go to the movies and hang out at bars, but then I realize that I don't want that at all. I just think I do. I'm so confused." She put her head in her hands. "I don't know. Back at the University, they ignore me and I can do my research and nobody bothers me. But, sometimes I watch everything happening around me and wonder why I don't fit in."
She shook her head, "I've always been on the outside."
"I'm sorry, Elise. If there's anything I can do, I will," Polly said.
"I don't even know why I'm telling you this. I don’t usually talk about it with anyone." Her look of confusion made Polly smile. "Not even my mom. She thinks this is all a choice I've made. She loves me and has always given me space to do whatever I wanted, but she never pushed me out of the house or forced me to make friends."
Elise sighed, "Well, this isn't going to get any work done. Thank you for bringing food to me. I'm sorry I broke your plate and I'm sorry if I hurt those boys."
"The boys are pretty hardy," Polly chuckled. "And plates aren't worth worrying about. Here," Polly said and picked up a pen and a pad of paper. "This is my cell phone. You can call or text me any time you need anything if you are too freaked out to come downstairs. I'm not going to make you be friends with anyone but me. However, you are going to be friends with me. That's already established. Got it?"
Elise didn't say anything, simply looked at the paper Polly had handed to her. "Elise? Do you understand? You're my friend now. That means I'd like to see your face every once in a while. And when you're not working and need a break, you and I might hang out over in my apartment and watch a movie or television with my animals. How does that sound?"
"It sounds heavenly," Elise said. "Thank you. Can I text you any time?"
"Any time. Even if you only need me to run upstairs and bring you an apple."
Elise stood up again and seemed a little uncomfortable, but reached out to hug Polly. "Thank you," she said again. "No one has ever made me be their friend before."
"Well, I guess you've never met my friends," Polly said. "When you're ready, I've got a crazy group of them here and they'll love you!"
The girl shuddered and said, "I don't think I'm ready for that yet."
"Then, don't worry about it. Now, I'm going back downstairs to get some work done. I have to rescue my little girl kitty cat from the veterinarian in a little bit. She had surgery yesterday and I can't wait to get her back home. Leave the empty plate on the table outside your door and I'll deal with it later."
"Thank you, Polly," Elise said.
As Polly walked back downstairs, she chuckled to herself, "Lydia would be so proud of me," she murmured. "I'm turning into her clone!"
By the time she got back to the kitchen, there was quite a crowd gathered around eating breakfast and drinking coffee.
"I hope we didn't freak her out," Doug said. "But, she ran into us!"
"It's fine," Polly replied. “I think she freaked herself out. She's a lot more comfortable with books and numbers than she is with people. So, your job ..." and she looked at everyone around her, "is to avoid her when you see her. Don't try to make her talk to you. Just smile and be your nice, normal, polite selves and then move on. Got it?" She looked
Polly put the food and coffee on an antique study carrel she had found. "Don't worry about those boys or Henry. They will not bother you and probably feel as badly as you do about the crash. They're all good guys and if they thought you were uncomfortable around them, would probably hide rather than let you see them."
Elise slumped down in the chair. "I'm awful with people. That's why this was the perfect place. No one knows me here and no one will try to get me to go out and do things."
"Do you want to do things or be with people?" Polly asked.
"Not really, but," Elise looked up at her. "I don't know what I want. Sometimes I want to be normal and have friends and go to the movies and hang out at bars, but then I realize that I don't want that at all. I just think I do. I'm so confused." She put her head in her hands. "I don't know. Back at the University, they ignore me and I can do my research and nobody bothers me. But, sometimes I watch everything happening around me and wonder why I don't fit in."
She shook her head, "I've always been on the outside."
"I'm sorry, Elise. If there's anything I can do, I will," Polly said.
"I don't even know why I'm telling you this. I don’t usually talk about it with anyone." Her look of confusion made Polly smile. "Not even my mom. She thinks this is all a choice I've made. She loves me and has always given me space to do whatever I wanted, but she never pushed me out of the house or forced me to make friends."
Elise sighed, "Well, this isn't going to get any work done. Thank you for bringing food to me. I'm sorry I broke your plate and I'm sorry if I hurt those boys."
"The boys are pretty hardy," Polly chuckled. "And plates aren't worth worrying about. Here," Polly said and picked up a pen and a pad of paper. "This is my cell phone. You can call or text me any time you need anything if you are too freaked out to come downstairs. I'm not going to make you be friends with anyone but me. However, you are going to be friends with me. That's already established. Got it?"
Elise didn't say anything, simply looked at the paper Polly had handed to her. "Elise? Do you understand? You're my friend now. That means I'd like to see your face every once in a while. And when you're not working and need a break, you and I might hang out over in my apartment and watch a movie or television with my animals. How does that sound?"
"It sounds heavenly," Elise said. "Thank you. Can I text you any time?"
"Any time. Even if you only need me to run upstairs and bring you an apple."
Elise stood up again and seemed a little uncomfortable, but reached out to hug Polly. "Thank you," she said again. "No one has ever made me be their friend before."
"Well, I guess you've never met my friends," Polly said. "When you're ready, I've got a crazy group of them here and they'll love you!"
The girl shuddered and said, "I don't think I'm ready for that yet."
"Then, don't worry about it. Now, I'm going back downstairs to get some work done. I have to rescue my little girl kitty cat from the veterinarian in a little bit. She had surgery yesterday and I can't wait to get her back home. Leave the empty plate on the table outside your door and I'll deal with it later."
"Thank you, Polly," Elise said.
As Polly walked back downstairs, she chuckled to herself, "Lydia would be so proud of me," she murmured. "I'm turning into her clone!"
By the time she got back to the kitchen, there was quite a crowd gathered around eating breakfast and drinking coffee.
"I hope we didn't freak her out," Doug said. "But, she ran into us!"
"It's fine," Polly replied. “I think she freaked herself out. She's a lot more comfortable with books and numbers than she is with people. So, your job ..." and she looked at everyone around her, "is to avoid her when you see her. Don't try to make her talk to you. Just smile and be your nice, normal, polite selves and then move on. Got it?" She looked
Similar Books
