man said. Re-dye your hair and try to stay out of trouble.”
“You saved my life, Auntie. I’ll be forever grateful.” Jamie kissed her on the cheek and walked to the door with her. “Sure you don’t want to stay overnight?”
Edie laughed. “And sleep where?”
When Edie’s larger than life presence was gone, Sam wondered if Jamie felt as vulnerable as she did. She was at the mercy of Nita and her mouth. He was at risk from the man in the black truck and Nate. “We should hire her for protection,” she said.
“Nah, we’re good. Hey, I’m gonna go fix up my room. Want to help?”
She wanted to be anywhere but at the apartment when Nita came home. “Can I bring my sleeping bag?”
“Sure. Bring your books and stuff. You can bunk with me.”
Maybe Nita would beg her to come back if she stayed away long enough, because she’d have to buy her own food instead of eating Sam’s. She hastily crammed clothes in an empty bag and put her school stuff in her backpack, including her computer. Jamie carried her sleeping bag and her pillow.
Edie was sitting in the car with the motor running. They walked to the Focus, and Jamie pounded on the window. He laughed when Edie jumped. “What are you doing out here?” he yelled.
She rolled the window down a few inches. “Waiting for someone.”
“You can wait inside,” he said and turned to Sam. “You don’t care, do you?”
“That’s okay. It won’t be long,” Edie said. “Is Sam moving in with you?”
“Maybe.”
“Well, be discreet about it, both of you. Okay?”
“I am the soul of discretion,” Jamie said.
“Try anyway. I’ll give you a lift, but I have to call someone first. Just wait a minute.”
“Hey, we’re used to hoofing it.”
Sam was thinking she’d like a ride. She stamped her boots against the cold seeping up through the snow-covered ground.
“Bye, Auntie. Thanks for everything.” He blew a kiss toward Edie and started off with Sam at a running walk.
When they reached the dorm, they took the steps two at a time to the third floor and Sam slipped off her backpack and set it in a corner in the crowded room.
“That’s your side,” Jamie said. “We’ll have to get you something soft to put your sleeping bag on.”
Later, when Sam was in the rather grim bathroom on the other side of the common room in the girl’s wing brushing her teeth, one of the members of the LGBT group came out of a stall, zipping up her jeans. Sam watched her in the mirror, trying to place her. Her short cap of dark hair framed a heart-shaped face with bold blue-gray eyes and a wide mouth.
She turned on the water in the sink next to Sam. “Hey, how come we’ve never met here before?”
Sam smiled at her in the mirror, her mouth full of toothpaste. She spit in the sink and rinsed off her toothbrush. “Guess we didn’t have to go at the same time.”
“I thought you moved into an apartment with Nita Perez.”
“I did. I’m staying here tonight with a friend,” Sam said, assessing the girl in the mirror. What was her name?
“Hey, want to hang out with us tomorrow night—Toni and Lisa and me? My room is 317. Bring anyone you want. You could bring Nita.” She grinned, and Sam felt a blush starting up from her toes for no reason at all. “What’s your room number?”
What was it? She rummaged around in her mind and said, “It’s the one by the stairs on the other side of the common room, but I’ve got to work tomorrow night.” She shrugged and made a face, not sure whether to feel relieved or sorry.
“That’s the men’s wing,” and the girl surprised Sam by touching her cheek with one wet finger. “What are you doing with a guy?”
“You know Jamie Carpenter, don’t you? He’s the friend.”
“Yeah, I know him,” the girl said. “Met him at an LGBT meeting.”
When she left, Sam looked at her reflection. The blush was fading. Her eyes, the ones that felt like hot holes, were her best feature. Her mother had once said
“You saved my life, Auntie. I’ll be forever grateful.” Jamie kissed her on the cheek and walked to the door with her. “Sure you don’t want to stay overnight?”
Edie laughed. “And sleep where?”
When Edie’s larger than life presence was gone, Sam wondered if Jamie felt as vulnerable as she did. She was at the mercy of Nita and her mouth. He was at risk from the man in the black truck and Nate. “We should hire her for protection,” she said.
“Nah, we’re good. Hey, I’m gonna go fix up my room. Want to help?”
She wanted to be anywhere but at the apartment when Nita came home. “Can I bring my sleeping bag?”
“Sure. Bring your books and stuff. You can bunk with me.”
Maybe Nita would beg her to come back if she stayed away long enough, because she’d have to buy her own food instead of eating Sam’s. She hastily crammed clothes in an empty bag and put her school stuff in her backpack, including her computer. Jamie carried her sleeping bag and her pillow.
Edie was sitting in the car with the motor running. They walked to the Focus, and Jamie pounded on the window. He laughed when Edie jumped. “What are you doing out here?” he yelled.
She rolled the window down a few inches. “Waiting for someone.”
“You can wait inside,” he said and turned to Sam. “You don’t care, do you?”
“That’s okay. It won’t be long,” Edie said. “Is Sam moving in with you?”
“Maybe.”
“Well, be discreet about it, both of you. Okay?”
“I am the soul of discretion,” Jamie said.
“Try anyway. I’ll give you a lift, but I have to call someone first. Just wait a minute.”
“Hey, we’re used to hoofing it.”
Sam was thinking she’d like a ride. She stamped her boots against the cold seeping up through the snow-covered ground.
“Bye, Auntie. Thanks for everything.” He blew a kiss toward Edie and started off with Sam at a running walk.
When they reached the dorm, they took the steps two at a time to the third floor and Sam slipped off her backpack and set it in a corner in the crowded room.
“That’s your side,” Jamie said. “We’ll have to get you something soft to put your sleeping bag on.”
Later, when Sam was in the rather grim bathroom on the other side of the common room in the girl’s wing brushing her teeth, one of the members of the LGBT group came out of a stall, zipping up her jeans. Sam watched her in the mirror, trying to place her. Her short cap of dark hair framed a heart-shaped face with bold blue-gray eyes and a wide mouth.
She turned on the water in the sink next to Sam. “Hey, how come we’ve never met here before?”
Sam smiled at her in the mirror, her mouth full of toothpaste. She spit in the sink and rinsed off her toothbrush. “Guess we didn’t have to go at the same time.”
“I thought you moved into an apartment with Nita Perez.”
“I did. I’m staying here tonight with a friend,” Sam said, assessing the girl in the mirror. What was her name?
“Hey, want to hang out with us tomorrow night—Toni and Lisa and me? My room is 317. Bring anyone you want. You could bring Nita.” She grinned, and Sam felt a blush starting up from her toes for no reason at all. “What’s your room number?”
What was it? She rummaged around in her mind and said, “It’s the one by the stairs on the other side of the common room, but I’ve got to work tomorrow night.” She shrugged and made a face, not sure whether to feel relieved or sorry.
“That’s the men’s wing,” and the girl surprised Sam by touching her cheek with one wet finger. “What are you doing with a guy?”
“You know Jamie Carpenter, don’t you? He’s the friend.”
“Yeah, I know him,” the girl said. “Met him at an LGBT meeting.”
When she left, Sam looked at her reflection. The blush was fading. Her eyes, the ones that felt like hot holes, were her best feature. Her mother had once said
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