Secrets of the Sleeper: True Nature Series: Book One by Karen Lynn Bennett Page A

relatives. I felt sick to my stomach imagining losing both my parents. But it had been about four years since his tragedy. Why hadn’t I ever reached out to him? Had I ignored him like everyone ignored me last year?
    Everyone at my table was busy chatting with someone other than me, so I slipped out and headed over to Bobby. When I sat down across from him, he looked up with wide eyes.
    “’sup?” he mumbled.
    “Not much. Just bored. Thought you looked bored, too. So…” I started picking at my nail polish. A few tables away, several kids watched us. Whatever , I thought.
    Bobby looked around as if to see what was really going on. I followed his gaze. He was looking at my lunch table. Isaac was staring at us.
    “Looks like your boyfriend can help you with your problem.”
    “He’s not my boyfriend,” I said defensively. “Hey, I just wanted to talk.”
    He raised his eyebrows and smirked. I tried again.
    “Um. Well, I just wanted to check on you ’cause…well…I just have this new… Um, I don’t know…I just know how tough losing a parent is now and…”
    Two bright spots appeared on his cheeks. “Yeah. Sorry about your mom.” He frowned, crunching up his soda can and looking for a garbage can.
    I cleared my throat. “Thanks. I was probably a total jerk when your parents died. Sorry. I know how much that sucks now. But I was just wondering. Well, you’ve been dealing with it longer, and…well…I was just wondering how you do it.”
    Understanding dawned on him and his face closed in. “Me? I’m not dealing with it.” His lips thinned. “Look at me. Do I seem like I’m dealing with it?”
    The anger shocked me. What did I do? But then I saw something else in his eyes. Pain. In fact, I felt it. Unbelievable anguish. It happened four years ago and it was still so much a part of him. Tears welled up in my eyes. I recognized his pain. I knew he was probably fielding the blame. And I hurt thinking that he had been feeling this way for so long. No wonder he looked so bad. Was I going to be this messed up four years from now? What was there to hope for? I brushed away a runaway tear.
    Bobby noticed and blanched, regret pulling his face down, trying to capture my gaze. “I’m sorry. It’s still fresh for you, but I’m the last person you want to ask for advice.”
    He rose to leave, but I grabbed his hand braced on the table, stopping his exit. He sighed and sat back down, glaring at me again. I wanted him to feel happy, like he used to be. No one should feel like this for as long as he had.
    “Bobby. I remember you in Mrs. Frost’s history class way back in seventh grade. You were hilarious and happy and really, really fun. I wish you could be that person again.” I said it so fervently, Bobby’s eyes shifted off to one side and then back to mine. They were angry and sorrowful. But now I saw hope in them, too. I squeezed his fingers, thinking that he deserved to get over this, that his parents would have wanted him to be happy, that his brother needed him to be better.
    “Bobby,” I insisted. “It will get better.” My hand felt warm, but I continued, gripping his fingers tighter. “You have to be better. Daniel is your younger brother, right?”
    He nodded, blankly. I remembered that Daniel had been a couple years younger. I wondered where he was.
    “He needs you,” I said, not knowing where that came from, but feeling that it was true. “You will be better.” Bobby’s eyes seemed to glow. I hoped I hadn’t made him cry.
    I pulled my hand away, suddenly feeling tired, but Bobby grabbed it back and leaned in closely. I could definitely see the moisture in his eyes now.
    “You’re right, Tru. I’ll do it. I’ll call him tonight.” He smiled. “Hey, are you all right?”
    I smiled back, too weary to reply. I was feeling so tired, I thought about resting my head on the table. I felt like I might fall over, actually. No. I didn’t want to pass out in front of all these people. I