me.”
“What do you mean, ‘doesn’t want you’?”
“He got mad at me last Friday night and called his friend. They went out, and he hasn’t come back.”
“Friday night?” Mrs. Adamson looked away, andJules knew she was thinking about all the days that had passed since then. “That’s a long time, Jules.”
As if I don’t know
.
“Do you know where your dad’s friend lives?”
“No … yes. But I don’t really know how to get there.”
“How about where your dad works? Do you know the telephone number?”
“Yes. Dad’s got it written down somewhere for me. But …”
“You didn’t call?”
“No.”
“Well, maybe I could.”
“No!” Jules shouted, pulling away from her.
“It’s okay, hon. I won’t, I won’t.” Mrs. Adamson looked up at the ceiling and took a breath. “All right,” she finally said. She held Jules as she stared at the wall in front of them. It was decorated with Christmas cards. “Has your dad ever stayed away so long?”
“Weeknights, sometimes, and weekends, too, when he’s dri –” Jules caught herself. “When he’s with his friends. But not longer than two nights in a row. This time, I think he doesn’t want to come back. He’s fed up with me.”
Anyone else would say, “No, no, Jules, that can’t be true,” when they didn’t know anything about her life.
“Okay, hon. Okay.” Mrs. Adamson was silent again. She looked like she was having trouble knowing what words to use. “I’m sure you can manage onyour own. In fact, I suspect you’re pretty amazing.” She looked at Jules with a half-smile. “But you shouldn’t be on your own every day.”
She says I’m amazing. It feels good to hear someone say that
.
But a heavy, dark feeling was taking hold of her.
Silence is bad, speaking up is bad
.
“Nobody should tell my dad and me what to do,” Jules said in a mean voice.
“Of course not. But … sometimes people, families, need extra help just to stay together, to keep going. I know that myself. And … I know you’re strong, stronger than almost any young girl I’ve ever met. But even strong kids shouldn’t be alone for so long. Don’t you think?”
Jules didn’t know what to say. As young as she was, she knew that – unlike most kids – she was beyond needing to be looked after by anybody. Not because she wanted it that way, but because that’s how her life had been for the past few years. Nothing could change her back into a kid who needed to be told when to eat dinner or what clothes to wear.
But she was tired.
“Could you sit here for a few minutes? By yourself? Will you promise to stay here? I’ll be back in a sec. No one will bother you.”
I don’t want to promise anything
.
Jules’s first impulse was to run away the minute Mrs. Adamson left the room. She started to plan how she could get out of the store quickly, without beingseen, but she didn’t move her body to make it happen.
While Mrs. Adamson was out of the staff room, every so often another employee would pop their head in, say hi, and ask Jules if she wanted anything. Was she hungry? Did she want any more hot chocolate?
“No” was all she could manage to say.
This isn’t right. I don’t like strangers being kind to me for no reason
.
Mrs. Adamson finally came back. She talked about Christmas, and Jules kept her mouth shut.
This is a huge mistake. I’m in for it now. From strangers. From my dad
.
After twenty minutes or so, there was a knock on the door.
Mrs. Adamson got up and opened it. “Hi. I’m Sophie Adamson,” she said. “C’mon in.”
Jules looked at the woman who entered the room.
“Hi, Jules,” she said gently. “My name’s Eileen, Eileen Ward. And I’m a social worker.”
PART TWO ZOMBIELAND
CHAPTER
12
J ules left the store with Eileen, walking through it feeling ashamed, like a criminal.
Eileen told Jules she was going to take her to a safe place, where she’d be looked after, and took Jules home to get
Chris Taylor
G.L. Snodgrass
Lisa Black
Jan Irving
Jax
Margaret Duffy
Erin Bowman
Steve Kluger
Kate Christensen
Jake Bible