werenât in class.â
âUhâ¦yes, I know.â
âI was worried something might have happened to you. You should have people checking up on you, you know. Head injuries can develop complications a few days later.â
Develop complications? Oh, I think we can safely say weâve developed complications. I walked out of the house four minutes ago to escape my problems, not slam headlong into them.
A sudden, terrorizing thought strikes me. âYou didnât tell the class what happened, did you? You didnât explain why I wasnât there?â
Will blinks at me. âI donât know why you werenât there. Which is why Iâm here. But, no, I found it best to leave the telling to you. Or, the not telling. You donât owe your classmates any explanation.â
âOh, good.â I say, leaning up against the wall. Iâm surprised at how relieved I am to hear that.
âBut,â says Will, leaning up on the wall beside me, âyou do owe me an explanation.â He crosses his hands over his chest and looks me over. âYouâre obviously well enough to be up and about. Why werenât you in class?â
Got any ideas how to answer that one? I stall for time. âI just sort ofâ¦panicked, I suppose.â Then the answer comes to me. âIt was that assignment. Thatâs a mean trick to play on someone like me. You canât just boil a lifeâs passion down to three words like that. Itâs impossible. Iâve been working on that nasty thing for hours, but the paperâs still empty. Not that I donât have words. Iâve got a list of thirty-seven words taped to my refrigerator. I just canât boil it down to only three.â
Will unfolds his arms. âNow do you see what I mean?â
âOkay, fine, you were right. But thatâs what I pay you for. Youâre the teacher, itâs your job to be right. Right?â
Will shakes his head, as if his proper British brain just doesnât know what to do with me. He freezes, one hand in the air, eyes squinted shut, and you can just see the guy think. Or count to ten to calm down. Iâm not sure which until he pops his eyes open and starts to undo his tie. âHave you eaten?â
âIf you count ice cream as dinner, yes.â
âI was more thinking along the lines of actual food. â
âWell, then, I suppose no.â
âRight then. Letâs go get your massive list, and weâll discuss tonightâs lesson over a sandwich.â
You gotta love the way this guy speaks. American guys would say, âletâs go grab a burger,â but no, weâre âdiscussing over a sandwich.â
I start walking back to my door. âYou English and your sandwiches.â
âBeg your pardon?â
âYou know,â Iâm laughing as I turn my key in the lock. âSandwich.â I broaden out the A in sorry attempt at British. âCucumber, Earl of, that sort of thing. Itâs just so funny.â
âI hardly see the humor in eating a sandwich.â Will follows me up the stairs.
âI know and thatâs what makes it so funny.â I unlock my apartment door, âHang on, Iâll be right back.â I snag the list off my fridge, pretend Iâm not really checking my hair in the mirror, snag an even bigger pair of sunglasses even though itâs dark now and head back to the front door. âList in hand. Letâs go have a sandwich.â
âPerhaps I should have a hamburger now. Or fried chicken. Something less British.â Heâs got the same expression my brothers have before they launch into a load of teasing.
âOh, no, Iâd like a sandwich.â I put on my glasses even though it makes things so dim I have to squint and squinting hurts a bit. I make my way down the stairs, holding the railing tight because I canât really see the stair edge with these glasses on. At
Jackie French
Dahlia Rose
Kori David
Cliff Ball
C. J. Cherryh
E. L. Todd
Patricia McKissack
T. L. Higley
Seonaid
Linda Ladd