threw a party but I couldn’t stay long because my Boy Scout troop is going camping tomorrow. We’re the Wolves, and I’m the leader, so there’s no way I can be a no show. But I’m also the team’s captain, so I couldn’t miss the celebration either. So complicated! Now I need to catch the 2:30 run back to Abbeville or I’ll never make it on time.” He paused for air. “I can’t take money for helping you. I’m an Eagle Scout.” He stood tall, thrusting his chest out. “I’ll do more than take you to the station. I’ll take you all the way down to Abbeville to your grandma’s.”
My legs almost folded when the strain vanished all of a sudden. It didn’t matter anymore if he’d mistook me for a boy, or if he was bossy. I wanted to jump and yell, but all I could do was sigh. “Thank you.”
Edward looked away, avoiding my gaze. Like he was David Copperfield, my sunglasses appeared in his hand and he fitted them back on my nose. “Don’t say thanks, boy. ‘A scout is helpful.’ It’s my duty to care about you. Duty comes first, self goes second, as my old man says. Come on, the station is only two blocks away.”
July 2, 1:59 am
The Greyhound station: few people, a small waiting room, and a tickets counter. Edward said he’d purchased our tickets. I gave him a 50 dollar bill. Midway to the counter, he turned and pointed a finger at me. “Stay there, I won’t take long.”
It wasn’t difficult for Edward to get the ticket girl talking. She was about his age and smiled a lot. Because of her dreamy stare, I bet she pictured Edward as the last drop of water in a desert. When she handed him the two tickets, he grabbed her hand and winked an eye. So pathetic! He didn’t release her and they chatted a bit. Before he left the counter, he pulled his cell phone and took a coupla notes. I’ll be damned if it wasn’t her e-mail and Facebook address. Rage crept inside me. She was flirting with Edward only because he was hot without her actually knowing him. Girls could be so stupid. My experience with Mom’s boyfriends was that a girl couldn’t trust a guy despite how hot he might look. For one moment, I wanted nothing to do with Edward so I got up, moved to a far corner and sat on the floor. I leaned on the huge window facing the buses’ dark parking lot, crossed my arms and snorted.
Edward grabbed some food and two cups of coffee from the station’s vending machine. When he realized I was no longer where he’d instructed me to wait, Edward frowned. He craned his neck and glanced everywhere before he found me.
“You shouldn’t have moved from where I left you. Always follow my instructions: it’s for your own safety.” He parked himself on the floor beside me. I wanted to tell him to get lost, but then he handed me a cup of coffee and continued as if we were old pals. “Here, drink this, you’ll feel better. It’s hot coffee. Be careful. You don’t want to burn yourself.”
His tone was so caring, I allowed the previous rage to evaporate. I held the cup with both hands and sipped the coffee—it in fact made me feel better as the warm drink flowed downwards to my stomach. “This is your ticket, boy; keep it safe. Here’s your money. Put it away. What’s your name?”
We’d reached a moment of truth. Edward had mistaken me for a boy since he found me sleeping on the street. Should I tell to him he’d been deceived by my appearance, or should I reinforce the deceit so he wouldn’t learn my true identity? The latter might be best, considering my situation. Also, I was enjoying being mistaken for a boy. Sorta new feeling I wanted to explore a bit more. I was a girl, but how would it feel to be a boy? I wondered whether it would further strengthen my relationship with Jenny. What name should I give myself? Tom? Robert? Obama? I looked to the huge signboards hanging from the station’s ceiling. They read: ‘ Meet Justin Pembroke, your congressman. Inman Park, July 4 .’
“Justin…
My legs almost folded when the strain vanished all of a sudden. It didn’t matter anymore if he’d mistook me for a boy, or if he was bossy. I wanted to jump and yell, but all I could do was sigh. “Thank you.”
Edward looked away, avoiding my gaze. Like he was David Copperfield, my sunglasses appeared in his hand and he fitted them back on my nose. “Don’t say thanks, boy. ‘A scout is helpful.’ It’s my duty to care about you. Duty comes first, self goes second, as my old man says. Come on, the station is only two blocks away.”
July 2, 1:59 am
The Greyhound station: few people, a small waiting room, and a tickets counter. Edward said he’d purchased our tickets. I gave him a 50 dollar bill. Midway to the counter, he turned and pointed a finger at me. “Stay there, I won’t take long.”
It wasn’t difficult for Edward to get the ticket girl talking. She was about his age and smiled a lot. Because of her dreamy stare, I bet she pictured Edward as the last drop of water in a desert. When she handed him the two tickets, he grabbed her hand and winked an eye. So pathetic! He didn’t release her and they chatted a bit. Before he left the counter, he pulled his cell phone and took a coupla notes. I’ll be damned if it wasn’t her e-mail and Facebook address. Rage crept inside me. She was flirting with Edward only because he was hot without her actually knowing him. Girls could be so stupid. My experience with Mom’s boyfriends was that a girl couldn’t trust a guy despite how hot he might look. For one moment, I wanted nothing to do with Edward so I got up, moved to a far corner and sat on the floor. I leaned on the huge window facing the buses’ dark parking lot, crossed my arms and snorted.
Edward grabbed some food and two cups of coffee from the station’s vending machine. When he realized I was no longer where he’d instructed me to wait, Edward frowned. He craned his neck and glanced everywhere before he found me.
“You shouldn’t have moved from where I left you. Always follow my instructions: it’s for your own safety.” He parked himself on the floor beside me. I wanted to tell him to get lost, but then he handed me a cup of coffee and continued as if we were old pals. “Here, drink this, you’ll feel better. It’s hot coffee. Be careful. You don’t want to burn yourself.”
His tone was so caring, I allowed the previous rage to evaporate. I held the cup with both hands and sipped the coffee—it in fact made me feel better as the warm drink flowed downwards to my stomach. “This is your ticket, boy; keep it safe. Here’s your money. Put it away. What’s your name?”
We’d reached a moment of truth. Edward had mistaken me for a boy since he found me sleeping on the street. Should I tell to him he’d been deceived by my appearance, or should I reinforce the deceit so he wouldn’t learn my true identity? The latter might be best, considering my situation. Also, I was enjoying being mistaken for a boy. Sorta new feeling I wanted to explore a bit more. I was a girl, but how would it feel to be a boy? I wondered whether it would further strengthen my relationship with Jenny. What name should I give myself? Tom? Robert? Obama? I looked to the huge signboards hanging from the station’s ceiling. They read: ‘ Meet Justin Pembroke, your congressman. Inman Park, July 4 .’
“Justin…
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