Read Online Art for Art's Sake: Meredith's Story by Barbara L. Clanton - Free Book Online

at Dani and said, “Ki come?”
    Dani looked perplexed again and said to Meredith, “I need a translator, I think.”
    “He wants to come.”
    “Oh, he can come if it’s okay with your mom.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Yeah, I have three seat belts in the front of the pickup.”
    Meredith was baffled. It almost sounded like Dani didn’t mind hanging out with her. And with Mikey. Confused by this apparent turn of events, Meredith said, “Okay, let me go ask,” and went to check with her mother.
    Meredith came back into the living room with two thumbs up and handed Mikey his coat.
    Dani smiled at Mikey. “Yeah, dude! You can come.”
    “Yeah, dude!” Mikey echoed and waited for his big sister to start the zipper to his coat.
    Dani said to Meredith under her breath, “And if we need any protecting,” she pointed to Mikey, “we’ll be all set.”
    “Absolutely. Let’s go.”
    Dani’s pickup truck was a lot newer than Meredith’s father’s pickup. The white exterior looked freshly washed, and the burgundy interior looked and smelled like freshly applied Armor All. Mikey sat in the middle of the truck’s front seat that held the three of them quite comfortably.
    “Nice truck,” Meredith said once they were buckled in and on their way down Center Street.
    Dani looked at Meredith over the top of Mikey’s head. “Thanks. It’s my dad’s, but he usually drives his Honda to and from work. He lets me use his truck if he doesn’t need it, so, basically, I use it all the time. Someday I’ll get my own, though.”
    “You really want a truck? Not a sports car or something?”
    “Nah. You sit high up in a truck. And if you have to haul cargo, you’ve got the room.”
    “Okay.” Meredith thought about it for a moment and asked, “What cargo do you plan on hauling?”
    Dani laughed and Meredith smiled because she liked the sound.
    Dani looked at her again. “Well, you got me on that one. I don’t know. I’ve just always liked trucks. Probably because my dad does.”
    “That’s cool, I guess. Oh, I brought my digital camera, by the way. My grandparents gave it to me for Christmas. We might be able to get some good pictures with the flash, since it’s dark.”
    “Yeah, I know. We didn’t think about the fact that the sun goes down early, did we? Did we, Mikey?”
    “No,” he said and smiled up at Dani.
    Dani looked back at the road and said, “But we’re going to be okay, because Center Street is so lit up they can see us from space. Right, Mikey?”
    “Right.” He looked at his sister. “Right, Mewey?”
    “Right, Mikey, right.” Meredith squeezed his hand. He had grabbed her hand the moment they got in the truck. He was probably a little nervous about the new truck and the new person in his sister’s life.
    Mikey reached up and grabbed at Dani’s hand on the steering wheel. Dani looked at Meredith, presumably for a translation of his gesture. Meredith said, “I think he wants to hold your hand, too.”
    “Oh, okay. Gee, I’m a little slow.”
    Meredith watched Dani cringe.
    “Oh, Meredith. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. It just came out...wrong.” Dani took Mikey’s hand in hers.
    Meredith couldn’t see, but figured Dani was probably turning red. “It’s okay. You didn’t mean it. And hey, he’s heard worse.” Although Meredith felt bad that Dani was embarrassed by her slip, she couldn’t help but turn her artist’s eye toward Dani’s new expression. She hadn’t seen this one before. Embarrassment. She took a mental photograph of the moment and knew she was going to add one more sketch to her growing collection of the many moods of Dani Lassiter.
    They pulled into the parking lot of the auto parts store. Mikey fumbled with his seatbelt and said, “Weddy, Mewey?” He wanted to race.
    They stepped out of the truck and Meredith grabbed him by the shoulders. “No, Mikey, we’re not going to the auto parts store.”
    She looked toward the store and saw three guys, probably