Read Online Glimpse by Stacey Wallace Benefiel - Free Book Online

with her now before you get in too deep.”
    “Dad, I like her, she likes me, that’s it.  I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal out of this.”  Avery resumed working on his railing.
    “I don’t want you to get hurt like…I need to keep you safe.”
    Avery was really confused, where was all of this coming from?  Then he remembered how his Dad had behaved with Zellie’s mom at the birthday party. Was he jealous? “We’re not you and her mom, y’know.”  His dad blinked hard, taken aback.  That was it. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t be with her, when you can’t seem to be without Mrs. Wells.” He tightened his grip on his paintbrush handle. “Don’t think the entire town hasn’t noticed how embarrassing you two are with each other.”
    “You will do as I say because I’m your father and I said so.  That’s reason enough.”  He let go of Avery’s shoulders, looking at him with a glimmer of sadness in his eyes.
    “Can we just finish staining the deck?  I have a lot of homework to do.”  Avery turned away from his dad, more determined to be with Zellie than ever.
     

    Sitting on his bedroom floor with his back against his bed, Avery pulled his shirt out from his chest and sniffed it. Great , he totally reeked of wood stain.  He dialed Zellie’s phone number, hoping she wasn’t too mad at him for not showing up at the lake.
    Pastor Paul answered the phone.  “Hello?”
    “Hi, uh, is Zellie there?”
    “Who’s calling?”
    “It’s Avery Adams, sir.”
    “Oh, Avery, hi, Zellie’s mom has her doing hard labor out in the garden.  Can I take a message?”
    Wonderful, so it wasn’t just him being imprisoned by his parents? What were they up to? “No, that’s okay.  I’ll see her at school tomorrow.  Thanks, um, bye.”
    “Bye.”
     

    Later that night he lay in bed fully clothed, listening for his parents.  He’d heard his dad turn off the eleven o’clock news about a half hour before.  They were sure to be asleep by now.
    He crept from his bed, inching open his bedroom door and stepped out into the hallway.  The wood floorboards creaked beneath him.  This would have been so much easier if he could’ve fit through his bedroom window.  He made his way to the garage, opened the side door and wheeled his bike out to the street before getting on it. He looked back at his house, everything was dark and still.
    Riding his bike at this time of night was peaceful.  All the houses were quiet, only a few had their TV’s on, the light strobing though sheer curtains. The park by Zellie’s house was empty, so much calmer when there weren’t any kids in the sandboxes or on the swings. Avery noticed that they had reached the time of year when the city left the fountain flowing constantly. The night was hushed enough for him to hear the water cascading from the cherub’s pitchers into the pool below.
    He parked his bike at the end of the Wells’ gravel driveway and made his way around the side of the house. 
    Walking down the length of it, he ran his hand along the siding to balance himself in case he tripped over something in the dark.  Standing to the side of what he thought was Zellie’s bedroom window; he tapped his fingers on the glass. 
     

    Someone was shaking me.  “Zellie, wake up!” Melody whispered, “Avery’s at the window.”
    “What?”  I opened my eyes. I was clutching my belly. I’d been dreaming his vision.
    “Avery’s at the window, Zel.  He wants to talk to you.”  Melody backed away and pointed outside. Avery waved at me.
    I got up and opened the window.  “Hey,” I said, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. God, I must look horrible!  Not to mention the fact that I was wearing my Minnie Mouse night shirt.  The embarrassment, it seemed, would never end.
    He stuck his head into the room and gave me a quick kiss on the mouth.  “Hey, can you come with me somewhere?”
    I looked at Melody sitting on her bed watching us like we