Read Online In the Lyrics by Nacole Stayton - Free Book Online Page A

anger, I look away and break eye contact with her. She notices.
    “Glad you could finally join us, Colby. Everyone,” she holds her hands out in front of her and points to me. “This is my friend and he is going to be joining us today. Is that okay?” Only one child speaks up. He looks about six. The other two simply shake their heads.
    “I’m Joshua!” the small boy says enthusiastically as he waves at me.
    Bending down so we can be at eye level, I hold my hand out in front of me. “Nice to meet you, partner.” His smile melts my heart and makes me think of Levi. God, how I wish it were his hand I was holding and his pure eyes I was looking into.
    “Well, now that everyone knows who our guest is, let’s get in a single file line,” Hensley instructs.
    Joshua runs in front of the other two children.
    “Me, me, Logan! I wanna go first.”
    Logan? Isn’t that who Hensley said could bring her home if I decided to leave? I don’t want him driving her anywhere, especially with what I just saw.
    “Didn’t you go first last time?” the dude questions Joshua. He isn’t much bigger than me, in build that is, but he is shorter, about a head or so. His hair is dark and matches his tan complexion. I bet he is part Indian or something.
    “Yes, sir,” Joshua sulks while looking down towards the grass.
    “All right, you get to go first again, but this is the last time, and then it’s Leslie’s turn to go first, okay?”
    “K, Logan.”
    I watch as the dude I now know as Logan helps Joshua up and onto a salt-and-pepper colored horse. As soon as he sets him in the saddle, Joshua’s white helmet falls to the ground, startling the horse. It’s like everything goes into slow motion, and before I know it, the horse rears back and Joshua slides off of him. My eyes register him falling, as if in slow motion, and he lands on his butt with a thump. In a matter of seconds, Joshua is crying, the horse is bolting, and Hensley is standing, still and in shock. Immediately I push the other two children behind my back. If just the noise of the helmet hitting the ground startled the horse, I don’t want them to get hurt next. Joshua’s cries grow louder as Logan tries to control the wild mare.
    “Oh my God! Code white!” I hear Hensley shriek into a walkie-talkie she has hooked on her belt. Bending down, I start to examine Joshua. There doesn’t appear to be any serious damage, just a scratch on his forearm and a few tiny droplets of blood from the scrape caused by the impact. He looks frightened as he peers into my eyes. Leaning down, I scoop him up into my arms, also grabbing one of the other kid’s hands.
    “Joshua, I need you to hold tight around my neck, okay?” He nods. When he does, I take a second to take the smaller child’s hand and raise it up, intertwining her hand with my belt loop. “All right, come on, guys, let’s go get Joshua cleaned up.” The two kids follow me step by step as I hold one’s hand, and the other holds onto my jeans belt loop. Holding Joshua up with one arm isn’t a problem; he’s pretty light. His arms grip around my neck as his small body bounces on my arm from my movement.
    I don’t look back. I’m sure Logan can tame the horse, and Hensley, well, she looked stunned to say the least. I know children with disabilities all too well, and I know I needed to get all three of them out of that environment. Sometimes kids with special needs get frightened easily, and let’s face it, they all looked pretty shaken up.
    We reach the stairs as Mrs. Blair is opening the door with a wet rag and an ice pack. Holding her arms out, she reaches for Joshua.
    “It’s okay, ma’am. I’ve got him.”
    She opens the door wider so I can move past her and go inside. Walking into the same open room we were in earlier, I place Joshua on the sofa, and pick up the two other kids, and sit them next to him. They don’t talk. “Now would it be okay if I looked at your arm, Joshua?” He doesn’t say