Read Online The Living Room by Robert Whitlow - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Robert Whitlow
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“Thanks so much for taking the girls to the game and out for pizza.”
“You’re welcome,” Barb responded. “I’ll have Megan home around eleven thirty. I’m going to drop the other girls off first.”
“Okay.” Amy lowered her voice to a whisper. “Keep the window cracked. I don’t want you to suffocate.”
Barb rolled her eyes, and Amy glanced in the rear seat one last time. Crystal was turned sideways talking to Megan. An image of Crystal crying and alone with her makeup a mess flashed across Amy’s mind. Barb started to back out of the driveway. Amy took a few steps to keep up with the car.
“Be safe, girls,” she called out. “And stay together!”
Megan gave Amy an exasperated look. Crystal didn’t seem to notice.
After Jeff and Ian left for the game, Amy went upstairs to the writing room. The attic space doubled as her reading and writing spot and private place of prayer. The house was quiet. Amy sat in her chair and watched the Canterbury Lane streetlights wink on. She wanted to relax.
But she couldn’t get her mind off Crystal.
Amy thought about calling the girl’s parents, but what would she tell them? That she had dreams? About the vase of flowers at Natalie’s house? About Noah and the fire truck? She’d never had anything more than a brief conversation with Crystal’s mother and knew nothing about her father. She tried to imagine herself on the phone attempting to explain to Crystal’s mother about the living room.
Amy got up and paced back and forth. Her footsteps caused the thin subfloor to creak and pop. She stared out the window at the darkness descending upon the neighborhood. Leaning her head against the wall, she offered up a silent prayer for help but received noguiding answer. Finally, she sat down and turned on her computer. Opening a private file where she kept a journal, she typed out a brief prayer for Crystal’s safety. Staring at the words, she doubted their efficacy. But it was all she had the courage to do.
Amy went downstairs, ate a snack, and tried to lose herself in a romantic comedy on TV.
Jeff and Ian were the first to arrive home from the football game. Ian bounded into the house, his cheeks red. Jeff trailed behind him.
“Mom, I caught a real football!”
“Tell me about it.”
“It happened when the other team kicked an extra point after a touchdown. Bobby and me were playing behind the goalposts and stopped to watch. The ball came over the fence, and I caught it. I threw it to one of the men in the white-and-black shirts. He told me I had a nice spiral.”
Jeff nodded. “I was in the stands and saw the whole thing. It was a dandy over-the-shoulder catch. Everybody in the stands was giving me a high five and talking about how good Ian is going to be in the future.”
“How was the Pizza Palace?” Amy asked.
“There were a bunch of people there,” Ian said. “Megan was with her friends, but Dad wouldn’t let me go over to where they were sitting.”
“There must have been twenty kids crowded around a table for ten,” Jeff said.
“Crystal was sitting in a boy’s lap while he messed with her hair,” Ian added. “It was gross.”
“Was she okay?” Amy asked, unable to hide her concern. “Did it look like she’d been crying?”
“Who?” Jeff asked.
“Crystal.”
“Uh, I don’t know.”
“Was she still there when you left?”
“I think so. There was also a boy who was following Megan around like a puppy on a leash.”
“Anybody we know?”
“No.” Jeff shook his head. “But he’s on the junior varsity squad because he was wearing a jersey. They let the boys do that on Friday nights. His number was fifty-four, which means he’s probably a linebacker.”
“Did Megan seem interested in him?”
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her.”
“Was she mad when you and Ian showed up?”
“Why would Megan be mad that we went to Pizza Palace?” Ian asked. “I like pizza more than she does.”
“It’s way
“You’re welcome,” Barb responded. “I’ll have Megan home around eleven thirty. I’m going to drop the other girls off first.”
“Okay.” Amy lowered her voice to a whisper. “Keep the window cracked. I don’t want you to suffocate.”
Barb rolled her eyes, and Amy glanced in the rear seat one last time. Crystal was turned sideways talking to Megan. An image of Crystal crying and alone with her makeup a mess flashed across Amy’s mind. Barb started to back out of the driveway. Amy took a few steps to keep up with the car.
“Be safe, girls,” she called out. “And stay together!”
Megan gave Amy an exasperated look. Crystal didn’t seem to notice.
After Jeff and Ian left for the game, Amy went upstairs to the writing room. The attic space doubled as her reading and writing spot and private place of prayer. The house was quiet. Amy sat in her chair and watched the Canterbury Lane streetlights wink on. She wanted to relax.
But she couldn’t get her mind off Crystal.
Amy thought about calling the girl’s parents, but what would she tell them? That she had dreams? About the vase of flowers at Natalie’s house? About Noah and the fire truck? She’d never had anything more than a brief conversation with Crystal’s mother and knew nothing about her father. She tried to imagine herself on the phone attempting to explain to Crystal’s mother about the living room.
Amy got up and paced back and forth. Her footsteps caused the thin subfloor to creak and pop. She stared out the window at the darkness descending upon the neighborhood. Leaning her head against the wall, she offered up a silent prayer for help but received noguiding answer. Finally, she sat down and turned on her computer. Opening a private file where she kept a journal, she typed out a brief prayer for Crystal’s safety. Staring at the words, she doubted their efficacy. But it was all she had the courage to do.
Amy went downstairs, ate a snack, and tried to lose herself in a romantic comedy on TV.
Jeff and Ian were the first to arrive home from the football game. Ian bounded into the house, his cheeks red. Jeff trailed behind him.
“Mom, I caught a real football!”
“Tell me about it.”
“It happened when the other team kicked an extra point after a touchdown. Bobby and me were playing behind the goalposts and stopped to watch. The ball came over the fence, and I caught it. I threw it to one of the men in the white-and-black shirts. He told me I had a nice spiral.”
Jeff nodded. “I was in the stands and saw the whole thing. It was a dandy over-the-shoulder catch. Everybody in the stands was giving me a high five and talking about how good Ian is going to be in the future.”
“How was the Pizza Palace?” Amy asked.
“There were a bunch of people there,” Ian said. “Megan was with her friends, but Dad wouldn’t let me go over to where they were sitting.”
“There must have been twenty kids crowded around a table for ten,” Jeff said.
“Crystal was sitting in a boy’s lap while he messed with her hair,” Ian added. “It was gross.”
“Was she okay?” Amy asked, unable to hide her concern. “Did it look like she’d been crying?”
“Who?” Jeff asked.
“Crystal.”
“Uh, I don’t know.”
“Was she still there when you left?”
“I think so. There was also a boy who was following Megan around like a puppy on a leash.”
“Anybody we know?”
“No.” Jeff shook his head. “But he’s on the junior varsity squad because he was wearing a jersey. They let the boys do that on Friday nights. His number was fifty-four, which means he’s probably a linebacker.”
“Did Megan seem interested in him?”
“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her.”
“Was she mad when you and Ian showed up?”
“Why would Megan be mad that we went to Pizza Palace?” Ian asked. “I like pizza more than she does.”
“It’s way
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