Read Online Tribe (Tribe 1) by Audrina Cole - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Audrina Cole
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something about the way you treated me made me feel so much better. I guess it’s because you made me feel like a normal person. Not a sick person. I can’t remember the last time someone treated me like a real person.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t know. “I’m glad I could help.”
“You really did. I had been feeling hopeful at the beginning of the fundraiser, because it had been a good day for me. I was able to walk around a little bit, which is why you found me outside. I’ve been in that chair or in bed non-stop for the last two weeks. But then it seemed like everything fell apart. I overheard my parents talking about how little money had come in, and my mom was crying…it just made me feel so tired and…I guess trapped. It gets old, feeling like you no longer have control over your life.” He sighed. I could hear the frustration in his voice. “Anyway, you really lifted me up. I just wanted you to know that.”
I blinked back tears. “I’m really glad, Alex. You’re a good person. I can tell. You deserve good things.”’
“Yeah.” The resignation was palpable. He didn’t think anything good would happen for him.
I wished I could tell him that he now had time for good things to happen to him, but I had to be content just knowing that he had a future.
There was so much more I wanted to say to him, and I sensed he had more to say to me. But he said nothing, so I wished him well and we said our goodbyes.
I sat for a long time crying, and I wasn’t sure why.
9
T he week dragged by , but finally Saturday came, and I was finally free. I had my own car! Yes!
Mom picked up the Prius on Wednesday, and I got her old Jetta as soon as I was off restriction, on Saturday. It was a diesel converted to run on old vegetable oil. Dad and River had learned how to do it from the internet. It had two gas tanks, one for diesel and one for the filtered veggie oil. I had to start and run it on the diesel until the engine was warm, then flip a switch installed on the dash to make it run on the veggie oil. The exhaust smelled like French fries, because Dad collected big drums of used oil from the local fast food restaurants, and filtered it with a contraption he made in the garage.
I was officially the Queen of the Hippies, according to my friends. “Laugh all you want,” I told them, “but I’ll be laughing all the way to the bank, because I won’t have to pay for any gas!” In reality, I’d probably have to do a little extra work around the house in exchange for Dad picking up the oil and filtering it for me, and I would have to pay for a little bit of diesel gas which was needed to get the engine warmed up, but telling them that would take away from all my gloating.
I wanted to take Meadow out for a spin, but when I called she said she was getting ready to go on a date. All my friends were busy, so I had to settle for River. He was thrilled to go, because he had a few months before he could even take Driver’s Ed classes, and Meadow rarely took him anywhere.
I’d been borrowing my parents’ cars since I’d gotten my license, but nothing compares to the feeling of driving your own car on a spring day with the windows rolled down. I was in heaven.
For River it was the next best thing to having his own car. I drove carefully down the winding road until we got to the county highway, where I could open it up and go fifty-five. River hung his head out the window like a dog and yelled “whooooo-hooooo”!
The little nerd-ball really needed to get out more.
The phone rang and I pulled it out of my purse and answered it without taking my eyes off the road. “Hello?”
“Ember? It’s Alex.”
I nearly drove off the road. River groaned and pulled his head back inside, clutching at the console and the passenger door as the car veered. I dropped the phone to put both hands on the wheel, and regained control. Pulling over to the side of the road, I stopped the car and picked the phone up off
I breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t know. “I’m glad I could help.”
“You really did. I had been feeling hopeful at the beginning of the fundraiser, because it had been a good day for me. I was able to walk around a little bit, which is why you found me outside. I’ve been in that chair or in bed non-stop for the last two weeks. But then it seemed like everything fell apart. I overheard my parents talking about how little money had come in, and my mom was crying…it just made me feel so tired and…I guess trapped. It gets old, feeling like you no longer have control over your life.” He sighed. I could hear the frustration in his voice. “Anyway, you really lifted me up. I just wanted you to know that.”
I blinked back tears. “I’m really glad, Alex. You’re a good person. I can tell. You deserve good things.”’
“Yeah.” The resignation was palpable. He didn’t think anything good would happen for him.
I wished I could tell him that he now had time for good things to happen to him, but I had to be content just knowing that he had a future.
There was so much more I wanted to say to him, and I sensed he had more to say to me. But he said nothing, so I wished him well and we said our goodbyes.
I sat for a long time crying, and I wasn’t sure why.
9
T he week dragged by , but finally Saturday came, and I was finally free. I had my own car! Yes!
Mom picked up the Prius on Wednesday, and I got her old Jetta as soon as I was off restriction, on Saturday. It was a diesel converted to run on old vegetable oil. Dad and River had learned how to do it from the internet. It had two gas tanks, one for diesel and one for the filtered veggie oil. I had to start and run it on the diesel until the engine was warm, then flip a switch installed on the dash to make it run on the veggie oil. The exhaust smelled like French fries, because Dad collected big drums of used oil from the local fast food restaurants, and filtered it with a contraption he made in the garage.
I was officially the Queen of the Hippies, according to my friends. “Laugh all you want,” I told them, “but I’ll be laughing all the way to the bank, because I won’t have to pay for any gas!” In reality, I’d probably have to do a little extra work around the house in exchange for Dad picking up the oil and filtering it for me, and I would have to pay for a little bit of diesel gas which was needed to get the engine warmed up, but telling them that would take away from all my gloating.
I wanted to take Meadow out for a spin, but when I called she said she was getting ready to go on a date. All my friends were busy, so I had to settle for River. He was thrilled to go, because he had a few months before he could even take Driver’s Ed classes, and Meadow rarely took him anywhere.
I’d been borrowing my parents’ cars since I’d gotten my license, but nothing compares to the feeling of driving your own car on a spring day with the windows rolled down. I was in heaven.
For River it was the next best thing to having his own car. I drove carefully down the winding road until we got to the county highway, where I could open it up and go fifty-five. River hung his head out the window like a dog and yelled “whooooo-hooooo”!
The little nerd-ball really needed to get out more.
The phone rang and I pulled it out of my purse and answered it without taking my eyes off the road. “Hello?”
“Ember? It’s Alex.”
I nearly drove off the road. River groaned and pulled his head back inside, clutching at the console and the passenger door as the car veered. I dropped the phone to put both hands on the wheel, and regained control. Pulling over to the side of the road, I stopped the car and picked the phone up off
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