Read Online Wherever You Go by Heather Davis - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Heather Davis
Ads: Link
Rob."
I gripped the table with both hands. Surely Grandpa had known about me and Rob dating, though I wasn't sure he knew about the accident. It had to be his mind mixing memory with fantasy. It had to be part of his disease, for sure, but, peering into my grandfather's eyes, I had my doubts. "Rob was my boyfriend, and he was killed six months ago."
Grandpa Aldo looked down at his hands. "I saw this boy."
"I'm reaaaa—dy!" Lena zoomed into the kitchen dressed in jeans and a bright green sweater. Her thick brown hair, barely brushed, was in a lopsided ponytail. "Bring on the field trip," she chirped.
"Grandpa, the senior center bus will be here soon," I said, setting my bowl in the sink. "Can you get your coat, please?"
He rose Comadpa, the s from his chair slowly and moved toward the door.
I stuffed the sack lunch into Lena's backpack and grabbed my bag. After I'd shepherded everyone out the door, I locked up. Grandpa was quiet during the elevator ride and while waiting for the buses to arrive. And then at last he and Lena were under way, their rides trailing clouds of diesel fumes. I shouldered my bag and headed down the street toward my school. The blocks melted away under my feet.
I didn't know what to think about what Grandpa Aldo had said, but each intersection I crossed brought me closer to reality. Grandpa was sick. Grandpa was out of touch with reality and his brain was making whatever connections it could to stay alive. It didn't mean anything. It couldn't. No one was ever going to see Rob again. No one could.
I shuddered as rain began to fall, the drops splashing my cheeks.
Rob is dead. Rob is dead. Rob is gone forever.
I let the cadence of my footsteps propel the mantra I was repeating in my head. It was all I could do. I wouldn't forget him, but I couldn't pretend he existed anymore.
***
Jason raised his head as the second bell sounded and Holly came through the door of the chemistry lab. She plunked down into her seat in the second row and got her book out, then sat there, smoothing her hair, which was escaping the loose ponytail at the nape of her neck. Even in obvious disarray, she was cute.
As class started, Jason stared down at the notebook in front of him, doodling on the blank pages. And then he was lost in Mr. Jensen's review lecture on covalent bonding—a sea of words that washed over him. His eyes and mind drifted over to Holly again. It was hard not to notice her sitting just a few seats away from him, scratching notes onto paper like her life depended on it.
He didn't know if she was a good student or not, but she did seem to know the answers the few times the teacher had called on her in class. It made sense that she would be diligent, responsible. He got that impression from his interactions with her, and the care she took with her grandfather and sister. She was definitely the trustworthy type. He recalled that Holly and Rob had met when they were lab partners back in sophomore year. Wow. They really had been together for nearly a year before Rob died. Jason didn't know any other guys in his circle who had dated girls that long.
Mr. Jensen wrote a few practice questions on the white board, and Jason snapped back to reality, copying them down so he'd have the homework. Then, at last, the bell rang and the class gathered their things. The hallway was packed, but Jason managed to catch up with Holly just down the hall.
"Hey," he said. "How's it going?" Inwardly he kicked himself for sounding lame.
Without warning, Holly grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the traffic of the hallway.
"What's—"
"My grandpa is cracking up. For real," she said, her blue eyes piercing, serious.
"What happened?"
Holly chewed her lower lip. "Um ... well, it's weird, but at breakfast he said he saw Rob in our apartment last night."
"Like, as a hallucination or something?"
"I guess."
"Okay, well, that's normal for people with dementia, right? They see stuff."
She shook her head. "The thing is,
I gripped the table with both hands. Surely Grandpa had known about me and Rob dating, though I wasn't sure he knew about the accident. It had to be his mind mixing memory with fantasy. It had to be part of his disease, for sure, but, peering into my grandfather's eyes, I had my doubts. "Rob was my boyfriend, and he was killed six months ago."
Grandpa Aldo looked down at his hands. "I saw this boy."
"I'm reaaaa—dy!" Lena zoomed into the kitchen dressed in jeans and a bright green sweater. Her thick brown hair, barely brushed, was in a lopsided ponytail. "Bring on the field trip," she chirped.
"Grandpa, the senior center bus will be here soon," I said, setting my bowl in the sink. "Can you get your coat, please?"
He rose Comadpa, the s from his chair slowly and moved toward the door.
I stuffed the sack lunch into Lena's backpack and grabbed my bag. After I'd shepherded everyone out the door, I locked up. Grandpa was quiet during the elevator ride and while waiting for the buses to arrive. And then at last he and Lena were under way, their rides trailing clouds of diesel fumes. I shouldered my bag and headed down the street toward my school. The blocks melted away under my feet.
I didn't know what to think about what Grandpa Aldo had said, but each intersection I crossed brought me closer to reality. Grandpa was sick. Grandpa was out of touch with reality and his brain was making whatever connections it could to stay alive. It didn't mean anything. It couldn't. No one was ever going to see Rob again. No one could.
I shuddered as rain began to fall, the drops splashing my cheeks.
Rob is dead. Rob is dead. Rob is gone forever.
I let the cadence of my footsteps propel the mantra I was repeating in my head. It was all I could do. I wouldn't forget him, but I couldn't pretend he existed anymore.
***
Jason raised his head as the second bell sounded and Holly came through the door of the chemistry lab. She plunked down into her seat in the second row and got her book out, then sat there, smoothing her hair, which was escaping the loose ponytail at the nape of her neck. Even in obvious disarray, she was cute.
As class started, Jason stared down at the notebook in front of him, doodling on the blank pages. And then he was lost in Mr. Jensen's review lecture on covalent bonding—a sea of words that washed over him. His eyes and mind drifted over to Holly again. It was hard not to notice her sitting just a few seats away from him, scratching notes onto paper like her life depended on it.
He didn't know if she was a good student or not, but she did seem to know the answers the few times the teacher had called on her in class. It made sense that she would be diligent, responsible. He got that impression from his interactions with her, and the care she took with her grandfather and sister. She was definitely the trustworthy type. He recalled that Holly and Rob had met when they were lab partners back in sophomore year. Wow. They really had been together for nearly a year before Rob died. Jason didn't know any other guys in his circle who had dated girls that long.
Mr. Jensen wrote a few practice questions on the white board, and Jason snapped back to reality, copying them down so he'd have the homework. Then, at last, the bell rang and the class gathered their things. The hallway was packed, but Jason managed to catch up with Holly just down the hall.
"Hey," he said. "How's it going?" Inwardly he kicked himself for sounding lame.
Without warning, Holly grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the traffic of the hallway.
"What's—"
"My grandpa is cracking up. For real," she said, her blue eyes piercing, serious.
"What happened?"
Holly chewed her lower lip. "Um ... well, it's weird, but at breakfast he said he saw Rob in our apartment last night."
"Like, as a hallucination or something?"
"I guess."
"Okay, well, that's normal for people with dementia, right? They see stuff."
She shook her head. "The thing is,
Similar Books
