Read Online Wherever You Go by Heather Davis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Heather Davis
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Grandpa never met Rob. Maybe he heard about him from Mom or something, but how could he describe him to a T?"
Jason let out a sigh and smiled. "There you go. Your mom probably showed him pictures."
"Yeah, maybe." She crossed her arms against her chest.
"That must have freaked you out pretty good," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I just don't know what we're going to do if he gets worse. My mom doesn't want to put him in a nursing home, but what if I can't handle him?" Holly's voice sounded small. "Crap. Sorry, Jason. You don't need to hear all this." She took a step back from him, and Jason felt the closeness of the last few seconds melt away. "My day's going fine. Thanks for asking," she said, faking a smile.
"That's crap." He reached out for her hand. "Is there something I can do? What if ... well, what if we took him to another favorite place or something? To keep his memory going. Would that help?"
Holly didn't move her hand from his. She gazed out at the passing flood of kids on their way to class. "I'm not asking for any help."
"Then why are you telling me this?" Jason asked.
"I don't know," Holly said, glancing up at him.
Jason smiled. "That's cool, but I'm a guy—if you tell me you have a problem, it's my inherent duty to try to do something about it." He saw something change in her face, her mouth soften.
"Okay." She pulled her hand free from his grasp. "Maybe you're right. We could take him somewhere else on the list."
Jason raised an eyebrow. "There's an actual list?"
Holly unfolded a small piece of notepaper and held it out to him.
Jason quickly read the scrawled handwriting that he guessed had to be her grandpa's. "Sailing. We can do that."
"Yeah. Know anybody with a yacht?" Holly said with a laugh.
"A sailboat and a yacht are two different things," Jason said. "I'll ask my dad if I can take you guys out sometime."
ll ask my ="times new roman">Holly rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd have a sailboat."
"What does that mean?" he asked.
"Just, you know, your family is the type that would own a boat."
"Yeah." The bell sounded for next period.
"I gotta go to class." Her smile was fragile. "Thanks. I just—"
"It's fine," he said, not needing her to go on. "We're cool. Let me put your number in my phone and I'll let you know what I can work out for sailing."
"Just, you know, try me at home, okay?" Holly rattled off her digits.
"Where you headed next? I'll walk you to class," he said, shutting his phone.
"No. It's fine." Sucking in a breath, Holly turned away.
Jason watched her hurry down the hall with the other stragglers. "Idiot," he said aloud, slamming his hand against a locker.
"You still barking up that crooked tree?" said a voice behind him.
"Bite me, Mark." Jason summoned his cool and faced him.
"Hey, just joking..."
Jason didn't say anything. What was there to say to Mark lately, anyway? They moved down the hall toward English, maneuvering easily through the crowd, Mark stopping to stare at a cute sophomore in a particularly short skirt.
When they got to the classroom door, Jason asked, "Why do you give Holly such a hard time?"
"Uh, I think you know."
"It was
your
party," Jason said, finally saying it out loud.
Mark glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You keep blaming Holly, but she was just there. She didn't..." He trailed off, watching the anger building in Mark's face. "Forget it, man."
"Yeah. I think that's wise," Mark said. He pushed open the door to their classroom and stormed ahead.
Jason shook his head as he watched Mark go. And what difference did it really make, anyway? It could just as easily have been a party at Rob's house or Dan's or even his own house. Rob got behind the wheel. Jason could still see the image of Rob loading Holly into the car, of him climbing into the driver's seat, anguish all over his face.
They should have done something to stop them from leaving the party. Why couldn't anyone else acknowledge that? He sank into the
Jason let out a sigh and smiled. "There you go. Your mom probably showed him pictures."
"Yeah, maybe." She crossed her arms against her chest.
"That must have freaked you out pretty good," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I just don't know what we're going to do if he gets worse. My mom doesn't want to put him in a nursing home, but what if I can't handle him?" Holly's voice sounded small. "Crap. Sorry, Jason. You don't need to hear all this." She took a step back from him, and Jason felt the closeness of the last few seconds melt away. "My day's going fine. Thanks for asking," she said, faking a smile.
"That's crap." He reached out for her hand. "Is there something I can do? What if ... well, what if we took him to another favorite place or something? To keep his memory going. Would that help?"
Holly didn't move her hand from his. She gazed out at the passing flood of kids on their way to class. "I'm not asking for any help."
"Then why are you telling me this?" Jason asked.
"I don't know," Holly said, glancing up at him.
Jason smiled. "That's cool, but I'm a guy—if you tell me you have a problem, it's my inherent duty to try to do something about it." He saw something change in her face, her mouth soften.
"Okay." She pulled her hand free from his grasp. "Maybe you're right. We could take him somewhere else on the list."
Jason raised an eyebrow. "There's an actual list?"
Holly unfolded a small piece of notepaper and held it out to him.
Jason quickly read the scrawled handwriting that he guessed had to be her grandpa's. "Sailing. We can do that."
"Yeah. Know anybody with a yacht?" Holly said with a laugh.
"A sailboat and a yacht are two different things," Jason said. "I'll ask my dad if I can take you guys out sometime."
ll ask my ="times new roman">Holly rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd have a sailboat."
"What does that mean?" he asked.
"Just, you know, your family is the type that would own a boat."
"Yeah." The bell sounded for next period.
"I gotta go to class." Her smile was fragile. "Thanks. I just—"
"It's fine," he said, not needing her to go on. "We're cool. Let me put your number in my phone and I'll let you know what I can work out for sailing."
"Just, you know, try me at home, okay?" Holly rattled off her digits.
"Where you headed next? I'll walk you to class," he said, shutting his phone.
"No. It's fine." Sucking in a breath, Holly turned away.
Jason watched her hurry down the hall with the other stragglers. "Idiot," he said aloud, slamming his hand against a locker.
"You still barking up that crooked tree?" said a voice behind him.
"Bite me, Mark." Jason summoned his cool and faced him.
"Hey, just joking..."
Jason didn't say anything. What was there to say to Mark lately, anyway? They moved down the hall toward English, maneuvering easily through the crowd, Mark stopping to stare at a cute sophomore in a particularly short skirt.
When they got to the classroom door, Jason asked, "Why do you give Holly such a hard time?"
"Uh, I think you know."
"It was
your
party," Jason said, finally saying it out loud.
Mark glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You keep blaming Holly, but she was just there. She didn't..." He trailed off, watching the anger building in Mark's face. "Forget it, man."
"Yeah. I think that's wise," Mark said. He pushed open the door to their classroom and stormed ahead.
Jason shook his head as he watched Mark go. And what difference did it really make, anyway? It could just as easily have been a party at Rob's house or Dan's or even his own house. Rob got behind the wheel. Jason could still see the image of Rob loading Holly into the car, of him climbing into the driver's seat, anguish all over his face.
They should have done something to stop them from leaving the party. Why couldn't anyone else acknowledge that? He sank into the
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