Sequel: Running With Scissors ›
Those Worse Off Than You
Part 26
“Oh my god,” I muttered, swinging open the door. “Where have you been?” I asked, and looked up at Ace. I felt like I was going to cry.
“Nowhere. Just around,” he muttered.
“Do you want to come in?”
“Yea- that would be nice.”
He was dressed in the same clothes I had seen him in 2 weeks ago- a pair of jeans, slip on Vans, a t-shirt and a hoodie- not the clothes people would really wear right around now.
When my mother saw who it was, she got up and walked over to us in the doorway.
“What happened to you,” she asked, observing him for any injuries. Not like there was an area on his body that didn’t have one.
“I haven’t really had a shower in a while,” he stated and turned pink.
I giggled and offered, “I can tell. Do you want to use our shower?”
“Uh- alright.”
I watched him take off his soaked shoes and slowly follow behind me towards the bathroom, shivering. I showed him ho to work the shower and left him in there to get clean.
I walked in the kitchen and both of my parents stared at me. My father was on the phone.
“Honey, is there something wrong with your friend,” my mom asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Well- he really doesn’t seem… stable.”
“Well- I don’t know.”
I dad smiled and hung up the phone. “They’re sending someone now.”
“Who’s sending someone for what?”
“Um… well, Jayde. Your friend needs help. Your father and I came to the conclusion that maybe Children’s Aid could help.”
“Mom! What if he didn’t want help- what if… what if he takes off running again! What are they going to do?”
“They’re just going to ask him some questions, honey. About his home. And his father.”
“You don’t even know him, Mom, you can’t just do that. He doesn’t know you know about that! He’s going to think I told you- he’s not going to talk to me again!”
“He doesn’t seem like a person of that type, hun,” my dad stated.
“Whatever.”
I stomped down the hall and sat on my bed, looking at all the stuffed animals sitting on the bed. I was so childish to still have them there.
“Nowhere. Just around,” he muttered.
“Do you want to come in?”
“Yea- that would be nice.”
He was dressed in the same clothes I had seen him in 2 weeks ago- a pair of jeans, slip on Vans, a t-shirt and a hoodie- not the clothes people would really wear right around now.
When my mother saw who it was, she got up and walked over to us in the doorway.
“What happened to you,” she asked, observing him for any injuries. Not like there was an area on his body that didn’t have one.
“I haven’t really had a shower in a while,” he stated and turned pink.
I giggled and offered, “I can tell. Do you want to use our shower?”
“Uh- alright.”
I watched him take off his soaked shoes and slowly follow behind me towards the bathroom, shivering. I showed him ho to work the shower and left him in there to get clean.
I walked in the kitchen and both of my parents stared at me. My father was on the phone.
“Honey, is there something wrong with your friend,” my mom asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Well- he really doesn’t seem… stable.”
“Well- I don’t know.”
I dad smiled and hung up the phone. “They’re sending someone now.”
“Who’s sending someone for what?”
“Um… well, Jayde. Your friend needs help. Your father and I came to the conclusion that maybe Children’s Aid could help.”
“Mom! What if he didn’t want help- what if… what if he takes off running again! What are they going to do?”
“They’re just going to ask him some questions, honey. About his home. And his father.”
“You don’t even know him, Mom, you can’t just do that. He doesn’t know you know about that! He’s going to think I told you- he’s not going to talk to me again!”
“He doesn’t seem like a person of that type, hun,” my dad stated.
“Whatever.”
I stomped down the hall and sat on my bed, looking at all the stuffed animals sitting on the bed. I was so childish to still have them there.