Bridging the Gap
Crazy Me
Claire stood in the shadow of the house, her face briefly lit by the lighter in her hand. She puffed on her cigarette and slowly moved toward Miles and Michelle. Miles grabbed the knife and flicked it closed to place in his pocket before taking Michelle’s arm and pulling her up.
“You can’t stay you know, Michelle? You bring a lot of bad karma and pressure on the family.” Claire sucked on her tobacco and fluffed her red curls.
Michelle stepped up to Claire, very aware of the close gaze from Miles, “What is that supposed to mean Claire?”
The twenty-something bride-to-be smiled and sucked on her cigarette once again, “It means, little Michelle, that dear Granny isn’t here to protect you anymore. There is absolutely no way you can keep up the act,” Claire scanned Miles, “And your friends don’t and won’t help you.”
Michelle glanced back at Miles and then forward to her cousin. She pulled the cigarette from Claire’s lips and stamped it out in her own palm, “Don’t try to scare me, Claire. You’re just a kid wants all the control.”
Miles nodded to the glaring Claire Jackson before following behind Michelle. Claire went back to the house as soon as they were out of sight. Under the glow of the yellow street lamp Michelle slammed her fists against the brick wall of the ice cream shop. Miles slowed in front of her as she flopped against the wall and slid to the ground with her head in her hands. She clawed fists full of her hair and scratched her throat with a muffled yell. Miles kneeled down before her, uncertain of what to do. She slowly scrubbed at her face and gave a limp sigh, “Stop staring Miles.”
He didn’t know what was happening. Her moods switched quickly, and something told him this wasn’t about Claire Jackson. He couldn’t be angry with her or her fatal choice. Instead he sat down next to her and propped his arms on his knees. She sat back in the same position with her head against the wall, her eyes lowered.
“I can’t stay here. I’ve been so paranoid since Mama died. I can’t keep it up by myself. I’m going crazy without her,” Michelle rocked herself to her feet and looked down and across the street at the dimly lit house, “She never prepared me for her not being here.”
Jesse sat on the front steps of the inn, staring out into the dark. A squeak of wood came from his right. He looked up he met the smile of Michelle. He smiled in return as she walked the squeaking boards and sat next to him. She didn’t say a word.
“Did I miss something?” Jesse asked. Michelle’s smile stretched as she laughed, “Where’s Miles?”
“He’s heading back to Montana. Just like you should be.”
“I thought he’d come back here first,” a look of confusion crossed his face, “Why are you here?”
“I’m coming with you after I run an errand.”
Jesse turned to her fully, “What?! Are you sure?”
Michelle tugged him up off the steps; with the momentum she spun them around twice, and then pulled him close. Jesse placed his chin on top of her head as she pressed her forehead to his chest. She smelled like sun and wind, and he smelled like nature. The crickets chirped in the brush, bot daring to move near the ring of light shadowing the two embracing.
Jesse pulled back to look Michelle in the eye, “Is this what you want?”
She bit back a smile, “Is it what you want?”
“You can’t stay you know, Michelle? You bring a lot of bad karma and pressure on the family.” Claire sucked on her tobacco and fluffed her red curls.
Michelle stepped up to Claire, very aware of the close gaze from Miles, “What is that supposed to mean Claire?”
The twenty-something bride-to-be smiled and sucked on her cigarette once again, “It means, little Michelle, that dear Granny isn’t here to protect you anymore. There is absolutely no way you can keep up the act,” Claire scanned Miles, “And your friends don’t and won’t help you.”
Michelle glanced back at Miles and then forward to her cousin. She pulled the cigarette from Claire’s lips and stamped it out in her own palm, “Don’t try to scare me, Claire. You’re just a kid wants all the control.”
Miles nodded to the glaring Claire Jackson before following behind Michelle. Claire went back to the house as soon as they were out of sight. Under the glow of the yellow street lamp Michelle slammed her fists against the brick wall of the ice cream shop. Miles slowed in front of her as she flopped against the wall and slid to the ground with her head in her hands. She clawed fists full of her hair and scratched her throat with a muffled yell. Miles kneeled down before her, uncertain of what to do. She slowly scrubbed at her face and gave a limp sigh, “Stop staring Miles.”
He didn’t know what was happening. Her moods switched quickly, and something told him this wasn’t about Claire Jackson. He couldn’t be angry with her or her fatal choice. Instead he sat down next to her and propped his arms on his knees. She sat back in the same position with her head against the wall, her eyes lowered.
“I can’t stay here. I’ve been so paranoid since Mama died. I can’t keep it up by myself. I’m going crazy without her,” Michelle rocked herself to her feet and looked down and across the street at the dimly lit house, “She never prepared me for her not being here.”
Jesse sat on the front steps of the inn, staring out into the dark. A squeak of wood came from his right. He looked up he met the smile of Michelle. He smiled in return as she walked the squeaking boards and sat next to him. She didn’t say a word.
“Did I miss something?” Jesse asked. Michelle’s smile stretched as she laughed, “Where’s Miles?”
“He’s heading back to Montana. Just like you should be.”
“I thought he’d come back here first,” a look of confusion crossed his face, “Why are you here?”
“I’m coming with you after I run an errand.”
Jesse turned to her fully, “What?! Are you sure?”
Michelle tugged him up off the steps; with the momentum she spun them around twice, and then pulled him close. Jesse placed his chin on top of her head as she pressed her forehead to his chest. She smelled like sun and wind, and he smelled like nature. The crickets chirped in the brush, bot daring to move near the ring of light shadowing the two embracing.
Jesse pulled back to look Michelle in the eye, “Is this what you want?”
She bit back a smile, “Is it what you want?”