Sheltered Love

Chapter 4

After spending time with our friends at the beach, and having dinner out with them, and then we head back to the grandparent's house. We even arrived home fifteen minutes earlier than curfew, and the for the rest of the day, I couldn't help but think about Beck. 

"Goodnight everyone," I mumble to my sister and grandparents, while heading upstairs once we're inside, and I just need to be alone with my thoughts. 

Shutting the bedroom door behind me, I leave the light off since I have an automatic-on night light of the Earth. Don't judge me since it helps me with my astrophobia, and Journey has a large star nightlight in her room. Changing into my night clothes, I sit on the bed with the covers turned down, and lean back against the headboard to watch a movie or show on Netflix on my laptop. Scrolling through the selections before deciding on 'The Umbrella Academy', and halfway through the second episode, it starts fucking raining, and I hope it doesn't start thunder and lightening, too. 

Just as I hear a faint rumble of thunder, my phone dings with a text message, and I think it's one of my friends from San Diego. Boy, was I wrong, as it's from an unknown number; 'Hi Indigo, it's Beck Ryder. Don't be mad, but Journey gave me your number when you went to use the restroom this morning.'

Biting my lower lip as I struggle with myself on if I should answer him or not. I would love to talk to him, but he needs to find someone around his own age to talk with and hang around with; 'Hey, Beck. I'm not mad, but you really shouldn't be talking to me. You are a wonderful man, and you should find someone closer to your own age to focus your time on.'

A few seconds later, he replies; 'Indigo, forget what my mother said, please? She loves me, yes, but she doesn't know who I want to spend my time with, to get to know, and perhaps one day become more with.'

'I get what you're saying, but I'm sure we have nothing in common, and besides, I come with a lot of baggage that no one should have to take on. I'm okay with being friends, I guess, but that's it,' I send back with a sigh. 

When he doesn't answer, I resume the show after plugging in my phone, and I hope the storm stays away from here. I have to be at work at the UPS store to sort packages by 7 a.m. Snuggling down under the covers, I watch the show until I fall asleep. By 5:30 a.m. I'm up to shower, and run through my morning routine with about three hours of sleep due to the storm. Dressed in my work uniform, I leave the bedroom with my wallet, keys, and phone to enter the kitchen. Grabbing my silver and black travel mug, I pour myself some coffee. 

"Morning," I mumble to granpa, who is sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper; he's always awake, and in the kitchen having coffee while reading the paper by 6 a.m.

"Morning, Indigo," he replies with his deep voice while watching me over his paper. "What time are you off work today?" 

"2 p.m., and then I'm coming right home," I reply.

"Okay. Why don't you hangout with some friends today, and be home by 7 p.m. since it's Sunday?" he suggests, placing the paper on the table. 

"Gotta have friends here to do that," I blankly reply, glancing at the time on the microwave. "I've gotta go, bye."

"Bye, and I love you," he says while I walk toward the front door. 

"Yup, right back at you," I call over my shoulder; sorry, I still can't say those three little words of 'I love you'.

Walking into work twenty minutes later, I clock-in, and get to work sorting packages to be loaded into the trucks for delivery tomorrow. 

"Hi Indigo, how are you this morning?" my co-worker, Heather, asks with a bright smile; she's a talker. 

"I'm good, thanks. How are you?" I return while we work. 

"I'm good. Why do you look so tired, were you out late partying last night with your friends?" she lightly teases. 

"I just didn't sleep well is all, and I don't party," I return. "I'm not a typical teenager, I know."

She frowns at me with a slight pause at my words; "You don't party with your friends?" 

"Nope, all of my friends live in San Diego," I return as I take a box off the shelf. 

"Why are your friends there when you're from here?" she questions like I'm lying. 

"I'm from San Diego originally," I simply say with a shrug of my shoulders. 

"Oh, why did you move here?" she asks, see she likes to talk a lot. 

"My mama died, so my sister and I moved in with our grandparents," I simply answer. 

"Oh, I'm sorry for your loss," she sadly murmurs with a tiny sniffle. 

"Don't be sorry, she made terrible choices for herself and us, and constantly put Journey and I in terrifying situations," I  answer with a shrug. 

"She couldn't have been that terrible unless she was a druggie or a prostitute," she says with a light laugh until she sees that I'm not laughing. 

"She was a druggie and a prostitute, and she died from a drug overdose with a needle in the inside of her elbow," I tell her flatly, but not with any anger toward her since she didn't know. "She was constantly gone as she serviced her John's in exchange for drugs and a little cash from her pimp." 

"Oh my, I'm gonna stop asking questions now," she breathes horrified; by the time 2 p.m. arrives, I'm more than ready to go home, my boss stops me on my way out of the building.  

"Indigo, can I speak with you for a moment, please?" Mr. Mitchell asks as my right hand lands on the door to push it open. 

"Sure, what's up, Mr. Mitchell," I ask pulling my hand from the door to turn and face him with a forced smile. 

"Since you're graduating in a few days, I was wondering if you would like more hours a week?" he asks hopefully.

My mood instantly brightens at this; "Absolutely! Thank you, Mr. Mitchell! This works since I'm doing online classes through the University of California." 

"Great, the changes will be made on the new schedule tomorrow morning when you arrive," he grins at me. "Have a good night, Indigo."

"You too, Mr. Mitchell," I grin at him before leaving. 

I thought I was going to have to find another part-time job to keep saving in order to move out, and take Journey with me. Now, I should be able to save for the apartment I found here in LA, pay the bills, buy food, and what-not for her and I. Arriving at the house, I enter to find J and our grandparents in the living room watching a movie. 

"Well, don't you look chipper after a seven hour shift on little sleep," granma coos at me with a bright smile. 

"Mr. Mitchell is giving me more hours starting tomorrow, so I can save more for moving out," I grin at her, sitting on the small couch next to Journey. 

"When are you planning on moving?" Journey asks with a small pout. 

"You know you don't have to move anytime soon," granpa says. "Where are you planning on moving, too? I hope it's not too far, so you and Journey can see each other regularly."

Tilting my head to the left I ask confused; "I though I would be bringing J with me. I didn't think you would want us here much after I graduated from high school."

"We would love for you both to stay longer, but we understand why you'd want to bring Journey with you," granma replies. "We'll discuss this topic a little more in the future."