Amy's Purpose (Final Draft)

Chapter Eleven

Reed was suspiciously quiet on the way back to his house, the only time he talked to Jay was to give him directions. Jay had begun to think he had done something wrong, until Reed told him to stop, and he suddenly realized why Reed had been so quiet.

His house was enormous. It made Jay's own house look like a play pen. His driveway was blocked by a gate that Reed had to punch a number into before it opened. Jay stared in bewilderment as they passed through.

"You live here?" He asked, astonished.

Reed grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah," he mumbled.

"Jesus," Jay said as they passed by his front lawn. "You have a guy to trim your bushes?"

Reed groaned and covered his face. "Yes. That's Michael."

Michael, the guy trimming the bushes near the front porch, waved at them as they passed. Jay's mouth dropped open.

"I hate it," Reed mumbled. "I know that I shouldn't, and that I should be grateful, but it's a lot of space, and it feels like it's swallowing me sometimes."

"I get that," Jay said. "I completely get that."

He would have hated it too. All those empty rooms, just him and his mom. He shuddered at the thought.

"I wasn't always here," Reed continued. "My mom adopted me when I was ten and it was...a big change."

"So, it's just you two?"

Reed nodded. "It gets lonely sometimes, so I try not to stay inside."

Jay wished he felt like that, but he was the complete opposite. No matter how much he hated being confined in his room, he would take it over being outside any day.

Jay stopped the car in front of the house, but Reed didn't move.

"Look-," he sighed, and shifted in his seat so that he could look at Jay directly.

"I know I only just met you, so I hope that what I said earlier didn't scare you off."

Jay raised a brow. "It's alright."

"Is it?" Reed questioned. "I just met you, and I was yelling at you for wanting to die."

"I wouldn't consider it yelling," Jay said. "It was nice, I suppose."

Reed didn't look convinced. "I just don't want you to think that you're alone. I know what that feels like, and I know how bad it can get. And-," he stopped.

"Well, I think we could all be friends, for a very long time, and I want you to have that. And I do like you, despite what you may think."

Jay felt his cheeks heat. Reed gave him a lopsided grin. "It was nice to meet you," he said. "We should all hang out again soon."

Jay nodded as Reed shouldered his bag. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I would like that."

"Good." Reed grinned. "Because I'm not very easy to get rid of."

Jay rolled his eyes. "Neither is Iris."

Reed laughed. "It seems like you have your work cut out for you, then."

"I guess," he grumbled back.

Reed shook his head. "Hopefully, you learn to like us."

"I do like you guys," Jay said quickly. "And I don't say that to people. Well, I don't really talk to anyone, but I like you and Iris." He suddenly felt embarrassed.