No Shame (Book 2 - No Regrets)

Chapter Fifty-Five - Long Hello

KATIE'S POV

AUGUST 2017
TWO MONTHS LATER

  Initially, summer-break was quite dull. My plans to sleep the summer away were quickly cancelled by insomnia; and my parents who insisted I be up and by noon. Without a laptop or phone, I depended on cable and my family's DVD collection for entertainment. After the fifth "Home of the Heartless" marathon and watching as much reality-trash-television I could handle, I found myself passing the hours with whichever mundane task the day offered. One day, it was doing all the laundry in the house. Another day, it was weeding the flowerbeds and the yard.

   Mom and Dad uphelp my punishment until the end of June. When my phone and laptop were returned to me, I felt a mixture of relief and dread. I was relieved that my sources of entertainment had vastly expanded; but I also felt a sense of dread for reasons I can't fully understand. I looked through all my missed calls and messages. There were a couple texts from Sharlotte and Amber, checking to see how my summer break was going so far and inviting me to do something. I reply to both explaining I had been grounded and thanking them for thinking of me. There were missed calls and messages from Christopher from before that night before he left. After that, there was only one missed call and one voicemail. The voicemail was simply Christopher calling from the airport, wishing me a great summer and telling me he'd see me when he got back. Nothing special, but I have found a sense of comfort from it.

~~~~~~~

"Back again for your daily ride." Mr. Sempton, a construction worker on the site, says as I pass by him.

"You know it." I call back, lifting up the keychain with the key to Christopher's motorcycle attached.

July passed easier than June, I had more ways to keep myself distracted. Not only by streaming movies and shows, but also going out. Now that I had a phone, I was able to go out by myself during the day. I began to visit the apartment-complex construction site Christopher's aunt worked at. Christopher's aunt, who insisted I call her Nance, was, as Christopher had said, more than willing to teach me how to ride a motorcycle. Nance was a thorough and patient teacher. When she noticed how my body tensed when she'd lean over to me or do hand-over-hand guided instruction, she used more verbal instructions. She didn't let me on the bike unless the key was in her hand until a week of going over the basics.

After one and a half more weeks of instruction and short assisted-rides, I was allowed to ride around the vacant clear areas of the site. I found myself feeling the closest to how I had been before during the moments of riding circles around the completed areas of parking lot or the cleared leveled areas.

I approach the covered bike parked next to the trailer that operates as Nance's office. I spot her through the window, she's sitting at her desk talking on her phone. I tap on the window a couple times. Nance glances over in my direction, she holds up her index finger. She smiles as she says something into the phone, she laughs and nods her head before hanging up the phone. She gestures for me to come inside.

"Good afternoon Ms. Nance." I say stepping into her air-conditioned office.

"Katie, I told you, it's just Nance." She says lightly shaking her head.

"Sorry, force of habit." I say.

"You are so polite. Can I trade my nephew for you?" She asks jokingly.