Shine Again

Shine Again - Chapter 16

Chapter SIXTEEN

The anticipation of Miller being in my house was almost too much, but I did my best to hide it from Janelle for the next couple of hours.

He called her - apparently he hated texting - a bit after 6P.M. to say that he was just going home to change. I sat beside Janelle, watching, as she casually talked to him.

"Cool. We're doing movie night at Addison's... yes... stop... it's good. Okay, yes... I'll text you her address... see you in a bit."

Wyatt had already texted her that the babysitter had shown up early, so he was on his way. It was all really happening, and fast.

"So, what are we watching?" I asked Janelle, after I finished a piece of pizza.

Her hair was down and she was wearing green cotton overalls with a white t-shirt underneath. She'd been wearing the same outfit all day but I was just realizing how she didn't have to dress up or put on make up to look good. She was just beautiful.

Smiling at me, she shrugged. "That's the best part. The fact that we don't know what we're watching. Though, knowing Miller, it's some action/thriller."

Right. Miller was picking the movie.

We had about half an hour until they'd be there, and suddenly I felt like it was now or never, to tell Janelle my real story. She'd told me so many personal things already, like about her mom and even that she'd known Miller since sixth grade. Everything she knew about me was vague. She deserved more.

"You know how you said I'm lucky to live here, with my aunt?" I began, my mouth too dry.

Janelle's expression changed. She seemed surprised, but nodded.

"So... there's an actual reason I had to move here." I couldn't believe I was actually going to say it out loud. I'd only ever talked about this with Rose, my therapist. And it was rarely without tears. "My... family..."

Janelle was watching me intently, curious and nervous. She shifted in her spot next to me, waiting. I could still change my mind. I could lie. She would be fine if I wasn't ready to talk about it. But I wanted to be ready. I wanted to get this out there.

"There was an accident, in March," I spat out, but had to look away. "I was at my dance studio, like usually. My family... my parents and my little brother... they were driving home from a restaurant..."

"Oh, Addison."

I'd never heard Janelle's voice sound like that.

"There had been snow storm the day before. The other driver was speeding and... it was -"

I couldn't finish, but I was sure Janelle knew where I was going with it. She wouldn't make me say the words. She was hugging me before I could do anything, and then the doorbell rang.

"It's called A Dark Night," Miller told us, dropping the DVD case onto the coffee table.

It was a good thing my aunt had a pretty big flat screen TV and a DVD player.

"That's a zombie movie," Wyatt said, shaking his head. "You know J won't watch a zombie movie."

"It's apocalyptic... but not really zombies." Miller didn't seem to care that Janelle was horrified by this.

"Ugh, Addison?" she asked me, looking for my opinion.

"I don't mind," I said, glancing at Miller instead of her.