Running On Empty

Chapter 11~Silya~

            SONG: Distance               ARTIST: Christina Perri, ft. Jason Marz

Jaylin's eyes were watching me extensively for the whole day yesterday, our second day of camping, that it made me nervous to go near him. Had I done something wrong? Every time I asked if something was wrong, he would rush off in the opposite direction, the handles of his wheelchair facing me as if they were small hawks perching on a nearby tree to hunt.

When we had decided to back home, Madeline came into my tent to talk to me. She had been somewhat nicer to me ever since that day I had met with Jaylin's father.

"How come the Young Master is so quiet? Have you noticed anything strange about him, Miss Emerson?" She was getting down on her knees to help me pack my clothes into my suitcase.

"No? Why? Maybe he's just a little tired from yesterday...we ended up doing a few things the day before too." Idiot. We hadn't done a single thing yesterday except laze around our campsite, by "we" I actually meant Jaylin and me.

Madeline kept her eyes glued on my purple t-shirt that she folded carefully in her hands. She probably detected that I was lying. "Yes, that must be what it is."

We continued packing my things in awkward silence, waiting for one of us to say something, but instead nothing had ever come out. It occurred to me at that moment that she had asked me about him because she cared about him, like a mother who thought of her child as the best blessing in the world. My mother never said anything like that. If she had ever thought of me like that, she sure didn't show it. I felt my chest tightening at the thought of my bitter jealousy that was creeping up inside my soul quickly.

Jaylin was the lucky one.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Madeline climbed in the passenger seat next to Garrett as Jaylin waited inside the trailer. In the back of my mind, I had wished over and over again for us not to be alone. Not like that was even going to come true anyway. I recently got inside the trailer and stepped in sheepishly.

As I walked over to the couch, I had seen that Jaylin was able to get on it and lay down. He was snoring kind of loudly. It made me smile a little, knowing that even during the strange moments today and yesterday, the one thing that hadn't changed was the way I felt calm whenever he was by me.

I decided to go and take a chance to call Mr. Hennery.

As I flipped my phone open, there were three messages that were blinking that. All three of them had been from his father:

"Silya, how is he? Did you guys make it to the campground fine? It is going well here. I have been keeping in touch with Garrett and I want to thank you for all your help and for making my son being able to have a chance to things that he never got to do.

Send me a picture when you get a chance.

Thanks!

Sent on Wednesday at 4:15 p.m.

The next message was quite long:

"Silya, I had heard that you all made it safely! I hope he isn't been causing you too much trouble. Your mother is doing a great job with her job at the hospital. She has been talking to me quite a lot. It seems like she really cares about you. I didn't tell you about our deal, I figured that you would tell her when you were ready. I also heard that you were able to get him to walk on crutches! Congrats!