Anima's Ghost: The Summer Before (Song Line Echoes, book 2)

Chapter 3: Fear

"What?" the question comes out quieter than I mean it to, little more than an exhale. But Spyro still hears it.

"Do you want to come back to Fall River with me for the summer?" he asks again.

I open my mouth, but close it again, not knowing what to say. Suddenly not even sure this is really happening. "I-I can't, I..." I stop, my gaze wandering away. Spyro watches me, but doesn't say anything, just waiting. Why can't I? Dad's going to be gone for two months, he'd probably never even know. I lost my job, so I won't be able to pay for food myself. I could ask Dad for the money and he'd probably give me...at least some. Not much. Probably barely enough to feed myself and Ghastly and Leylina.

Money. Money's why I can't go. "I don't have any money," I shake my head, but I can't make myself look at Spyro again. "I couldn't pay for...for gas or food or..." my voice trails off and my mind's too scattered to be able to think of anything else needed to live, to go on vacation, but it doesn't matter anyway. Spyro shakes his head, confusion in his eyes as he leans forward, resting his forearms on the tabletop.

"Wait, your dad didn't leave you any money when he left?"

"He..." I squeeze my eyes shut to keep the tears of embarrassment and shame from falling, "He thinks I have a job."

"I thought you had a job. Didn't you just come from work?"

I nod, looking down. "I was fired. Or...I would have been, except I walked out instead of going to the GM's office so she could fire me."

"Then how do you know she was going to fire you?"

"Because everybody who goes to her office comes back out without their job." I quickly wipe away the few tears that escape, hating myself for them, and terrified what my dad's going to say when he finds out about my job. Because he's going to have to find out. I'm going to have to tell him, because I'm going to need money to buy food. There's no way around that. And I'm just so tired all I want to do is lay down and sleep until I disappear.

"Hey, Anima, look at me," Spyro says, his voice firm but gentle, almost careful. I do, expecting him to say something or ask me another question or something. But he doesn't. He just keeps eye contact with me, until the rest of the world falls away. And even then, it's another minute or two before he says, "You don't have to answer right now. But whatever you decide, I'll help you work everything out, I promise."

Promises are made to be broken. Except I believe Spyro, even though logic and history screams at me not to. Something about the look in his eyes tells me that he means what he says. Something that I can't define, because I've never seen it before.

I nod a little bit, finally tearing my gaze away and glancing down at the empty tray in front of me. "Okay," I try to say, but my voice comes out nothing but a cracked whisper. I clear my throat and try again, "Okay. Um, I should get home though. It's almost my bed time and I have to take care of Leylina and Ghastly before I can sleep."

"Can I see you tomorrow?" Spyro asks.

I nod, "Yeah. Text me?"

Spyro smiles and nods, sitting back in his chair. "Talk to you later."

"Thank you for lunch," I add. And for not hating me for being so late. But I worry that actually saying that last part will cause him to change his mind somehow, so I don't.

I leave Chick-fil-a and start the walk home, rubbing my eyes as the exhaustion seeps into me. I've barely made it across the parking lot and started down the sidewalk before I hear Spyro calling after me, "Anima!" I stop, turning back to see him jogging after me. "Are you walking home?"