Five Shadows

Chapter Forty-Three

It was a bad idea after all. I banged the countertop. "You guys all told me to change! You told me to make myself vulnerable! To think of others, so I did! You can't take all that back now!" My words were not coming out as angry as I felt. Instead they were pleas. I was stuck. Everything had been arranged. My dad had put my name down with his parole officer and social worker. He was coming to live with me. "Why didn't you come sooner and warn me?!"

"Hey!" Shadow had her hands on her hips. "First of all, quit blaming us. That's rude. Second, I didn't say you shouldn't let him live here. I just said I was nervous too. You're freaking out."

I breathed. Drew a square on the counter. "Are all the shadows nervous about this?"

"Not at all! Some think it's a great idea, some think it will be a disaster, but none of us know for sure. We're just uncertain about it, you know? Like you are."

"Well keep your 'uncertainties' to yourself!"

She put her hands up. "Okay, okay, that's fair. Forget I said anything." Yeah, right.

"How are you feeling otherwise?"

"I was feeling great! Not so much anymore."

"You weren't sad about Ryan and that girl?"

"Shadow, you are really pushing your luck today, you know that?"

"I'm just asking!"

"No, I'm not sad about Ryan and that girl." I wasn't about to tell her how much I'd been thinking about him though. She'd have a field day with that and it was none of her business.

"Uh-huh."

"Shadow?" I made my voice sweet. "Without sounding rude, may I ask why exactly you're here?"

"Just a follow up!" She said brightly. "Doris wanted to come, but I said I would. You're welcome!" Hmph. Well, I did appreciate that anyway.

"Okay. Well, you can report back that I'm good. My dad's going to be good. Little Cut's good. Everything is-"

"Okay! Okay, I get the point. Want me to paint your nails while I'm here?" Well of all the absurd things.

"Yes, I do. Thank you." It was the least she could do. I got my nailpolish selection from the bathroom and sat down to have my first shadow paint my nails.

I was leading an absurd life.