Off the Carousel

The Grey House, Seriously?

Enjoy!

The next time she saw Michael Shepherd, he'd cleaned up. His hair was combed into gentle waves, shining in the light, and he was wearing nice pleated trousers and a white button up shirt.

It was the Sunday picnic.

Of course, he wasn't wearing a tie, and his sleeves were rolled up.

He stood awkwardly among the throng of church people, which was a few dozen, not to mention the several small children who pushed through the crowd and darted in between legs.

She hadn't noticed him there before. Of course, her family had arrived much earlier for the service and always sat three rows from the front. And she hadn't been in the choir this time so she wouldn't have noticed his arrival, as she was facing the front. Her curious eyes lingered, transfixed. He was handsome... now that the dirt had been scrubbed off and his hair tamed. For the first time, she noticed his dark blue eyes, and she skipped a breath.

"Carolyn! Come help me dear," Her mother called as she laid out her casserole dishes on the picnic table. "Bring the napkins in from the car, and the extra plates."

"Yes mother," she mumbled dutifully, and made her way to the car.

As she pushed through the crowd of picnic-basket carrying families, she couldn't help but overhear the whispers of the gossipers, Nicole, Tracy and Sharon.

"Did you hear about the new boy, Michael?"

"I heard he moved into the house beside the Grey House..."

"Really?"

"I hear he doesn't have any parents..."

"What?"

"Yeah, the paperboy Jasper says he lives with his Grandma..."

"Isn't that Phyllis Shepherd?"

"Ew. Phyllis is his Grandma?"

Carolyn took that time to intervene... "Hey!" She called, marching toward the girls. "If you did not see it with your own eyes, or hear it with your own ears, don't invent it with your small minds and big mouths!"

The three girls stared at her, rolled their eyes and scoffed. "Hey," said Nicole, the default leader, "I think the line is open for food, C'mon." She nodded to the park and her friends dutifully followed.

As they parted, she saw Michael. He'd heard everything, and his usual playful look was gone from his expression.

She drew near him, standing a few feet away. "Are you alright?" she asked.

His eyes glittered and his mouth curved to a half smile. "Just hiding my pain," he said.

"Don't mind them, they don't know what they're talking about."

He shrugged sadly.

"What's it matter anyway? Who cares? If you knew half the things about them that they think they know about you, you wouldn't give them even a moment's notice."

"Really?" he asked disbelivingly.

Carolyn decided to change the subject to something more cheerful. "Are you any good at the three legged race? I need a partner."

xxx

Grace felt she was watching a movie. Through grey stormy eyes she was pulled in, looking inside a person.