Love Me For Me

Chapter 8

It wasn't until we were all unpacked and settled into our little home in Cedartown that we realized that we know she lives here, but where in Cedartown?

Everyone that was at the intervention stayed home, so I don't have any friends in this new town.

"We need to find her." I say.

I say at eight in the morning on Sunday, the next week. I didn't go to school last week.

"Well, let's go on a walk. Print out a photo of her. If she's a competitor, people might recognize her. It's a small town. Maybe they'll know where she lives."

I nod and sprint p to my room, excited.

I'm getting a second chance at life.

I print out a photo of Megan and go downstairs.

We drive into town and I go into the local grocery store.

"Excuse me?" I ask the clerk.

He raises his brown at me.

"Do you know this girl?" I show him a photo of Megan.

He clucks his tongue.

"Yeah." he narrows his eyes. "What do you need with her?" he sizes me up.

"I need to talk to her."

"About?" he asks.

"It's personal." I say.

He sighs and shakes his head. "Sorry kid. I've know Meg way too long to let some guy come into her life. She's like a grand baby to me."

I sigh.

"Please. Just tell me where she lives, or how I can find her."

"Kid, you're gonna have to go to someone else. I'm not telling you a thing."

my shoulders slump and I drag myself back to the car.

"The clerk knows her but won't tell me anything. He says he's known me way too long to let me into her life."

Dad sighs and nods.

So, we park the car at home and go from door to door.

We get the same response, that she's a good kid, that she's happy, that she doesn't need a guy in her life.

"I'm giving up." I mutter. "Nobody's telling me shit."

"Tyler," Mom says. "Just try one last place. What about that farm?" She points to one with green paint on it. It's very homey.

I stare at the house for a long time.

"Alright. If I fail, we go home and I'll hope to see her at school." I say. "Deal?"

"Deal." Dad nods. "If you don't see we at school, we try again."

I nod and walk down the street to the farm.

I go up the porch and knock loudly.

A man with brown hair and bright green eyes answers the door. I hear a guy in the house talking to a girl, but it's not Megan because I would recognize the voice anywhere.

"Hey son." the guy says. "What can I do for you?"

"Um, do you know where I can find this girl?" I show him the picture of Megan. His eyes narrow to slits.

"That girl is like my daughter. What do you want with her?"

"I just want to speak to her." I whisper. "Please."

he stares at me for a long, long time, and then sighs. "Kk!" he hollers.

"Yeah?" the girl calls