Home at Last

Chapter 2

I reach the end of the driveway and shove the kickstand down, going over to the mailbox. The gray rusty mailbox is running over with papers. I take the stack of papers out and start going through them... College for law, water bill, electricity bill, last month's water bill, admissions for another college, jehovah witness, the navy, and more bills. I take the letters that are mine and shove them into my back pocket. I fold the rest up and shove them back into the mailbox. They haven't shut anything off yet, and I doubt they will.

I begin pedaling up the big hill on Maple Street when my chain slips. My brakes give out when the chain slips causing me to fall off the bike and slide down the hill. "This really had to happen today didn't it." I sit up and dust myself off moving me and my bike over to the side of the road. I look down to see my jeans caked in blood and gravel dust. These are my good jeans too... I'll just have to shake it off and get to the shop. I stand up and brush myself off when I notice a rusted red pick up coming down the road. I quickly spin around, and start walking up the hill. The walk turns into a brisk speed walk, that turns into a jog, that turns into something like a run, which all leads to me hitting my knee on my bike and falling on the ground and skinning myself up worse than before. The truck stops next to me and I look up to see the window rolling down.

 "Belle, wasn't you taught you have to crawl before you can run?" The window rolls down revealing Lance Wilders himself. His curly deep brown hair sticks out the sides of his 'Jace's Truck Shop' hat, and his light blue eyes glisten in the sun. His freckles scattered across his nose show up plain as day, as he hangs out the window offering me a hand. It was that very moment the fourth grade flashed in front of my eyes. The same very moment of why I'll never ever step foot around this man. I can't be seen around a man like this. Nor do I want to be seen around a man like this. Lance is Trevor's best friend.

I grit my teeth and stand back up dusting my britches off and prying the dried blood from them. I feel a sharp pain run up the front of my leg, and my knee buckles as I go to grab the handles.I bite my lip and look at Lance. 

"I know your momma taught you that," I take a quick breath in unsure why my leg is in such sharp pain, "if you have nothing nice to say not to say anything at all." "Would you like a ride? That was quite a fall you took back there, and you're acting like you can't even walk."

 He opens his door and walks over to me. I quickly sturdy myself and the bike and begin to hobble my way back up the road. "I know you ain't deaf!"

"And I know you didn't break up with Maci!" I fall back onto the asphalt and grab my knee. Lance runs up to me laughing but quickly kneels to my side.

 "Have you gone mad woman? I haven't been with Maci since last year. Now, do you need a ride or not?"I look up at him as tears well up in my eyes. 

"That's not what your momma told me at the Dairy Mart, and no I do not want a ride from a pre-school drop out!"

 "Belle, my momma is almost as senile as yours!"

"Did you just call my momma senile..?" I look at Lance and the pain slowly starts leaving my leg. "What makes you think my mother is senile? At least mine hasn't slept with half the preachers in this town. Did I even mention half of the committee? Yet, you still wonder why the church gets so much of her disability check?" 

"Listen what happens in my house stays in my house-"

"It really ain't in your house when it's happening in everyone's, but your own. Now is it, Lance? How's Mr. Chuck doing since your mothers gone senile? Is he aware of these dreadful circumstances? Awh, well just bless all of yall's hearts. I'll be sure to add all y'all to the prayer list if Reverend Aaron hasn't already." 

"Stay out of my family's business Belle. Just get in. Please?" Lance grabs my bike and throws it in the back on his truck bed. He walks back over and grabs my shoulder. 

"Don't touch me!" I shove his hand off of me. 

"Belle! You're hurt for Pete's Sake! Hurt in some ways I can't help with! So if you'd please just get in the gosh dang truck!" He pulls all of my body weight off of the ground and gently shoves me into the passenger side and slams the door shut. He walks around and climbs in slamming his own door behind him.

"So where were you trying to go?" He looks at me, turning the key in the ignition, then reaching over to open the glove box handing me hot water and some napkins.

"I was going to the shop to see Trever." I snatch the hot water bottle from it and chug half of it down. 

"Great! That's where I was going!" He puts the truck into first gear and pulls back onto the road.

 "Lance, I didn't want to be in this truck with you. I really don't want Trevor to see me with you. I don't want to be seen with my brother's best friend, or worse my brother's best friend who's my brother's co-worker."

"You want out?" 

He slows down.

"That would be great."

"Well life isn't fair. You should know that by now." 

He picks up speed and we head towards the shop.