Open My Eyes

Seventeen: Close Your Eyes

I set my sandwich down so I could hop up onto the desk. I picked up my lunch, unwrapped it, and took a giant bite. It was delicious.

          Taylor sat across from me on the semi-circle receptionist desk, also eating a sandwich. She had bought ham, while I had turkey. The mayo left a glob on the side of her mouth and she licked it off.

          Because the cafeteria was filled with homeless people for a free lunch and Lourdes was elsewhere, Taylor invited me to eat with her downstairs at her desk. I agreed.

          "I heard Duffy specifically asked for you at class today," she remarked, smiling. A twinkle glittered in her green eyes.

          Chuckling, I swallowed my bite and nodded. "She needed help on her assignment and asked if I could help her, not Mrs. Gibbens."

          "Did Old Miss Gibby have a hissy fit?" Taylor asked, lowering her voice. Everyone loved Mrs. Gibbens—she had been there the longest—but they also loved to make fun of her.

          I laughed harder. I informed her, "That little girl has an attitude. She's gonna be a real witch when she's older. Anyway, Mrs. Gibbens only got upset when Duffy explained why she wanted my help instead."

          She grinned in anticipation. "What'd she say?"

          "She doesn't want help from an old granny," I managed before bursting into laughter.

          "Oh my God," Taylor exclaimed, roaring in laughter. When we calmed down, she inquired, "What did Gibbens do?"

          I swallowed again, covering my mouth before I spoke. I answered, "She harshly gestured at Duffy to watch her attitude and then sent her to the corner."

          She bit into her sandwich as she shook her head. "God, I love that little girl. Is that awful to say?"

          "She is adorable," I conceded.

          "But a little she-devil."

          I nodded, chuckling. "Oh, yes. Definitely."

          "Do you think she's like that with her parents?" she wondered aloud, arching a brow.

          We stated simultaneously, "No," chuckling.

          Taylor mused, "She's probably the perfect angel around them."

          I set down the remaining half of my meal and wiped my fingers on my napkin. "Oh, you know she is. She's as devious and cunning as they come."

          She nodded in agreement. She conjectured, "She probably picks up her toys and makes her bed. She might even help mommy clean the dishes. So if we ever complained about her, her parents would never believe us."

          "Are we even allowed to complain about the kids?" I had never heard anyone whine about a misbehaving child. If people did complain, all the children were brats, not just one of them.

          She finished off her sandwich just as I picked up the rest of mine. She crumpled the plastic wrap in her hand and shook her head. "Not formally. We can't go up to Ed Manner and say some kid needs an attitude adjustment. We can grumble amongst ourselves and if word happens to reach the head-cheese, he decides from there. But you can't really be angry at the kids. They've had difficult lives so it's been hard on 'em. Which is why everyone working here is known outside of Hope for Youth for their patience."

          I nodded. That made sense.

          Taylor tossed her trash and set her gaze on me. A smile tugged on her lips as she urged, "Enough about that. Talk to me about Will."