Her, Saving Grace

29

Damon

She's been extremely quiet since her parents left.

For Pete's sake she's twenty-four. She can do whatever she wants and not be questioned for it. She doesn't owe anyone anything.

Or maybe that's just because that's how I was raised.

Benjie always told me that I don't have to explain myself as long as I know what I was doing. And what I was doing was right.

I'm secretly thankful that I grew up with about forty father figures. Not the best examples but they tried.The only con would probably be when I realized I can't live till my thirties if I kept eating take-outs.

That's how I met her mother in the first place. All the grease and fat I collected from all the fastfood obviously showed when I first showed up to her classes. The teasing was endless when the guys found out but were grateful when I served them meals whenever I had enough money for it.

I eventually stopped taking culinary lessons when I worked my way through college. Sure we had the money for it but I, as the guys put it, was too much of a blockhead to accept help.

Now that I think about it,I was like Catherine in a way. She would never dare saying it out loud but I think she felt more comfortable with just herself and a couple of people than with a whole crowd.

From what I've learned before I even met her, she seems to isolate herself since she was a kid. This is just hypothetical. I just can't seem to grasp why she kept to herself. She's good with getting along with the elders in the building, we need to improve when it comes to kids though. But that was it.

She could carry herself just as regal as any queen. All she lacks is confidence. She could have been one of the cool kids back in high school.

I wasn't even smart enough for academic clubs. I was the fat kid so sports never crossed my mind. Fatso's too mediocre to even join any group.

College went by a little easier when I started loosing the extra weight. But that didn't necessarily mean I got along with the others. It was weird enough that I could see things others can't and it was difficult to look somebody in the eye when something demonic was peeping behind them. It happens quiet a lot when I'm in historic buildings.

As I got older,I just kind of got used to it.

Nuff of my pity party.Back to our current situation.

She's being pensive. She should have been freaking out right now. Thinking of a way to try and fix things. She should be doing something.

I knelt down in front of her and took her hands. Her eyes staring blankly at the words on her arm.

She's been hiding her arm behind me the whole time they talked. 'Course her dad asked me to leave but I took one look at Catherine's face and I knew I wasn't going anywhere. Much to his disappointment.

The whole time,I had to listen to his father calmly ask her on what we were.

Seeing my shirt on her, her arm around me,two mattresses in my bedroom and Catherine looking like we just- he indirectly showed his displeasure on our strange arrangement.

He never really included me in the conversation. Just asked me basic questions. What I do. Where I lived. Criminal records. I answered them all. He just nodded his head and continued asking her daughter on how she was doing.

When all the questions were answered,he opened his arms. I had to give Catherine a little push.

And I can never put into words how weird it was to have someone's father almost hugging you just because his daughter refused to let anybody see her arm.