Happily Ever After.... Yeah Right!!

Part 24

Miss Dolly and I went to lunch at Tim Hortons. We ordered two coffees each with two sugars, a toasted sesame bagel with butter, and an everything muffin also with butter. After ordering, we went outside to eat and talk.

"So what have you been up to Miss Dolly?" I asked while sitting down.

"You're grown up now, so don't call me Miss Dolly. It's Alice."

"Alright, Alice. What have you been up to over the last seven years?"

"I have been working like usual as secretary and have started to date again," Miss Alice Dolly said, "I have to admit though after you left I have always been lonely in my office. All the children avoid me."

"How can that be? You're wonderful," I shrieked, "You are like the only faculty member who loves children."

"I know. Well, my life is boring like every adult's, so tell me what happened to you."

I looked at Miss Dolly. She always cared about me and how I was. I had a rotten life and no one would will listen to me. I ended up pouring my life out to her from horrible foster homes to every chore imaginable. I told her about my nickname and everything. I even admitted to her that no one loved me, but she countered by saying, "What about Jonas? He seems to like you."

"Yeah, that's true, but I don't know. He's the only one to ever love me after my parents died. I don't even remember what love is," I sobbed, "For all I know, he doesn't love me. He could only care about how good I am at basketball because I'm the only one who can beat him."

"I don't think that's true. If he tried to break up with a girl, even though she was horrible, to be with you says something. Doesn't it?" Miss Dolly questioned.

"Yeah, but what if I tell him about this part of my life, and he breaks up with me. He might think I have too much emotional baggage I'm carrying around. What do I do then? I'll be back to square one with having no one again." I explained.

"We'll, first of all you have me," Alice replied with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"That's true, but I was alone without you for seven years. The only person who would talk to me in that time was Hunter. But in the couple days, I seemed to have messed that relationship up, too," I cried out.

"That all may be true, but if you believe you can trust someone you have to take the risk," Miss Dolly insisted, "You won't know what Jonas will think until you tell him. This is a great way to decide if he is the right guy for you."

"Yeah. I can't argue with that," I replied between sobs, "Can I ask one thing of you, though?"

"Sure, sweetheart. Anything."

"I could really use a hug," I pouted.

She didn't even falter. Miss Dolly took me in her arms and whispered, "You might think the world hates you, but I love you and so does Jonas. If you need anything, just talk to one of us."

"But Jonas doesn't know about my life at home, you're the first person I've ever told," I muttered.

"I know, but there's no better time than the present." Miss Dolly handed me a phone. "Call him."

"He's in class, Miss Dolly," I responded.

"We'll let me call your vice principal first to excuse him from class. Then you can call him."

Miss Dolly always has a plan. It took Miss Dolly about ten minutes to talk Mr. Stanley to get Jonas out of his classes, but she succeeded.

"Now," Miss Dolly said handing me the phone, "call him and tell him you want to meet at the park to talk about something. If he asked why, tell him it's nothing for him to worry about. He might think your breaking up with him or something. Boys are weird that way."

I waited five minutes before calling Jonas.

"Hey, it's me Lex."

"Hey. What's up? I was excused from class for no reason. It was awesome," Jonas exclaimed.

"Oh, yeah. I got Miss Dolly to sweet talk the VP," I started, "I was wondering if you would meet me at the park by the school. I have something I want to tell you."

"How come?" I could hear the nervousness in his voice.

"It's nothing to worry about," I insisted.

"Okay," Jonas said causally, "See you in about ten."

"Great. Bye." I hung up the phone.

I turned to Miss Dolly, hugged her and told her, "Thanks so much. I knew I could always count on you for help."