Rebecca

Chapter 3: Pushy

Chapter 3 – Pushy

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          A few days have passed since the party at Ethan’s. And as usual, I am cooped up in my room avoiding everyone. I’m still getting the constant texts and calls from Ethan wanting to see me – I don’t think he got the full grasp of our talk at his party. He’s not getting that if he’s not with me he can have a normal life. When he was with me after the accident this was our day: after he came over after school he sat with me in my bed, wrapping his arms around me and rocking us back forth, I – looking as I do now – stare into space until I conjure up something to say to him And it would usually be, “Why are you with me?” And he wouldn’t answer with words. He would simply pull the strands of hair from my face and kiss me, making me forget what I was talking about in the first place. But things are different now. That was in the begging, before it really sunk in for me.

         Trudging over from my bed I walk over to my closet and slip into shredded jeans and my ratted baseball shirt and tie my naturally wavy, brown hair up into a messy bun with a few strands falling in my eyes and slip into my white canvas shoes. Looking myself in the vanity mirror on the other side of my large bedroom I look at the still visible smudges mascara and wipe it away quickly and grab my keys before running down stairs.

         Grabbing my bag out of the closet near the back door that connects to our garage, I slung it across my body and walked out to my old jeep. As expected at the same time at the beginning of every week, I’m going out to the grocery store for my mother and myself. I decided since I’m like this it’s the least that I can do for her.

         Pulling into the grocery stores parking lot I emerge from the car after putting it in park and walk  things to get. Pushing the cart down the aisles I toss every item into the cart while switching my eyes from the list on my phone to the items in the cart while dodging the small kids running from their parents.

         Looking down to my side I see a young girl – no younger than 6 years old - cling to leg looking up to me. Her baby blue crystal eyes shine like crystals and her brown or black hair is lying on her shoulder stopping in the middle of her small arms. Her lips press together and she gives me a grin a crooked smile, revealing a small dimple in her left cheek

         “Hi there, I’m Rebecca,” I turn around and kneel to her height grabbing her small hands, “what’s your name?”

         “Delaney.” She gives a toothy grin.

          “Well it’s very nice to meet you Delaney. Are you lost?”

         “I can’t find my brother.” She huffs out staring me in the eyes.

         “Well come on, I’ll help you find him.” She looks me in the eyes with a look of excitement. Picking her up I place her in the seat in the front of the buggy and start the search for her brother. “So tell me what your brother looks like.” I keep a smile on my face waiting for her answer.

         “Ugly.” Her straight face makes me laugh and she finally cracks a smile, revealing a missing front tooth. “You’re pretty.” Her small hand finds my face touching the dimple in my cheek. “He looks like me but his hair it short, he’s tall, and he’s wearing a white sweatshirt with words on it.”

         “Okay, well let’s find him.” I push the buggy down the aisle and continue to finish off the list and she starts helping, pointing to the items I tell her to look for.  Looking down to her I see that she’s bored so I pull out my phone and place it on Subway Surfer’s and handed it to her. While she’s playing the game I continue to look for her brother walking down in between the aisles, ducking my head looking for a boy with a white sweatshirt.