Revealed

93. Sharon Pierce

We have to seat ourselves in the car the same way from last night. Nickson is being annoying because he keeps trying to touch Melissa.

Luckily, she isn't having it and playfully rejects him each time.

Stella sits on Neal and they talk like normal people. They laugh and seem to be comfortable with each other while Solane tries to secretly freaking out about graduation. Jeremy is comforting her.

I'm not sure of how Faine is feeling with me at this point. He doesn't make eye contact with me as I'm on his lap. He just continues to look straight out the window. This continues for about 15 minutes into our drive. Eventually, I decide to try and make conversation.

"So... Faine?" I say only loud enough for him to hear.

He doesn't reply to me but I know for a fact that he heard me because he flinches a little at the sound of my voice.

So I continue.

"Do you have any siblings?"

My body turns so I can sort of face him. I look at him desperately waiting for an answer. A few seconds pass and still nothing. Looking down at my fingers, I'm about to stop trying but Faine sighs and turns his head to me.

"Yeah... a twelve year old sister." He also says quiet enough for only me to hear.

"Where is she?"

"Well... she's with my mother. In a place far away from here, barely holding themselves up."
I lean in a little closer to him. "This might be a little inappropriate to ask but, why are you in gang if you could be with them? Giving them the effort you can?"

He also leans in and whispers. "I am helping them. That's why I'm here."

My eyebrow lift in confusion.

"I use to help people move heavy things like pianos to wherever they needed it. Got like 300 dollars each time. I did that for a few years. I was still looking for the another job at the same time but I was very unlucky. And turns out, not a lot of people in my hometown have pianos." 

He looks back out the window at the moving trees. "One day, my dad got really sick. He was coughing blood and always seemed to have a high fever. Unfortunately for us, my family didn't have enough money to pay for his medical bill and he was getting dangerously sick. It only took a few weeks and... he passed. That was the last straw for me."

I sit listening in silence. It's like that for a minute.

"That's why I'm here. I need to help my family. I only wish I had done it before my dad left..."

"Oh... I'm so sorry..." And I actually mean it when I say it. In every movie or book that I've ever read, people join gangs because they were forced to or because they were just generally a bad person. This has to be the first time I've heard of a story any different. It really touches my heart how loving Faine actually is.

"My father died too. But I never knew why or how.... At least, I don't remember if I ever did know..."

Then the car stops. Jeremy parks in the mall's parking lot. I didn't realized we were here already. Everyone begins to get out of the car. I get off Faine's lap and stare into his eyes as he gets up as well. But he already went back to ignoring me. Everyone is laughing with each other and begins walking up the lot and into the store. I stay back and watch.

Then Solie happens to turn around and see me. She stops walking and soon so does everyone else, except Faine. Solie waves her hand for me to come over. I blink out of my transe and shut the car door before attempting to run in my heels towards them.

"Wait! I'm coming!" I yell after them. A burst of laughter fills the air.