Sandcastles

Chapter Twelve

When we read the last chapter of Eleanor and Park, my jaw fell open and tears actually came to my eyes. That was it? That was all? Alexander came to my house at midnight for four straight nights and read the book to me, and it ended like that? I was disappointed and a little angry at Alexander for reading such a heartbreaking story to me. He came over all those nights, and together we read about the quirky love story between the Asian boy and the tacky redheaded girl that only people who read the book would understand. And the book ended like that? I couldn't believe it, so I spent hours looking in my room for the perfect book to read to Alexander. The Fault in Our Stars would have been the ideal choice, but I had some feeling that he has read that or seen the movie. I knew that my stash of John Green books would do the trick, but I had no idea which one. I thumbed over all of the titles. An Abundance of Katherine's; a great book, but not the story I wanted him to hear. I sat on my floor and groaned. Since I just went over yesterday to hang out with Troy, Alexander made me promise that today was our reading day. And now I sit here on my floor, not a clue to what book he should hear.

"Looking for Alaska." A raspy voice sounds. I look up, John Tyler staring at me from my doorway. He takes a bite from a green sour string between his fingers, his other hand keeping him steady on his crutch.

"Why are you in my house?" I ask him. I'm not really mad. I've learned to just go along with whatever this boy does.

"Madeline and I are paired up for a science experiment." He says. He pulls a sour string out of the pack in his pocket. He hands one towards my direction. "Sour string?"

"No thanks." I tell him. I pull out my rough looking copy of Looking For Alaska. I show it to John Tyler, and he nods his head in approval before hopping back down my hall.

I stand up, book in hand, and walk into my living room. Madeline and John Tyler are both bent over a science book. I clear my throat and they both shoot their heads up.

"Can I get a ride?" I ask her. She rolls her eyes and stands, throwing her keys at me. Is she actually going to let me drive?

"Go ahead." She says before sitting back down. Wow. I didn't expect that.

Technically, I'm not allowed to drive. I have my permit but not my license. So if I got pulled over, I would be in trouble. But the Collins Creek Sheriff's Department consists of a fat man named Albert and his two sons that obviously don't want to work for him. They own a rundown police cruiser and a Tahoe with the word "police" painted on the side. When Albert is asleep in his office chair, which I've heard is 18 out of 24 hours, his sons are supposedly patrolling the town. I've never actually seen this police cruiser and Tahoe.

I throw my book in the passenger's seat and get in the driver's seat. I turn the key before bringing my seatbelt across. I pull slowly out of our driveway before turning onto the road.

I drive out and past the bridge. John Tyler seems to have forgotten about the incident on the bridge days before. Something tells me that this wasn't the first time he let himself hang dangerously over the edge. I'm afraid that if I weren't there to stop him, he would have jumped. Actually, I'm glad that Madeline was there.

The familiar huge house appears in my view and I park the car on the curb in front. I reach over, grasping my book between my hands and stepping out of the car. I knock three times on the front door before I am greeted by Helen. It's been a good two months since the news of her being pregnant, and she's just in the early stages of actually showing it. Oversized sweatshirts and loose tees have hidden it up to this point, but it won't be long before people at school start to wonder and assume things. As usual, a smile lights up across her face and she lets me in. I roll my eyes when I see my brother sprawled out across the couch.