Broken

Chapter Eleven

Float building was the same every year. Hardly anyone showed up and the ones that did always had someplace to be before the work was done. I couldn't bring myself to leave before the work was done, so I was always stuck with everything.

"At least you aren't alone."

I looked over at Justin. He was stuffing green tissue paper in chicken wire for grass that would hang around the trailer. He was sitting on the concrete floor of the garage. Luckily his family owned the place and let us use it every year for storage.

"Thanks for that," I said. I dipped my paint brush back in the acrylic gray paint and continued coloring the cardboard. We had managed to build a castle on the trailer. Our theme was medieval times and it was the idea presented to us. It was not too big, but it called for a lot of paint.

"Are you almost done with that?" asked Justin.

"Does it look like I'm anywhere near done?" I asked with a sigh. I gestured to the big wall of cardboard ahead of me. It seemed like a lot of work and it was already getting dark outside.

"Good thing I'm done," said Justin. He got up and tossed the extra tissue paper aside. He grabbed a big paint brush out of our supply box and stepped onto the trailer. He came to stand next to me and started painting.

"Thanks," I said.

"You don't have to thank me, Hayley," said Justin shaking his head. "I'll always help you out."

"And that's exactly why I need to thank you," I said shaking my head at him. "I'm so tired of painting." I stepped away and sighed at the float. It was near done, but still had a way to go. I was exhausted.

"Let's take a break then," said Justin. He took the paint brush away from me and put the near the paint. He grabbed my hand and pulled me across the trailer. We sat down in front of the castle door.

"We don't have time, we just need to finish this," I said. "It's late."

"You're starting stress," said Justin. "You need to relax. What's been on your mind?"

"Honestly? The letter I wrote to my father," I said.

"You wrote it?" asked Justin.

I nodded. I had written it in study hall. I had meant to write my English essay, but my pen started moving with my thoughts instead of my research. I walked over to where my backpack was sitting on the ground. I grabbed my folder out and pulled out the piece of paper I scribbled on. I walked back over to where Justin was sitting and handed him the paper as I sat down.

"Wow, this is a lot," said Justin.

"You think it's too much?" I asked as he read it. "I just kind of kept writing and writing. I should just start over." He didn't respond as he continued to read it. I sighed and waited for him to finish. I suddenly was self-conscious of my writing. It felt so personal, but then I remembered that it was just Justin reading it. Was I ready for my father to read it though?

"No," said Justin shaking his head. "If he really wants to know you, this letter is perfect. This is you, Hayley." He began folding the paper up.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm mailing this for you the first thing tomorrow morning," said Justin.

"I am perfectly capable of mailing a letter myself, Justin," I said as I watched him walk over to his own backpack. He pushed it inside and came back over to sit down.

"I know that," said Justin. "But I also know that you'll probably talk yourself out of it by tomorrow morning and say that you need to rewrite it or something like that. I'm just taking the proper methods to prevent that."