The End

Chapter 4

Milo walked up the driveway to Smith's house at six in the morning, book bag in hand. Ms. Amy was expecting him to commit to his lie completely by actually working on a project with Smith. Also, she told Milo she felt a friendship brewing between them. What kind of friendship ends up in the doctor's office on the first night was something only Ms. Amy herself would know.

Milo got to the front door and froze. It was only then that he realized what exactly he was walking into. Smith's parents would be there, asking him questions about yesterday, and he barely had his story straight. He had to do a whole project assignment with Smith, not only that, but create an assignment in the first place. He wasn't ready, not yet. So, he turned around.

He headed towards the library, which was conveniently placed over by the Newport's home. Milo usually spent his Saturday's there anyways, but never this early. Penny, the librarian, was sure to get a shock out of his spontaneity.

As he walked in he made the doorbell sing, which was answered by a voice hidden in one of the bookcases, high in pitch. "Oh help yaself, dearie, I'll be right with ya." Penny was one of Milo's favorite people in the whole town, right up with Ms. Amy. She was a sweet old lady, one who would bake you cookies and adopt you if she could. She could chat up a storm. Today, however, she seemed to be busy sorting her books, and Milo had his own business to sort out, so Milo decided not to distract her with small talk.

"Just Milo, Penny! No need to put down your work. I'm going to put my finished books behind the counter and pickout a few new ones. I've got some school work to get done." Milo yelled into the rows of bookcases, still not sure as to where exactly Penny was.

"Oh Milo, dearie! That sounds wonderful, thank ya. Ya know what ya doing, no need of help from little ol' me." With that she cackled a bit and her bubbly presence shuffled to a silence, allowing for both their work to get done.

Milo knew that library like the back of his hand, that of which had touched nearly every book, and his eyes read a good portion as well. It was a second home to him, first being The Fort.

After a mix of mind wandering and reading Milo had gotten his story straight in his head. He was ready to lie his butt off, and he knew he would. Only problem was he couldn't find it in him to take the next step to go see Smith.

Penny rolled a small book cart with a broken wheel up to the front desk where Milo was sitting. She could just barely peak over the counter top so that Milo could see her wild eyes.

"Oh ya've gotten bigger, Milo!" She lied. Milo had been the same height since junior high, and Penny knew. "Ya must've passed five foot now, huh?"

"Penny, you know as well as I, that I am, and have been, five foot two for the past six years," Milo chuckled.

"Ah, yes, I suppose I can't slip anything by ya anymore. Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Ya aren't feeling too good. Have ya been to see Ms. Amy?" She was only trying to be kind, but she was really good at bringing up sore topics.

"If only you knew, Penny. I saw her just last night. There was an incident, suffice it to say, and now I've got to go make amends. Problem is, I'm nervous."

"Gosh! Who would'a thunk, Milo Kinkaut, nervous." She said the word nervous as if she were trying to pronounce some foreign wine label. She was right, though, Milo was always nervous. Never a situation he didn't overthink. "Go fix everything, silly boy, you've never been good at sitting around doing nothing." She waved her hand at him, motioning him out the door.

Milo picked up all his things and shoved them into his bag, nearly running out the door before he said "thank you, Penny, for everything." Then he left to Smith's.

___

The incident of Smith getting hit by a falling tree was quickly covered up by his parents, of which he was quite thankful for. Not that anyone in town really cared about his business anyways.

As he sat in bed he couldn't help but feel sorry for Milo. He wasn't one for sympathy, but since Milo's troubles were caused by him he felt as though he was at fault. He never had the chance to apologize or thank him for his help.

The whole event was weird. The strangest part of it all, though, was that Smith didn't remember the most important details. He had no recollection of a falling tree, or any sort of collison. He had a vague image of reaching out for Milo, but no memory of catching him. Of course, he felt that part of the story was better left out. Milo was on the roof of a strange house in the middle of the woods, so what? It was irrelevant to the cause of his harm, therefore nobody needed to know.

Smith was sitting in his bed at home when his mom knocked on his open bedroom door.

"Smith, are you up for a visitor?" She asked very gently, in an almost tired voice. She'd been staying up late to help Smith recover, so it was no surprise to him, but again that feeling of guilt ambled up his already aching back. He ignored it. It was no great chore, as that's what he did to most of his feelings.

Smith went to push himself up a bit more and grimaced at the weight of his own body. "As long as I don't have to do much moving I think I'll be fine. Who is it, Grandma?"

She laughed at that. Grandma was a running joke in their house, as Smith's parents both had absent mothers. It sounded insensitive to others, but the Newports worried not of each other's feelings. Their debts to them, yes, but never emotions. Ms. Newport's laughter faded into a faint political smile. "Actually it's the kid from your school, I'm sorry I can't remember his name. He's the partner for your assignment that got you all messed up. He didn't even bother to apologize to me at the door. Are you well acquainted with whatever-his-name?"

Milo.

What was he doing at Smith's house? He already got himself into enough trouble by bringing Smith to the doctor, now he was coming directly to his house? Smith must've looked panicked because his mom walked over, not to reassure him everything would be okay, but to help him shove the fright away.

"If you want, I can send him away. It won't offend me in the slightest." She touched his back, and looked up at him with her First Lady smile. "I wouldn't want to see some kid from school right after all that either." Her eyes seemed empty, as if there was no soul to even peer into. But she was right, Smith didn't want to see some kid from school, he wanted to see the mysterious kid he couldn't stop thinking about, Milo. At the very least to apologize for causing him trouble.

"Thanks Mom, but it's okay. Send him up."

His mom left him to go let Milo in, surrendering him to his thoughts; all of which were more questions. Why was Milo there? What project was his mom talking about? And why did she seem so opposed to letting him in? He wasn't just imagining that, right?

"Hey," said Milo's familiar, yet unfamiliar, voice at Smith's bedroom door. Suddenly Smith became incredibly embarrassed. He realized all too late that he had been bed ridden all day and looked it.

Milo went to say something else to occupy the deafening silence Smith left him in when Smith blurted out, "I'm sorry," and he was.