Dirty Deeds

CH 5: A Good Deed

          The food bank is housed in a dingy little building. I honestly have no idea how Matt found the place. It's tucked away in a shopping center that has maybe two open shops, outside of the food bank. The lot has older cars, surrounding the building that's marked, "Heaven's Helpers." I follow Matt out of the car, locking my door behind me. He pulls the big box from the backseat, and heads for the door. I manage to get there before he does, and pull the door open for him. He sets the box down on the floor near an old desk and turns to the surprised woman behind it. "We're here to make a donation."

While Matt's talking to the lady behind the desk, I take in the office. It's bigger than I expected, with a warren of offices behind the desk and leading down the back hall. There's a connecting room that leads to the actual food bank near the door. I'm about to turn around when I hear a shriek that sounds something like my name, and a fast little missile launches itself at me. I'm nearly bowled over by a girl who can't be more than six. She's tiny and scrawny and she's hugging my waist like there's no tomorrow. Her mother is standing in the doorway to the food bank, looking dismayed.

"You've made a friend, Michelle," Matt says, amused. He and the lady at the desk have turned to watch me with the little girl.

"It really is you!" the little girl says, looking up at me with tears in her eyes.

"Tara," her mother says. "Let that poor woman go." She gives me an apologetic look. "She's not usually like this."

"It's all right," I say. "I don't mind." And weirdly enough, I really don't mind.

"You're my favorite diva," Tara says to me. "Simply Flawless!"

I chuckle at that. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Tara."

Her eyes are huge as she turns to her mom and says, "Mom! Michelle McCool knows my name."

"Don't be stupid, Tara. That isn't Michelle McCool," says a boy's voice, and I look up to see an eight year old, glaring at me. "Why would someone like that come here?"

"I'm not stupid!" Tara says. She looks up at me. "Tell Tony you're really her. Tell him you're Michelle McCool."

Before I can, Matt turns away from the desk and says to the boy, "She's really Michelle McCool, and I'm Matt Hardy."

Tony stares at Matt, then looks at me. Back to Matt. Then his jaw drops in disbelief. "Holy crap!"

"Tony!" his mom scolds.

"Sorry, mom. But... but... That's Matt Hardy and Michelle McCool! My friends are never gonna believe this!"

I look over at Matt and grin. He's grinning back at me. "How about a picture?" he asks.

"Fine with me," I say.

"I don't have a camera," says the kids' mom, apologetic.

"No problem," Matt says. "I've got one." He pulls out a slim digital model and asks the lady at the desk, "Would you mind taking a picture?"

"Sure," she says, smiling at us. Matt pulls Tara and I over to the chairs near the wall. I sit down and Tara drops into my lap with a giggle. Matt's beside me, with Tony on the other side of him. "Say cheese!" says the lady from the desk, and she snaps the picture. We take three of them, just to make sure there's a good shot in there. In the last one, Tara has her arms around my neck.

"There's a place around the corner that will let me develop these into snapshots," Matt says to Tara and Tony's mom as he takes the camera back from the lady at the desk. "Will you stay here for a bit longer so we can get them developed?"

"All right," she says.

Matt turns to me. "Come on, Michelle."

"I'll see you in a little while," I say to Tara with a smile.