Living with the Millers

Chapter 6 - Independent Living

Chapter 6 - Independent Living

We left Walt's place a little later and went out for ice cream.  Savanna said it was a treat to reward us all for getting along so well, but I had a feeling it was mainly because Ben and I fell and she felt bad.  She seemed like the kind of person who would feel guilty for things she couldn't control.  Not that that's a bad thing, I got some ice cream for it, so in my book that's pretty good.

There was this group of teenage girls at the ice cream parlor who looked to be about my age, chatting and laughing and having a good time.  I couldn't help but stare at them as I licked my ice cream, feeling sorry for myself.  I had never had that sort of friendship; I was always the girl who lived with their grandmother, and for some reason that made me too weird to associate with. 

Savanna tried to make me go talk to the girls, but I put my foot down.  There was no way I was walking up to a group of strangers and introducing myself, no way in hell.  Not only would they think I was the weirdest person ever, but I would have no chance at being their friend anyway.  Those were the popular girls, I could tell by the way their hair was curled and the makeup was plastered onto their faces.  Their laughs were so high pitched it was almost fake and their nails were painted to perfection.

Like I said, the popular girls.

When we got back to the house, everyone seemed like they had already had their fill of each other for the day.  We dispersed, going to our own separate corners of the house to hide.  Well, I didn't know about everyone else, but I was hiding.  After the events of the day...I just needed some alone time, so I grabbed one of the many random books Savanna had provided me with and made my way to the front porch.  There was a swing with cushions that squeaked whenever you moved, but if I focused on reading enough I was able to drown out the noise.

One thing I didn't mind about Tennessee was the weather.  So far - and granted, I hadn't been there long - it was just right.  Not too hot and not too cold.  There was even a gentle breeze that blew my hair as I swung.  If it had been like this back home, I would've spent all my time outdoors.  Now I understood why some people actually liked being outside. 

I didn't know how long I had been sitting there, but I had put a good dent in a decent sized book, when Ben walked out the front door.  He froze when he saw me and I jumped, putting the book in my lap. "I didn't know you liked to read," he mused, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, well you know nothing about me, so no surprise there," I scoffed, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.  There was something about the way that Benjamin Miller looked at you, like he was putting every part of you under a microscope, that made your skin crawl.  I squirmed slightly, hoping he didn't notice how uncomfortable I was.

"That's not true," he laughed, rolling his eyes. "I know your name, your age, and I know you're pretending to be a bigger bitch than you actually are." 

"Nope, this is all me," I smiled sweetly, gesturing to my body. "What you see is what you get."

"Not according to Ryder and Dallas," he said, crossing his arms. "Your secret is out.  You're nice to them, so I don't know why you're so rude to me."

Really?  Had he really just said that?  Please tell me not all males are this ignorant.

"Put that brain in your skull to use.  You'll figure it out," I muttered, turning back to my book.  It was much more entertaining than Ben, and it wouldn't talk back.

"Whatever," Ben sighed, shrugging his shoulders.  He jogged off the porch, keys jingling in his hand.  I didn't want to be nosy, I didn't want to say another word to him, but I couldn't help myself.  I sat up straight and turned around, words tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop myself.