The Long Way Back

10.5 Reeve Wilmot

"Hold the lights higher," Smalls tells me.

Standing up higher on my tiptoes and extending my arm as far as possible I tell him, "I may be taller than most girls but that doesn't mean I'm as tall as you are Smalls."

He just grins, "Well you aren't even trying to hook the lights."

Mocking shock I glare at him from where he is on the other side of the meditation room, "For your information, I am trying. You are just a giant who is placing the lights way too high for me."

From the doorway, Hannah chuckles, "You kids don't have to do that."

I smile at her, "It's no problem, you can just think of it as payment for the cookies."

She gives me a look that says something along the lines of don't be like that, "You can come over and I'll make cookies whenever and you don't have to give me anything in return."

"Well, then I'm doing this so I don't have to go back to my mom's place yet. And Smalls is enjoying my company." I tell her after putting the lights as high as possible.

She just chuckles lightly.

Smalls hooks his end of the lights up and says, "Just hold that for a few more seconds."

I nod. He gets the middle portion of the lights before he comes over to me and hooks the lights up. I sigh a breath of relief and roll on the balls of my feet. "Whoa! Finally, we got them up."

Smalls gives me a high five.

After my little crying session, we started talking and making jokes. We had lots of fun just getting to know each other. I really like Smalls.

In a totally platonic way.

It will be a very long time before I could ever see myself with another person in a romantic way. I may be a hopeless romantic but that doesn't mean I could ever be with someone. I have too much baggage for myself, let alone another person.

But Smalls is a good person. He's who I would have wanted at my welcome home party, instead of my brother and people I used to hang out with.

I've changed for the better since I left.

No one sees that because they don't see me. They see me with the words Liar, Psycho, and even Slut. But I'm not the kid I once was.

I'm not friends with fake people, I don't try to fit in where I don't. I do what's good for other people, I finally put myself first.

A lesson most people aren't forced to learn until a little bit later in life.

I'm with no doubt going to miss everyone in Chicago until I can go back, but in the meantime, Smalls and Jada could be some people I could surround myself with.

Smalls looks down at me and asks, "You sure you don't want to stay for dinner? Mum would be more than fine with it since you helped out, but she'd be fine with it even if you hadn't helped."

He's nervous. I give him a comforting smile, "I should go back home and you should have a nice dinner with your mum."

Smalls looks at me then sighs, "I won't be able to convince you to stay, will I?"

"Nope," I tell him, popping the P.

"Can I at least convince you to walk to school with me tomorrow?"

I just smile up at him, "There isn't any convincing needed there."

We exit the meditation room and walk down the stairs. My ragged backpack that looks like it's been to hell and back lies next to the door, I pick it up and turn back to Smalls, "Wanna meet at the stop sign?"

He nods.

Hannah comes out of the kitchen with a sad smile, "I'm sure that my son already tried to convince you to stay for dinner, but I'll give it my try. Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

Smiling at her, "I have to get back, my mom might want me back."

Hannah nods, "Okay then deary. I hope to see you soon."

She gives me a quick hug before going back into the kitchen. Smalls looks down at me and says, "See you later then?"

"Definitely," Then I hold my hand out for a fist bump that he returns.

I leave the house with a light heart but when I get back to my own the lights are out and no one is here. My mood darkens but I take a deep breath and go up to my room and call Ginny.

She doesn't answer.