Bears Know Best

Chapter 28: Tomboy

AT LUNCH TIME that day we all went to Breanna's again. "Thank you, Mrs. West, for having us over for lunch this week," I said as we went inside.

"It's my pleasure Taylor," she told me with a warm smile, "but would you please drop the misses, and call me Shannon?"

I blushed a bit for some reason. "Sure," I said politely. Other than Rachel though, I never called adults by first names. Dad had raised me to always use polite names with adults. It was only because I hated Rachel so much that I called her by her first name. I also couldn't call her 'mom.' 'No way in Hell would I ever call Rachel mom,' I thought to myself.

Somehow over the course of lunch Mrs. West... I mean Shannon, brought up the fact that I looked tired. "I woke up to several nightmares last night," I admitted.

Of course, being part of a group of girls, including little Kaylie, they all wanted to know what it was about. I cringed a bit, as I hadn't told Breanna's mom about my problems before... and I was pretty sure Breanna hadn't either. Explaining that one to a five-year old didn't really appeal to me much either. I did give the basics though as to the story. I think the girls got the oddity of the playing with dolls; Kaylie and her mom just stared at me blankly though.

"I'd love to have a boyfriend that wanted me to play with my dollies!" Kaylie in all of innocent said. "Is he cute?"

I laughed, "I think so."

Shannon seemed to grasp there was a detail that was missing. "Were you a tomboy when you grew up or something?"

I found myself playing with the ends of the skirt I had worn that morning as she looked at me. "Something like that..." I smiled at her. I wanted to tell her the truth at that point, she seemed like she was going to be a third mother at the rate we were all going... but with Kaylie there I decided I'd tell a half-truth. "I grew up with my dad... and I didn't have Barbie's or anything."

She gasped, along with Kaylie, "A little girl growing up without dolls?"

"That's weird." Kaylie said.

I laughed, "It seems so now doesn't it, but when I was growing up it seemed to make sense." I was kind of nervous at that point.

"Kaylie, why don't you go potty and wash your hands," her mom told her.

"I don't need to..."

"Kaylie Ann West..."

"Yes Mommy," she said sulking away.

"Taylor what's the story you're not telling me?"

"It's kind of a long one," I told her, hedging a bit.

"Does it have to do with your hospital stay last month?"

I nodded, biting my lip. I thought I could trust her... "I don't mind telling you, but Kaylie is a little young to understand."

She nodded, "Short version?"

I sighed and thought, 'I really hope she doesn't hate me...' "Promise me you won't tell anyone else, about this please, ever...?"

Breanna's mom looked at me with new concern in her eyes, but nodded, "I promise. I take it the girls already know?" She asked.

I nodded, "They've known almost as long as I have... well, Alyssa knew basically the same time, and I told the other two a couple weeks later."

She nodded at me, before reaching across the table and holding my hand. "I do promise, I won't tell anyone." I looked into her eyes and believed her. She looked over at Alyssa, "Would you mind playing with Kaylie and keeping her occupied for a few minutes?"