Summer After High School

24

Kyle

I have a dual job at the same place today, after supplying bottled water to this house, I have a room to paint.

I ring the doorbell twice before it is opened.

"Kyle! I've been expecting you. Welcome. "

After she speaks, she makes a move to help me bring the water in but I stop her.

She reminds me of Paige. Not physically, though. Physically they are different, her light blond hair differs from Paige's dark hair. Her eyes posses the colour green unlike Paige's blue eyes. Paige's slightly taller and thinner than her. Physically, they differ.

She reminds me of Paige because they both stay indoors most of the times and I wonder how they do it. How they don't go crazy, staying Indoors for days, weeks and in her case, months! I know I almost went crazy when I was forced to stay in the same place for years.

Paige, I haven't seen her since the night she slept over at my house. We've been communicating on phone. Whenever we talk, she tries so hard to act like she's okay but I know she's not.

I want to be there for her, I want to hold her in my arms and soothe her and tell her everything will be okay but I also want to stay away from her. I want to avoid her because I don't want to fall deeper in love with her than I already am.

"Let me help, I want to help, " she says.

I still tell her not to bother helping. I'm being paid for this and besides I don't want to stress her. When I turn around to face her, she's already helping to bring some in. She can be quite stubborn when she wants to be.

"Have you had breakfast? There's extra here. My nanny made a lot. You should eat before you start painting my room. "

I'm a bit hungry. I guess breakfast before work won't be bad.

"Why are you nice to me, Tammy? " I ask as she starts dishing my meal.

Ever since I started work here, she's been extremely nice, she's always tried to help in whatever way she can.

"I don't get much visitors here. "

I'm not really a visitor. I'm a worker here but I don't point that out. She already knows.

"I mean, I don't get to be with much people. I don't go out much and only few people visit."

"Thanks, " I say as she places the meal in front of me.

The aroma of the food settles in my nostrils. Oddly, it scents very familiar. That's just weird.

"You're welcome, " she says, watching me eat.

"Are you always alone? " I ask her.

"Well there's the nanny and the security guards and my dad who returns from work in the evening hours. "

Somehow that reminds me of my life, the life I ran away from. It's not the exact situation but I understand the lonely feeling.

"Why don't you go out? " I ask her.

She moves to the sink to wash her hands. Her hands aren't dirty so I know she's just trying to avoid the question I just asked.

"Nothing," she says, her back turned from me.

I don't push it.

"Tammy, I hope you've had breakfast," I hear a familiar voice saying.

I turn around to look at who spoke and my spoon drops out of my hands. My eyes are widely open as they feed the sight of her.