Dirty Faces - Book 2

Chapter 21: Responsibilities

Chapter 21: Responsibilities

"I know you're not asleep," said Kody, as he was finishing gathering the things he was taking with him on his trip with Ralph. Adam opened one eye in response. It smelled like breakfast was ready, so he would have to get up soon anyway if he wanted it hot. Still, it was terribly early.

Across the room, on the top bunk, Ginny was not feigning sleep at all. Her gray eyes watched her brother's every move. They didn't speak, but the two of them occasionally exchanged glances that seemed to Adam were complete conversations within themselves.

"Keep an eye on things," Kody said, addressing Adam. Adam opened both eyes now and proceeded to rub the sleep out of them. "Adam? Ya hear?" He realized his cousin was looking at him with much intensity, and though quite bewildered, he nodded his understanding.

Kody returned to busying himself with packing his bag. Adam watched him for a moment, and watched Ginny watch; both his cousins' faces were uncharacteristically somber, eerie even. He rolled over to face the wall and closed his eyes again. It felt familiar, this day, a lot like the day he watched Uncle Kent gather his things before leaving for Camp Shelby.

It seemed like he should be used to people leaving by now. After all, everyone to whom he'd ever been close had left in some way or another. And it wasn't a permanent thing anyway. Kody insisted this was a one-time deal and when this run was finished, so was he. But there had always been patterns in Adam's life and he knew better than to hold Kody to his word this time. No, he doubted he would ever get used to people leaving.

He heard Kody walk out of the bedroom and a few minutes later the mattress on the top bunk squeaked. Even after Ginny's bare feet padded across the floorboards and out of the room, Adam remained in bed. What exactly did Kody expect him to do when he'd very seriously instructed him to keep an eye on things? What was he supposed to do to maintain the status of a household that had always maintained itself without any assistance from him at all? And what was he physically able to do that would make any difference should some need arise?

It was possible that he meant nothing at all by it. Maybe it was just an attempt to make small talk after forcing Adam to wake up much earlier than usual, but he'd seemed serious. He didn't really know why it made him anxious like he did. He'd taken on responsibilities before; he'd just never been held responsible for anyone else.

"Hey." Ginny's voice interrupted his thoughts. Adam rolled over to find her standing in the doorway, still wearing a particularly grim face. "You gonna eat breakfast or not?"

*****

Tommy had kissed a girl. He'd insisted that it had not been his very first kiss, but Ginny and Rowdy knew better. The last weeks of the school year, he'd walked his lady friend home every day, but now that school was out, he was going to have to get creative. As he sat in the diner sharing his woes and running through ideas of ways he could see her, two things were becoming more and more apparent. Firstly, baseball was now only a distant memory. Secondly, he'd chosen the worst people possible from whom to seek advice.

Across from him in the booth, Ginny and Rowdy sat sipping on Coke floats, listening like the good friends they were but offering ideas that were very unlike the experienced pair of schemers they were known to be. "Well, if you ask me, I still say you shouldn't just show up at her house and ask if you can sit and talk with her on the porch," said Rowdy.

"You said that already," Tommy replied.

"But I didn't say why."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Okay. Why?"