Healing is Harder

Unusual Predicaments

     "So, who was your friend?" Drew asked, with a small hint of jealousy in his voice.

     "Well that," I started," was my new boss."

     "Your new boss?  You got a job?  Honey, that's great!" he exclaimed looking over at me and then back at the road.

     "I know!  This is so perfect.  I can finally repay you guys," I said, looking at the sidewalk through the window.

     "No, April," he said in a warning voice, "I've told you over and over that we're doing this because we care about you.  You don't need to repay us," he sounded frustrated.  Drew always got a little touchy whenever I talked about trying to help.  Almost every teenager has issues with their parents, but my issues went a little deeper than 'oh my parents are trying to ruin my life, I never get to do anything fun'.  My issues went more along the lines of 'my mother is a drunk and an addict and my father is married to his job'.  After... the incident... I managed to convince my parents that I'd be better off if I moved in with Drew.  Drew and I had been together since the eighth grade.  We were pushing three years and I knew that things were better like this.

     When I first moved in, I felt bad that I couldn't help out.  I didn't have a job, so I couldn't help pay for anything and I didn't have a car, or a license for that matter, so I was no good for running errands.  Drew and his family had been nicer to me than I had ever expected. 

     "Well, now I'm not going to be just sitting around like a lump on a log anymore.  I can help Brooke with the kids.  I'll pay for the diapers!"  I suggested.

     "Ape, you don't need to help.  You do enough already," he tried to shut me up, drawing a look of disbelief from me.

     "How?  How do I help at all?" 

     "Who cooks dinner every night?  Who cancels plans last- minute every time a babysitter calls sick?  Who makes sure we all have our jackets if it's cold outside?  Who double- checks my geometry homework?  Who gets me up on time every morning? And who has the most amazing kisses in the entire-"

     "Drew!" I cut him off, "all of that stuff is just natural for me.  It's just stuff that I'd feel bad about not doing. Even that last one," I said with a smile.  He reached over with one hand to smooth down my hair.

     "And you still manage to be the most beautiful girl in the universe all at the same time," he said.

     "Oh, Drew..."

    He stopped the car and it took me a moment to realize that we were home.  

     "So," Drew started as we were watching TV that evening, "I know you didn't spend all day at 'Books and Beans', what all did you do today?"

     My heart stopped.  As far as the school, the hospital, and the therapy office were concerned I still lived with my parents.  When the hospital gave my parents the choice of therapy, Drew hated the idea.  He knew that I was opposed to it, so naturally he wanted to help my cause.  It turned into a huge fight in which my father was too hung up on his pride to let a sixteen year old boy make a decision for him, so he picked therapy.  He never told Drew directly, so I just let him believe that he had won.  A plan that had worked perfectly - until now.

     "Oh, I just walked around a bit, you know.  Um, I took the bus there after school.  I knew you were going to hang out with Jared so I didn't wait for you," it wasn't a complete lie.

     "You know, you're a terrible liar.  But, I know it wasn't anything serious, so I won't ask," he smiled.

     I was just about to feel relieved, but then I decided that I should be a bit offended by this. "How do you know it wasn't bad?" I asked.