Coping Skills

Chapter 2

-later-

BRRIIIINNNGGGGG.

The bell rang loudly, dismissing us from class.

"Hey Aodhan!" I say, walking up behind him.

He snorted. "We played blocks and now we're on first name bases?"

I slinked back. Goodness, this is what you get for being nice to people.

He turned around, clearly surprised he'd offended me. "I was kidding. Do Americans not have a sense of humor?"

I walked next to him. "Being mean is funny?"

He shrugged, his eyes straight ahead. "Must be. My dad says stuff like that all the time, and he's not being mean. No dad would tell their kid not to come home and mean it."

"I guess," I shrugged. When I got to the line to wait for my car, Aodhan kept walking. "Where are you going?"

"I have to walk home, I'll see you later. If I don't get lost."

"Wait!" he turned and stared, waiting for me to get on with it. "I can give you a ride home."

His eyes lit up faintly. "Okay."

About five minutes later, my mom pulled up in our black SUV, and I climbed in.

"Who's this?" she asked, raising her sunglasses.

"This is Aodhan. Can we give him a ride? He'll have to walk if we don't."

She nodded, and he crawled in slowly, fastening his seat belt.

The car started, and she pulled out've the parking lot. "Where do you live?"

He silently opened his backpack and tentatively handed her a piece of paper with numbers scribbled on it.

My mom's eyes shot up. "Honey that's four miles from here, why would you have to walk?"

He shrugged, looking out the window. "My dad works until 8 tonight, and my mum's dead. No one could pick me up."

She cleared her throat and gazed at him. "So, you'll be there all on your own then?"

"Yes but I'm used to it."

We rode in silence for a few minutes. Then she said "Aodhan is an Irish name, isn't it?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "It means born of fire."

She smiled. "Are you from there?"

"Yes. Me and my father just moved here."

Another nod. "Zena can help you around, show you where things are and everything. And you're always welcome over." The car slowly came to a stop in front of a run down home that was literally falling apart. The roof was caving in, the yellow paint was damaged and peeling off, the porch looked wobbly and unstable. My mom paled when she saw it, double checking the address. "Always."

Without another word, cheeks red, he jumped out've the car and ran up the steps to the door, only pausing to unlock the door. Then it slammed shut behind him.

"Crap," my mom sighed. "I embarrassed him."

Okay, so long time no update, but it's kinda long and a bit revealing so, welcome! Comments and votes and reading etcetera etcetera etcetera.