A Life On The Edge

Asking for Help

“The Final Decision.” I mumbled to myself. “Why does that book keep showing up in my life?” I flopped on the bed.

“It’s a great book.” Lyle said fixing his tie in the mirror. Being a teacher he started school a week before we did. I wouldn’t get to see him until four.

“What project did we do for Birthday Suits again?”

“Sex speech.” I smiled remember that day.

“Oh yeah, that was fun…hey do you have to change up your whole curriculum?”

“Nope, I showed it to the superintendent and he said it looked great. He made me lose the sex speech though.” I laughed.

“This is going to be hard isn’t it?” Lyle nodded.

“We can do it.” He smiled at me. “Like Dylan said, you’re a senior now so we probably won’t ever see each other during school.”

“Well maybe I want to see you.” I teased.

“We can work something out.” He gave me that gorgeous smirk and gave me a kiss.

“I love your eyes.” I whispered as I looked into his chocolate brown orbs.

“I love yours more.” I giggled. He was so corny. Lyle left for work. Tina made breakfast and dropped River off at Day Care and went to work shortly after so it was just me and Dylan. Dylan and Lyle were doing a pretty good job of teaching me how to drive when we were on the run living from Motel to Motel. It was now at a point where I could confidently be behind the wheel on residential streets. I could drive around town without a problem, the high way and down town was a different issue.

“Dylan, can you take me to the Library and then drive around with me to pick up applications? I need to find this book and a job.” He tossed me the keys to the red truck.

“I believe in you.” Was all he said. I took a deep breath and put the key in the ignition. I made it to the library without running any red lights or killing anyone. It wasn’t the fact that I didn’t have a license, because I did. So authentic a police officer wouldn’t even bat an eye and somehow Tina knew a guy who could get us in the system. So I had that covered, it was just the fact that I was a new driver. I was beyond paranoid.

For a reason I will never know, I loved the smell of a library. I don’t really go into libraries very often. In fact I think this is the first time I’ve stepped foot in one this year. For whatever reason the smell of old paper, gave me this feeling. It was the same feeling I got whenever I had a whiff of whine or whenever I hear Louie Armstrong’s voice. It’s that feeling. It was the feeling of being safe, of being loved, or being home. I don’t know why I got these feeling whenever I came into contact with these random things, but it was true.

It was my quirk.

“Can I help you with something?” the nice old lady asked me from behind the welcoming desk. I pressed my lips together and shook my head.