I'm sorry this Chapter is short too...I'll start writing longer...
We all sat at the kitchen table. Snake, Spike, Jack in his high chair, Emma, Peter who decided to also stay for dinner, Sean and me. How we all fit to eat at the same little kitchen table was a mystery. We ate in silence for the first few minutes, Snake spoke.
"So Hal, how's the car going?" Snake asked.
"Yeah you guys have been out there since you got home." Em stated taking a bite of the chicken.
"It's going well, Sean is a big help." I said peering over at Sean who smiled faintly.
"You think you guys will be done with it tonight?" Spike asked.
"Not sure, there's still a little bit of work to do yet." I stated taking a bit of mashed potatoes.
There was another silent.
"Dinner is great Christine." Sean complimented.
"Thanks Sean, I'm glad you like it." Spike said with a smile.
"Yeah it is." Peter said quickly.
Spike nodded at him and smiled faintly. I hurried to finish my dinner so I wouldn't have to sit through this damn silence. I put my plate in the sink and headed outside. Everyone watched as I left the house. I picked up the wrench and began to work again. I heard the back door open and close a few minutes later.
"I think I might head home." Sean said quietly.
I stopped and turned to look at him. "I freaked you out that bad?"
"You didn't freak me out, it just startled me. I mean I just met you Halley and I learned you cut."
"Same thing happened with Ellie." I stated.
Sean sighed. "That's different."
"How?" I asked stepping off the bumper. "It's not any different Sean, same concept."
Sean didn't say anything.
"Hold on a second." I said heading for the back door.
I went inside and down to the basement. I grabbed my purse from my dresser and grabbed my money out. I went back upstairs and out the back door again.
"Here." I said stretching my hand out for him to grab the money.
"I can't take it." Sean stated looking at the money in my hand.
"Just take it Sean." I said agitated. "You helped me out a lot, you deserve to get this."
Sean looked at my hand and then back up at me, shaking his head.
"For friends, I do labor for free." Sean stated grabbing his bag from the ground.
He walked out of the yard and down the driveway to his car. I stood there holding the money I had in my hand, watching him leave. I shoved the money in my pocket and cleaned up. I went inside the house and down to my room. I grabbed some pajamas and went into the basement bathroom Snake had put in for me and Em. I got in the hot shower, letting the water hit my back for a few minutes before washing my hair. I came out of the bathroom twenty minutes later, placing my towels and dirty clothes in the hamper. Em was sitting on her bed reading a book. She looked up at me.
"Sean left early." Em stated.
"He had to get home, homework." I stated walking over to my bed and laying down.
Em sat up, putting her book on her night stand.
"You have a thing for him, don't you?" Em asked.
"Yeah I have a thing for a guy I met today."
"You could, it happens all the time." Em stated a matter of factly.
"Yeah, it only happens to Manny." I stated scrunching my face in disgust as I said her name.
"No, not just Manny, there's Paige." Em said.
I remembered hearing about Paige and her date rape. Poor girl. I didn't say anything.
"My point is proven, so do you have a thing for him?"
"I don't know Emma." I said looking at my alarm clock to see it was 8:45.
"Did something happen?" Em asked.
"Well besides for talking to him practically all day long and him helping with me with my car….oh did I mention he knows I cut?"
"What?" Em asked shocked. "How did he--?"
"He saw my arm, I cut my hand on one of the sharp edges on the engine and it made a long scratch, so I pulled my sleeve up so blood wouldn't get on it and he saw."
"Hal---."
"I know Em, its bad he found out, but oh well he did, I can't do anything about it."
"What did he say?"
"He wanted to talk to me after dinner but he left afterward instead."
"Oh."
We stayed silent.
"What are you telling him?" Em questioned.
I shrugged. "When the time is right, I'll tell him the whole story, but not now."
Em nodded.
The next morning I sat at the table staring at my cup of coffee on the table. I wasn't hungry and I didn't have the energy to drink the coffee. I didn't sleep at all last night.
"Drink up Hal." Snake said entering the kitchen.
"I don't feel like it Snake."
"Well you need to drink that or eat something, which do you prefer?"
Just then I heard a car honk. I looked at the clock. It was too early for Craig to come pick us up. I walked over to the front door to look out the window. I looked to see Sean's car in the driveway. I headed back toward the kitchen.
"I'm leaving early, bye!" I said quickly.
I grabbed my bag and was out the door in a matter of seconds, leaving Snake to say bye to no one. I walked over to the passenger side door and got in.
"What's with the surprise pick up?" I asked buckling my seat belt.
"Thought I would get you some breakfast at the Dot." Sean stated.
"You also want to talk don't you?" I asked.
Sean nodded.