"Shawn I need-" someone said coming up next to me panting.
"It's not a good time," I replied.
Whoever it was put her delicate fingers on my arm.
"But I really need to talk to you. My dad's…."
"Look I'm about to leave can it wait?"
"No."
Something in her voice made me stop.
I looked down and could make out the dark outline of several bruises on her arm. Right away I knew it was Claire. She was a girl Cory and I'd known a few years ago. Her dad had been hitting her up until she'd moved to her aunt's up in Vermont. How she was back here I didn't know.
"I'm so sorry," I said my voice catching.
"It's not your fault my aunt died."
"Your aunt died?"
"Yeah. Mom took off so that's why I'm. Back here. You're the only one I could come to."
"cmon," I told her putting my arm around her.
We walked to my trailer where I opened the unlocked door and went inside her ahead of me. I closed and locked it behind me.
"Uh can I get ya anything? A drink or…some food?"
"Yeah tea if you have some."
"Sure."
I went to the overhead cabinets, opened them and got down a coffee cup putting it on the counter.
"Peppermint ok?" I asked spotting a box of it in the cabinet.
"Yeah that'd be nice," Claire said.
I heard her smiling.
"alrite."
I got the box down and set it on the counter next to the cup then closed the door.
"ya want anything to eat?"
"What do you have?"
"Um….we have beans, pasta and. Tea."
"Yeah pasta's good."
"Can I do anything?"
"No you're fine."
"Ok. So where are you-?"
"Claire," we heard a voice call.
I turned toward it.
"Oh no," Claire said.
"Quick get in my room I'll turn off the lights," I told her.
She hurried into my room and I flipped off the lights. Someone knocked on the door.
I went to answer it.
"Yeah?" I asked opening the door inches.
"Shawn you seen Claire?" her dad asked.
"No."
"But then why'd I hear someone talking?"
"Oh you know how people talk to themselves when they're alone."
"You let me know if you see her alrite?"
"Yeah will do."
"Thanks."
"mmmhmm."
I closed the door and waited a few minutes going to the faucet turning it on filling the cup with water turning it off and putting it in the microwave setting the time for 1 minute. I then reopened the cabinet and took down a box of pasta closing it. I set the box down on the counter then got the big pasta pot out of the cabinets below went to the sink filled it with water and set it on the stove. I turned on the kitchen light.
"Claire?" I called.
"Yeah?" she called back.
"You can come out now."
"Ok."
She walked out into the living room. I flipped the lights back on. She sat on the couch.
"Sorry about that. Pasta ok for dinner?" I apologised.
"It's ok I knew he'd come looking for me. And yeah fine," she replied.
"No Claire I really wanna know. Do you want pasta? I'm not just asking for the hell of it I actually care. You know that. Cause I could order out or have Mrs. Matthews bring something over…."
She sighed; "I know I'm just so used ta…."
"Running away? Well. You don't have to run away here. So really is pasta ok?"
"Yeah."
"ya want sauce?"
"Ok," she answered surprised.
"And cheese?"
She smiled; "yeah."
"Pesto butter?"
"No that's, fine. More than enough actually."
"Ok."
I turned on the burner to boil the water.
"Here's your tea," I said bringing it over.
She took it between her hands. She smiled; "thanks."
"Sure it's the least I can do. And actually…"
"hm?"
"I'll, be the one running away."
"Why?"
"My girlfriend and I had a fight. And I need to sort things out."
"Where you goin?"
"idinno. Not here."
"Ok if I come?"
"Um. Sure. I still gotta pack and. Don't you need to pick up some stuff? And why aren't you at your place? Well besides the obvious fact that you're here."
"Well mom was living there but then she took off so. I can't very well live alone. I don't have a job so I can't pay the bills. And dad might come after me. If I leave well. There's a slight less chance of that happening."
"Right. We should probably buy some food. I'm thinking we'll head somewhere out west."
"Right follow the sun cause we both could use a bit of light in our lives."
"Yeah."
I got up and checked the water.
"How's the tea?" I asked.
"Good. Very good."
The water wasn't boiling.
"So. You know what's new on my end. What about yours?" she asked.
"um….got a couple sisters 3. Stacey's a year younger Morgan's age and charlotte's in elementary school. Oh yeah sierra's pregnant. And my mom? Turns out she wasn't my actual mom. No she was a stripper. Dad's dead. And….apparently…"
"Wow."
"Yeah I know."
I inhaled; "I have a son. I mean I knew that but he's come back. That's what lily my girlfriend-"
Claire nodded.
"That's what lily and I fought about. You see she. Has a daughter."
"Wow. So you guys are parents."
"Well. We haven't quite figured that out."
"Oh. Where will they stay?"
"With lily. Or Stacey."
"Oh."
The water was boiling. I put the pasta in.
"Lily told me by the time she got pregnant her dad wouldn't pay for an abortion and by that time it was too late."
"Wow."
I stirred the pasta.
The cell lily'd given me vibrated then buzzed. I set the stirring fork down on the counter and went over to the phone. I flipped it open and read the text. It was from lily; where r u goin?
We're headed out west. Claire's comin w/, I type back.
Ok ill tell Stacey.
I put the phone back on the coffee table. Claire looked at me asking who'd texted me.
"Lily," I told her.
"Oh."
"Wants to know where we're goin."
"Oh."
I leaned back against the couch and sighed. Claire looked at me.
"Long day?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"Yeah me too."
"I'm sorry about earlier I just."
"No I get it. You and your girlfriend had a fight. Stuff happens."
"Yeah but I shouldn't have taken it out on you. Shit esp….especially you. God I can't believe I did that. You deserve so much. So much more."
"Shawn," she said locking eyes, "It's ok. Really."
"Really?"
"Well no not really. But if you can't snap at me….who can you? I most certainly don't expect you to be perfect."
"Thanks."
"Sure. It's the least I can do. Right?" she smiled.
"Right. You don't judge me."
"Why would I judge you when you're the one who let me in without question? Yeah ok sure I don't agree with what you're about to do but I understand everyone needs space sometimes."
"Yeah."
"Hey ya might wanna check the stove," she said glancing towards it.
"Oh right," I said getting up.