Chapter 2:
Rita woke up the next day and went into the kitchen where her uncle was eating breakfast. She sat at the table across from him. The exchanged their good mornings.
"Do you want to know about what happen to your father?" Peter said in a calming voice.
"Yeah, I guess...If you want to"
"Do you miss him? Did you go to therapy after I went back to Chicago?"
Rita's father (Peter's older half brother) had died of an overdose a year before and she was living with her mother in Harlem. But her mother couldn't handle taking care of a teenager because she's sick.
"I miss him more than anything, and no I didn't talk to anyone. I just can't bring myself to talk about him with anyone but you. Mom says that I'm shutting myself off, but I can't help it. It's just the way I am. I'm a private person"
"Well, I can get you some help if you, I know some good people that I think you'd be able to talk to"
"I'll give it a try, Thanks Uncle Peter"
"Okay, Oh, I almost forgot. What do you want to do for your birthday next week?"
"I don't know, I don't really know anyone around here other than you, and that Carter guy"
"Well, I'll figure out something. I gotta go to work. I'll be back late, so good luck tomorrow in case I don't see you"
"Bye"
Benton left for work and Rita went in her room and got dressed.
Rita came out of the room wearing dark blue jeans, a white tank top, white sneakers, and a white hoodie. She picked up her purse and the key Benton left for her and headed out to see what Chicago was like.
Rita walked around for a little while, seeing the sites. Stopping for lunch at a nice little place for half an hour or so. Then she came home and watched some TV and read until it was late. Then she went to bed.
It was the next morning and Rita got up early so she could shower before she had to head off to school. She got dressed and went into the kitchen to greet her uncle.
"Oh, I'm glad I caught you before I left. Here's your schedule and the paper work you have to give to the office before you go to class. And your bus stop is 2 blocks down. Do you want me to drop you off?"
"Nah Im iight Uncle Peter. I'll just walk."
"Okay, I'll see you later"
He left.
Rita gathered her stuff and walked to the bus stop. She got on the bus and sat in the middle. She started to talk to the girl next to her (Jesse) and they hit it off right away. It turned out they had most of the same classes. Rita stuck with Jesse most of the day and got to know her friends. They all became close. Rita was happy that after just one day, she got alot of good friends. She now had people her own age that she could spend time with and that could show her around this strange new place. Things were starting to look bright for Rita.
She got home and did some work, watched some TV and then went to bed. She did pretty much the same thing for the rest of the week. Then on Friday night Benton said that he got her an appointment with a consoler at the hospital tomorrow and to him there at noon. She said alright and went off to bed.
Rita had a hard time sleeping that night because she was thinking about John Carter. She wondered if she would see him tomorrow and hoped that she would. She finally fell asleep, with the anticipation of seeing the handsome young man again.