The Unexpected Partner

Chapter 16

"Two years," Shane whispered, running his fingers softly over the familiar brown hat. His brother's hat. When is this paralyzing feeling going to leave me?

Walking away from his night table and towards his mirror, he noticed the dark bags under his eyes, mainly due to the fact that he did not sleep at all last night. How could he? When the worst day of his life happened two years ago. The day he lost his best friend.

Rubbing his eyes, Shane looked out the small window to see the night sky. There was a full moon, along with twinkling stars.

"What day is it?" He asked himself, walking over and looking at his calendar. "Tomorrow's Thursday?!" Eyes filled with shock and surprise, he ran down the stairs and caught Clark with his hands on the door, ready to leave for the night.

"Clark!" Shane called out.

Claire turned around to see Shane in his nightshirt again, the first time she had seen him in two days, his hair was a mess and his eyes looked bloodshot red. Had he been crying? She wondered.

"Yes?"

"Clark, I forgot to tell you...," Shane got off the stairs and walked closer to the boy, "You need to come with me on an overnight trip tomorrow and Friday, for supplies."

Claire's eyes bulged out of their sockets. "What?" She remembered that last supply trip they took two months ago, she did not want to go through that again.

"I know, it is last minute, but I forgot to say it before."

"Can't Billy go?" Claire objected. "I have to take care of my father."

"Billy's the only one I can leave alone at the saloon. You need to come with me."

"But I have to take care of my father! You don't understand, I can't leave him alone for two days."

Shane closed his eyes, feeling angry and irritated, "Clark..." he replied in a low voice, getting annoyed that his worker acted like he was the boss. "If you are not able to come, I don't see a reason for you to work here."

Claire stared at him with angry eyes. How dare he? Who does he think he is? He can't always be rude and get his way! Damn you, Shane!

Knowing that she can't say no because she needed the money, is what she told herself. "Fine." Even though the little voice in her mind told her to quit right then and there. You have saved enough money from working here for the past four months to hold back the muggers until your father gets better.

A louder voice interrupted those thoughts. If you quit, you won't see Shane ever again.

"Great, see you tomorrow. We are leaving exactly at three in the afternoon!" Shane didn't wait for her to respond. He ran back up the stairs, leaving Claire to lock up and go home for the night, steam coming out of her ears in the process, not knowing why she was so angry.

-

The next morning, Claire woke up to the sound of the birds chirping, the agonizing pain in her stomach quickly getting her attention. She looked down to see that her nightgown was covered with blood, the same as her bed sheets.

"No, no, no, no." She kept repeating the word as she looked down her pants and saw that her cycle had started.

Looking towards the sky, she started to cry. "Why do you hate me?" The question was meant for God, but it actually became targeted to her luck. Her horrible luck. She took off her bed cover and changed into another dress. How am I going to survive the next two days? She thought of all the things that could go wrong with her overnight trip.