My Best Friend's Brother

Chapter Twenty-Seven

We strolled through the halls, heading toward the library. Apparently we were off to see Mrs.Valorie. She and I had just left the art room because she wanted to officially meet Mrs. Chandler. I wasn't sure if the desperation was visible, but I really hoped she would mention Michael. And she didn't for which I was thankful. I'm pretty sure she understood and pitied my situation. Maybe she had controlling guardians too.

After this stop, we would stop by the guidance counselor's office to get the password for my progress book. Because whenever we try to log in, it tells us something about not living in the right location or something like that. Then we would stop by the pizza palace down the road and get dinner. I was excited to leave the school. My grandmother shouldn't be in the building in which about three hundred and forty- five people know of my relationship with Michael. And I wouldn't be surprised if she has paid at least half of the students at my school to report to her if they see anything suspicious. However, most of the people in our school wouldn't consider most of the stuff my grandmother worries about to be a concern. This paying statement would be accurate though.

In our small town, you have a few groups. Homeless, bumming-of-other-peoplers, average-living, farmers, rich farmers and lawyers and doctors. In this list, we fall under the category of rich farmers. My grandmother married into my grandfather's family of doctors and lawyers even when she already resided in the rich farmers category. She actually was born into the Crabtree family. The most common last name in our city. I've actually heard some describe us as one big cult because a large majority of us live on the same street in an isolated part of town. I suppose that is kind of suspicious though, isn't it?

I reached for the handle to the door of the school library when I hear a deep laugh and "So we meet again." Turning, I came to face Mrs. Crabtree. Inwardly I grimaced. All hope of getting out of this school building alive seemed to be crushed against the ground right then. Sort of like the large spider I accidentally squished against my favorite pair of converse on the way down the stairs. If only we could talk to spiders, you know? I could have just been like, "Whoa, man! Look out!" And (s)he would have moved and thanked me. "Thanks, bro."

"Go ahead and go into the library, Bella."

"What?" I asked. My blood ran cold and I felt my heart rate pick up.

"You heard me." She responded. My grandmother opened the door to the library and urged me inside, closing the door back behind me. I immediately reached for the handle and wiggled it. Her hand gripped it firmly. My body went into panic mode and I felt sick. A numbness spread through my arms and legs, making it difficult to stand.

I tried to listen through the thick glass that separated us. Only several words made it through the crack at the bottom of the door. "You" "Boy" Mrs. Crabtree nodded and glanced at me from the corner of her eye. "Don't worry." She said.

"Thank you." My grandmother responded and removed her hand from the door and walked in to join me as if nothing happened. She didn't say anything to me.

So she and I spent the next half hour in the library. I listened to the two of them chat, being tortured by the smell of pizza brought in by the school upkeep group. They were setting up the Christmas tree. Even though it was still about a month away. It looked nice.

Afterward, we went to the guidance counselor and got my password for progress book. I'd never been in there and I felt awkward. Like I was in trouble. But after that, we left. Thankfully. And we were on our way to get my extremely longed for cheese sticks.

We pulled up to the window and my grandmother asked the lady the prices for the cheese stick and she told her, "Five dollars." My grandmother requested the order then the lady told us come back in about six to seven minutes. So we pulled out and parked in the parking lot.

"Get my wallet, will you?" My grandmother asked, gesturing to her red leather hand bag. I reached in and pulled out her pink snake skin wallet. She popped the lid and reached into the money slot. Nothing. Her pudgy face scrunched up as she looked into the barren pouch. "I don't have any money."

"Oh." I said flatly. "You don't have to get them. It's okay. It's no big deal."

"But we already ordered them. We can't just leave." My grandmother said, now searching frantically through her purse for the smallest bill.

I looked around a bit as she tossed everything from her bag. "What about the bank?" My grandmother ceased her frantic searching and looked at me.

"True." The woman set down her purse and placed her hands back on the wheel, then shifting the car to drive. We made a huge U-turn and I gripped the seat for dear life. She drove across the street the the conveniently placed bank only to find it closed. At this point, my grandmother was unnecessarily panicking and re-checked her purse for money. What a surprise. Still nothing!

"Can't we just go?" I asked, beginning to grow drowsy from a restless night.

"No." The older woman whined. "Then I'll feel bad." I pouted. Stubborn woman... She parked once again in the pizza palace parking lot. There was a long silence as she thought of what to do. I looked out the window at the growing line and I kicked off my converse and propped my feet up on the dash board. My toes fiddled with the latch until it popped open, spilling maps and traveling pamphlets all over the floor.

"Oops."

"Pick it up." I reached down and collected the papers in my hands until I came across a small, rectangular, white paper pouch with orange lettering on the front.

"Hey, look!" Slipping a thumb under the fold at the top, I pushed it aside and peeked in. Green. "Cool." I smiled.

"Is there anything in it?" My grandmother said eagerly. Eagerly. My family is the type that makes a big deal out of nothing. Then dramatizes it. This being an example. We could have just driven away. But nooooo.

I dumped the contents of the package onto my lap. Four one hundred dollar bills fluttered out.
"Wow..."

"This must be traveling money we forgot to put away." My grandmother said as she seized the bills from my lap. A laugh escaped my mouth. "What?" She asked.

"We're going to look rich or something." Running a hand through my hair I looked to the lady handing a pizza to a scruffy, old man through the drive through window. "Excuse me, m'am, could you please give me change for these hundreds?"

"Hey." My grandmother chuckled. "We found money AND you get your cheese sticks. I wouldn't complain."

"Right." I smiled and propped my feet on the dash, staring out the window again. Gotta love family.