Across the Bridge

Across the Bridge - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Asa and I got out of our mom's car the next morning in the parking lot at school, after she had gone over every detail of his day. She had explained that he wasn't allowed to leave the school property until the final bell. His lunch was period four and he was to eat in the cafeteria. He knew the rules. I knew he planned to follow them. He didn't want to be in trouble again.

The night before, when I got home from my date with Winston, my mom's boyfriend was gone. She didn't say much too about it, but when I went to Asa's room, he told me that Mitchell stayed for dinner and seemed nice. I didn't know how to feel about any of it.

Now, I felt nervous for my brother. He was acting pretty cool and collected and I couldn't tell if he was hiding his true feelings. It was hard to tell with him. I really didn't like feeling like I didn't know him anymore.

"Are you sure you're good to find your homeroom? I can walk you-" I began, but the look on his face answered that.

"I'm good," he said, then added, "You trust me, right?"

"Of course, yes," I said quickly. "Lex has lunch period four too, if you need someone to sit with."

He smiled, which relaxed me a bit. "Okay. Thanks, Pen."

I made it through the day only worrying a bit, and in fifth, Lex strolled in a minute before the bell. I couldn't wait to ask him about Asa, since I hadn't seen him all day. Lex sat beside me, dropping his bag.

"Saw Asa at lunch," he said right away, knowing I would ask.

"Yeah? How was he?"

Lex let out a laugh. "Well, he was about to sit with me and some guys, when these girls called him over. Sophomores."

"Oh. Well... did he seem okay?" I wanted to know.

"Pen, he was fine. He looked like he's fitting in, and the girls were happy to have him sitting with them." Lex was talking while unzipping his bag. "He's grown up a lot, huh?"

I forced a smile. "Yeah, he has."

Our teacher strolled in a minute later, and I turned away from Lex as class began.

I was on my way to Asa's new locker after final bell when Matt caught up to me in the hallway. He was wearing dark jeans and a polo shirt and he looked like he had a fresh haircut. He was tall and thin and, I mean, he was cute. But while I smiled in his direction, I had no feelings towards him. At all.

"Hey, Penny," he said quickly.

"Hey," I answered, slowing down slightly.

"I, uh, wanted to ask you... uh, earlier, but, um, are you planning on going to the dance?"

Matt was way taller than me, but suddenly he seemed young and scared. I hadn't been expecting this, but I should have been.

"Oh, um, no. I have to work," I answered, just glancing at him.

"Oh, damn. You can't take the night off?" he asked.

"No, I don't think so. The schedule is set..."

"Oh, that's a bummer. I was hoping you'd want to go with me." He looked away, then back at me quickly, to see my expression.

There it was. The invitation to go to the dance with him. As a date. I should have known it was coming.

I stopped walking because we were in the sophomore wing of lockers now.

"Sorry, Matt," I said, trying to sound disappointed.

"Oh, yeah, maybe the next one," he said quickly, waved and than wandered away.

"Hey," I heard Asa's voice from behind me. "Sorry, I was in the bathroom."

"Hey," I said loudly at him. "How was your day?"

I watched as he opened his locker to drop off some books, then he locked it again. "Good."

"Good?"

"Yeah. It's school, Pen."

"Yeah, but -"

"Asa!" A girl's voice called out.

He spun around. "Hey, Macy."

"Can you come out tonight? Beth and I are going to the mall for smoothies," the girl, who had blonde braids, went on.

"I can't tonight. But I'll text you, okay?" he told her, smiling this sweet smile I hadn't seen in a long time.

"Okay!" she finished, then hugged him quickly and headed off in the same direction.

"Text? You do not have a phone," I reminded my brother.

He grinned. "I can use yours, right?"

"Seriously?" I laughed.

"Mom said she'll get me a phone if I stay out of trouble," he shrugged.

"Wow. She never got me a phone," I laughed.

It turned out that all my worrying about Asa and school was for nothing. He was fitting in and making friends. He looked like he belonged there now, at East. He had a totally different mindset now, after his time away. I just knew looking at him now that he wasn't going to end up in trouble again.

When I got home from work on Tuesday evening, Asa was at the kitchen table, doing homework. By the end of the week, mom had gotten him a cell phone. And while I actually believed Asa had changed and was working hard to do better, I wasn't convinced about her. She was still rarely home and when she was, Mitchell was there, sitting at the kitchen table. I didn't like when he was there. He was too quiet. He made me feel uncomfortable in my own house.

Winston had come to the library on Tuesday, near the end of the night. Of course he wanted to drive me home. He linked his fingers around mine, holding my hand the entire drive. When we got to my house, I wanted more time to just be with him. But I just smiled at him, then thanked him for the ride.

"Seeing you is my favourite part of the day," he replied.

It was so sweet and it sounded like a line from a movie, not something a boy would ever say to me. I stayed quiet, mostly because I didn't want to say goodnight.

"How's your brother doing at school?" he went on.

"Oh, he's actually really good," I answered. "It's weird, but I'm trying to let him do this thing."

"That's great."

"Yeah."

"So," he continued, then squeezed my hand. "Can I see you after school tomorrow, or Thursday?"

"Can I let you know after I talk to Asa tonight?" I asked back.

"Of course." His smile was so warm and I wondered how I got lucky enough to be there, with him.

"Winston, I like you so much," I spat out. "But it feels wrong that Lex and my friends don't know. It's like I'm hiding this big thing."

"Tell them."

I sighed. "I will."

He nodded. "I'll see you soon, then."

I was still holding his hand, but slowly untangled our fingers. "Okay," I whispered.

And then he was close, our noses touching. He grinned, then when I thought he would kiss me, he whispered, "I like you so much, too."

Then he was kissing me gently, so unlike how he'd ever kissed me before.