On The Run

Chapter Twenty-Four - "As Realization Dawns"

Chloe

March 2006

At the group home, when I was ten, not long after Annie and Harold had died, I was put in a room with a quirky girl about the same age as me. Vivian Grayer’s parents had died consecutively, eight years after she was born, from natural causes. Kelly hadn’t been able to find a foster home for her, so she’d been in the group home ever since.

One night, as we got into our adjoining bunk beds, a short stringy blond-haired boy had walked into the room. Boys weren’t allowed in the girls’ rooms, so he’d crept in quietly and stealthily.

“Hi Viv,” he said beaming. I saw a blush creep up on her face, but I couldn’t really understand it.

“Hi Tyler,” she’d responded shyly.

“I just came to say . . . um . . . bye,” Tyler said.

“Oh. You’re leaving?” she asked, with an expression I was more familiar with. Sadness.

“Yeah. To Florida,” he said. I don’t even think he realized I was there.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you then,” she said, even if she knew she probably wouldn’t. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her; she’d never gotten to leave the home, and basically sat around watching people go in and out.

“Yeah. See you,” he said.

Tyler Yates left the next day, before we even woke up. Vivian cried a little bit, and then she was back to normal. I thought that was fairly normal at the time; I mean, I felt it only natural to shed a few tears when a friend moved away.

But when another one of our friends, Harriet Mitchell, left shortly after Tyler, Vivian barely seemed moved by it. I would have thought it was because Vivian was closer to Tyler than Harriet, but with the events that followed a simple utterance of his name, I quickly began to understand what it meant to truly have feelings for somebody.

In the years that followed, with my constantly changing homes, schools and neighborhoods, I never really had a chance to comprehend any feelings I developed.

In grade school, when I was eight, I had a crush on Jamie Thomason. I remember getting all giddy when he offered to share his lunch with me, and when he held my hand. I also remember going on and on about him to Annie and Harold until they set up regular play dates for me with him. Obviously, I didn’t really understand any of it then, I just knew that I felt different about him than I did about anyone else.

With Fitch, it was so different, and yet so similar. When he walked into a room, I couldn’t help but stare, and I began to yearn for his attention. The whole thing made me highly embarrassed.

Those were the thoughts that were rolling in my head as Trey sat across from me and dug into my plate of fries. Since our developed friendship, I’d started to feel even more comfortable around him than before. I still couldn’t bring myself to share much, but I was certainly more forthcoming.

“Go ahead and help yourself,” I said sarcastically.

He smiled and pulled my plate towards him, “Thank you.”

Before I could react, in walked Fitch and Kayla, as Daisey popped out of the back room. It was around midnight, and we were the only ones present at the diner.

“Hey guys, if you want anything, let Sam know, okay?” she called out to Fitch and Kayla, “I’m just stepping out for a minute.” Sam was Daisey’s latest employee, and he made a mean plate of fries, so it was definitely a positive move for the diner.