| Chapter 5 |
| We had been on numerous dates but I was tired of lying to him. He didn't deserve that. But I also couldn't explain where the bruise on my arm, or leg, or head came from, or why he couldn't meet my parents. He deserved a girl...more from his world. "Maggie, I...I honestly don't know where this is coming from. I thouhgt that this was going somewhere." He said swinging me around to face him. I had to make him see that I was no good for him. "Shane! You and I are both aware of the fact that we lead two different lives. There are things you don't understand alright?" "We may be from two different lifestyles but you know what? I want to understand. I want you to tell me about you so I CAN understand!" He argued. He sat on a swing and rocked slightly while silence took over our conversation. Finally the silence was broken. "I love spending time with you Maggie. You're so different from every other girl in this town. You just make every girl I have liked before seem dumb, and shallow." He said almost in a whisper kicking his feet into the cool grass. I was stunned by his kind words. "If I don't get it, I want to. But that means you have to talk to me, tell me things. We have been on, what... ten dates and I still don't know if you have any pets, siblings, hobbies. All I know is that you are Maggie James, the girl that hardly ever talks, just listens with a sweet smile on her face." He whispered pulling me into his lap on the swing, "I'm not gonna lost you over bullshit differences in our lives. Tell me something about you...anything." I swallowed hard trying to muster anything up that didn't involve my parents. "I don't have any pets, but I have a younger brother...Brian, he's a freshman." I said becoming less tense. He listened intently and nodded his head, "I don't really have time for many hobbies because I work a lot." For some reason I found myself almost in tears, whether it was happiness that someone actually wanted to know how I was, or the fact that there were still so many things I couldn't tell him, tears began to flow freely from my eyes, though it was too dark for him to notice. "Anything else?" He persisted. "You want to know more? OK, well...my dad is an alcoholic that enjoys beating me whenever things don't go right. And my mom, dead, she shot herself when my dad threatened her. That's why I work every day, so I can pay for that white-trash trailor and clothe Brian and I. I've always wanted to be like the other kids, but I couldn't! So I work my ass off so Brian can." I exploded finally collapsing onto the chilled lawn and crying into my arms. I had never told anyone that, but nobody had ever cared to know. I cried into my hands waiting for some reaction from Shane. I heard him get up from the swing. I felt the cool breeze pick up brushing my hair into my face as he hurried past. |