My Stupid Girl by Aurora Smith Read Free Book Online

resting against my shoulder. It was getting heavier and it
wasn't comfortable, but I wasn't going to ask her to move it. I might be
awkward and socially constipated but I’m not stupid. 
    I really wanted to put my arm around her. I
felt my resolve ping-ponging back and forth. I didn't feel like it would be
unwelcome; she had climbed into my bed, after all. I decided. My arm slowly
wrapped around her head and she readjusted, turning her body slightly toward me
and sinking deeper onto my chest. Her neck was resting in my armpit and my arm
draped over those hips. She let out a little sigh. I pulled up the blankets
around her shoulders, straightening the hemline so it lined up with my own
covering. Then I put my cheek on the top of her head and I laughed softly to
myself. This whole situation was absolutely absurd.
    The day was turning out to be ok, after all. 
     
     
     
     
    3. OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS
     
    All good things must come to an end, so they say.
    The only good thing about the next morning
was when Lucy’s parents and boyfriend came to take her home from the hospital.
Nurses and orderlies freaked out for a few minutes until they discovered her in
my room. The look on Mike’s face when he saw Lucy asleep in my bed, tucked
under my arm was priceless. Pure comedy.
    I was happy to play a role in teaching an
impressionable young lad some life lessons about being such an impressionable
young lad. Like, give a crap about your girlfriend, for one.
    What I didn’t like was how they were all
looking at me like I was the culprit. Sure, I wasn't kicking and screaming
about the gorgeous creature curled up next to me, but I certainly didn't invite
her. She was a big girl, she’d done it all on her own. But Mike didn’t seem to care;
he had instantly dropped the grateful facade and his face had picked up a sour
look, judging by the angry curl of his mouth. Lucy’s mom looked horrified, and
her dad seemed concerned. A little thread of guilt started to curl around my
stomach. I ignored it. Probably wouldn’t see these people again, anyway.
    Mike’s anger got worse when he had to poke
Lucy awake. The first thing she did when she was awake enough to register there
were people around, was look at me and say "oh, good morning David! You
saved my life!" Then she giggled. Seriously. An early morning giggle from
the most popular girl in school. Twilight Zone, check.
    As Mike’s face cycled through six shades of
red and purple, Lucy stretched, scooted over, and flung her legs over the bed.
Her parents’ faces changed from concerned, to relieved, as soon as their
precious chick left the evil zone-my bed. But Mike still looked baffled. Lucy
gave me a little wave and shuffled to her room between her parents, Mike
trailed behind them with his tail between his legs. I patted my hair down
quickly and decided to buy a real beanie as soon as I got the chance. The last
24 hours had been surreal and amazing. And they were done. I knew it and tried
to avoid thinking about what came next. Within a half hour I was on my way to
my grandmother’s house in the back of a police car.
    I was expecting to go to my father’s house
to get all of my things but they told me that a social worker had packed up my
things into a box that had already been delivered to my grandma’s. I couldn’t
stop worrying that my stuff would be in less than perfect condition when I got
there. If whoever packed me up knew anything about me, they were probably
surprised when they walked into my room and saw how clean and orderly it was.
They had to have been imagining a Goth kid’s room: black paint, posters of
people cut in half, and a mess of clothes piled up waist-high. Some of my
friends had rooms like that but I couldn't handle it. I liked to know were all
my stuff was; I liked it all to go exactly where it belonged. I did have a few
gargoyle statues, I guess that could have been weird but I liked the way they
looked, like they were standing guard over