Redheads are Soulless by Heather M. White Read Free Book Online Page B

agreed. First, he lowered me down, passed me my suit case, and then he jumped down himself. He landed perfectly on the grass.
    “Thank you, again,” I said as we took off towards his house.
    “For what?”
    “For saving me. Once again, I owe you.”
    He smiled mischievously. “Your undying gratitude is enough for me. ”
    “I’m serious – someday I will pay you back.”
    After a few minutes of driving, we pulled in Jason’s very large house.
    “Do you r parents ever come home?” I asked.
    “Never,” he answered as he opened the front door. He motioned for me to go inside first.
    “And you’re sure they don’t mind that you have a girl over when they’re not here?”
    He seemed amused by my question. “I can assure you that nobody cares who I invite over.”
    We sat down on his brown , leather couch and he put on a scary movie. He put his arm around me, and I jumped at the appropriate spots, but my mind was elsewhere.
    First, I was thinking about the whiskey bottle. The bottle didn’t just break on its own. That’s impossible. Then the light bulb busted when I slammed the door. I know I didn’t slam the door hard enough to break a light bulb over 5 feet away from the doorframe. And then, ther e was the soda can – it rattled this morning whenever I got mad and thought about my mom. Jason, grabbed the can quickly, and then acted like he didn’t hear anything. But I know he did. And then tonight, when my mom was with that… guy… The lamp just shattered. She didn’t bump it. She was at least 3 feet away from the lamp when it happened.
    Really, everything has to have an explanation. And I am determined to figure it out.
     
    …
     
    On Sunday morning when I woke up, Jason and I were still on the couch. He held me as I slept, and when I woke up, he was looking at me.
    “Good morning,” I said all groggy.
    “Good morning,” he smiled.
    “Were you watching me sleep?”
    “Maybe,” he admitted.
    “That’s kind of creepy,” I joked.
    “Good creepy or bad creepy?”
    “Is there really a good creepy?” I couldn’t help but laugh.
    We spent most of Sunday hanging out. On Sunday night when I got home, mom was there on the couch, she was crying, and very wasted.
    I talked to my mom for a few minutes, but she wa s pretty intolerable when she wa s like that, so I quickly excused myself to my room. Once I got there, there was a big purple ribbon sitting on the middle of m y bed. Once I got closer, I could see that the ribbon was attached to a brand new purple iPod. There was a note attached.
     
    Sof,
    I loaded a ton of songs on here I thought you would like. I know you don’t have a computer, but anytime you want music, you can come to my house.
    Love, Jason
    P.S. You don’t owe me anything.
     
    I couldn’t help the huge smile that spread across my lips.
    Really, this was too much. I don’t think anybody has ever spent so much money on me before, even my own mother. I knew that I should take the iPod back to him, but I also knew that he would refuse it, so I put the ear buds in my ears .
    The iPod really was loa ded with all my favorite bands. I don’t really remember discussing my favorite b ands with him, but I was sure the conversation must have come up at some point. I turned the volume on MAX and let the music mute the sound of my mother’s sobs from the living room. I let the music drown out my thoughts… I allowed it to take me to my happy place… I listened until finally I drifted off to sleep.
    On Monday morning when I woke up, my headphones were still in my ears. I pulled them out, and plugged my iPod up so it could charge.
    After a quick shower, I got ready for school. When I looked in my closet, I was excited as I remembered I had new clothes… Outside, it was in the upper 60’s, so I decided to wear my new purple dress with my purple Converse.
    My normally frizzy red hair was actually tame today… Lately it had actually been pretty non-frizzy. I didn’t mind – I hated my