Torn Souls by crystal Cattabriga Read Free Book Online

kitchen and pulled out a frying pan from the cabinet.
     
    “Oh, I see you’re going to cook tonight,” I said with a surprised tone.
     
    “Yes, I figured this way we won’t all get too comfortable eating out all the time.”
     
    “What are we having?”
     
    “I’m going to make something simple. I was thinking some grilled cheese. Does that sound good?” She asked as if I was going to say no.
     
    “Sure, that’s fine.”
     
    “Julia, where’s your dad?” Mom asked as if she didn’t know he’d still be in the room packing.
     
    “He’s just finishing up in the bedroom. I’ll go get him.”
     
    I was so happy to be almost done with packing up the house, but I was dreading the next part. Once we arrived at our new place we’d have to unpack everything. I was sure hoping Mom wasn’t going to make me start school on that Monday. After dinner, Mom and Dad spent time together watching an old Clint Eastwood movie while I went right to sleep.
     
    When I woke the next morning to get dressed for school Dad came in my room to let me know that I could stay home only if I agreed to finish packing around the house. Of course, I agreed. I didn’t even see the point of going to school for the rest of the week knowing Friday would be my last day there. Now that I was somewhat awake and had no intentions of trying to go back to sleep, I headed downstairs.
     
    I found Mom in the living room. She was already chatting on the phone and by the tone in her voice I could tell who she was talking to. “No! I think the price I’m asking for is fair. This is non-negotiable, Nancy,” she said as she paced back and forth. I wasn’t about to stick around and find out how that conversation was going to end, so I grabbed a muffin from the kitchen and headed back to my room.
     
    Sitting up in my bed, I messed around with my phone for a while. I downloaded a couple of free books on Amazon for my Kindle App, played Angry Birds, but then found myself becoming bored. I had no one to text or call. I was hoping I’d at least make a friend at my new school, so this way I could actually use my phone for what it really was intended for, to talk or text. It was just about twelve in the afternoon when I realized I hadn’t packed anything. If I didn’t get moving, I’d sure to be in trouble, so for the rest of the afternoon, I found whatever needed to be pack and threw it into boxes. I gave up when it was time for dinner. After I ate, I decided to go for a walk through Mr. Andrews’s field just to get some fresh air.
     
    On my way back home, I noticed that Mr. Andrews’s porch light was on and he was sitting in his old wooden rocker, so I decided to pay him a visit. He had always been nice to me growing up. Thinking back, I remember watching him and his daughter from my porch ride horses together in the field. Sometimes I could hear their laughter in the distance which always made me giggle. Sadly, five years ago, his daughter died. I never really sat down and asked him what happened, but it was in the local paper, and I did however read the article. It stated that she was thrown from her horse while riding and broke her neck.
     
    As I walked toward the porch, I waved while saying, “Hello, Mr. Andrews, it’s Julia. ”
     
    I knew he didn’t get much company and by the look on his face he was happy someone had come to visit him. He lived alone. Apparently, after the loss of his daughter, he fell into a deep depression I heard and no longer works. Most of the time, I see him taking care of his farm and sitting on his porch just rocking back and forth.
     
    “Oh, this is a pleasant surprise. I haven’t seen you in a long time, Julia,” he said sounding like I had just brightened up his day.
     
    “Yes, it has been a while, Mr. Andrews. I was taking a walk when I noticed you sitting out here by yourself,” I said, then realizing what an idiot I was. It was bad enough he knew he was alone, but for me to remind him was like