When Friendship Followed Me Home by Paul Griffin Read Free Book Online Page B

have to talk about how things will go from here,” Aunt Jeanie said. “Clearly you’ll come live with us. Tess left directions, and that’s what she wanted. She put away somemoney for you too, enough to get you through the first two years of college, maybe. She left me in charge of the money until you turn eighteen.”
    I already knew this stuff. Mom told me and asked if I’d be okay with what she had in mind for me in case she died. I was like, “Sure.” What choice did I have?
    â€œLook, champ, it’s all going to be okay,” Leo said. “I’m even excited about this in a weird way. Not in a weird way. You know what I mean. I can be your coach in Little League or something.”
    Leo was huge, but a lot of that was fat. I couldn’t see him throwing a ball without having a stroke. He was probably sixty-something but looked older. “I don’t want to be a problem,” I said.
    â€œStop talking like that,” Aunt Jeanie said. “We’re happy to have you.”
    â€œHappy to have you,” Leo said too, almost, but Aunt Jeanie cut him off.
    â€œThe first order of business is to take whatever you want from the apartment. I have to return the keys to the landlord by the end of the month, and I’m having somebody come in to sell the furniture and such. Whatever you don’t want, goes.”
    â€œChamp, there’s not a lot of room at the house. All those books. You might want to consider thinning out the collection there. I’m gonna get you the e-book versions, much more efficient.”
    â€œIt’s okay,” I said.
    â€œNo no, I want to do it,” Leo said. “I want to buy you a present, okay? I feel bad for you, being orphaned again and all that.”
    â€œLeo, really?” Aunt Jeanie said.
    â€œNo, I’m just saying,” Leo said.
    â€œI can sell them back to Strand,” I said. “The used bookstore. That’s where a lot of them came from anyway.”
    â€œThere you go,” Leo said. “Put a few dollars in your pocket. Very enterprising, my kind of guy.”
    I looked around the apartment. My eyes settled on the picture of Laura. “Can I bring her?”
    â€œWell, now, that will be fine, Ben,” Aunt Jeanie said. She patted my shoulder from a distance, leaning away as she reached in. “Yes, I suspect Tess would want that.”
    Tess. Not Mom. Two years I knew her. I got kind of mad all of a sudden. It hit me: That was the longest I ever knew anybody. I excused myself, and Flip and I went to my room, which was about to be somebody else’s soon. I pulled down my Chewbacca poster, rolled it up and slipped it into a tube of gift-wrapping paper that said CONGRATULATIONS! again and again.
    I checked my phone. I had like a dozen texts from Halley. They started Thursday afternoon with
Where are you?
and ended Saturday morning with
I have no idea what I did to make you blow me off, but whatever it is I’m sorry.
    I just didn’t know how to get back to her. What, I’m going to tell her my mom died when I barely know her? I don’t know, I just didn’t want her feeling bad for me or bad at all, even though I knew I was making her feel bad not getting back to her.
    â€œBen?”
    I practically jumped off the bed when Aunt Jeanie came in. Mom always knocked, even if the door was open, which it wasn’t.
    â€œYour principal left messages for Tess. Three. Apparently you’ve been fighting?”
    I knew freaking Chucky would cave.

15
    NO SMOKING IN MRS. PINTO’S
    The next day after school we had a big meeting in Mrs. Pinto’s office: Rayburn and his mom, Angelina and Ronda and theirs, Chucky and Mrs. Mold, and me and Leo, because Aunt Jeanie had to work. Turns out it wasn’t Chucky who ratted out Rayburn. It was Ronda.
    Rayburn’s mom put one of those electronic cigarette things to her lips.
    â€œUh, excuse me,
no,
” Mrs. Pinto