We get to work, but my mind isn't in it. I stare dazedly at the back of a Windex bottle, mind drifting to the same chain of terrible memories that have plagued me for years.
"I can show you how to do it." The man from my memory says, "There's nothing to worry about River..."
My seven year-old self doesn't know any better, so she lets him show her how. She lets him teach her a lot of things little girls shouldn't know about. Things fathers don't tell their children about until they're much, much older.
"Uh...River?" Harrison asks, waving a hand in front of my face.
I snap back to reality, remembering that I am not at home, I do not have time for reminiscing.
"Yeah? Sorry, I was just, uh... daydreaming."
He raises his eyebrows questioningly, suddenly very interested in what's going on in my mind. "Really? What about?" He sounds intrigued. Great. This is just what I need. A silly boy nosing into my business.
"Oh, just the usual things girls daydream about." I lie. "You know, uh, unicorns, crowns, princes, romance; that type of thing." The sarcasm is evident in my tone, and he chuckles.
"I get it; you don't want to tell me. No worries, Riv." The nickname rolls off his tongue, like he's known me all my life. I don't understand why, but it causes me to stiffen in defense. No one but Sky has ever called me 'Riv.'
Harrison doesn't seem to notice my discomfort, and I figure that it is for the better. He gets back to work, and I force myself to focus on what I was doing before. Before I know it, it's around eight, and I need to get going. I have to find somewhere secluded to park and sleep in my car, since I know I won't be welcome at home.
"Uh..." I start. Harrison looks up from the paper he'd been writing on. "I should probably get going. It's kind of late."
He smiles at me, that pretty, genuine smile, and nods his head. "Yeah. Okay, well how about we work after school tomorrow? Do you want to come here again? Or do you want me to come to your house?" He asks.
"No!" I answer a little too quickly, he looks at me quizzically, and I compose myself. "I mean... I-uh... We can work here again, if you don't mind."
"I can show you how to do it." The man from my memory says, "There's nothing to worry about River..."
My seven year-old self doesn't know any better, so she lets him show her how. She lets him teach her a lot of things little girls shouldn't know about. Things fathers don't tell their children about until they're much, much older.
"Uh...River?" Harrison asks, waving a hand in front of my face.
I snap back to reality, remembering that I am not at home, I do not have time for reminiscing.
"Yeah? Sorry, I was just, uh... daydreaming."
He raises his eyebrows questioningly, suddenly very interested in what's going on in my mind. "Really? What about?" He sounds intrigued. Great. This is just what I need. A silly boy nosing into my business.
"Oh, just the usual things girls daydream about." I lie. "You know, uh, unicorns, crowns, princes, romance; that type of thing." The sarcasm is evident in my tone, and he chuckles.
"I get it; you don't want to tell me. No worries, Riv." The nickname rolls off his tongue, like he's known me all my life. I don't understand why, but it causes me to stiffen in defense. No one but Sky has ever called me 'Riv.'
Harrison doesn't seem to notice my discomfort, and I figure that it is for the better. He gets back to work, and I force myself to focus on what I was doing before. Before I know it, it's around eight, and I need to get going. I have to find somewhere secluded to park and sleep in my car, since I know I won't be welcome at home.
"Uh..." I start. Harrison looks up from the paper he'd been writing on. "I should probably get going. It's kind of late."
He smiles at me, that pretty, genuine smile, and nods his head. "Yeah. Okay, well how about we work after school tomorrow? Do you want to come here again? Or do you want me to come to your house?" He asks.
"No!" I answer a little too quickly, he looks at me quizzically, and I compose myself. "I mean... I-uh... We can work here again, if you don't mind."
