Roses & Bullets

XVIII. Mrs. Frye

CLAIRE Oh, poor guy.

I wake up this morning a little early than usual, so I make myself a cup of coffee and step outside. I take a short walk around the hostel, savoring the beautiful, peaceful morning when I notice something on the lawn. I walk towards it, and I almost spilled my coffee.

I gently set down my cup of coffee on the ground and kneel beside the dead robin. I can't be sure, but I feel so sorry for it because it's so small and helpless.

I wonder what happened to it? I check its wings to see if they are broken, but they are not. I look for any signs of injury, but I don't find any.

I pick up my coffee and head back inside the house with the bird in my hand. I leave my hot beverage in the kitchen and go to my room quietly. Once inside, I take a small box from my drawer, which contains some of my high school souvenirs.

I remove all its contents and place the robin inside. Now you can rest, little fella. I go back outside and dig a small hole near my mother's flowers and bury the box.

When I stand up, I notice the curtain in Erik's window move, but I can't be sure. I head back inside to start preparing breakfast for everyone, and it isn't long before I'm done. With the country scrambled eggs that I made with a side of avocados, the kitchen smells wonderful.

I haven't even sounded the breakfast bell yet when I hear some footsteps. When I turn around, I see Erik, wearing a tank top and lounge pants. I suddenly realize that I'm still in my pajamas and my hair is a mess.

I quickly put my hair in a bun and pretend to be busy with the coffee maker. The one I made earlier is already cold, so I want another one. Erik walks up to me and speaks in a hushed voice.

"Can I have some of that, Claire?" he asks. He is so unnecessarily close to me that I feel my ears and face flushing.

"Sure," I reply, and it's all I can do to stop my hands from trembling. "Here you go," I say as I hand Erik his cup.

"Thanks." Erik takes his usual place at the table and stares out the window.

Should I say something? It's so quiet, and this is so awkward. I'm not sure if he is back to his old self, meaning I'm not sure if he is not in the mood again.

We were okay last night, but I'm not sure if we are okay now. I think it will be better if I stay quiet. I take out the plates and the utensils and start preparing the table.

"Do you need help?" he inquires, and I almost jumped out of my skin. His deep voice sounds sexier in this silence, and I want to pinch myself for having that thought.

"Uhm, no, thank you," I say, forcing myself to smile. "I got this."

"You sure?" he asks again as he takes a sip of his coffee.

"Yes," I answer, clearing my throat.

My father then steps into the kitchen, and I've never been so grateful in my life. He sits in his place, but then he stands again and starts to leave.

"Where are you going, daddy?"

"I'm just gonna get the newspaper outside," he says.

"I'll go get it for you," Erik offers, and he moves so fast that he is in and out of the house in seconds. "Here you go, sir."

"Oh, thank you, Erik." My father sits once more and starts reading the newspaper.

"Where's Corey," I ask my father.

"Well, I tried waking him up, but he said he's tired. Just let him sleep."

"All right," I say as I finish setting up the table and serving the food. "Should I save some for him?"

"Sure," my father replies.

"Mr. Wilson?"

"Yes, Erik?" My father turns to look at him as he eats.

"Do you know a place here where I can get a job?" Erik asks.

"Well, what can you do?" My father looks really interested.

"Can you wait tables?"

"Uhm, I prefer to work somewhere that's not too crowded," he says, a little embarrassed.

"Can you fix cars?"

"I'm a guy, but I don't know anything about them."

"How about haircutting?"

"I'm better at handling guns," Erik tells my father, scratching his head. I almost choked on my food, but they both ignore me.

"All right," my father says, thinking hard about what to recommend to Erik.

"Can you help stack up books and clean up a bit?" I ask Erik, and he gives me a puzzled look.

"What do you mean?"

"You can get a job at the library," I answer. "Mrs. Frye, the librarian, she could use some help."

Erik runs a hand through his hair, and my father and I are both patiently waiting for his answer. I imagine Erik spending a day with the grumpy Mrs. Frye, and I have to stifle my laughter.

"Well?" my father pushes him. "Can you?"

"Sure," Erik finally answers. "I think I can do that."

"Great!" my father exclaims. "Claire can take you to the library after we eat."

My eyes widen, and Erik immediately refuses. "It's all right, Mr. Wilson. I know the way."

"Oh, hush now," my father ignores him. "Claire has nothing to do today. Right, sweetheart?"

"Right," I say, trying to look okay. "I can take you there," I say to Erik."

"Are you sure?" he asks me, even though we know that we're both being forced into this.

"Yes. No big deal."

"There you go!" my father chirps. "You guys hurry up and be on your way."

After we finish our breakfast, I take my father back to his room and help him take his medication. And then, I change my clothes and meet Erik outside. I'm wearing a yellow shirt and denim shorts and my favorite sneakers.

On the other hand, Erik looks ridiculously handsome even if he's only wearing a plain white shirt and gray pants. He nods at me, and we start walking.

"You said you know where the library is?" I ask, making small talk.

"Yeah, I went there yesterday to do some reading."

"You mean before you injured yourself?"

"Before a kid in a bicycle ran me over, yes," he tells me, shaking his head.

"I see." As I think of what else to say, I take that chance to glance at him, and I'm surprised to see that he's already looking at me. "What is it?"

"Nothing," he tells me, looking away and shrugging his shoulders.

"So you've already met Mrs. Frye?"

"Yes," he replies again, smiling.

"And?"

"Oh, she's lovely," Erik chuckles, and I join him.

"She's not always like that," I assure him. "She's actually nice."

"We'll see about that." Even though Erik doesn't talk much, I can feel that he's starting to loosen up. We arrive at the library, and Mrs. Frye greets us.

"Hello, darling," she greets me before turning to Erik. "Well, look who we have here."

"This is Erik Daniels, Mrs. Frye," I say to her.

"I know him all right. He was here yesterday." Mrs. Frye sounds so sour, but I don't want to ask about what happened. "What do you need?"

"I was wondering if you need an extra hand here, Mrs. Frye?" Erik asks her sweetly that I can't believe it's him speaking.

Mrs. Frye raises an eyebrow. "Sure. You're hired."

"Aren't you even going to tell me the scope of my job?" Erik asks her.

"If you're here, then I assume that Claire has already told you what you need to do," she turns around to go behind the counter. "I expect you to be here tomorrow at eight in the morning, and then we'll talk about your salary."

"Thank you, Mrs. Frye," I say.

"Thank you, ma'am," Erik adds.

"Now get out of my library."

We immediately leave the library before Mrs. Frye can change her mind. Once we're out of earshot, we both laugh so hard.

"I think she likes me," Erik says, still chuckling.

"I think she does," I agree, and then we head back home, laughing like little kids.

As we near the hostel, I see Mikey waiting for me outside. All traces of laughter are gone from Erik's face, and Mikey doesn't look amused either. Oh, boy.