The boy wasn't there today, though it didn't bother me as much as I'd expected. I'd only noticed because the only way for me to get to class on time was to drive by the diner and pass that corner of Way St and Ward boulevard. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡjBCc9LdXu4 維尼
It was easy to shrug off the sinking feeling in my stomach that worried whether he was alright or not, because of my knowledge of the boy. He'd be back tomorrow, he always was. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡBO0Sw9Gin1 維尼
Though, what wasn't as easy was trying to keep my knee from bouncing in the lecture hall. It wasn't as easy to wait until 10:40 when class ended, and it wasn't easy not to let my mind wander back to that boy. I didn't even know his name, for shits sake. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pYgn22V9A 維尼
I noticed Eli glancing over to me from the end of the row of students, who were all paying attention. The very fact that they didn't even acknowledge my existence at the moment made me feel a bit better about paying attention to Eli rather than the lecture. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡInl25yDHwB 維尼
He mouthed something and offered a gentle smile my way, and even though I didn't understand what he said, I smiled back and mouthed something back. I wasn't sure exactly what I'd said, though Eli seemed to know, and he grinned for a single moment before looking back down to his messy binder full of notes and sheets of paper with scribble-drawings. I wish I knew what I meant to say. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IzfPyOdhI 維尼
The current lecture was on marine biology, just reviewing the small topic of classification and things of the sort, though it was semi-hard to understand through the thick accent of my German teacher. I'd never actually liked the beach all that much, but fish and underwater plants intrigued me to a point where I felt that I'd just have to take the class, which turned out to be an okay decision because it was the only class that Eli and I have had together all year. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡImlauYt5u3 維尼
I usually didn't let my mind wander in this class, however today I found it harder to focus than usual. Something was eating away at the corner of my mind. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXeyyBPHzi 維尼
The class ended somewhat early due to a call that worried our professor. She had a look in her eyes that only anyone else feeling the same way could interpret. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfsDm9re3M 維尼
I decided to head home and watch my brothers for my mom, since she did say that she needed to head to work today and I knew that she hated leaving Ashton alone with the boys to care for him. They didn't take many things seriously, and would neglect Ashton. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0o0fABFmMk 維尼
While I drove home, I made sure to drive by that street lamp to make sure that the boy wasn't there. Just to check. Surprisingly, he was, though today he decided it'd be better to leave his hair floppy and un-gelled, a brave statement, really. He'd always looked good when he was clean and organized, though he was letting go today. IT was an okay look for him. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡDk9Ol5nsJH 維尼
I didn't stay by that street lamp, just staring at him, though I wish I could've. I headed home and sighed when I heard screams from inside the house when I pulled into the driveway. No, not screams of terror or pain, screams of argument. I never really minded when they kept it to themselves, but when the whole neighborhood could hear them, that was another story. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡryPT3nRVr7 維尼
Inside, my mother and father were both standing alert in the kitchen, my mother pinching the bridge of her nose and my father clenching the side of the counter. I'd seen this scene way too many times before. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EDSvqmRCT 維尼
"What's wrong now." I muttered as I brushed past my father and tugged open the fridge. He huffed, quite loudly, as if he wanted the whole house to understand how exasperated he was, and took a step back, relaxing his shoulders slightly. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvuESr1iIx 維尼
"Nothing, Harley. Your mother and I were just talking about Ashton's medical bills. That's all." He said gently. I rolled my eyes and shoved a closed cup of applesauce into my hand, shutting the fridge with my hip and plucking a spoon from the counter top full of drying dishes. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4kQmGvPZd 維尼
"Yes, of course. Use Ash as an excuse for your issues. Smooth one." My attitude towards my father wasn't the nicest, though there were times when we did get along and where I actually enjoyed his presence. Now was not one of these times. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXV2KL3ucN 維尼
I could practically feel his frustration behind me, though I turned to my mother and gave her an apologetic smile before leaving the kitchen, that applesauce cup still gripped gently in the palm of my hand. Ashton's room was originally upstairs, though we had to move it downstairs after everything had happened. It was hard for him to get up and down the stairs in a wheelchair, after all. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡN9SI98CCr1 維尼
I'm sure he heard my voice from the kitchen, though I hopped in front of his door with a large smile anyways, stating a pitiful, but ecstatic, "Surprise."8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vY98D5rhQ 維尼
He sat in his room near the bookshelf, curled up in his wheelchair with a two or three books strewn across his lap. I knelt in front of him and held up the singular cup of applesauce with the spoon resting on top of it, placing it in his lap. He looked up and smiled at me, his lack of front teeth making me crack a wide grin of my own. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeeRKIjxwK 維尼
He was small in size and was topped with a messy mass of blonde hair on top of his head - as if someone has lathered glue over a tangled ball of yarn and gorilla glued it to his scalp. It was adorable. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡA70e9AkAaK 維尼
"Harley." He simply stated, though you could tell in his tired eyes that the 7-year-old was excited. He threw up his arms and wrapped them around my neck, which forced me down into a much-needed hug. I'd always loved Ash's hugs. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IArt3GOQZ 維尼
"Ashton." I copied him, and stuck out my tongue at him when our hug had dispersed. He seemed paler than when I last saw him. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpm0abNokw 維尼
"I missed you, where've you been?" He looked down into his lap as he spoke, another smile meeting his lips and presenting his invisible front teeth. He grabbed the cup and held it happily before looking back up at me. His eyes were bloodshot, something that a seven-year-old should really not have to deal with. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MLxS8ZfX1 維尼
"I've just been out and about, bud. Eli says hello." I sat down in front of his wheelchair on the floor, crossing my legs into a little comfortable basket in which I dropped my hands into my lap. He used to be an extremely smart kid, and had always excelled in any subject put in his way. Ever since he had to start homeschooling, mom could never get him to put much effort into academics. My dad suggested that it was the lack of social interactions that put in into this haze, though we all knew in the back of our minds that with the wheelchair came a state of depression. 579Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRgUnLaL6U
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He wasn't used to rolling himself around at first, and would always convince himself that he was merely sitting down rather than being forced to, and would push himself up and out of that wheelchair, only to fall helplessly. It broke every single one of our hearts when he'd stare at his useless legs - and sometimes I'd overhear him praying at night for some kind of miracle to help him. It was a miracle all in his own that he still believed in a God while we'd all given up on one years ago, when we got the news that the disease couldn't be fixed. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbHWxp4G80 維尼
My mother, though, blamed herself for his disease, which had been finally diagnosed after the seemingly endless nausea and spasms that he'd experienced. We'd known before the doctors said that the virus was Polio, though it was a hit that none of us came back from. She got us all the vaccines right after the diagnosis, having been a anti-vaccine activist, which blew up right in her face. She seemed to hope that it would help Ash, but it didn't. It was indefinitely incurable. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡNz1bsTGoJI 維尼
"I've missed Eli, too." Ash muttered as he reached for my hand and squeezed it in his own smaller ones. They were terrifyingly cold. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1QOYjHgb6 維尼
"He is going to come see you guys soon, I promise. I'll force him to." He scrunched up his nose as reached up with my other hand and poked it gently. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡKF8qY6Cm6B 維尼
"I sure hope so. It's getting boring here." He shrugged and dropped my hand back into my lap, his hands now squeezing his knees. He had a small, yet hopeless, smile on his lips. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡkd4O4ik6Pa 維尼
"I'm sorry, Ash." I sighed softly and looked into his glistening little blue eyes, "I'm really sorry."8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡKy2YbQGDUo 維尼
Author's Note: Hey, Hi, Hello!8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡsa3fo9AX7n 維尼
I'm typically really busy so if you actually like the story, I'll update as fast as I can. I like to make my chapters around 7-10 minutes long, but with school and everything it's a lil' hard. Since this is only my second chapter, I thought I'd introduce myself.579Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRUr7cm2fq
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I'm Lili, I'm 16 and I really, really like dogs. That's all there is to really know about me. 8964 copyright protection575ＰＥＮＡＮＡMD1lJ7JMZT 維尼
I hope you like the story, and like I said, it'll be updated soon. I'm also already coming out with an accompanying book called A Girl Named Harley, which is basically everything from Dakota's point of view. Chapters for that will be released soon. Thanks!579Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd5B6CRReQd
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