Page 27 of Something New

"Okay, whatever you think," he said, still sounding a little uncertain.

"So, does that mean you're letting me go home?"

"I was planning on taking you home after lunch, anyway. I'm heading home, too. I'll finish on Monday."

We went for fast food from a chicken finger restaurant and we ate in the truck on the way back to our mom and dad's.

"So, can we agree that you'll try to make it back to your bed next time?" he asked me when we got close.

"Yes."

"And maybe before 5am? Maybe two? Do you think that's reasonable?"

"Why a curfew? I’m twenty-two years old."

"It's just a reasonable life choice. I'm telling you that as your older brother."

"I mean, I'll take it into consideration."

"Mom definitely doesn't want you out that late."

"I'm going to get my own place soon, anyway. I've already been talking about it and saving up." Even as I said it, I knew I was just being stubborn. Salem was looking out for me, and deep down, I was thankful for it.

"It's not about that, Sadie. It's for your own good."

"I-I mean I see what you're saying, but some of my best pictures happen in the wee hours of morning. The time of night is not an issue. Doctors and nurses do it all the time."

"Okay," he said, relenting but sounding uncertain.

"How are you such a rule-follower?" I asked.

"I don't want you at raves," he said. "Those things are stupid. That doesn't mean I'm a rule-follower."

I smiled and shook my head at him, but deep down, I felt like he might be right. I knew I regretted partying last night. I knew I didn't feel good about myself, regardless of what my family thought. But I had been trying to justify it all morning—to him and to myself. Salem was right, though, and I knew it. I had been proud of myself during the last three weeks, and my life was better in general for hanging up all that stuff.

Last night wasn't even that fun. It honestly wasn't fun at all. Some dude was watching me and trying to get close to me, and I spent most of the night avoiding him.

Salem might've been right, but I just didn't want to hear it from him. It was humiliating that other people would be giving me a hard time about my life. I was sweaty and nasty, and I didn't want to be lectured.

I had soul-searching to do.

It was understandable that I was disappointed about being rejected as a babysitter, but John-Michael had his reasons. Those reasons were more than likely why he didn't call me back. All this time, I had been worried that I had kissed him and that was the real reason. I didn't know which was worse. Both were rejection.

I spent that whole day feeling bad and repenting for what I had done the night before.

That very same night, John-Michael called me.

Chapter 10

John-Michael Kennedy

It had been a long few weeks—difficult at times. Ethan came down with a bad cold that led to a double ear infection. John-Michael was busy with school and teaching when he first got sick with it, and Ethan went out to Camp Eden with his Nana so that he could rest and recover. John-Michael drove out there every afternoon and stayed the night, making the commute back to campus every morning.

They did this routine for several days before John-Michael came down with it himself. His turned into pneumonia, and John-Michael joined his son in taking antibiotics. They both stayed out at Camp Eden, in the main house with his parents.

By that point, Sadie and her brothers were finished with the tunnel and she didn't come out to the house. John-Michael was so sick that he didn't even think about any of that until his body started to heal. He was out of it for a solid week. He had to cancel the classes he was supposed to teach, and he had to put off any progress on the classes he was still taking. His life was on hold.

He started to feel half-human again on Thursday. Today was Saturday, and he was much better. He would go back to Raleigh tonight so that he could wake up at home on Sunday and get ready to join the land of the living on campus on Monday.