Under the Viaduct, H. Anderson [top young adult novels .TXT] 📗

her in a hug from behind, his arms crossing just below her neck. He laid his head on top of hers and they stood that way for several minutes. Kaylee gained control over her emotions but didn’t want to move. Her heart pounded in her chest, but rarely had anything felt so good—or so right—before.

The sun had fallen beyond the horizon and the wind picked up. The sliver of a moon and cloud-covered stars gave off little light. If not for the lights spread around the campus, it would have been pitch black out. She shivered from the chill.

With one last squeeze, he let go of her and stepped back. “We should get going before you freeze.”

She crossed her arms, trying to hold in some warmth, and turned around to face him, nodding. “Let me give you a ride. I’d like to check in on Mama C, anyway.”

“Okay. And we can talk more on the way.”

In the car she turned the heat up full blast and Blayne got right to the talking. “I don’t think we should say anything to Mama about this.”

“I agree. Mostly because I’m afraid she’d throw both of us to the curb if we did.” Kaylee pulled out onto the deserted street.

“And she won’t let us help her for sure if she knows we’ve—you’ve—been snooping around, breaking promises, again. Speaking of snooping”—he narrowed his eyes—“how exactly do you intend to find out if she has any other family or close friends?”

Her stomach flipped at the hidden venom in the word again. She rushed to answer his question, determined not to hide anything from him. Determined to regain his trust. “I already called the school she used to teach at. The secretary said she remembers her and that she still has friends teaching at the school, but she wouldn’t answer any of my other questions. Do you have any suggestions?”

“Yeah. Leave it alone, maybe.” He shook his head. “She doesn’t want any of this.” He stared out the passenger window. “I thought you were past that.”

Kaylee frowned. She’d been starting to think he was on her side here. He was right, though. She had dug where Mama C had forbidden her to dig. And it wasn’t just Mama C’s trust she’d stepped on but Blayne’s too. Heck, would she even be able to keep her promise not to mention any of this to Mama?

But she had to pursue answers, didn’t she? For Mama C? Her brain switched gears, going into overdrive—people were more likely to answer questions in person. She could use her credit card, or maybe her dad would let her use some of his airline points.

“What are you thinking, Kaylee?”

Sometimes he was too perceptive. She swallowed. Best to just spit it out. “Just about ways I might get to New York.”

“Oh, no. Have you ever been to New York? No way you should go there by yourself. That place is waiting for a girl like you to step foot there. Your innocent face practically screams ‘mug me’!” He shuddered and added in a quieter tone, “Or worse.”

She pulled to her usual parking spot a couple dozen yards from the viaduct. “Don’t worry. There’s almost no way I can afford a trip there, anyway.”

“Almost?” The corners of his mouth turned down.

Kaylee shook her head. “I mean, I could use my credit card.”

Blayne whipped his head around, mouth open.

“But, I won’t,” she spoke before he could, “because that’s crazy. Right?”

“Right. Crazy and stupid. And I know you’re neither.”

“Right. I’m not crazy or stupid.” But a smart person would figure out how to get it done.

“Kaylee…”

She unbuckled her seatbelt and put the keys in her coat pocket. “Let’s go see how Mama C is doing.” She got out of the car before he could say anything else.

He shut his door a little harder than necessary. Kaylee concentrated on walking toward the small fire where she could see the outlines of several people. Blayne caught up to her, but didn’t say anything.

Mama C sat near the fire, wrapped up in her sleeping bag. “Kaylee, come sit by me and get warm.” She spread part of her sleeping bag out for Kaylee to sit on.

“Thank you, Mama C. How are you feeling tonight?”

“Same as the last time you asked.” In straight up contrast to her reply, she broke out into a fit of coughing, holding a hand tight to her chest.

Kaylee raised an eyebrow at her.

“Now, young lady, don’t go looking at me like that.” A couple more coughs. “It’s just a little cough, nothing worse than the common cold.”

Kaylee and Blayne exchanged looks from where he stood on the other side of the faltering flame. “Okay. I won’t argue with you,” Kaylee said. “Have you eaten anything tonight? Are you drinking plenty of water?”

“She hasn’t ate nothing,” Hannah said. “I offered to make her a sandwich, but she said no.”

Kaylee pushed herself up. “How about something warm, Mama? Do you have anything like that over here?” She walked over to where a new pile of grocery bags lay, tucked up against a cement column.

“No sense in looking,” Mama C said. “I bought some chicken noodle soup, but someone stole our only pan.”

“Well,” Kaylee put her hands on her hips, “you need to eat. I’ll be right back.” She hurried to her car before anyone could try to stop her. She drove to the nearest Super-store and bought a cheap pan and some cough drops. Then she went to a drive-thru and ordered a Styrofoam bowl of chicken noodle soup and a bottle of water. As she pulled up to the window, she decided to get the others something too, she knew Blayne hadn’t eaten anything yet. She ordered from the “cheap” menu and set the bulging bag of chicken sandwiches and fries on the passenger seat and balanced the soup on the console next to her.

Blayne paced back and forth near where she usually parked, and he hurried to open her door as soon as the car stopped. “She