Page 23 of Beyond The Maples
If I'm honest, I'm a little excited about this part. I've lived such a small life here. It will be good to see more, and experience a few things out of the ordinary, even if it comes at a cost.
The driver gives me a curt nod. I turn to my family and start with Linden, pulling him in for a big hug.
"OK, I left a bunch of instructions in the kitchen. Everything is in there, so please don't lose them. There's enough money to get you through the next month, although I think my pay should come through to you sooner, so make sure you check the post. I talked to Marta from the diner and she's going to check in with you guys. She can help if you have stuff come up or need help with Willow. Don't be nervous about asking her. She's all bark and no bite. And what else am I forgetting? I don't know, but I wrote it down. Don't ease up on your studying. Oh, and.."
Linden interrupts me.
"Maple,stop.You thought of everything and if not, I'll figure it out. I'm not a kid anymore, ok, we got this."
He says it with such finality it surprises me into silence. He really is growing up. I move on to Willow and pull her in for an equally aggressive hug. I hold her back a little so I can see her eyes.
"Be smart," I say to her, waiting expectantly.
"Be brave," she replies with a sniffle. A mantra our mom always used to say to us. I have the foggiest memory of it, and I know Willow doesn't remember, but we've repeated it so often and for so long it's still our thing.
I can hear Willow's muffled sobs through her mask. I hold her a moment longer before moving on to Deacon. For a second I'm not quite sure what to do, our intimate moment last night shifting our relationship ever so slightly.
He makes the choice for me though, and grabs me, holding me tight.
"Remember your promise, ok? Come back." I nod into his chest, emotion clogging my throat. "I love you," he whispers and shoves me away just as quickly, leaving me whirling.
Did that seem different from the way he usually says it?
I stare at the three of them, backing towards my ride.
"I love you all. Please take care of each other. I'll see you soon."
I yell it as I turn. I barely hear anything the officer in front of me says. He gestures to the back where I guess I'll be riding, taking one look at my family standing there, all of them waving, before flipping open the canvas flaps of the truck and hopping in.
My eyes widen as I take in the full truck bed.
All of the passengers look uncomfortable and weathered. I make myself as small as possible, not wanting to attract unwanted attention before I even arrive. I sit on the sliver of bench available closest to the door. The Centre is only a two-hour drive, but I know a lot can happen in two hours, especially on these roads. There are seven others, not including me, shoved back here.
Their ages range, with the youngest being around Linden's age and the oldest probably closer to forty. The man at the back eyes me, almost rolling his eyes like he suspects I'm going to be a pain right off the bat.
I jump suddenly as a boy's head appears in front of my face without warning.
"Hi! I'm Leo, how's it going?"
He has the biggest smile on his face I've ever seen. Is he lost? Why is he so happy? He's sitting across from me, shaggy blonde curls falling around his face. This is the kid I thought was about Linden's age.
"I'm Maple." I smile back politely.
"This bunch is very chatty," he throws a thumb at everyone seated beside them sarcastically. "I'm from two towns over, and I am bored to tears. Were you from Strayton?" he asks.
I wonder if I should give him that information, but I suppose it's rather obvious being I was just picked up there.
"Yeah, born and raised." I shrug.
"Wow, must be nice. You guys actually have facilities there. Isn't there a hospital? My town, the hospital, school, and the post office are all wrapped in one." He laughs.
"Yeah, the hospital and the university off-sites mix into one, but it works because most of what you can take now at university you need the hospital for," I reply.
"What do you mean, off-site?" he asks eagerly.
"It's like a smaller version of the real thing, sanctioned by the real thing... if that makes sense. The real university and hospital are in The Centre, but they share resources, and fund it." I only know all this through Linden, of course.
"You a government worker?" the shy red head next to me says. Her big round eyes blink rapidly, making her look impossibly young, as they bounce around the others sitting with us. Her lips are dry and cracked. She looks tired.
