Old Stone Chapter 11

Author’s Notes: 

The Chapters:			
Chapter 1	Chapter 2	Chapter 3	Chapter 4
Chapter 5	Chapter 6	Chapter 7	Chapter 8
Chapter 9	Chapter 10	Chapter 11 Available 3/16/24	Chapter 12 Available 3/23/24
Chapter 13 Available 3/30/24	Chapter 14 Available 4/06/24	Chapter 15 Available 4/13/24	Chapter 16 Available 4/20/24

The Characters:	
Vera Rose (mama)	Erin Rose (19-year-old, daughter, and oldest sister)
Charlie Rose (16-year-old, daughter, and middle sister)	Kyree Rose (12-year-old, daughter, and youngest sister)
Tobin Lindor (Vera’s husband)	Andrew Lindor (18-year-old, and Tobin’s son)
Wade Rose (daddy; deceased, seen in flashbacks)	Donita Holt (Andrew’s mother; Tobin’s ex)
Karissa Craig (friend of Andy and Erin)	Grady Jewell (friend of Andy and Erin)
Jaron Green (friend of Andy and Erin)	Nicolle Noland (friend of Andy and Erin)

POV of Erin Rose

Growing up, I never made friends. It always hurt inside when other children were playing or eating lunch and not including me. You would think someone like me who went to school with the same kids all her life from kindergarten to the twelfth grade, well, you’d think she’d have loads of friends.

But no, not me. I take the blame because I know I’m not friendly or touchy-feely like so many people. From the moment I started kindergarten with my spindly little five-year-old body, all the way until I was considered a young woman, severe shyness plagued me. Not even just that. I was… I am a silent thinker. Words never come easy. Social situations make my whole body tremble. I’m always looking for the nearest escape. In fact, I feel terrified to the point where I can’t draw breath.

Just the other day, I was walking across campus to the bookstore to pick up some highlighter pens, when I tripped over an ant. Yeah, you read that right. I was walking in kind of a weird way because I’m not used to my backpack being so heavy. It was slung over one arm. I learned the hard way that only nerds wear their backpack the proper way, over both shoulders. Anyway, I was looking at the ground as I walked so I wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes when I saw an ant. I didn’t want to step on him, I mean, what did he ever do to me? In trying to step over him, the sole of my job-required non-skid shoe kind of scuffed forward and the sudden stop sent my backpack careening off my shoulder, hitting me right in the chest.

Before I knew it, I’d fallen forward, hitting the sidewalk with my knees. I was able to stop my face from hitting by throwing my hands in front of me. I have a nice case of pavement-burn on my palms. Luckily, it was the bulky backpack that saved my life. My whole middle fell onto the lumpy bag, knocking the wind out of me.

Yes, my own book bag launched an attack on me, in cahoots with my shoes. Pathetic, isn’t it?

Seriously stupid. I’ve since joined the nerds and wear my bag the right way.

That’s when I met Karissa Craig. My hero and best friend.

She swooped in, out of nowhere and, when I least expected, I made a friend. My first friend ever. But I’m not telling her that. She’ll probably figure it out, though. How could she not?

Where was I? Oh, yeah, in she dove, helping to untangle me, all the while repeatedly asking, “Are you okay?”

If you’ve ever had the wind knocked out of you, you know how painful and scary that is. You can’t breathe at all, and you think you’re about to die. Time seems to go on forever before, finally, you draw in that first breath. Then another, and another. You’re not going to die after all.

But that gangly, near face plant, and the small crowd staring at you makes you wish you had.

Karissa took my elbow, and slowly, I stood. I noticed the tights were ripped where my knees had hit, and I realized I had pavement-burn there, too, not just on my palms. It’s called pavement-burn for a reason. It really stings!

“Oh, dear, your tights are ruined,” Karissa said, helping me brush off my clothes. Thankfully, she acted quickly and grabbed the bottom of my skirt, pulling it down to decently cover me.

How many guys had just seen my underwear through my tights? OMG, I was wearing my bright white granny-panties. Could this day get any worse?

I reached for my book bag, and Karissa took my hands, looking them over.

“Forget your bag right now. Wow, I bet this really hurts. Do you think you should have your knees x-rayed? Did you hit your head?”

By then, I was breathing much better, although my abdomen felt kind of painful. I shook my head. “No, I didn’t hit my head, and I don’t think I broke anything.”

“Well, that’s good. Your nails are in rough shape, you must’ve hit those, too. But don’t worry, we’ll go to the salon and get your manicure fixed back up.”

Fixed back up? I just nodded stupidly instead of telling her my nails looked like that before I fell.

A couple people walked past us, and one asked, “You okay?”

I averted my eyes and nodded in the most awkward way possible, holding my breath until they had walked on.

“Would you like to sit down and get a coffee or something?” Karissa asked. “My treat.”

It was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me, and this was my second year at this school. My cheeks turned red as I surveyed my appearance. “Well, I must look like chewed twine.”

“Huh?”

My entire face was red at that point and I could feel the heat climbing up my already crimson cheeks. “My appearance is unacceptable for… for such an… occasion.” Could I sound any dumber?

She threw her head back and laughed. It was a pretty sound and I could tell she wasn’t making fun of me. Her green eyes danced when she said, “Look, no one cares or will even notice what you look like. Besides, you may just start a new fashion trend.” And with that, she tore holes in the knees of her tights!

I had to pick my jaw up off the ground. “I’m about as confused as a goat on AstroTurf.^{1, 2}“

She tried to stifle her giggle at what I said as she heaved my backpack over her left shoulder, hooking her other arm through mine, and steering me toward the nearest café. It was then I knew right to my core that I’d met my best friend.

We would be inseparable from that moment forward. I hoped.

My step-brother, Andy Lindor, had invited me and Karissa to dinner at his mom’s house. I really liked Donita Holt a lot. Over the past year, she helped me settle in to the brownstone Andy’s dad rented for me. You’d think because of Donita’s past with my step-father that I’d hate her, or him, or both.

But I have grown to love her and think of her as a surrogate mom. My mama married Tobin Lindor nearly three years ago, and he’s really good for all of us. My younger sisters still live on the farm back home, and I miss all of them dearly.

No one was home yet, so Karissa and I were on the couch in the living room, baring our souls. We tended to do that a lot. There wasn’t much Karissa didn’t know about me. What’s more, she was the kindest person I’d ever met, and she always put others first. One of the best things about her was that she never made jokes about my accent or the way I talk.

I admired her and strived to be more like her. Friends came easily to her, and I hoped we’d always be close.

“So, then she says, Karissa? Who’s Karissa?”

“What did you say?” I asked her.

“Well, I told her it was me and I wanted in the sorority in the worst way. You know what she said to me?”

“No, what did she say?” I waited with bated breath.

“She said, Oh, you’re the short, fat one!”

“No, she did not!” I exclaimed as she nodded at me.

She turned, leaning forward, putting her hand to her mouth as tears filled her pretty green eyes.

“I can’t believe she said that? I’m so sorry.”

She nodded slightly and I could tell she was trying not to cry.

“You know it’s not true, right?”

Shrugging slightly, she took a deep, ragged breath.

“It’s not true,” I repeated. My pulse sped up, my heart pounded hard. I tried to stay calm, but this sorority girl really got my tail up.

Karissa sat up straighter and smoothed her hair back with her fingers.

“I’m fine, really. Besides. this happened when I was a freshman. We’re sophomores now, and I don’t think I’d have time for that kind of commitment, anyway.”

“You’re just saying that, I can tell.”

“No, I mean it,” she declared.

She shrugged again, but this time, with more motion, as if she was washing the whole problem off her back. Boy, do I wish I could be like her. What would it be like to shrug off a problem as if it never bothered me in the first place?

“Who wants to be a part of something that body shamed me?”

“I’m sure another sorority would be happy to have you.”

She smiled, her whole face lighting up. “I’m sure you’re right.”

She must have noticed my crest-fallen face because she turned toward me on the couch and put her hand on my shoulder. There is something about her because she can sense even the smallest bit of sadness, or homesickness, or any emotion in me. Karissa really cares about me.

“Enough about me,” she said. “What’s going on with you?”

What was going on with me? Instantly, tears welled up in my eyes, and one rolled down my cheek, dripping off my chin onto my blouse.

“Oh, honey, what’s wrong?” Karissa coaxed.

“I’m just… I’m just so glad to have you in my life. I’m afraid it might end. I don’t know what I would do without you as a friend.”

The corners of her mouth turned down as she stared at me. “But you don’t have to worry about that. You will always be my best friend. I mean, we clicked right on that first day we met. Remember when you tripped over that ant?”

We both giggled and thankfully, I felt my tears receding.

“I’ve slid across the floor on a French-fry in the cafeteria. It must have been all the grease it’d been cooked in, but I’ve never, ever tripped over an ant.”

We both laughed and this time it was me who covered my mouth with my hand. I had to admit, tripping on a little bug was pretty funny. At least it had lived to see another day.

“Those skid-free shoes I was wearing would have been the death of me,” I said. “I’ll tell you what, I stopped wearing them that very day.”

“Well, you quit that waitressing job, so there.”

“I stopped wearing them before I quit. I couldn’t walk in them to save my life.”

“You really weren’t a good server, interacting with all those people.”

I laughed without embarrassment. She wasn’t being critical of me, she was telling the truth.

“Because I hate people,” I said through my giggles. “I absolutely can’t stand them.”

“And that is why you’re going to school to be an accountant. You won’t have to deal with that many people.”

“I might have to during tax season, but I draw the line there.”

“It’s okay. Besides your family, I’m your link to the outside world. And, girl, we are going to own it!”

She always said things like that. I didn’t really understand what she meant, but it was easy to get caught up in her energy.

Later, we were going to the game. I didn’t even know what that entailed. It was my worst nightmare, let me tell you. A stadium full of screaming people, bumping into me no matter how small I tried to be. One guy even spilled his beer in my direction.

“Hey!” Karissa yelled at the guy. “We’re standing here!” Then under her breath she said, “Jerk.” The way she shook her head and glared at the offensive guy cracked me up. She was little, but she was also big. No one would ever put her in their pocket and run off with her.

After a time, it was raining, my hair was wet and stuck to my face, my coat was getting heavy with moisture. Basically, I was miserable. So, I left near the end of the football game. Karissa tried to stop me, but I was determined. It was dark, and the rain was cold, but I strode toward home. I should have gotten an Uber or something, but I was afraid to be in a car with someone I didn’t know. Is that weird? I kinda feel like that might be weird.

My hair might have been a tangled, wet mess, but the little ones on the back of my neck stood up, sending chills down my already freezing spine.

Finally, I ducked into a doorway that had an awning above it, hoping if I stood there for a few minutes, the rain might let up. Plus, there was a streetlight right there. No one would hurt me with a street lamp that close, would they?

After a few minutes of shivering until my teeth chattered, I realized that not only was it weird that I was scared of getting into an Uber. I should be more frightened of walking alone in the dark! How dumb could I be?

So far, the rain was coming down just as much, if not harder than it had been when I ducked into the doorway. Slowly, I peeked around the building to make sure no one was near. I imagined all kinds of horrible things.

Robbery, assault, murder!

Good grief, my mind was running away from itself.

I wrapped my arms tightly around myself, hoping that would stop the shivering, but it didn’t seem to help at all. Why hadn’t I listened to Karissa and stayed the few more minutes it would have taken for the game to finish? We could have gotten a coffee and been home already after our Uber dropped us off.

Karissa was fearless, but she knew enough not to walk alone in the dark. This kind of situation might be something I should have thought about, but back home, we walked everywhere no matter how far it was and no one feared being attacked by a stranger.

Stranger danger. That’s what Karissa had laughingly called it. Only I didn’t think it was funny anymore.

Oh my goodness, everyone was a stranger here except my few family members and Karissa. I hated people! I didn’t want to be around them.

Wait, who was this?

My chest hurt as my heart beat against my ribcage. My pulse was so fast, I wondered if I’d pass out.

The car that dropped him off squealed away, leaving black marks on the road, and the guy ran through the rain right at me. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out.

He stopped just short of me, and his left eyebrow went up like it was asking me a question.

I must have looked like a half-drowned rat, soaked to the bone and quivering from the cold and the fright. My eyes were like round saucers.

He just hovered there for a moment, then stepped to the other side of the doorway. There was plenty of room. He never came in physical contact with me, thank my lucky stars.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he said in a casual voice, “Hey.”

I immediately averted my eyes and nodded slightly at him.

Again, he just stood there.

“W-what are you doing?” I croaked, pressing myself as far into the wall as possible.

“I’m waiting,” he said, his eyebrow still up, a small smile curing the corners of his mouth.

“Well… waiting for what?”

He pointed at the door and said, “To go in.”

“Well, go in then!” My voice couldn’t have been any more exasperated as it was at that moment.

“You’re in front of the door.”

I looked beside me and sure enough, he was right. I was standing in the way. Stupid, stupid!

Moving to my left, I managed to get out of the way without standing in the rain.

But he still didn’t go in.

“Were you at the game?”

I did that little nod thing I do while avoiding eye contact.

“I was in the game,” he said. “My name is Jaron Green.”

He held his hand out as if to shake mine. I didn’t follow the signal.

Instead, I let out a barely audible, “Oh.”

He leaned against the opposite wall as if he had all the time in the world.

“What’s your name?”

My name? Why did he want my name? Just give it… no wait, don’t give it!

I wrestled the thoughts going around in my head before I finally said, “Erin. Rose.”

His smile grew a little wider. It was friendly, but that didn’t stop me from being aware that I was alone in the dark, near one lousy street lamp, in the rain with a young man I did not know.

“You’re freezing. Can I call you an Uber? Or a cab?” He took his phone out and waited.

Unfortunately, I had to muddle this out in my head. I was so cold. The wind was biting into my flesh.

Nodding, I said, “Yes. Thank you.”

After he made the call, he asked, “Do you go to the university?”

“Um… maybe,” was what came out of me after several more minutes of silent debate.

At last, the cab arrived. Jaron Green walked me to the car, opened the door, then closed it for me after I got in. Turning to the cab driver, I saw Jaron slip him some cash. I couldn’t tell how much, but the driver seemed rather pleased.

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” I protested loudly enough for him to hear me above the noise of the car and the weather.

“It’s my pleasure,” Jaron called back through the driver’s side window. “I want you to get home safely.”

Jaron asked the driver to turn the heat up, which he did. It didn’t take but a minute to feel the heat blowing at my face, even from the back seat.

After another brief thank you was said, the car lurched forward. All the way to my brownstone, I could only think about Jaron Green.

I had so many questions. What I knew about him so far was his name, he played football in the big game, so he went to the university, and… he was nice to me.

A stranger.

Perhaps some day, another friend?

Grab the Button!

Special thanks to Bee (Stories by Bee / Poses by Bee) for editing this story.

True story: the work-required non-skid shoes I had to wear as a Charge Nurse on the unit almost ended my life… twice! LOL The soles would grip the floor at all the wrong times; it was awful. So, just like Erin, I also secretly stopped wearing them and made sure the cuffs of my scrub pants were a little longer (not hard to do since I’m 5’2″) so they covered the tops of my shoes. LOL 😂🤣 Now that is not an endorsement to stop wearing your non-skid shoes… just so you know. What I did was bad, very bad! Don’t ever do what I did! LOL 😂

Thank you so much for reading, liking, lurking, and commenting! You are important!



Credits:
Poses: by Bee (Stories by Bee / Poses by Bee): Emotions – Adult, Conversation Poses
World: St. Claire
Custom Content/Mods: Please click here to see a full list of CC & Mods that I use in every chapter: Credits

Glossary/Citations:
1. Dingus A. More Colorful Texas Sayings Than You Can Shake a Stick At. Texas Monthly. Published December 1994. Accessed March 15, 2024. https://www.texasmonthly.com/being-texan/more-colorful-texas-sayings-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at/
2. AstroTurf is a leading manufacturer of artificial turf products for various sports and events.
AstroTurf – AstroTurf. Astroturf.com. Published 2022. Accessed March 16, 2024. https://astroturf.com/

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