Free Full of Grace by Misty Provencher Page B

corner of her lip in her teeth.  She’s really a beautiful girl.  It would be easy to stare at her all day, even though her face is swollen and snotty from crying.  “Uh, I just wanted to tell you that you seem like a really nice guy.”
    “Thanks.”  She’s still staring at me, her lips still stuck in her teeth.  “Anything else?”
    She re-wads her fist full of toilet paper, glancing at her feet.  “That’s it.  You’re just…really nice. What if you end up not wanting this?”
    “It’s my kid.  It’s not an option.”
    Her tone is hollow as she says, “See?  Nice.”
    My phone, on vibrate, rattles against the forks in the kitchen silverware drawer.  “Now that you know I’m nice…”
    My phone rumbles again and Sher fidgets with her wad of TP. “Aren’t you going to get that?”
    “Not important.  I’m talking to you right now.”
    “You should get it,” she insists.  I get up and get the phone on the fourth ring.  The second I hit talk, Hale explodes on the other end.
    “Where’s my friend?” she demands.
    “Slow down, Killer, she’s right here,” I say.  I crank up the volume before I hand my phone over to Sher.  “It’s Hale.”
    I can hear Hale’s voice like she’s on a bullhorn, even when Sher holds the phone tight to her ear.
    “What’s going on?  I’ve been worried about you!”
    “I’m fine,” Sher’s eyes flick to me.  “My mom kicked me out, so I’m at Landon’s place for now.”
    “She kicked you out?”
    “Totally.”  Sher giggles.
    “I didn’t think she’d really do it.”
    “Oh, but she did.” Sher stands up and walks away then, without looking at me.  She goes into my bedroom.  With my phone.  But I can still hear most of her end of the conversation, at least.  “She told Landon I’m his responsibility.  Like I can’t do anything on my own.  She’s the one who always wanted a man around, and look how her life turned out…” 
    With Sher in my room and Hale’s responses lost, I try to glue the rest of the conversation together from the bits I can hear.  It’s frustrating every time Sher’s voice dips too low for me to make out the words.  But I get the giggles.  The giggling is as constant as breathing air for this girl, until about five minutes into the conversation.
    The door to my room wafts shut and I know it’s not a mistake.  I go into the bathroom and press my ear to the wall.  The reception isn’t perfect, but it’s better than nothing.
    “He came and got me.  Like, carried me out of my mom’s because I wasn’t going to go with him…Frickin’ Trent was there too…uh huh…he had his stupid gun out and my mom had to shoot him again…no, I didn’t say anything…yeah, I know…I know…I wanted to go this morning, but he keeps stealing my pants…No, I’m totally not fooling.  He took them off me while I was sleeping, so I couldn’t leave... I don’t know if I can do it, Haley Berry…”
    They would probably keep talking, except that Sher’s voice is suddenly closer to the wall than I expect.  I jump back and fall against the bathroom counter, upsetting my deodorant and soap and all the other junk I have lined up on it.  Sher’s giggle penetrates the wall between us.
    “I gotta go, Hals Bells…I’m fine, but I think Landon wants his phone back.  I’ll call you when he gives me my pants back, okay?”
     
    ***
     
    I emerge from the bathroom at the same time that Sher comes out of my room.  She gives me a sly smile, holding out my phone.
    “I’ll let you listen in next time, if you give me back my pants.”
    I laugh, flashing a look at her legs. 
    “No thanks,” I tell her.  “Keep the phone.  It’s not really an even trade.”
    “Give me my pants, Landon.”
    “Why?  What are you going to do with them?”
    “I don’t know…take a walk, get the mail…”
    “Run down to the clinic,” I add.  Her jaw clenches.  She whips the phone at my head.  When I dodge it, she throws