Free Earthman Jack vs. The Ghost Planet by Matthew Kadish Page B

being an anti-social bookworm is ‘good weird’?”
Anna said with a hint of sarcasm.
    Jack chuckled.  “Yeah… that didn’t come out right.  I guess
what I’m trying to say is that I get it.”
    “Get what?”
    “You,” he said.  “You’re far away from where you grew up,
and as far as towns go, they don’t get more Podunk than River Heights.  You
don’t like it here, you don’t like the people, so you figure you’ll just keep
to yourself and suffer through it until you can get the heck out of here and
live the kind of life you’ve always wanted.”
    Anna nodded her head, good-naturedly.  “Wow, I guess you’ve
really figured me out.”
    Jack shrugged.  “I don’t know.  All I’m saying is that I
know what it’s like to feel alone, and you get so used to feeling that way,
that the idea of getting close to other people gets… scary I guess.  Because
the minute you do, they could leave.  And then you’d be all alone again.”
    Anna’s face softened a bit.  “You sound like you speak from
experience,” she said.
    A hazy image of Jack’s dad flashed into his mind for some
reason.  He couldn’t remember what he even looked like anymore.  All that was
in his mind was a shock of wavy brown hair and an old leather jacket he always
wore.
    “Yeah, well… what’s the point of getting close to people if
they’re just going to leave – or better yet, if you’re just going to leave,
right?  It’s like you’re just setting yourself up for heartbreak,” Jack said as
he picked a blade of grass absently.  “But you know what?  Sometimes, it’s nice
to be close to someone, even if it is just for a little while.  After all, you
can still carry people around in your heart, even if they’re no longer around,
right?”
    Anna was quiet for a moment.  “Can you?” she asked.  “Or do
they just slip away and leave a hole in your heart where you used to carry
them?”
    There was a twinge of sadness in her voice, and Jack
suddenly remembered the rumors of her mom dying.
    “My dad left when I was little,” he said.  “I don’t know why
he left.  I used to get so mad when other kids teased me about him not being
around…”
    “Like J.C. did today?” Anna asked.
    “Yeah,” said Jack.  “And I don’t know if there’s anything
you can do to keep people from slipping away.  But I’ve got my mom, and my
friends.  Matt, Chunk, Peter…all those guys.  And even though my dad isn’t
around, they are.  And for some reason, that makes it better.”
    Anna nodded.  “So you think I should stop being so
stand-offish and make some friends?  Is that what you’re saying?”
    “You can do what you want,” said Jack.  “But I’ve learned
that as painful as it can be, it’s better to have good people in your life –
even if it’s just for a little while – than to spend all your time by yourself.”
    Anna was quiet, staring intensely at a blade of grass.  Jack
was wondering if, by some miracle, his words had actually gotten through to
her.
    “Maybe you’re right,” said Anna.  “Maybe I should try
enjoying my time here a little more.”
    Jack smiled.  “See?  Now you’re talking!  Unleash Anna
Shepherd on the world!  It’ll do you good.”
    “So how do I do that?” asked Anna.  “I mean… how do you make
friends around here?”
    “Well, if you want to make friends, you’ve gotta meet as
many people as you can and find out if you like them.”
    “That all sounds good, but… I wouldn’t know where to start. 
I don’t really have a lot of experience making friends.”
    “Start with the dance!” blurted Jack. 
    Anna looked unsure.  “The dance?” she said.
    “Yeah!  Everyone is going to be there.  It’d be the perfect
time to mingle and stuff.”
    “I don’t know…”
    “C’mon, it’ll be fun!” said Jack.  “Hey, I have an idea, why
don’t you go with me?  I could introduce you to all sorts of non-annoying
people.”
    By the look on