Free Sunshine by Nikki Rae Page A

break out the albino or vampire jokes.”
“Want to know something?” he asks me.
“What?”
“I used be like you.”
Here comes the shock again.
“Uhm. What?” I manage.
He sniffs, kicks a pebble on the ground. “The sun used to bother me too,” his voice is quiet.
How is this possible?
“I grew out of it though,” he says quickly after. “I kind of guessed you had the same problem.” He smiles to himself. “The tinted windows, the shades. And I found it hard to believe you were cold all the time.”
I swallow hard, not knowing what to do with this information.
He’s just like me in that way. At least he used to be before he grew out of it. I can’t believe that he of all people has this one thing in common with me.
We sit in silence for I don’t even know how long, but it’s not uncomfortable. I think we’re both soaking in what we just told each other. I’m still worried and confused about what he told me. If someone had hurt him like that, why wouldn’t he tell the police or something?
Well if that isn’t the most hypocritical thing I’ve ever thought. But still, why did he pick me of all people to tell? And what if it does happen again? And then the whole sun thing. It’s overwhelming.
It’s getting dark and Myles seems to have calmed down a lot so we get back in my car. I’m momentarily wigged when an empty house greets me.
There’s a note on the fridge: Spending the night with friends in AC. Leena will be home soon. Make sure you get your sister to bed at a decent hour.
-Mom I try calling Boo and Trei, then Stevie and Jade, but they’re all busy. Laura isn’t mentioned in the note, so I guess she’s not coming home either. There’s no way around it. Myles and I are for the most part, alone in my house. Thankfully, Leena is dropped off by her friend’s mom soon after I read the note, so I can distract myself by suggesting us and Leena watch some movies.
Surprisingly, it works. I go for a few hours not worrying about what is going on with my new friend, how I feel about being alone in my house with him, or feeling like I have to puke because we are in fact alone, not including Leena. Time goes by pretty fast. Before I know it, it’s dark outside and Leena is asking me to tuck her in.
When I’m coming back into the living room, Myles is by the door. “I should probably get going,” he says softly. I can tell that he doesn’t want to go home. Something in his face tells me that he’s scared. I think about how Myles is supposed to be my friend. What if it was Boo or Trei? And how many times have I myself been afraid to go home?
My mind starts jumping to all sorts of conclusions as to why he would be scared. I know he thinks he’s worrying his mom too much, but that doesn’t seem like enough. What if the person who did this to him is there waiting for him, and I’m the one who lets him go home? “Myles, do you want to stay here?” It seems to spring out of my mouth like a jack in the box.
He looks at me like I’m playing some cruel joke on him. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
I agree. I don’t want to be in my house with a guy, but I don’t want him to go home. What the hell is wrong with me today? “It’ll be fun,” I don’t sound very convincing.
No response.
“C’mon, there’s a really nice pull out in the basement,” I try again.
He thinks to himself, sighs and slowly nods.
I give him some of Jade’s old clothes to sleep in. He looks at them gratefully. “Thank you.”
I tell him where the bathroom is so he can change. In the basement, I unfold the bed from the sofa. Myles emerges, Jade’s clothes slightly too tight for his body.
…That I’m not going to look at.
“Sorry, those were the biggest ones I could find. Jade has the body of a teenage girl,” I say, trying to lift the mood.
“These are fine.” He looks down at the old pink Floyd t-shirt and black sweatpants. He folds his arms across his chest. He probably doesn’t want me staring at