Free Katie's Angel by Tabatha Akers Page A

that he had any issue that he would need to talk about with someone. He didn’t look like he had any issues.
    “Yes believe it or not it did help and I still talk to someone twice a week for one hour. It keeps me out of trouble. Otherwise I might be as bad as everyone keeps saying I am,” he said with a grin on his face.
    Katie couldn’t help but laugh at his joke. She knew his reputation, although she wasn’t positive as to why exactly he had such a bad one. It felt good to laugh. She hadn’t really laughed since Jackson died. She was so comfortable with Jack that it was almost a scary thought to her. She told herself when Jackson died that she would not get close to anyone again, because they will eventually leave her.  She couldn’t bear to deal with that again. Sometimes it was just a safer bet to be a loner, and she was going to stay that way no matter what her parents thought.
    “I know that you may not believe it, but talking about it helps you deal with your feelings and it will make you feel better,” he said in the most concerned way.
    Katie couldn’t believe how nice he was being. They had only really talked twice before this, and he was willing to make her feel safe and happy. “Thank you. I know it would probably help, but I just don’t think I am ready for that part yet. I think I am doing just fine talking to Jackson. It may not be what everyone else wants me to do but I know that I will talk to someone when I feel the need to.”
    “When you need to talk , I am always here. Sometimes it is easier to talk to someone who can actually talk back to you,” he said, curious as to whom exactly Jackson was, but again didn’t want to pry.
    “I don’t need anyone to talk to me when I need to talk. That should have been apparent to you when you saw me talking to a headstone by myself, in a cemetery,” Katie said suddenly finding herself getting mad at Jack for being so inconsiderate.
    Jack was surprised by the response he got from Katie. He felt almost like he had overstayed his welcome. Just when he put his hand on the ground to push himself up, Katie said, “Look I didn’t ask you to come here and stay. I am not trying to be rude but I hear it all the time from my parents. If you came here to tell me that there is something wrong with me, you can leave now, but if you want to stick around and talk then I am ok with that. I am sorry that I just got nasty, but I am so sick of people trying to tell me what I need to do, when they do not know what it is like to lose someone so close to them.”
    “There is a lot about me that you do not know, and eventually I might share it with you, but you need to understand one thing about me,” Jack said getting a little irritated with how much Katie liked to think that no one could possibly understand how she feels. “I may go talk to someone, but at least I do it. I know that holding it in is a bad thing. You on the other hand just keep letting it build up and eventually you are going to get yourself into trouble or worse,” Jack said as he stood up. When he was finished he stood there for another minute and when Katie didn’t say anything, much less look at him, he turned and walked away.
    Katie could do nothing more than stare at him as he walked away. “What made him think he was so special, and knew what everyone needed?” Katie asked Jackson. “He just thinks he knows what I am in need of. I am so sick of everyone acting like they know what I need. You would never act like that to me.” Katie looked around the cemetery. It was very rare that she ever saw anyone other than herself. It was the same today. There was no one else there. She looked up and noticed the sun was setting. She knew she needed to get going.
    “Well I need to get home to make dinner for mom and dad. I know mom is probably going to freak on me too for not telling the truth about the library, but at this point, I frankly don’t care what she has to say about it. She doesn’t