Page 9 of Something New

"They were telling me you were in trouble a lot and they were trying to help you."

"They said I was in trouble a lot? I’m not in trouble, other than wrecking my car. I'm not in trouble. Who said that? Phillip or Salem?"

He stepped back smiling and lifting his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I was just glad to hear that your story went with theirs. Ethan was worried about you, and I wanted to ask you for myself. Anyway, all I was saying was that it seems like your story lines up with your brothers."

"Yeah, I guess," I said, staring into space and feeling embarrassed over the whole situation.

The pain of the sunburn and the inevitable redness resulting from it was just icing on the cake of my humiliation. It was better that this gorgeous man had a family with children. That was the only thing that made the interaction a little less shameful. Maybe it made it more shameful. Oh well. It wasn't my morning, it seemed.

"It was nice meeting you," he said. "What's your name?"

"Sadie."

He smiled. "That makes sense. I could see how he would think of that."

"Think of what?"

"Ethan. He was telling me about your name. He couldn't remember it, but he said he thought it was Sad."

"He thought my name was Sad?"

"Yeah, he was really trying to remember. He said your name was "like sad".

"Was it Shy?"

"No, it's Sadie. You just told me it was Sadie."

"He might have been thinking of Shy. That's my other name. I told him that name."

"Your other name is Shy?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Your name is Sadie and Shy?" I nodded again.

"Who calls you Shy?"

"Everyone at my work. It's like a stage name, but it's for my photography and kind of for me when I'm out. I dance a lot, but mostly I'm known for being a photographer. The club scene is a big part of my life and a lot of people call me Shy there. But people at school and stuff, and my brothers, they all call me Sadie. My life is about half-and-half honestly."

"My name is about half-and-half too."

I glanced at him when he said it.

"Do you have another name besides JJ?"

"Yeah, I do, it's John-Michael. Most people call me John-Michael. JJ's just my family."

"John-Michael is your first name?"

"Yes."

"A double first name?"

"Yes."

"So, your middle name starts with a J?"

"Yep."

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