Page 7 of Never Forever

I walked Annie to her class and then went to mine. Ms. Randolph was sitting behind her desk waiting for everyone to come in and sit down.

“Matt Sullivan is sick today, Ms. Randolph,” I told her.

“Oh, that’s a shame.”

“He did his math homework though and he wanted me to give you his book report.” I dug both papers out of my book bag and handed them over.

“What a good friend you are,” she said with that smile that always felt like getting a gold star.

I took my seat which was behind his, empty today, but eventually he would be back. I didn’t have a lot of friends. Living on an island made sleepovers and play dates hard, but it never really bothered me before. I had Annie.

But I looked at Matt’s empty seat and I thought, yep, Matt Sullivan was going to be my friend.

Two dayslater Matt finally came back to school. He hadn’t been on the ferry either day. I guess my dad followed through and reported Mr. Sullivan for bringing his kid to work. I wondered if that meant Matt had to stay home alone.

Sick.

I knew he didn’t have a mom. It wasn’t a secret. Everyone knew she’d left years ago on atripback home to Canada, but she never came back.

Maybe Mr. Sullivan had gotten a neighbor or someone to watch him. Because it wasn’t okay that he was alone when he wasn’t feeling good.

I had a funny feeling in my chest when he walked down the aisle of desks to take his seat in front of me.

“Hi, Matt,” I said. “I gave Ms. Randolph your homework.”

“Thanks,” he said, putting his books away.

“I was thinking about The Giver and wondered if you’ve read-”

“I’m not supposed to talk to you,” he said turning around, his arm across the back of his chair, his eyes directly on mine.

“What?”

“My dad says I shouldn’t talk to you.”

I felt my face get hot. “Because of my dad?”

He shrugged and I was hurt and mad and hurt all over again. An endless loop.

“Oh,” I said. I picked up my pen and pressed the tip into the wood of the desk until it left a mark. I knew we weren’t supposedto do that, but I needed to do something with my hands. “I thought we could be friends or something.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Okay, fine,” I said and immediately looked away and lifted my chin. My mother called it my Hollywood pose. I made it any time I thought I was wrongfully aggrieved.

“Thanks for the homework though,” he said.

“Whatever.”

He sighed. I didn’t know it at the time, but Matthew Sullivan’s sigh would play a big part in the soundtrack of my life.

2

When They Were Kids

Summer Break

Matt

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