Page 8 of Minor Trouble
Seth: I wish I knew. He’s barely said two words since we left the foster home.
Maddox: Take your time and take it easy. No rush, I’ve got your back.
Seth: Thanks, buddy, really appreciate it.
Noah came out of the bathroom as I pressed send on the message. I looked up. “Wanna watch some TV?”
“Sure.” He shrugged, taking the remote from the table and switching on the television. He flicked through the channels before settling onThe Simpsons, an episode I’d seen many times before somehow comforting.
I fell asleep to the sound of Homer and Bart doing some father and son bonding, hoping Noah and I could be on a similar footing before too long.
Four
Ainsley
Could this shitty day get any shittier?
Ridiculous traffic on the journey to Cali Cross had seriously cut into my contingency time. The movers had called to say they were stuck in the same traffic and didn’t know what time they would get to my new apartment. I had cramps and, to top it all off, an orange light appeared on the dashboard along with a warning sound. Not knowing how terminal it might be, I pulled over to the side of the road. Fumbling in the glove compartment, I tried to locate the user manual, without any success.
I let out a frustrated scream and banged the steering wheel with the heels of my hands. Then instantly regretted it as waves of pain shot up my arm. I screwed up my eyes, trying to stem the tears which threatened to fall.
“Pull yourself together, Ainsley,” I told myself, blinking hard. “You’re a grown woman, and you’ve got this.”
The mini pep talk had a tiny impact as I refocused my thoughts. First thing was to get the car moving again. Being late on my first day at Cali Cross High would definitely go against me, no matter how understanding Principal Collins had been. I’d been due to move late last week, but at the last minute, the apartment I should have moved into fell through and everything got delayed. Frantic phone calls to a real estate agent had resulted in a virtual viewing with the landlord of an apartment in a complex on the edge of town, which I’d said yes to immediately. It was so much better than my original choice, and I wished I’d seen it sooner. But moving into a new place on the same day as starting a new job was definitely testing my stress levels.
I unearthed my phone from the bottom of my purse and checked the time. I had half an hour to get to the school if I wasn’t going to be late.
But I didn’t know where I was or whether my car would even get me there.
However, I did know someone who might be able to help with both of those things.
“Good morning, Cali Cross High, this is Lyla.”
“Oh, thank God. Lyla, it’s Ainsley Coren.” I let out a hard breath, relieved the school administrator had answered the phone.
“Where are you? Aren’t you meant to be starting today?”
“I don’t know and yes.”
“Sorry?”
“My car’s broken down, and I have no clue where I am. I know it would not make a great impression to be late on my first day.” Palpitations started in my chest at the thought of letting the principal down.
“Okay, that’s an easy one. Look around, tell me what you can see.”
My head swiveled around 360 degrees to take in my surroundings. “There’s a small shopping mall, with a Barnes & Noble and a Tim Horton’s. If only I’d been able to pull in there, at least I could have picked up a good book and a coffee.”
Lyla laughed. “No time for that today, honey. Good news though, you are literally on the outskirts of the town. It’ll take all of about five minutes for a mechanic to get to you. And it just so happens I know one who could come out to you. Do you want me to call him?”
I could have cried. “Yes, please! That would be awesome.”
“What car have you got?”
Briefly I described the small, orange Fiat 500, which had done more miles in the past few weeks than in the entire time I’d owned it. No wonder it was starting to give up the ghost.
“At least you should be easy to spot! Watch out for a truck from Riley’s Garage, that’s my boyfriend’s business. With a bit of luck, he’ll be with you soon.”
“Do you think I’ll get to school for ten?”
