The Saddest Song - By Susie Kaye Lopez Page 0,63
Rainey were duller, as if somehow all the color and warmth had been sucked out. Routine was a comfort though and I had a very set schedule. I did my school work on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. I volunteered at the shelter on Tuesday and Thursdays until school was out. I knew from Kara that Rainey came in after school a couple of days a week. Unlike me, she didn’t have a set schedule and I made sure I was long gone before she might show up.
Saturdays were still devoted to music. The girls still hung out with Rainey on those days, she just no longer came to the house. I never asked them about her, and they never brought her up. The last two Saturdays Colin’s neighbor, Lalie would come by when the girls returned and hang out with us. I had met her briefly at their Halloween party and she was a cool girl, cute and funny. By the way she acted around me I knew she would say yes if I asked her out. I was tempted just to force myself to go on with my life, but my heart just wasn’t in it.
I saw Rainey by accident one day in early February. I was working at the shelter and had taken a little terrier out for a walk. Unfortunately, she escaped her collar and led me on quite a chase. By the time I got to the shelter parking lot I saw Rainey’s shiny new Jetta pulling in.
I hid behind a shrub and watched her walk over to my truck. I wondered what she was doing when she suddenly got back in her car and drove away. I was shocked at how I reacted to seeing her. My heart was pounding and I ached to follow her. Instead I took a deep breath and took the dog back inside.
“Hey Max, did Annie escape again?” Kara asked.
“Again?”
“Yeah, this makes three times. She misses her life on the streets.” We laughed and then Kara gave me a look I had learned to recognize.
“Don’t say anything Kara.”
“I won’t Max. Do you know that you are the first person who ever asked me not to tell them what I see?”
“Really?”
She nodded. I won’t tell you then, but can I suggest something?”
I waited.
“Write the lyrics to that song.”
“What song?” I asked, confused.
“The Saddest Song”. Go write it.
“Why?”
“You don’t want me to tell you anything, remember?”
I laughed. “How did you know about that song? Rainey?”
Saying her name out loud felt funny. It had been awhile.
“Nope. Nobody told me.”
“Kara, you’re kind of creepy, you know that?”
“Oh believe me Max, you aren’t the first to say that! See you Thursday?”
“You bet.”
I got into my truck and saw a piece of paper stuck in the windshield. Thinking it was an advertisement I opened the door and pulled it off. It was a piece of notebook paper and the handwriting was familiar.
“I miss you Max.” was all it said. It was enough.
“I miss you too, Rainey” I said to no one.
Chapter 29
Rainey
I didn’t know what to do when I saw Max’s truck at the shelter. I couldn’t bear to go inside and see him not want to see me. Looking at the truck made my heart ache. Without thinking about it I grabbed a piece of notebook paper and wrote on it then tucked it in his windshield. I quickly got back in my car and headed to Starbucks to get Ice Teas for Kara and I. When I returned to the shelter he was gone and I pulled my car into his empty space.
Kara opened the door for me and I handed her the tea. “Green tea, extra ice, no sweetener.” I said, repeating her usual order.
“I love you,” she said, taking it from me.
“Kara, I almost ran into him.”
“I know, Annie escaped again.”
“I figured there had to be a reason. He makes sure to avoid me everywhere.”
She gave me a sympathetic smile.
“Kara, it’s not fair that just because Max asked you to you won’t tell me what you see in my future.”
“He made me promise, Rainey. I’m sorry. I can tell you that he misses you just as much as you miss him. That boy loves you.”
“This is a huge mess.”
“Well. I think it’s time you asked yourself the big questions Rainey. Be honest with yourself.”
“What big questions?”
“Rainey, if the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you do?”
“Find Max as fast as I could.”
“What would you say?”
“I would tell him how much