Ria, are you ok?

There were other people in my life, of c

with people fairly often, asking them questions, listening to their answers, smiling, nodding politely, following the

, being alone felt natural to us and having to talk to peop

be conservative to call her eccentric. That's why we got along so well. She's a French-Canadian ex-classmate

she needed to be. But that wasn't her real self, that was just an act. The real Gwen was far more complicated than that. The real Gwen drank, wrote and drew every da

easure hunting, but for her, it was the most natural thing in the world because she

ys in our class. She thought there was no one behind her so she could stare at h

s confused look as if asking, how

f replying to her. Longer than yo

ay out of it. We sat together at lunch that day when she opened up to me, tel

omework and encouraged her to talk to that boy. She spent

Pe

alone. When I parked the car, Mom stood up and gave me a hug. Dad shook my hand and patted me on the

erfully, as if nothing had happe

ook hands and mom showed us in. Hailey smiled, complimented the house and behaved lik

gh it was really the fact that they did not need to rely on me. I

to prepare the dinner, Dad as

" I replied. Hailey smiled and pressed her book a

kers needing a ride as well, but you're the

nding to hold an imaginary dress with both hands, as if we were in 17th-century England. Dad s

ley felt the same way. Brown rice with sesame seeds and soy sauce, supplemented with grilled tofu, roasted carrot

t and mom told Hailey she's welcome to stay with them for as long as she'd like. The usual conversation took place. T