"Matilda Dahl?"
"Aha," Kaden nodded.
"She actually said her name was Matilda Dahl? Dahl as in the GREAT storyteller of all times, Dahl?" Jax was walking backward, his expression one of amusement and confusion.
"Yup," Kaden nodded again.
"Is she, you know, cuckoo?" Jax swirled his index finger against his temple.
Kaden was about to shake his head when a voice said from behind himself, "I'm not crazy, I just happened to be able to choose my name."
Kaden was mortified. The girl had overheard them. She had heard them calling her nuts. What else had she heard?
"Why?" Jax asked, making Kaden want to strangle him. Did he not get it? They had insulted the girl, and she had heard.
"I'm an orphan."
Kaden stared at the girl. She was an orphan? And she'd said it as if she was just stating a fact. Like, I'm tall, I'm Irish, I'm Jewish.
"Even orphans have names," Jax pushed. Kaden turned to glare at him. It was useless, Jax's eyes were focused on the girl.
"Yeah, but why should I keep the name I was given when those who gave it to me couldn't bother staying around?" the girl shrugged.
Normally, that is a sensitive subject. People do not talk about personal stuff like that on their first meeting. This girl was different.
"Why the weird name, though?" Jax was grinning like a loon and Kaden wanted nothing but to scrape it off his face if that were the only way he could shut him up.
"I love Dahl; grew up with his stories. I love Matilda; she was my idol," she shrugged. "That's good enough for me."
"I like you," Jax said, stepping toward the girl and stretching a hand toward her for a handshake.
She looked down at his hand. "Naah," she moved past Jax and Kaden, who was standing there in the background witnessing it all in shock. "You're too nosy. I don't like nosy."
Jax laughed.
Kaden stared after the girl, wondering how it would feel like to hold her hand and walk beside her.
Thursday, January 1, 2014What brought him out of his stupor was this creepy and loud laughter that echoed inside his head.
"Earth to Scott, Scott, can you hear me?" Kaden chuckled, nudging his friend in the arm. They were at the office and from the very beginning of that day, Kaden knew there was something wrong with his friend. For one thing, Scott did not start the day with his usual piss and moan. Besides, they have been at work for almost four hours now and he had not said a single word. Scott had not even come to Kaden's office, which was really what had set the alarms off in his head in the first place. Something was wrong. Or different. Or amiss.
Saturday, January 3rd, 2014Non, rien de rien, non, je ne regrette rien
"How the hell did we not notice her being here?" Jax was throwing a tennis ball against the wall then catching it midair. He was pissed. Flinging the ball was the only thing keeping him in his seat. "How dare she? How fucking dare she? She leaves as if it's no big deal then waltzes back into our lives when we're finally okay with her absence, as if it is nothing?"
As a sob escaped him, he covered his mouth with both hands immediately then kept on sobbing. Silently.Pathetic.
Saturday, January 3rd, 2014Entering the kitchen, which was still filled with staff doing their jobs; preparing ungodly-hour room services, getting ready for the morning, etcetera, etcetera, Harris asked a young guy in uniform, "Hey,
When finally the Brick Man came to show him the door, Jax could neither walk a straight line nor remember where he had parked his car. As a matter of fact, he could not even recall what car he was driving. Lost, he stood there out in the rain, as the Brick Man locked up and turned to go home.
"You look like you've received some bad news," the girl sitting across from her in the compartment said. It was just the two of them. The train started moving.She merely laughed. "As it happens, I did."