Cinnamon (Shooting Stars 1)

"What? Why?"

"I have a feeling he might be losing his job or

something," I said. "He might even have lost it by

now. He's been acting strange and it's not because of

what's happened to my mother. He's a bundle of

secrets, wound up tight, and he won't let me inside.

Sometimes. I feel like I don't care anymore, but then I

think I should."

"Of course, you should," Clarence agreed.

"Who else is going to care if you don't?"

From what he had told me about his own family

life, he didn't have a much better relationship with his

father who was a very busy attorney specializing in

estate planning. His mother managed the new mall

north of Yonkers and, according to Clarence, was

busier than his father. He had a younger sister Lindsey

in ninth grade, but they weren't close. Most of the

time, they walked right by each other in school, barely

exchanging a glance. He said she was very spoiled. Funny, I thought, how you could be, so alone in

your own home, in your our family. Just because you

had parents, it didn't guarantee you wouldn't be an

orphan or a stranger if your parents were so wrapped

up in themselves. Sometimes. I thought Clarence hung around with me and listened to my moans and groans just so he could feel like he was in a real

family, even though it was mine and not his own, "How are you going to spy on him?"

"I know where he works. We'll hang out there."

I explained. "Doesn't sound like you have much of a

plan."

"I've got to do it. If you don't want to come..." "No, it's all right. I'm fine."

It wasn't until we reached the Wall Street area

that I felt I might have made a very silly decision. The