“I’ll see ya,” she waved and headed out the door.
I quickly flipped off all the lights, making sure everything was ready for tomorrow and walked out the door. “Shit,” I muttered as I got pelted with rain as I locked the door. I ran to my car, looking for the girl but didn’t see her. Was she really going to walk home in the rain? I glanced up and down the street and saw her two blocks up, huddled under a tree.
Whoever this Luke was who was supposed to pick her up was a complete douche monkey for making this poor girl walk. I assumed it was her father, but it was strange that she called him Luke.
I ducked into my car, tossing my purse in the back and stuck the key in the ignition. I cranked it up and reversed out of my spot. As I pulled up to the girl, all I could do was shake my head. What did she think she was doing? Standing under a tree during a thunderstorm was not a bright idea.
“Get in the car,” I hollered over the wind and rain. That was one of the drawbacks of the library, there weren’t many windows so I never knew what the weather was like until I went outside. “I’ll give you a ride.”
She shook her head no and huddled under her jacket. What was she thinking? It didn’t look like the rain was going to let up anytime soon. “I’m not supposed to ride with strangers.”
Well, that was all fine and dandy except for the fact me being a stranger looked a lot better than standing in the rain. “You’ve been coming into the library for months. I’d hardly call us strangers.”
“I don’t even know your name,” she said, her teeth chattering.
“It’s Violet. Now get in the car.”
She looked up and down the street, and it finally sunk in that I was her only chance of getting home not sopping wet. As she sprinted across the street, I reached across the center console and pushed open the passenger door.
“Oh my God, it’s cold out there,” she shivered as she slid in and closed the door.
“Well, it’s only April. Plus, being soaking wet doesn’t help.”
She tossed her bag on the floor and rubbed her arms, trying to warm up. I switched the heat on full blast and pointed all the vents at her. She was dripping all over, and I knew the next person who sat there was going to get a wet ass. “Which way?”
“I live over on Thompson, on top of SRK Motors,” she chattered.
I shifted the car into drive and headed down the street. “How come your dad didn’t come and pick you up?” I asked, turning down Willow Street.
“Probably because he’s dead.”
Oh, crap. Whoopsie. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled, feeling like an idiot. She seemed too young to have lost her dad.
“You can rule my mom out, too. They’re both dead.” She pulled a dry sweatshirt out of her bag and wrapped it around her hair, wringing it out.
OK. Well, things seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. “So, um, who’s Luke? Your uncle?”
“No, he’s my oldest brother. I’ve got three of them. They all work at the garage together that Luke owns, he’s in charge.”
“So, your brothers take care of you?”
“Ha, more like I take care of them. If it weren't for me, they’d spend all their time under the hood of a car.”
“What’s your name?” Here I was giving this girl a ride home, and I had no idea what her name was.
“Frankie.”
“I’m Violet, by the way, if you didn’t hear me before,” I glanced at her, smiling.
“Neat name. Never heard it before.” That would be because my mother was an old soul who thought to name me Violet would be retro. It wasn’t. It was a color.
“Eh, it’s OK.”
I pulled up in front of the body shop and shut the car off. It was raining even harder now, the rain pelting against my windows. “I’ll come in with you to make sure someone is home.”
“I’m fourteen years old. I can be left alone.’
“Whatever. Let’s go.” She was right, but I didn’t care. I was pretty pissed off that her brother had left her all alone to walk home in the rain.