Who Links Here

"You two know each other?" Nikki asked, confusion crossing her face, quickly followed by frustration. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at me.

I looked at Miss Welch, Susan as I'd known her previously, and she just stared back. Fear ran behind her eyes and she began nervously chewing on her lower lip. Apparently it was up to me to make up something, since the truth obviously wouldn't do. "It is a small town Nikki, sooner or later everyone comes into the bookstore. Your aunt here used to come in at least once a week and we'd talk about just about anything before she left." That seemed like a plausible explanation and most of it was the truth. Susan used to come in at least once a week, but that was before out little incident.

Nikki nodded and Susan stopped biting her lip. I looked down at my watch, "Damn, I've got to get going, Natalie and Martin are supposed to be painting one of the upstairs bedrooms and I told them I'd help out."

"Isn't your sister still at the bar working though?" Nikki asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Yeah, she's still at work, but Martin still needs help moving the furniture out of the room." I took a step towards the stairs.

"Well then Seven, perhaps we'll see you again sometime." Miss Welch said, pulling Nikki into the house.

I waved goodbye and made my way back to the sidewalk. It wasn't a lie, I was supposed to help Martin move the furniture out of the bedroom and help Nikki paint tonight. They just didn't expect me home until eleven or so, being a half hour early should spook Martin a little.

It took me twenty minutes to walk back to the bar, which by this point was rather lively. I stopped in and grabbed a burger and fries to go and was back on my way home. Another twenty minutes of walking and was sitting on our porch enjoying my ball of grease that Doug passes off as food.

"Well you're home early for once." Martin's voice came from the window to the living room. Martin is my sister's boyfriend, he moved in last spring, shortly after I moved back myself but before I left again.

I've left Shawston a few times, trying to go to school or just find something different in life, but I always come back. I can never seem to find what I'm looking for when I leave, actually I don't seem to know what it is I'm looking for.

"Couldn't find anyplace new to wander around here?" Martin had come out onto the porch and sat down beside me. He handed me a coke and snagged a few fries.

"Things got a little strange tonight, I kind of needed to come home." I finished the fries and smashed everything into a neat little ball. "What happened?" He turned to face me and leaned against the edge of the railing.

I hate it when he does this. He acts like he cares what happens to me, but I know he doesn't. He just pretends he does so my sister won't get mad at him. I really can't blame the guy, he does love my sister, but he just can't get past me. He pretends to be my friend most of the time; he's pretty convincing at it, but I know he doesn't like me.

"There's two parts to this whole thing. You know that girl that's been around town lately? The one with the black hair that no one seems to trust?" He nodded at me. "Well she came into the store today and we were talking for a little while before she left. And after work I saw her hanging around outside Platinum, they wouldn't serve her, so I took her in with me, and we started talking. After Doug had Natalie ask us to leave the bar we went to the park across from your Dad's house. We hung out there for a while then I walked her home. She lives with her aunt, her parents sent her here as some kind of punishment. But you remember that lady I told you about, Susan Welch? The one that kept trying to pick me up last summer when I lived in Ranger Park? Well it turns out that Susan is Nikki's aunt."

"So do they both like you or something?" Martin lit a cigarette and puffed heavily; Natalie won't let him smoke in the house.

"Susan and I have something of an understanding, we leave each other alone. I don't know how Nikki feels about me, we just met, but..."

He cut me off. "I knew there would be a but."

"Shut up Martin. I don't know how she feels but I think I really like her already."

"Are you sure you like her for her or just because the town doesn't seem to and you've found something of a kindred spirit in another outcast?"

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