Chasing Peace Read Free Page A

campus.
There are others too you know. Former military aren’t required to stay in the
dorms, although most freshmen do.”
    She continued on a rant and I half listened, “Sterling?
Sterling?” Annie’s voice interrupts my thoughts.”
    Jerking my head back in her direction, my glazed eyes focus
on her face, register the question in her eyes. “Sorry. I thought I saw someone
I knew.” I’m not sure why, but I fibbed.
    “Yeah, I saw him too.” A grin quirked her mouth, laughter
overflowing as I smiled back in foolish whimsy.
    The bus tour ended had ended back where we’d started and I
still don’t know where any of my classes are, great. Thank God for navigation
on my phone. It’s the only good feature left on the old piece of crap.
    “Maybe we can hang out at your house sometime,” Annie says
as we step down from the bus. “I have a car.” I could hear the hope in her
voice.
    “Yeah sure.” My answer is noncommittal because at the moment
I don’t want to totally blow her off. My car could die at any minute and I
might need a ride.
    It’s mercenary, I know, but this is my second chance and I’m
going to grasp, claw, seize and secure every opportunity to make it through
college and make something of my life. All I have to do is think about Emma and
my resolve is iron clad.

Chapter 2
    I’m polishing barware and thinking about Annie while we’re
slow before the conferences let out. Normally, I’d think about Emma and Brock
and my mom, but after yesterday I’ve had Annie on my mind.
    “Hey sweetie. Daydreaming I see.”
    “Hi Lyla.” I have a huge case of hero worship where Lyla’s
concerned and I’m sure she knows it based on the silly smile I wear every time
we talk. “I’m thinking about someone I met at orientation yesterday.”
    “Oooh a boy huh?” Lyla is something else. She’s older but
still edgy, until she says something a mother might. Okay, not my mother, but
the kind of mother I wish I had.
    “No, not a boy,” I say emphatic and a bit snippy, but that
just makes her laugh like a mother teasing her child about a crush. “Seriously,
I’ve been thinking about a girl I met today.”
    “Well tell me about it.”
    I don’t talk right away, choosing my words with care because
Lyla knows me better than anyone. She used to be my mom’s best friend and will
always be an honorary auntie to me, although she’s much like an aging rocker,
current and interesting and unique, yet older. Lyla manages the bar and I’m
something of an apprentice.
    Tall like me, but even more lean, Lyla has biceps clearly
visible just at the edge of her T-shirt. I have to wear a jacket. Heck,
everyone has to wear a jacket except Lyla. When I think about whipcord
strength, that’s Lyla.
    She’s far too tan and wrinkled beyond her years from sun and
cigarettes and booze. Her jet black hair, even darker than mine, is short and
spiky where it parts. A longer swath of blonde hangs over her right eye.
    Lyla uses that curtain of hair to secretly keep an eye on
the clientele and they don’t even know it. She’s taught me some of her best
bartending tricks and I know that if college doesn’t work out, I can always
make a living tending bar. It isn’t my dream, but it’s a solid fall-back plan.
    I work for Lyla at a nice downtown hotel, not a luxury
place, but a decent conference and business-travel hotel. Lyla offered me the
job when I couldn’t find anything else and I’m eternally grateful.
    “Her name is Annie and I think she’s lonely,” I say, still
polishing barware.
    “So you decide to be her friend?”
    “Not actually. She found me and I think she decided to be my
friend.”
    “Well that’s interesting. Why do you think she’s lonely?”
    “I don’t know. We didn’t talk about it.” Lyla is silent,
expecting more and when I can’t stand the quiet any longer, I blurt out, “I
think she’s really wealthy.”
    “So? What difference does that make?”
    “None to me I suppose, but she