as it was

Amanda was still in shock that she could be friends with Kelsey. It just didn't seem possible.

Of course, she had her moments of sadness to put up with ,and Kelsey had listened to everything. She was sure she'd bore her to no end that night at the musical. She talked of how she'd been in the musical last year at school and was so in hopes she would have gotten the lead then, but she didn't, and well, this year it wasn't going to happen in Crazy for You at her school.

She talked about Derrick too. Why? She didn't know. Of course, he just sang all the time. Nothing had stopped him from singing. He didn't seem unnerved by what had happened this past month. He just kept right on going.

"Why can't I be like that?" She thought she might cry right then and there over her decafe coffee at Village Inn that night after the musical.

"Because you're a big sister. You have to worry about him." Kelsey told her. "I would if I had a brother, but I don't."

"Well, my brothers never worry." That she knew.

"I bet they do. You just don't know it."

She wished she did know for sure. As it was she didn't know if she should be going to the teen pregnancy group at church or just the grieving meeting instead. Not that anyone in the house really cared.

Kyle thought maybe the grief group would help, but she wasn't sure. She just needed people like Kelsey to talk to. As it was, Ellie just hadn't been herself, lately. And she knew why. She knew Ellie didn't want to hear the truth from her. The truth hurt. Ellie didn't want to hurt.