Chapter Fifteen

-Flynn-

A few years ago

I am going to see Ellie.

I haven’t seen her in over five months. Not since she left Wellston to go to school.

We are going to meet in Franklinburg, Maryland. It’s one hundred and twenty-one miles from Wellston. It’s one hundred and forty-eight miles from Baltimore. It’s a small town with four thousand five hundred and forty-six people. It has a Walmart and two restaurants.

We will be staying in the Econo Lodge. If I leave my house at ten-thirty, I will get to Franklinburg at twelve-fifty. One-fifteen if I take into account possible traffic.

It will take Ellie longer to get there. She told me she couldn’t leave until eleven because of her class. She won’t get to Franklinburg until one-thirty.

I wish she would come to Wellston. I could make her dinner and we could take Murphy on walks. I like having Ellie in my house. I like sitting beside her on the couch and watching television.

But she says she couldn’t come back yet. I don’t understand why not. When I asked her, she only says she isn’t ready.

Ready for what?

But every time I ask her she gets mad and I don’t like it when Ellie is mad. It makes my insides feel knotted up.

I started seeing a counselor in Wheeling. It takes me twenty-seven minutes to drive to his office. His name is Leonard Gentry. He’s younger than Kevin and I don’t like his beard. When I told him that, he told me the same thing Kevin always did. Sometimes you can think things and not say them. That you have to be careful with your words so they don’t hurt people’s feelings.

I told him that it was better to be honest then to lie. Leonard said he agreed with me but that I had to learn how to be diplomatic.

Leonard is nice though, and I like talking to him. He doesn’t make me feel strange and he knows not to stare at me when I speak. He understands that I don’t like that.

I told Leonard I was going to see Ellie and he helped me plan my trip. We talked about how I could feel more comfortable with going to a new place. I was anxious and worried for weeks. I threw up in the toilet last night and again after I dropped Murphy off with Imogen.

I am worried she won’t remember to give him his treats in the evening, not in the morning. I told her to only use his special tennis ball to play with him, but I’m not sure she will listen.

I didn’t like leaving Murphy with Imogen. I like Imogen; she’s a nice person and she likes Murphy but she won’t take care of him like I do.

But I want to see Ellie. I can’t take Murphy with me to the hotel. They don’t let dogs stay there.

Ellie’s excited to see me too. She’s not nervous like I am.

When I spoke to her last night, she sounded happy.

I find the hotel. I wrote down the directions and they were easy to follow. There was no traffic and I arrive at twelve forty-eight. Two minutes earlier than I was supposed to arrive. I sit in the car for two minutes until the clock on the dashboard says twelve-fifty, then I get out.

I walk to the front of the building and go inside. It smells funny. Like old people and vanilla.

“Why does it smell bad in here?” I ask the girl behind the counter. I don’t like how she’s looking at me. I wonder if that was something I should have kept in my head.

“Do you have a reservation?” she asks.

“I asked you a question,” I tell her. Maybe she forgot. She doesn’t look very smart.

“I don’t smell anything,” she says and her voice sounds funny. Like how Ellie sounds when she gets annoyed with me. I don’t say what I think. That her perfume is too strong and that’s why she can’t smell anything else. I keep that in my head.

“My name is Flynn Hendrick. I am staying with my girlfriend, Ellie McCallum for two nights. I reserved the queen room. It’s non-smoking. Check-in is at eleven. I got here a little late,” I tell her.

“I don’t need your life story, buddy,” she says, and I frown.

“I’m not your buddy. I don’t know you,” I say.

“Here’s your key. Your room is down the hall at the very end. Room one-oh-one,” she says and I can tell she wants me to leave.

I pick up my bag and head to the room. I wish Ellie were here already. I want to see her.

I go into the room and I don’t like it. The carpet is ugly and when I touch the blanket on the bed it’s rough. I go back out to the girl at the front desk.

“Can I get a different room?” I ask.

“Is there something wrong with the room?” she asks me.

“I don’t like it. It’s ugly. The blankets aren’t soft and the carpet has spots on it,” I tell her.

“Look, Mr. Hendrick, all the rooms will look the same. If you wanted something nicer you should have gone to the Ritz.” Her voice is getting loud, and I don’t like it.

I take a deep breath like Leonard and Kevin have told me to do. I want to see Ellie but I don’t want to stay in this hotel. I want to go back to Wellston and be in my own house. I don’t want to be in Franklinburg, Maryland.

I feel myself getting angry.

“I don’t want to be in that room!” I yell. “Move me somewhere else!”

The girl’s eyes get wide and she quickly hands me a different key. I don’t take it. I don’t want to touch it. I don’t want her looking at me.

“Stop staring at me!” I scream, covering my face with my hands. Where’s Ellie? I just want Ellie!

“Flynn! What’s going on?” I hear Ellie, but it doesn’t help! I just want to leave! I don’t want to be in this hotel anymore! It has ugly carpet and it smells bad!