Chapter 36

• I could make better plans with Jared when school closed for summer break in two weeks and I’d have more time to fully spend with him before I got my new schedule for training, but I’d work around it. There was something about him, his blatant honesty and directness, I liked him.
• We spent our afternoons close to the center, sometimes walking around after eating lunch. I’d learned that he was always hungriest in the afternoons, and I already had plans for every single day of my last week of leave.
• I looked forward to spending time with Jared and he opened up a bit more, he was friendlier and after two days it seemed he had manners as well. Jaleel would stand in the doorway and smile as Jared came running up the sidewalk, fist bump me, and jump into my car.