Learn to Fly (11 page)

Mike and Lenny
talked through the whole movie. They raved over the actors and the
characters and the plot line. They exchanged quotes from their
favorite classic movies, trying to best each other in a guessing
game. Mike knew they were driving the others crazy but he didn't
care. His chess game with Lenny had shifted into ping pong and she
was volleying with equal give and take.

“
When
did you get into the classics?” Lenny asked.

“
I'm
not sure, they were always a part of my life. But I got reattached
while I was in rehab. ” Mike stated matter of fact. He sensed
the mood of the room shift. He hated that. Anytime his past drug
use came up, everyone started using kid gloves.

“
I’m
sorry,” Lenny’s eyes were apologetic.

“
It’s
not your fault,” Mike stayed casual. “I have a problem;
it’s something I have to be able to acknowledge. It’s
what keeps me on track.”

The room was quiet,
Lenny looked into her lap.

“
Hey,
don’t feel bad.” He said smiling at her, trying to break
the tension. “I’m the one who screwed up. I’m
thankful I didn’t die and I’m thankful I have these
idiots to help hold me accountable.” He playfully shoved her
shoulder. “When did
you
get into classic movies?” He turned the question on her.

Lenny
swallowed and tried to push past the awkwardness she clearly felt.
“I saw
My
Fair Lady
when I was eight. I decided right then and there that no one would
ever be as beautiful as Audrey Hepburn.”

The air in the bus
seemed to relax a little more and Mike asked her questions about her
her childhood. Now all the guys were paying close attention, this
was the most Lenny had ever shared about herself. She talked about
growing up in Wyoming and having three older brothers.

“
Dang,
three older brothers, that explains your competitive side.”
Mike acknowledged.

“
Yeah,”
Lenny's face was open as she talked about her siblings. “They
definitely taught me a lot. I was sort of an accident. Scott, David
and Nathan were all really close together. Scott was twelve when I
was born. David was eleven and Nathan was ten.”

“
So
you were the baby, essentially.”

“
I
guess you could say that, though they would never let me feel like
it. I wanted to keep up with them so bad and they were more than
happy to let me tag along. I think I was afforded a lot more
opportunity than others would have been in a similar situation.”
Lenny got a faraway look in her eyes and Mike could tell she was
feeling a little home sick.

“
Do
you get to talk to them very often?” Mike asked gently.

“
Not
as much as they would like,” Lenny admitted. “Scott
calls every day but mostly to lecture me on my priorities.”

“
Do
they know what you’re doing now?”

“
Yeah,
but they just like to worry.” Lenny tried to wave it off but
she obviously really missed her brothers.

“
What
about your folks?” Mike wanted to find out all he could before
her walls went back up.

“
My
folks are awesome, honestly. They’re really great people.
They’re just having a hard time with me growing up.”

Mike noticed Lenny
space off a little in their conversation but instead of drawing her
back in, he changed the channel. The movie had ended a few minutes
ago and he wanted to try an experiment. He turned the station back
to ESPN and the sports broadcasters were still talking about the
Winter X games preparation. Lenny zeroed right in on the screen.
Mike kept one eye on Lenny and one on the TV.

Her face was pinched
and tight, like she was trying to not feel whatever it was she was
feeling right now. It morphed into obvious distress as they started
to show a profile of a female snowboarder, Cody Carmichael. She was
talking excitedly about the upcoming games and the interviewer asked
her about her Olympic gold medal from two years ago. Lenny stood
abruptly, yanking the remote away from Mike and switching off the TV.
Everyone looked up at her sudden movement and she stared directly
into Mike’s eyes. He'd gone too far.

Checkmate.

“
I
have to go.” She darted out of the bus.

“
What
the hell?” Sway asked, confused.

Mike exchanged
glances with Luke who had been watching from across the room. He put
down his notebook and grabbed his hoodie.

“
I’ll
check on her.” He waved them off and bounded out of the bus.

***

She was lacing up
her running shoes when Luke walked onto the bus.

“
Kinda
late for a run, isn’t it?” He asked, trying to appear
casual but his concern was showing through.

“
Nope,”
Lenny answered stoically. Her demeanor was drastically different
than it had been most of the day. She was cold towards Luke, closed
off.

Luke was glad he was
wearing his sweatpants and tennis shoes; he followed her out the door
and matched her pace.

“
You
don’t have to come,” she snapped.

“
I
know,” Luke answered, not even breathing hard.

Lenny picked up her
pace, pushing Luke to keep up. She kept increasing speed until she
was at a flat out run, turning corners and crossing streets with
unbelievable fluidity. They rounded a corner and came to a large
city pond with a bike path that ran alongside of it. Luke matched
her step for step, breath for breath. She was running on pure
emotion now.

As they crested a
small incline she ran out of breath and collapsed flat out in the
grass staring up at the star filled sky. Luke looked down at her for
a beat and then he took a seat next to her. He let her rest for a
few minutes before speaking.

“
You
can really run.”

She snickered a
little and sat up, still panting. “I told you that you didn’t
have to come,” she reminded. She pushed her sweaty hair off
her face and readjusted her hasty ponytail.

Luke looked up into
the sky and then turned his eyes on her. His kept his voice soft as
he asked, “What happened?”

He saw a thousand
emotions debating across her face but she wouldn't give voice to any
of them.

“
You
know, I had to chase Mike once.” Luke began; he brought his
knees up and rested his forearms across them. “Of course, he
hopped a plane and went to L.A. You were much easier to catch.”
He leaned his shoulder into hers for a moment and looked into her
face again. “What happened, Len?”

“
It’s
nothing.” Lenny was building those walls again and Luke could
feel her shutting him out. He sighed and put his arm around her
shoulders pulling her tight to his side. Trying to keep her from
shutting him out completely.

“
Okay.
I won’t push.”

At first Lenny
stiffened at his sudden embrace but then relaxed and turned her face
into his chest.

“
I
shouldn’t have taken off. They’re gonna want to know
what’s wrong with me.” Lenny’s voice was muffled
by Luke’s sweatshirt.

“
They’ll
get over it.” Luke rubbed her back reassuringly.

Luke had never just
held a woman before and he had been able to seize that opportunity
twice today. It felt really good to feel her softness against his
side. She smelled amazing, the heat from the run mixing with her
subtle perfume. He used both arms to pull her a little closer. When
she didn't resist he felt a strange satisfaction in that.

“
Why
did Mike run?” Lenny asked into the silence.

“
That's
not fair.” Luke tenderly corrected. “I can't divulge my
best friend's secrets without anything in return.”

Lenny's hand fisted
against his sweatshirt and he pressed his lips to the top of her
head.

“
Luke?”
Lenny's voice came out small and slow.

“
Yeah?”

“
How
long did I sleep this afternoon?”

Luke thought back to
this afternoon when Lenny had snuggled into his side and eventually
rested her head in his lap. She had fallen asleep almost the instant
he had touched her.

“
Four
hours.” Luke answered honestly and he felt her tense beneath
him. “Why do you ask?”

“
Why
didn't you wake me up?” She asked, ignoring his question.

“
Because...”
Luke didn't know how to answer that. Not without sounding like a
psycho. Oh well. “...I wanted you to feel safe.” He
tightened his grip around her, trying to drive that point home.

Lenny wrapped her
arms around his middle and Luke closed his eyes in relief.

They sat together
quietly for a long time before Lenny stood. She had put the pieces
back together of her crumbling wall and she was her regular, centered
self again.

Luke realized that
no matter how comfortable someone may seem being alone, they all
needed someone every now and again.

“
You
wanna go back?” She asked.

Luke nodded and they
began a slow jog back to the buses. His head was spinning at having
spent so much focused time with Lenny. He had a peek into her world.
Even though she had shut him out again, Luke knew that he had been
the one to lend her the strength to repair whatever had broken her
tonight.

As they rounded the
corner and the buses came into view, Lenny slowed her pace to walk to
cool down.

“
Thanks
for letting me hang out with you guys tonight.” She said
quietly into the humid night air.

“
You
can always hang with us, Len. You’re a part of us now.”
His sincerity made Lenny smile. He would do anything to see that
smile more often.

“
And
thanks for,” she gestured to the way they had come, “all
that.”

“
Anytime.”
He wanted to pull her into his arms. He didn't want the night to be
over. He didn't want her to be alone anymore.

He walked her to the
foot of the steps of the crew bus and he had an idea. She might not
go for it but then again…

“
Hey,
we have the extra space for a third person on the Blue Bus if you
would like to move over there with me and Mike...permanently.”

Lenny raised her
eyes at his suggestion, “Don’t you think that would be a
little inappropriate?”

“
Why?”
Luke didn’t understand.

Lenny let out a
small laugh, “Because I’m a girl and you are, well,
notorious rock stars.”

Luke grimaced when
he finally understood what she was implying. “But it’s
not like that with you; you’re like a sister to us.”

Lenny took a deep
breath, “I’ll ask Carl what he thinks.”

Luke nodded his
head, “Fair enough.” He started to back away, “Good
night, Lenny.”

“
Good
night, Luke.”

Luke
turned around and scowled to himself.
You’re
like a sister to us? Why would I say something so stupid?
He most definitely did not view her as a sister.

He shook his head
and climbed the stairs to the Red Bus to say good night to the fellas
before turning in himself. They had questions of course, but he
deflected them the best he could, protecting Lenny’s
vulnerability.

It felt good to
protect her. Normal. Maybe he was too hellbent on rescuing people
he cared about. Maybe it was because there was nothing he could do
to save his parents and so he he was trying to make up for that by
rescuing everyone else, whether they wanted it or not. That was a
depressing thought.