CHAPTER 2: BURGERS AND SHAKES

Grace and Christopher arrived at their new home. It was small and quaint, but with a well-kept lawn. They got out of the car and looked at it. The joy in Grace’s face was indescribable, and she was excited to start their new life in such a beautiful town. Christopher could see how happy moving to Montana had made her. He decided he would try to be understanding and work it out, for both their sakes. Putting his hands in his pockets, he slowly walked inside, studying their new home. It was furnished and decorated, not modern, but he liked the homey feeling it gave. The living room had a fireplace in the middle, and he already imagined spending the winter nights in front of it with hot chocolate in his hands while telling jokes to his mom. He shook his head. What was he thinking? As much as he would try, he cannot make this place his home because he was afraid to be in a new environment. “What do you think?” Grace asked. Shrugging his shoulder, he gave her a faint smile. “I know it’s hard for you, but we’ll make it work.” “Mom, the move itself is not that hard. It will all be the same. Nothing is going to change. Look at me. I’m a freak of nature.” “You’re not a freak of nature, Christopher Melbourne. You’re handsome and smart, and I’m sure you will make friends here,” she cupped his cheeks and gave him a sweet smile. He was her son, and she loved him. All she wanted was for him to be happy. Christopher had inherited his condition from his maternal grandfather. He also had a hard time fitting in with everyone. Of course, back then, anything different was taboo. “Things have changed, Chris. Maybe in this town, everything will be different. Have faith.” He nodded and promised her he would try to like the town. As they were unpacking, Grace looked out the window, noticing the sheriff’s car in her driveway. She went outside to meet the unexpected guest. “Good morning!” A deep yet kind voice boomed, “You must be the Melbourne family. Welcome to Stevensville. I’m Sheriff Thomas Fisher.” The sheriff looked to be in his early 40s. He had light brown hair, a chiseled face, and blue eyes. Not to mention his well-built body that you could see from underneath his uniform, catching Grace’s attention. “Hi, I’m Grace, and this is my son Chris.” She greeted him. Thomas smiled at her, showing his pearly white teeth, and tipped the brim of his hat. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Melbourne. The townsfolk are talking about you, and they’re eager to meet you both. Especially you, young lad. Everyone at school is already wondering who is the new student in town.” He said, extending his hand for him to shake. Christopher nodded his head and shook his hand. He was feeling better about the welcome Thomas just gave him. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call,” he smiled before tipping his hat again and getting in the car. “You see? It’s not that bad,” Grace said. His words were not very convincing to Christopher. He was the sheriff, and it was just courtesy to visit them and welcome them into the town. It didn’t mean they would like them. The movers arrived a few minutes later with the rest of their belongings. Grace took over, ordering them to put everything in the barn she’d found at the back of the house. Christopher went upstairs to see his room, surprised at how spacious it was. Ideas on how he wanted to decorate it came to mind. He decided that would be the way to go, just like in their old apartment. With his love for science, he had posters of periodic tables and lab tools, but his favorite were the ones with Albert Einstein in them. He was his role model. “Settling in, okay?” Grace asked, standing in the doorway. “Yes, kind of,” he replied, putting his telescope by the window. He couldn’t wait to spend hours gazing at the stars. Looking forward to seeing them at night, it was one of the first things he had put together. “I’ve heard the stars are visible here. Well, compared to back home where all you can see are the bright screens on Times Square.” She walked in and put her hand on his shoulders, trying to make him feel at ease as she squeezed them affectionately. “Let’s see,” he said skeptically, looking out the window and taking a deep breath to soothe himself. “I’m going to town. Do you want to come, or do you want me to bring you anything?” “No, that’s okay. I’ll keep organizing here. Maybe I’ll have a burger?” Grace kissed his head, and she whispered soothing words to his ear before she left. He kept getting settled so he could be ready for school in a few days. Nervous about being the new student, he just hoped there was someone nice enough to like him. ~~~~~~ “Okay, let’s start from the top. We need to have this ready for Monday. The pep rally is here, and we need to give this a hundred and one percent of our participation,” Palmer said, noticing her team was not ready yet. They had been rehearsing for months and were too nervous about being able to perform at the rally. She took a deep breath, deciding to give them a break as she needed to take one too. “Hey, Palmer!” She heard a voice call. It was Hunter White, the school quarterback. They’d been together in school since kindergarten, and despite her not liking him as more than a schoolmate, he was always trying to get Palmer’s attention. “Hey, Hunter. What brings you to my rehearsal?” She asked, folding her arms on her chest, trying hard not to sound annoyed at his presence, but failing to do so. “Woah, little lady. No need to be harsh, I just wanted to see how you were doing, and maybe we can go out for a shake at Dino’s Diner?” She had to give him credit. He never gave up on her. “Hunter, you know I don’t date jocks, right? Nothing personal, it’s just that you guys are not my type,” she said as she was looking for another song to dance to while the others rested. “And what is your type of guy?” He curiously asked while rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger. Palmer took a deep breath and looked up, thinking hard. “Unique. In all the sense of the word. Someone with a big heart and a kind soul, and definitely not a jock.” “I’m very nice. What are you talking about?” He was getting upset, his face turning red at the assumption of her not wanting him because he didn’t meet her expectations. “I know, but you’re just not my type. Sorry, Hunter. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have to rehearse.” He scoffed, kicking the stage before he walked out of the auditorium. Hilda, one of her classmates, approached her. “Girl, how can you reject a specimen like that? Look, he has muscles, big grey eyes, and a soft black hair that makes any girl want to pass their hands through it.” “Then why don’t you date him? It seems to me like you want to start something with him. Go ahead. He’s all yours.” Palmer replied, getting an eye roll from Hilda before she walked away. “Okay, you all had your break. It’s time to resume this.” Everyone groaned in pain and exhaustion. “Can’t we just do this tomorrow? We’re beat. You had us rehearse every day without rest,” one boy mentioned, and Palmer took a deep breath. “Every day, and you still don’t have it right,” she said, holding the bridge of the nose with her fingers, “Okay, everyone. You can all go. I’ll let you know at what time we’ll meet here on Monday.” Palmer left the auditorium and headed to her first class. She was afraid they would mess up on the pep rally and wanted to make sure they didn’t end up being laughed at by the other students. Not that she cared if they did. ~~~~~~ At the end of the school day, she met Faith and Gunner at the entrance. They had plans to get some burgers and milkshakes at the diner. Palmer walked out of the building while they waited for her, and they got in his truck before driving off. They arrived, and as they walked in, Gloria, the diner’s waitress, greeted them with a kind smile on her face. They were three of her favorite customers, and she always looked forward to seeing them every time. “Sit down, my lovely ones. Do you want your usuals?” She asked, and they nodded, laughing at how much she knew them. Every week, they would visit the diner after school and have the same food, cheeseburgers with onion rings, and chocolate milkshakes. Gloria didn’t even bother giving them menus anymore. She would look at them as they walked through the doors and put their orders in while she prepared their soft drinks. “How’s the dance going?” Faith asked, surprising Palmer. She hadn’t told them she was a dancer. “It’s going okay. The guys are a bit lost in rhythm still, and we’re only a few days away from the pep rally. How did you know about it?” “Well, since my best friend didn’t tell me what she was up to this morning, I had to investigate for myself. I’m hurt that you didn't trust me enough to tell me you liked to dance,” Faith pouted as she folded her arms across her chest. “Oh, come on, beautiful. I’m sure Palmer had her reasons,” Gunner laughed, putting an arm around her shoulder. Palmer could see the way he was giving her attention, but Faith was oblivious to it... or maybe didn’t want to show him she liked him too? They heard the bell at the door, signaling that a new customer walked inside. “That must be the new doctor,” Faith whispered as Palmer discreetly turned around to look at her. She was ordering a meal to go. Palmer was sure it was for her son. “I seriously can’t wait to meet him,” Faith mentioned, getting a jealous glare from Gunner. “Why do you want to meet him so bad?” He asked. Both girls looked at him with their eyebrows raised. Palmer couldn’t help but laugh, and Faith did not understand what that was all about. She slid off the booth and walked towards Grace. “Hi! You must be Dr. Melbourne. I’m Palmer Wright,” she extended her hand, and with a soft smile, Grace did the same to shake it. “Hello, Palmer. I’m Grace, my son Christopher and I are new in town.” “I know. I’ve heard in my school about your son. It would be great to put a face to the name. My friends are curious. We haven’t had someone from out-of-town move in here in a while.” Grace saw how sweet Palmer was, that she promised her she would meet him on Monday. After they said their goodbyes, Palmer walked back to the table where her friends were patiently waiting. “I guess we’ll meet Christopher on Monday.”