Authors: Winter Woods

Odd Ball Out (2 page)

BOOK: Odd Ball Out

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Chapter 2

I reply to Morgan’s email and let a bit of myself come through, even though I rarely do that with my mother, let alone a complete stranger.

Hi Morgan,

We should have the results and everything back in the next 24 hours. I’ve taken the liberty of booking you a mid-morning flight for tomorrow morning provided the results are acceptable. Once you land a driver will be waiting for you near baggage claim to drive you out here. It’s about an hour from the airport.

Here are a few websites with good information on the things my mom told you about.

It has nothing to do with your employment here whatsoever, but I do find myself curious about your situation. You seem like a nice enough guy and following in your steps as you pointed out in your email to me… picking up and moving across the country to remote Alaska to take care of a crazy guy and his kid, odd. Oh, his name is Mallory and he’s 6.

I look forward to meeting you and hope you like it here.

Haden

Once that’s taken care of I spend the rest of the day programming until my mom calls me down for dinner at 6. Once I eat I set about my evening routine. Shower, read or research on my tablet for a while in bed and lights out at 9pm. The next morning I’m up 6am as usual and rush to my office to check my email. Yes! I’ve got emails from the lawyer, Morgan and the lab. I opened the lab one first.

As Morgan had said, he was good to go. Then I opened the one for the background check, all clear. Now Morgan’s.

Hello Haden,

A more than fair question. I was surprised I wasn’t asked on the phone actually. I don’t mind sharing at all. It’s pretty pathetic actually. I just graduated high school and after that the foster care system dumps you out on your ass with nothing. I tried to make enough money to scrape by with one full and two part time jobs but it’s been miserable.

I’m kind of an insomniac which doesn’t help anything. So if I’m too tired or stressed or anxious I can’t sleep. It’s retarded. I ended up in the ER because I fainted at work. They said it was because of malnourishment and stress. So, without many options, well, no options really, I stumbled across your ad looking for another job from the one that fired me since I fainted. That was the full time one too, meaning the one that had benefits, so really screwed. Well, was screwed I suppose.

I hate living in the city with so many people and so much noise. I don’t have many skills outside what I needed to learn to do in foster care to care of myself and the other kids. So, I decided to take achance and here we are
.


I’m looking forward to meeting you as well and I really need this to work out so I’m also hopeful it does. Thanks for giving me a chance. I’ll try really hard not to let you down.

Morgan

Well, sheesh. I kind of feel like a dick for asking now. My life hasn’t been a cake walk, but reading between the lines it doesn’t seem like his had either. I find myself starting to really like this Morgan. I have more questions I want to ask. I want to learn more about him. Since when do I care about anyone else? I love my work, I have my routine and that’s that. Mom says I should spend time with the kid but I just can’t so I don’t. We co-exist in harmony completely separate from one another and that’s fine with me. I guess it sucks for the kid, but I can’t help that.

I write Morgan back a quick email and smile because by dinner this evening I’ll get to meet him. I find myself wondering what he looks like. He said he was in the ER for being malnourished so it sounds like he’s pretty thin. As far as I can tell I’m asexual so I don’t have a body type preference or anything. Ahh, yes, you’re wondering about the kid. That’s a story for another time.

Morgan,

As you figured it would, everything came back all clear. Thank you for doing that. Your plane leaves this morning at 10:35 and the flight is about three and a half hours long. So I should see you hopefully around midafternoon.

Thank you for sharing about your situation. It’s nice to understand from where people are coming.

If you had time to check out the links I sent you, did you have any questions?

Here’s my cell at the bottom so you can text if it’s easier.

See you soon.

Haden

The rest of the morning and afternoon passes in a blur. Around 2:30 I get a text from an unknown number.

Unknown: Hi Haden, this is Morgan. Just touched down.

I save his contact information and text him back

HADEN: How was the flight?

MORGAN: good. Have a minute?

HADEN: sure

MORGAN: can you be touched?

HADEN: what?

MORGAN: sorry, I was just wondering because some people with autism can’t be touched and I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t accidently bump into you or pat your shoulder or something. Sorry, guess that was a weird question

HADEN: oh, no actually, just took me a second to figure out where you were going with that. But it’s a really good question. The answer is not usually, no. Uh, I don’t really talk either.

MORGAN: ok, well I won’t try to shake your hand and I’ll keep a good distance. Can I ask about why you don’t really talk?

HADEN: I think it’s the same thing you have actually, Social Anxiety Disorder.

MORGAN: oh, is that what it’s called when you can’t talk to people without feeling like you’re gonna puke?

HADEN: LOL yeah, exactly

MORGAN: ok, then yep, that’s definitely what I have

HADEN: sucks

MORGAN: big time, hey, I’ve got an idea

HADEN: ?

MORGAN: well, we’ll just keep our phones with us in the house and talk that way

HADEN: ha, kind of silly but I guess it would work

MORGAN: better than never communicating at all I imagine

HADEN: yeah

MORGAN: so what do you like to eat? Are you limited to certain things by type or color or texture?

HADEN: you did a lot of reading, huh?

MORGAN: sorry, that’s probably weird

HADEN: no, no, it’s, I’m flattered, I think

MORGAN: oh

HADEN: so, let’s move past that awkward moment and continue on shall we?

MORGAN: LOL, yeah, lets

HADEN: I like a lot of stuff, I’m actually not too picky about what I eat, it’s more about how

MORGAN: can you explain that a bit more?

HADEN: yeah, like I can’t stand it if anything on my plate touches anything else

MORGAN: oh, yeah, I read about that one. Like no run off juice from meat can get in the vegetables

HADEN: yeah

MORGAN: that doesn’t sound too complicated

HADEN: you’d be surprised

MORGAN: well, what else?

HADEN: uh, everything has to be all the same color or all different colors.

MORGAN: like no having rice with cauliflower and a steak or something

HADEN: yeah, exactly

MORGAN: will it bother or irritate you if I ask questions to make sure on some things?

HADEN: no not at all

MORGAN: what does bother you?

HADEN: what do you mean?

MORGAN: I read a lot about triggers, certain things can almost instantly caused someone with autism and PTSD to become angry or upset. Hey we’re getting off the plane so it might be a few minutes before I reply. brb

HADEN: well, actually, new people and no worries

MORGAN: sorry about that, headed out to baggage claim now, will the driver have a sign with my name on it and everything just like in the movies?

HADEN: LOL yep

MORGAN: cool, sec

HADEN: k

MORGAN: alright, all situated and started on the drive to you. So then you’re probably just as nervous as I am if not more so huh?

HADEN: yeah

MORGAN: is there anything I can do to help?

HADEN: you’re already doing it

MORGAN: ?

HADEN: just talking to me like a normal person

MORGAN: you are a normal person, why wouldn’t I talk to you like one?

HADEN: I don’t know if you realize this Morgan, but you’re sort of outside the norm of what I’m used to

MORGAN: I was wondering if that might come up

HADEN: what?

MORGAN: me being a guy

HADEN: oh, no, that has nothing to do with it

MORGAN: oh, so you’ve had other house staff that were guys?

HADEN: well, no

MORGAN: oh

HADEN: no, it wasn’t your sex, I meant that they never treat me like an adult

MORGAN: it’s interesting that you didn’t say gender

HADEN: why is that?

MORGAN: well, most people don’t realize that gender is a social construct and doesn’t actually refer to the reproductive organs the person possesses, that’s called one’s sex

HADEN: huh

MORGAN: usually only people with heightened awareness of LGBTQ issues know the difference

HADEN: oh

MORGAN: anyway, sorry if I made you uncomfortable. What are some of the other quirks I’ll need to know?

HADEN: I think I’m asexual

MORGAN: I’m sure I’m gay

HADEN: oh

MORGAN: maybe I should have said something?

HADEN: no, not at all. Your sexual orientation has nothing to do with your capability to do the job.

MORGAN: thank you.

HADEN: for being a decent person?

MORGAN: yeah