Jean-Luc Cheri

Watched at Home

Chapter 1

“Erica, what are your plans for your first weekend back home from college?”

I looked up from my cereal and the magazine I was reading to see Shane at the refrigerator, wearing a dress shirt and jeans — his usual work clothes.

“Relaxing around the house, why?”

He shrugged. “Just curious. Have you talked to any of your friends since you got back?”

“No, and I feel a guilty about it.”

“Why?”

“Well, when we all left for college last fall, we promised to stay in touch. And we did for a while, but I guess we got involved in stuff, and we haven’t spoken in months.”

“Are they all back home?”

“I think so,” I said, “I know Beth had to leave school after the first semester, because her mom got sick.”

“Yeah, I ran into her a few months ago at the grocery store. She told me her mom’s getting better.”