Ana by S. E. Gutierrez (red white and royal blue hardcover TXT) 📕

Ana (Annie-cakes)

-- Student at Green Hills High, and the person who's point of view the book is written in

Stace (Stacey-lacey)

-- The best friend of Ana

Proffessor Guildenborg

-- Stace and Ana's boring English Liturature teacher

Danny

-- Student at Green Hills High

Lennie

-- Ana's little brother

Stace's Dad

-- A family friend of the Romansons

Shelter Nurses

-- A group of volunteer nurses who help out with the medical needs of some of the people at the homless shelter

Mondays, oh how I hate Mondays. I was sitting in a boring class, half listening to a boring lecture given by a boring proffessor, in a boring suit, in a boring color. I turned my head and by the look on Stace's face, she felt the same way. Stace rolled her eyes to meet mine. 'Oh my boring.' she mouthed. I just tillted my head back and let out an annoyed sighed.

In the middle of Proffessor Guildenborg's lecture, the bell rang. He jumped a little, and looked a tad bit surprised. Same old Guildenborg, always clueless as to the time. Stace and I gather our stuff and bolted. As soon as we made it out of the doorway, she slouched and and made a disgusted face.

"Was that the most boring class or what? I'm so glad that was last hour." she groaned.

"Stace, I do believe you owe me five smackaroonies. I did manage to stay awake the entire

hour, where as you, my dear, fine friend could not." I said, holding my hand out and wiggling my fingers, our sign for 'girl please, gimme mah mo-nay'. She sighed.

"Ugh, fine, and Annie-cakes, I was awake, I was just practicing my.... snoring." she handed me my five dollars, and pulled me along to her car.

Suddenly, I remembered I'd left my sketchpad and musical compostition homework in Guildenborg's room.

"Stace, can you wait like five minutes, I left mt sketchpad and some homework in Guildenborg's class." I ask, implementing my suberp puppy-dog-eyes tactic.

"Ana, you know I got to be at my Dad's wedding in like what two? Can you hitch a ride with someone else. Dearest step-mommy would kill me if I was late. I'm sorry." she replied.

I had totally forgotten about the wedding. "No problem. And tell your dad this one better last and that I wish him a happy,long

marriage."

"Yuppers! Bye Annie-cakes" she said, sliding into her car.

"Bye Stacey-lacey." I shouted as she closed her door.

She waved, then sped off. Typical Stace. I shook my head and jogged to catch Proffessor Guildenborg before he locked his door.

When I finally got to his door, we hwas just about to stick the key in the lock.

"Wait! I left some homework in your room, mind if I get reallt fast?" I asked politely.

He mulled this over for a minute. "Conisidering you didn't fall asleep in my class for once, I shall let you retrieve your assignmemt, but you need to be more responsible, Ana." he replied.

I sighed in relief. "Thank you, Proffessor Guildenborg." I said as I dashed in, grabbed my sketchpad, and homework, then darted out.

By the time I got to the parking lot, the entire place was empty, save a few cars of students staying late. Great, now I would have to walk the five miles home. Lovely, simply lovely. I turned on my heel, and started the journey home.

"Hey, you're Ana Romanson, right?" a voice called after me.

I turned my head and peered over my shoudler. It was a guy, of course. Again, simply lovely.

I groaned and stopped. Turning around, I shot daggers at the dude. He just rolled his eyes.

"Look, I'm not here to ask you out or anything even remotley similar like that. I have to write a news article on someone that's a 'good role-model' to pass journalsim." he said.

"Mind telling me why you picked me?" I shot back.

"I didn't it was assigned." he replied dryly.

"Do you have a car?"

"Yah... why?" he answered, suspicious.

"What do I have to do, and if I do it will you give me a ride home, Stace had to go to her Dad's third or fourth wedding, and I really, really, don't want to walk five miles." I replied in a rush.

"All you have to do is answer five or so questions, and yes, tell me where I'm going and how to get there and I will get you home, safe and sound." I nodded his head when he finished.

"'Kay, let's get this over with."


"So, question number one, what do you like to do?" He asked.

"Uh, draw, guitar, sing a little, listen to music." I answered.

"'kay, what's your favorite food?"

I answered, he asked another question, I answered again, and all I could think was that, by the time this was over, I'd probably be home by now.

"That was the last question, now, let's get you home." he said.

We walked out to his car, and he opened the door for me, then walked around and slid into the driver's seat.

"Okay, where to?" he asked. "Oh, and I'm Daniel, but everyone just calls me Danny."

"Just go the bridge, by that museum with the stuff about old movies." I answered, a blush finding it's way to my face as I felt the inevitable question coming.

"Why to the bridge?" Danny asked.

"'Cause they have a teen-and-family homeless shelter there. That's where my brother and I." I replied.

I expected him to say more, ask why one of the most date-wise saught after girls lived in a homeless shelter under a bridge, but he remained silent.

The majority of the car ride passed in an awkward silence while I thought of Lennie, my younger brother. When the bad people came and murdered our parents, they managed to shoot Lennie in the shoulder before I could get him out of the house. The shelter couldn't afford the medical bill, so Lennie was stuck with the help of the shelter nurses.

I hadn't realized it, but tears had slowly slid down my cheeks. Embarassed, I wiped at them with the back of my hand. Danny glanced at me, then looked straight ahead.

"I'm guessing you're thinking about a family member?" he assumed.

"Yah, my little brother, Lennie. When these bad people came, and uh, well when they um, killed my parents, they shot Lennie in the, uh, shoulder, we can't afford a medical bill and neither can the shelter, so he's stuck with the help of the shelter nurses." I said, sniffleing the whole way through.

He glanced at me again. "I'm sorry, Ana. Ya know, my brother, my older one, he was killed in combat in Iraq. Not a day goes by that I don't miss the poor dude. I still miss him wrestling with me."

I Just looked at him. A few seconds later, he was pulling in up in front of the shelter.

"Ana, I don't mean tio state the obvious, but no one is here."

"No. No, no, no, no, no. This isn't good. This is so not good." I mummbled, and nealry ran out of the car. I sprinted up to the door and tugged on the handle. Locked, it was never locked. There was a note on the door. No, this was not happening, this was not

happening.

I knew that the shelter was going under, but I didn't expect us to be kicked out this soon. I had to find Lennie. I had to find him.

I dropped the note and yelled our for my brother. "Lennie, Lennie where are you? Are you still here? Lennie!" I shouted and shouted, but no one answered. My little brother, my little Lennie was gone, and I didn't know where he was.

"No, what if his infection gets worse? What if he get's hurt?" I whispered to myself.

Danny came running up to me. "Hey. Ana, Ana, what's wrong?"

I sucked in a shaky breath, trying to calm myself down. "They kicked us all out. They locked the doors, boarded the windows, they just kicked us all out. Lennie, Lennie is gone, he's not here. Danny, what if he got hurt? What if the bad people find him?"

"Ana," he said. "They probably took him to a hospital. Bank people or whoever it was that kicked everyone out can't be bad enough to keep a child with a gunshot wound from some kind of medical attention. Let's just breath, calm down, and locate the nearest hospital. Sound good?"

I nodded, and did as he told me to. "The nearest hospital is Greenberry Hospital and Speedy Care." I said.

He nodded, and opened my door for me again. Time seemed to pass slower than possible as we made our way to the hospital. If Lennie wasn't there, I don't know what I'd do. It seemed as though an eternity would pass before we got to the hospital. I needed to make sure Lennie, little Lennie was okay.

I was totally and completely zoned out, so when Danny shook my arm and told me we were here, I was a little jumpy. I sucked in a deep breathe and hoped like never before that Lennie was here, he had to be here.

Danny and I walked up to the receptionist, fake smiles plastered to out faces. She seemed to know they were fake, and scowled at us.

"How may I help you two?" she asked lazily.

"Um, is a Lennie, er, I guess Florence checked in?" I asked as politely as I could.

The receptionist typed something on her laptop, and her eyes scanned the screen as she scrolled down. "Last name?"

"Romanson." I replied.

After a few more minutes of her searching, we found out he was in room 2A19. Danny and I rushed to the room, but by the time we made it to the elevator, we realized we had no freakin' clue as to were 2A19 was, or what floor it was on.

Silently, head slightly hung, we walked back to the receptionist.

She smiled politely. "Second floor, section A, room nineteen."

"Thanks!" I said, and we bounded off yet again.

We made our way to the second floor, discovered section A, and finally found room nineteen. I walked in as quietly as I could, hoping not to disturb my little brother.

"Lennie?" I whispered. He