Blue Moon: (Blue Raspberry Series #2)

by D. K Lake

  "Why am I not surprised?"

  "I knew we had to do something to take Amber down a peg or two. And the truth or dare game fell into place and then the bet happened. Mitchel didn't want you to have any part of it, that's why he didn't want you to know, 'cause Phoebe meant nothing to him, he was just going to-"

  "Sleep with her?! Yes, I get the picture. But he couldn't get her into bed so he tried it on with me."

  "Look, I don't know what Mitchel and you got up to because he hasn't told me, you were never a part of the game. Whatever you did with my brother was the real thing. If he did do anything with you, he never told me about it. He usually likes to brag, but only to me. It's a brother thing." Ugh.

  "Sounds fun." I deadpan.

  "He never wanted Phoebe, it was always you, but I pushed him to go along with it and I'm sorry. He didn't do anything more than kiss her and even that made him uncomfortable, he just couldn't. Not after you. I don't know what you've done to my brother but I've never seen him like this...this obsessed over a girl." JT's eyes flicker to mine.

  "So? It's all over now." I shrug like I don't care.

  "You don't mean that. I know you like my brother as much as he likes you. You haven't seen him, he's a wreck. I don't think he's stopped drinking all week."

  "And I care because?"

  "Because I know you care about him."

  "How do I know you're not just making this up? How do I know Mitchel didn't just switch to me to try and get me into bed to win the bet?"

  "I'm not making this up. Mitchel and I rarely fight, but just recently all we've done is fight...and it's all because of you."

  "Me?"

  "He's not talking to me because of what happened. He blames me for you not having anything to do with him. He got drunk the night the truth came out and he broke his hand on my face if you were wondering." JT motions to his black and blue face.

  "Is he ok now?"

  "No. He's still drinking and I'm worried about him."

  "Well, maybe you shouldn't have done what you did. I still can't believe you did that to Amber, she's probably going to need therapy for the rest of her life."

  "They can afford it." JT snorts, turning his nose up at Amber's lifestyle.

  "I heard the police are involved, is that true?"

  "They were..." he laughs darkly before continuing. "She told them I forced myself on her but after I showed them the actual video footage of Amber pawing at me and undressing me they weren't that interested. Amber didn't know that I had filmed us and she was left a little red-faced when half the police station and her parents got to see it in action."

  "No wonder she transferred." I gape.

  "She started it, she shouldn't have been such a bitch to you and she shouldn't have lied to the police, so I think she got what she deserved so you shouldn't feel sorry for her."

  "I don't. I feel sorry for your mom, what did she have to say about all this? I'm sure she's not too happy you got expelled. Again."

  JT looks down at the ground. Just what I thought.

  "So are you leaving?" I ask and I think JT can detect the hint of panic in my voice.

  I knew it was only a matter of time before they packed up and moved, and tried to get JT into another school. As much as I'm hurting right now, the thought of not seeing Mitchel again hurts even more.

  He crashed into my life out of nowhere like a bolt from the blue, causing absolute chaos in such a short space of time, and now he's going to up and leave and I would be left to pick up the pieces. The pieces of my heart.

  "I'm done with school and there aren't many months left so there's no point moving Mitchel again, and I doubt there's another school that will have me now."

  "What will you do instead?"

  "I'm going into the business full time, taking over from another supplier. I have connections in LA and they want me to move more product. A few years of this and we'll all be living with the rich and famous."

  "You don't like rich people."

  "No, but I like money. If we make it big we'll be set for life."

  "And if you get caught dealing you're get sent down."

  "So will you speak to him?" JT asks, ignoring my previous comment.

  "I don't know. I don't know what to believe anymore."

  "Kelsey, I'm telling you the truth, please, you gotta believe me!"

  "Why should I?"

  "Mitchel never sent those messages to Phoebe, that was all me, I stole his phone when he was asleep. I needed him in the game and I knew he needed some encouragement."

  "I asked you if you sent those messages and you lied to my face, so why should I believe you now?"

  "Because you have to believe me. I messed up and if I don't fix this my brother will probably drink himself to death and it'll be my fault."

  I stare across the street, thinking it over.

  "How can I fix this?" he says.

  "You can't." I tell him and reach up to put my earbuds back in my ears.

  "He's in love with you, you know that, right?" I hear him above the music and slowly pull my earbuds out again.

  "You don't hurt the people you love." I mutter.

  "What about hurting the people that hurt you? Amber and Phoebe are gone for good. You should be pleased."

  I shake my head and start walking.

  "Kelsey," JT starts to follow me so I stop and turn around to face him. "Answer me one thing truthfully and I might consider talking to Mitchel."

  "Anything?" he says quickly.

  "Why do you have an Australian accent? And don't say, I don't know what you're talking about. I asked Mitchel and he wouldn't talk about it."

  JT glances across the street and runs a hand down his face.

  "I lived in Australia for a while when I was younger."

  "So why didn't he just say that in the first place?"

  "It's not that simple it's...we don't talk about it."

  "Why not?"

  JT pulls out his cigarettes again and lights another one as he backs into his car and leans against it and I follow him back to the car.

  "It's complicated."

  "How so?"

  "You know, you only asked me to answer one question truthfully and you're asking like twenty."

  "JT." I groan, losing my patience.

  "I-I was with my dad."

  "In Australia?"

  "Yes."

  "On vacation?"

  "No. He sort of took me without Willa's consent."

  "What?"

  "As I said, it's complicated. If I tell you this then you need to know we've never told anyone this story, it's not something we share."

  I keep my mouth shut and don't interrupt, I get the feeling I'm about to hear some revelation.

  JT nods his head at the car and I climb in and he starts the engine and just drives.

  "My dad, Shaun, got Willa pregnant when they were both really young, he was a little older but not by much, and he started doing jobs to try and make some money on the side."

  "What kind of jobs?"

  "Whatever came up, stealing shit to sell on, moving drugs, kicking someone's skull in if he was asked to and the price was right. But Shaun got caught doing a bank job and he got sent away for it. Willa was still young and was struggling financially...then enter Mitchel's dad, Craig. She fell pregnant almost straight away and he was charming for all of nine months until he bailed and Willa was left with two kids to feed. Three years passed, we survived, barely, and then one day Craig turned up on our doorstep and told Willa he had turned his life around and wanted another chance. He had done well for himself and had money and Willa wanted stability and she knew he could provide it. And he was a nice enough guy..." JT trails off.

  I pick up on the way he said 'was'. Mitchel told me his dad was out of the picture, did he mean he was dead?

  "Willa and Craig soon got married and he took care of her, she wanted security and he wanted to be part of our family, so it worked out well for both of them and we all played happy families
for a while. Then when I was twelve and Mitchel was ten, Shaun got released and didn't take well to the news that Willa had got married and had another kid. You see, the thing about Willa and Shaun is that they were crazy about each other and it really broke her heart when he got put away, but Shaun had a temper on him and he was crazy jealous of anyone else near her."

  JT frowns and takes another drag, as though he's remembering something.

  "Shaun showed up one night, drunk off his face. Craig wanted to call the police but Willa talked him out of it, and I don't know, I can't remember much, I think I blocked most of that night out."

  "What happened?" I whisper.

  "Shaun got in a fight with Craig...and accidentally killed him."

  "Oh my..." I cover my mouth.

  "It was an accident and after it happened Shaun begged Willa to leave with him and run away but she refused and was worried about Mitchel and how he would cope...he was there when it happened."

  I can't believe what I'm hearing.

  "So Shaun panicked and disappeared." he adds.

  "Did he kidnap you?"

  "No, not exactly. I've always known who my dad is and I used to visit him regularly in jail growing up, and I was just waiting for him to get out so we could start doing things together, you know, father and son things but then the whole murder thing happened. He went into hiding but came back to see me a few months later and asked me to leave with him and I knew I would never see him again if I didn't leave with him. So I grabbed a bag and filled it with a few things and went with him. I didn't want to leave but I felt like I had to go with him or I would forever wonder where he is."

  I pull at a loose piece of string on my hoodie and it unravels...like life.

  "Shaun was a wanted man so we stayed hidden, and traveled around and ended up in Australia for most of my teen years. But I missed my mom and Mitchel and desperately wanted to get back to them, even my dad talked about going back to the states to find them...so in the end, that's what we did."

  "How did he even get into the country?"

  "There are ways." JT says, slowing down for the lights. "We finally tracked them down, it wasn't hard. I had always kept track of Mitchel on Facebook, he liked to post a lot when he was younger."

  "What happened when you saw your mom again?"

  "There was a lot of tears. And she forgave him."

  "What?"

  "As I said before they were crazy about each other when they were younger, and I don't think that their love ever really fizzled out, even after what he did she still loved him. It was Willa's idea to travel and stay off the grid. We traveled all over, living in a campervan and adopted fake names...I was called Greg for four months while we stayed in Nevada for some time. Mitchel didn't deal with it very well, though...Shaun did kill his dad after all."

  "He must have hated him."

  "He did. But I think he knew it was an accident and he wanted everyone to be together, and Shaun made Willa happy, so we all stayed together." JT says with a smile like he's reliving a happy memory. "But nothing lasts forever, eventually the police caught up with him and we all had to act like we had been kidnapped and he was forcing us to stay with him. Shaun was sent back to jail and we went back to our normal lives. But it was never the same. Willa was a mess and it took her ages before she put herself back together. Mitchel was drinking and I was getting into fights at school, we had to move a lot because of it, and then we eventually ended up here."

  I stare out the window, still unraveling the story in my head, the pieces falling into place.

  "This is...I can't believe you all went through that. But Shaun is behind bars now?"

  "No. He was."

  "Was?" I say barely audible as JT parks across the street from my house.

  "He hung himself last year." JT says evenly as he grips the steering wheel a little harder.

  "Mitchel said he was still in prison."

  "That's because it's easier for him to tell you that my dad's in prison and his dad is out of the picture than telling you the truth and you realize just how fucked up we really are."

  "I don't think that. I just think you've had a tough time growing up."

  "Something like that." JT mutters.

  I notice Mom's car is already in the driveway which is unusual. She doesn't normally finish until later. She probably left early to make sure I'm home on time. I spot Paige peeking out of an upstairs window watching us.

  "So will you talk to him?" JT asks with desperation in his voice. I just nod. "You promise?"

  "Yes, I'll ring him tonight."

  JT smiles grimly at me.

  "Thank you for telling me." I say as I reach for the door.

  "No, thank you." he says.

  "For what?" I ask with the door half open.

  "Saving him."

  "Mitchel?" I say confused, leaning back in the seat.

  "I'm going to tell you one more thing, but this can never get back to Mitchel. Kelsey, promise me?"

  "Ok...I promise. I won't say anything."

  "He tried to kill himself before we moved here. He overdosed on a load of pills."

  My lips part but no words come out. I can't believe what I'm hearing.

  "Mom was at work and not due back until the morning, and I only returned home because I left my phone there otherwise I would have never found him."

  I face the front and look out the window, taking deep breaths. I don't know how I feel about this new information, but for some reason, I am finding it hard to breathe. The thought of Mitchel hurting himself nearly has me in tears.

  "We moved here not long after and he met you...and I've never seen him like this before, the way he is with you. All those other girls were just a distraction for him, he didn't really want any of them, but you...he needs you."

  I feel something on my cheek and discover I'm crying, the realization that I've fallen for Mitchel sinking in.

  I'm in love with Mitchel.

  There is no point trying to hide it anymore. I miss him so badly, and I want him more than anything. He needs me. And I need him.

  "Is he even safe to be left on his own right now?" I panic.

  "Boston is with him. He knows not to leave him alone."

  I quickly wipe my eyes and try to pull myself together before I go inside.

  "Speak to him, please."

  "I will. Just let me get through dinner with my mom and then I'll ring him after, ok?"

  "Ok." JT looks relieved.

  I climb out and loosely wave goodbye and he smiles at me.

  I stand on the grass having a moment.

  A Mitchel and I moment.

  You know what they say about life being short, and you should do what makes you happy...live with no regrets, blah, blah, blah. But what if this is it for me? What if I never meet anyone else that makes me feel this way? I think the phrase once in a blue moon comes to mind. This could be one of those rare beautiful things where the universe decided to bring us together and I can't just ignore it. I know things are going to change now. Mitchel is going to be a part of my life, and there's nothing Mom can do to stop it.

  44

  I walk up the path feeling emotionally drained. My head hurts and all I want to do is turn around and go and find Mitchel now. I decide not to wait until after dinner, I can't. I need to talk to him now, I need to hear his voice to know that he's alright. I need to tell him I love him. I don't care if he doesn't say it back. I just need him to know.

  As I open the front door I am greeted by a mountain of boxes and my sister looking hot and angry, fighting with the packing tape and a box.

  "What's with all the boxes?" I ask.

  She ignores me and pulls a strip of tape off and secures the lid down on a box labeled: Books.

  "Paige?"

  I pull out my phone while I'm waiting for a response. I don't want to wait any longer so I switch my phone on.

  "This is your fault!" Paige says in a clipped tone, storming out of the hallway.

  "Wh-what
did I do now? I've only just walked in!"

  My phone beeps with a million and one messages all from Mitchel.

  "Ah, there you are." Mom walks into the hallway wearing her old clothes and her hair is tied into a bun and she's wearing a sweatband. She looks totally out of place. I'm used to seeing her in pencil skirts and blouses.

  "Are you having a spring clean or something?"

  "Not exactly." she replies and I tear my eyes away from my phone.

  "Here, these are for you." Mom picks up a stack of boxes and dumps them at my feet.

  "What do you want me to do with these?"

  "I want you to pack."

  "P-pack?"

  "Yes. Oh, didn't Paige tell you?"

  "No, she didn't!" I glare at Paige through the archway.

  "We're moving on Monday." Mom casually says, walking away.

  "What the fuck?" I mumble and follow her into the kitchen.

  The place looks a mess with open boxes and bubble wrap everywhere, and there are plates, mugs, pots, and pans all over the countertops, and I trip over a set of baking dishes on the way into the kitchen.

  "Mom, what are you talking about? I just walked in what's going on? Are we in trouble?"

  I know we are having money problems, and I had been expecting this for some time, but this had caught me off guard.

  "No it's nothing like that, but we are moving."

  "Where?!" I almost scream at her.

  "Nebraska." she throws over her shoulder as she walks past me with another box.

  I think I forget how to breathe.

  "Are you alright? You look like you're going to be sick." Mom says, walking back into the kitchen and studying me from the other side of the counter.

  "Ne-Nebraska?!"

  "I told you there would be consequences, Kelsey."

  "Consequences? What are you talking about?"

  "I won't have one of my daughters running around town with a boy and getting herself knocked up before she even finishes high school. There will be fewer distractions in Nebraska and you can focus on school. This is a fresh start for everyone."

  "I didn't know Paige had a boyfriend." I choke out a laugh.

  I'm losing it.

  "You know very well I am talking about you. I was chatting to Aunt Jane the other day and she mentioned how lovely their little town Prairie is and what a safe place it is, no underage drinking, no violence."