Strong Like Me

by Laurel Veil

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  Laurel Veil

  Copyright © 2014 Laurel Veil

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 1499628706

  ISBN 13: 9781499628708

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2014910129

  CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

  North Charleston, South Carolina

  For W.S.

  You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

  1. Sunday

  2. Five More Days

  3. Four More Days

  4. Three More Days

  5. Two More Days

  6. One More Day

  7. The Big Day

  8. Déjà Vu

  9. A Day At The Beach

  10. Run

  11. Confrontation

  12. New Beginnings

  13. All At Once

  14. Yesteryear

  15. Strong Like Me

  an you believe he tried to give me a blue one?” I said into my cell phone as I paced around my room.

  “That’s so wrong. I mean, it’s not like he doesn’t own the dealership,” agreed Tori with little enthusiasm.

  “Believe me, I let him have it. Long story short—he put in an order for a red one. It may cost a little more, but oh well.”

  “Wow, a convertible BMW for your sixteenth. Not bad, Jess,” congratulated Tori.

  “My party is gonna be worthy of MTV, too. The music, the food, just wait—”

  “Hey, I gotta run. Queen PMS needs me to come downstairs.”

  “Your mom is such a witch, Tor. Why don’t you put her in her place?”

  “Maybe someday. See ya tomorrow, Jessica.”

  I made my way down the spiral staircase. It was dark now, so I switched on a few lights. My house was massive, over ten thousand square feet of cathedral ceilings, mahogany, and granite. It sat on a hill, almost in the center of one hundred acres in the little town of Sparrow.

  Ursula was just finishing up dinner. I think it was beef stroganoff for the umpteenth time. Big surprise!

  “Evening, Ms. Jessica. Would you like me to make ya a plate?”

  “I’m just going to have a Lean Cuisine,” I said.

  “You are skin an’ bones, girl. Eat ya something good now.”

  “I got it, Ursula,” I snapped.

  Ursula finished wiping the counter where it was wet near the sink. She then hung the towel to dry on the oven door handle and went to retrieve her purse from the utility room.

  I rolled my eyes and opened the freezer door. The nerve of her trying to tell me what to eat and then insulting me. Ursula had worked for my family for years. I guess somehow she thought that gave her the right to talk to me that way.

  When I closed the freezer door, I screamed and almost dropped my dinner on my foot. A petite woman with dark skin, who I had never seen before, was standing there. Unlike Ursula, who wore a light blue maid’s uniform with white cuffs on the sleeves, she wore a muumuu made of dark colors woven in an African print. Her hair was white and she wore it in braids that circled her head like a tiny crown.

  “Who are you?” I demanded.

  She stared at me and didn’t blink.

  “I said…who are you?”

  Just then, Ursula came waddling around the corner. “Oh, I see you’ve met Kamali.”

  “Actually, no. She’s just standing here staring at me,” I said.

  “Well, don’t mind her. She’s funny that way sometimes. She was here tending to your mother’s greenhouse and indoor plants. Kamali here has a way with the earth. She loves working the soil—”

  I cut my eyes at Ursula in a way that said, shut up! She must have understood because she did.

  “We’ll be leaving now,” said Ursula as she made her way to the kitchen door and opened it.

  Kamali followed and just before she closed the door behind her, she turned to me and said, “You’s evil.”

  I was stunned. I couldn’t believe she would say something like that. I ran to the door to open it and yell at her, but instead of doing that, I locked it. I stood where she had just been standing; chill bumps peppered my skin and the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention.

  I stuck my meal in the microwave and flipped on E! while I waited. The best and the worst dressed in Hollywood kept me company for dinner once again. When I was finished, I ate some ice cream and then washed it down with soda. I left my mess for Ursula in the morning. If I didn’t, she wouldn’t have a job. I was doing her a favor.

  Who knew when my mom and dad would be home. My dad was a workaholic and my mom was a socialite. They made a perfect match. He liked to make money and she loved to spend it. We hardly ever saw one another. I thought I would have seen a little more of my mom, though, since my party was coming up. It was the talk of the town. But as it turns out, my mother, gala coordinator extraordinaire, was able to plan a sixteen-year-old’s birthday party without any help.

  I closed my door and headed straight to my bathroom where I proceeded to vomit. I then brushed, flossed, gargled, and finished getting ready for bed.

  stared into my humongous closet. I decided I felt like Ralph Lauren today. Of course, my undergarments would be Victoria’s Secret.

  I blow-dried my curls straight and then used a flat iron. I got dressed and then carefully slipped on my headband. I loosely tied a sweater around my neck. I looked like I had just gotten done shooting a cover for Seventeen.

  Tori texted, I’m here.

  That was okay—she could wait a minute. A small price to pay to get to ride with me to school.

  I grabbed my iPhone and snapped a few photos of myself. I uploaded the one that looked best. It was hard to choose but I did and then I added the caption, Five More Days!

  I had been counting down the days to my birthday for months now.

  I had heard my parents when they got in late last night. If my father hadn’t yelled at my mother for being drunk, I might have slept right through it. My father was already gone this morning and my mother was busy sleeping off what I’m guessing was one helluva hangover.

  Tori looked a little irritated when I finally walked out to her car. “Is there a problem?” I confronted her head on.

  “No,” said Tori quickly, the smirk now gone from her face. Tori could be such a wimp sometimes. It really made me sick.

  I changed the station to a song I liked and turned her AC up. “What, are you trying to cook me over here?”

  Tori was pretty quiet on the way to school. A light sprinkle started to fall from the darkening sky. We were running a little late as we pulled into the parking lot. The only places left to park were way in the back.

  “Drop me off at the sidewalk,” I told Tori.

  She looked at me funny. “What?” I snapped. “I used a flat iron on my hair. It will get ruined if it gets wet.”

  Tori rolled her eyes and dropped me off at the curb.

  “Sometimes you can be so selfish, Tor.”

  I slammed the door and ran to my locker. Some people.

  Luckily, I made it to my class just as the bell was ringing.

  I hated my English class. Ms. Jefferson was so boring. She was fat and wore
thick glasses too. She was middle-aged and had never been married. Gee, I wonder why? If you looked up fugly in the dictionary, you would find her face. I could barely stand to look at her. Too bad I didn’t start my day with Ms. Alexandra, my biology teacher. She was tall, thin, and gorgeous. And, I loved the way she dressed. She even drove a great car.

  “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,” Ms. Jefferson said cheerfully after the pledge and the announcements. “Let’s get with our writing partners and help one another edit our compositions.”

  Oh gosh! Someone stab me and put me out of my misery!

  Everyone stood up and began moving desks together. Amanda moved her desk next to mine.

  “Hi,” she smiled as she opened up her notebook to take out her composition.

  Amanda Nichols was one of the most annoying people I have ever known in my life. She has been a thorn in my side since the fourth grade. It all started because I needed a stupid kidney and Amanda happened to be a match and was willing to give me one.

  I was popular even then, though, so I couldn’t blame her. I think she only did it so she could somehow be connected to me forever.

  Luckily for me, the surgery didn’t take place here in Sparrow. We went to the medical center in the city. One thing I could say about Amanda, she never bragged about it like I thought she would. In fact, she never told a soul. I sure as hell kept my mouth shut. I would die if anyone knew a part of her was inside me. I shivered just thinking about it.

  I couldn’t stand the way she looked at me sometimes, though. Not like I owed her something, but just like we’ve got a secret or something. I hated it. It drove me insane.

  “Here’s my essay, Jessica,” she said as she handed me her paper. “You can borrow this red pen too. I have an extra.”

  Oh how nice. You loan kidneys and red pens. Aren’t you just so sweet!

  I took her paper and read over it. It was about North Korea. Blah, blah… not my problem. I didn’t have any comments for her, so I just sat there waiting while she finished reading my paper.

  “Your paper is well written, but I think you need to give more evidence supporting your opinion that BMW is better than Mercedes,” said Amanda shyly.

  I looked at her without saying a word. I could tell it made her nervous. Finally I said, “Have you ever driven either?”

  She shrunk and looked down at the desk.

  Finally, the bell rang. I scooped my papers up and headed to my next class.

  It was finally time for lunch. I sat at in my usual seat and waited for Tori. I was beginning to feel a little self-conscious. Only losers ate alone. I thought I noticed a few people look at me. Some whispered.

  Where was she? I texted her but didn’t get a response. I nibbled on my apple slices and stared at my phone. I checked my e-mail and I looked at my Facebook account as slowly as I could, trying to waste time. Tori never showed.

  Just when I was about to leave, Reanne walked up and said, “Hey.”

  “Hey,” I said. I had never been so glad to see her. I didn’t like her, but at least I wouldn’t be alone.

  Ava was with her. That was a plus. She was a cheerleader.

  “So are you guys going to be able to make it Saturday?” I asked.

  “Saturday?” said Ava.

  “My party,” I said with a tone. Ava knew. Why did she always have to be so snarky? If she wasn’t a cheerleader, I wouldn’t even bother.

  “Of course,” Reanne interjected. “Listen, my birthday is coming up soon and my parents said they are finally going to get me a car.”

  Here we go. The reason why they’re really here.

  “I was wondering if you could speak to your dad about getting me a deal.”

  I visualized Reanne coiled around a limb, her tongue fl icking in the air.

  “I’ll see what I can do,” I said flatly.

  The bell rang and I headed to my next class.

  When my miserable day was finally over, I went outside to the parking lot. The rain had passed. All that was left of it were a few puddles here and there. I wasn’t exactly sure where Tori parked, so I scanned the cars that were left.

  “Tori’s not going to be able to drive you home today.” I turned to see Amanda Nichols.

  “How would you know?” I growled.

  “I had to run her assignment to her today. We’re in the same algebra class. Anyway, she has ISS.”

  “Oh brother! What for?”

  “I don’t know, but she said In School Suspension isn’t over until five. If you don’t want to wait, I can give you a ride.” Amanda offered.

  I looked around and quickly weighed my options. The lot was almost empty. I had no one else to ask and at least no one that I cared about would see me riding with her.

  We climbed into her Prelude. It was old, but at least she did keep it clean. As I watched her put her car into gear, I noticed her hair was the same color blond as mine. It was a lot shorter, but it was just as curly as mine was, when I didn’t blow-dry mine straight.

  We made small talk about school until she pulled into my long winding drive.

  “Wow! Your home is beautiful,” Amanda commented.

  I shrugged my shoulders as if to say, it’ll do.

  “I guess I’ll see you in English tomorrow,” I said as I jumped out.

  “Yeah, I’ll see ya tom—” I slammed the door.

  I already had my key in my hand. I was so relieved to be inside my house. I heard her drive off. Thank goodness she’s gone!

  I made my way into the kitchen. Ursula had been there. Everything was once again tidy and it smelled like lemons. I heard a car start. I peeked out the window and saw her little Volkswagen backing down the drive. She didn’t even say goodbye—how rude. Whatever.

  I opened the fridge to look for a snack. I saw a bowl of apples and that reminded me I hadn’t seen Bear in a while. I reached for one of the apples and set it on the counter while I went to the closet to retrieve my riding boots. When I closed the door, I thought I saw something move behind it. There was nothing there, but my heart still beat a little faster.

  I sat down in a kitchen chair and slipped my boots on. A strange noise came from the other room. I tried to ignore it, but it happened again.

  “Hello?” I said as I stood up. “Mom, dad—is that you?” There was no answer. I knew I was alone in the house. Or at least, I was supposed to be. I stepped quietly through the kitchen and peeked into the den, where I thought the sound was coming from. I saw no one and nothing was out of place.

  Just then, something moved in my peripheral vision in the utility room. I could hardly breathe. The room wasn’t that big. There was only one way in and one way out. Whatever it was, it still had to be in there. I took a deep breath and slowly made my way down the short hallway.

  When I stepped inside the room, all I saw was our washer and dryer. I turned around and ran to the kitchen. I went to grab the apple off the counter, but it wasn’t there.

  I panicked. I ran to the back door. It didn’t budge. It was locked!

  I fumbled through the key rack until I found the right one. My hands were shaking so much that I couldn’t fit it into the lock, and then I dropped it.

  It bounced off the wooden floor. I finally found it under the table. Kamila’s words from yesterday began replaying over and over in my head. I grabbed the key and unlocked the door. I slammed it behind me and headed to the barn as fast as I could run.

  On the way there, I grabbed another apple from under a tree in our orchard.

  As I approached, I could see that there was someone moving about inside the barn.

  “Who are you?” I asked as I stepped inside.

  The stranger turned his head quickly. I must have startled him. He was stacking bales of hay. He stepped over to the railing where he had tossed his shirt and put it back on, but he didn’t take time to button it.

  “I’m Jay. Jay Cagle,” he said offering his hand. I looked down at it and turned around.

  “Where is Bear’s sad
dle and tack?” I demanded.

  “They’re over here,” Jay pointed. “I just finished polishing everything. Your dad asked me to—”

  “I don’t care what my dad asked you to do. Bear is my horse! You got it? He’s mine.”

  Jay put his hands up. “Sorry. I was just doing what I was told by the man who hired me.” He turned to go.

  “Hi Bear,” I whispered. I gave him the apple I had been holding. He seemed happy to see me.

  Bear’s saddle was English. Its leather was dark and smooth. I tossed it on his back with ease. I had a little trouble getting the bit in his mouth though, but I wasn’t about to ask Cowboy to help me.

  I got on Bear and headed out into the open field behind the barn. The sun was low now and it was absolutely gorgeous the way its rays filtered in between the trees.

  Bear was antsy to run and so I let him. He was a huge quarter horse, stocky like a grizzly. His coat was brown with specks of copper running through it. His mane and tail were long, bushy, and black as night.

  I felt so free when I rode. I wondered why I had let so much time go by. After we finished a couple of laps, Bear started to tire and I was tired of our audience. Cowboy couldn’t seem to keep his eyes on his work, and those hay bales weren’t going to stack themselves.

  Bear and I slowed things down and headed toward our favorite trail through the woods for some privacy.

  Summer was almost here. Everything was green and new. The crickets were already starting to play a chorus. I hopped off Bear and walked him to the creek that led to our pond so he could have a drink. The water made a gentle sound as it ran passed the rocks that were in its path.

  It was so peaceful here. It used to be my favorite place to come and think. But nowadays I didn’t enjoy the quiet as much as I once had because I was hoping to forget the thoughts that would always slip into my mind.

  I admired a young, sweet olive tree in the distance. It was only about a year old. Its tiny branches reached up to the sky and begged for what little light filtered through the leafy canopy. I couldn’t help but think of a small child reaching up to be held. It was all alone and out of place. I wiped a tear from my eye.