by Ines Vieira
WHEN LIFE GETS IN THE WAY
By Ines Vieira
COPYRIGHT
When Life Gets in the Way Copyright © 2016 Ines Vieira
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of all word marks, products, brands, TV shows, movies, music, bands and celebrities mentioned in this work of fiction.
Cover Image: Courtesy of Taylor Sullivan
Cover edit: Courtesy of Taylor Sullivan
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DEDICATION
FOR YOU MOM
Thank you for showing me what a woman’s true strength looks like,
How a loving mother acts like,
And how to be a decent human being.
I am who I am because of you.
PARA TI MINHA MÃE
Obrigado por me mostrares o que é a verdadeira força de uma mulher,
Como uma boa mãe deve agir e amar,
e como ser uma pessoa humana e integra.
Eu sou a pessoa que sou devido a ti.
DEDICATION FOR THE READER
For what it's worth:
It´s never too late to be whoever you want to be
I hope you live a life you´re proud of.
And if you find that you´re not,
I hope you have the strength to start over.
-F. Scott Fitzgerald
CHAPTER 1
CASS
“Are you ready yet, Nicky?” I yelled as I made my way down the stairs into the kitchen. My little brother had a knack of never being ready when I desperately wanted him to be.
“I’m serious Nicky! If you don’t get your ass down here in the next five minutes I’m leaving your ass behind and you’ll have to take the bus!” I yelled hoping that this would make my request more persuasive.
“Really Cassandra, do you have to use that type of language so early in the morning?” my mom said while putting some toast and a cup of coffee, just the way I like it in front of me.
“Sorry Mom,” I said and gave her a small kiss on her cheek. My mom was still in her bathrobe roaming through the kitchen fixing us the only breakfast that she knew we would eat. My brother and I were not Breakfast people. We were more like Brunch people. The day only really started at around 11:00 for us, unfortunately, the educational system did not agree and so the day started much too early for our liking. This made both of us very temperamental. Luckily my mother knew us very well and gave up trying on a well-balanced breakfast years ago. She did try to make us eat at least something and we ate it as a small act of gratefulness that we didn’t have to wake twenty minutes earlier to eat what we couldn’t stomach that early in the day.
“Cass, Hun, do you know when you’ll be home today? I was hoping that you could take me to the mall. I have to replace this old microwave. It finally just died before you came down. I’ve been delaying the inevitable. If you come straight home from school we could even go shopping for those new jeans that you’ve had your eye on,” my mother said looking at me with that kind smile that always made me feel guilty.
“Sorry mom, but I kind of promised Jess that I would go over to her house so we could study for our Spanish test together. Ronnie will also pop by after cheerleading practice and join the study group. We’ll probably have dinner there too.”
And there it was. The guilt came straight away when that kind smile was replaced with sad eyes. I hated saying no to my mother, especially since I knew how lonely she felt. My dad was still away in Alaska, as he had been for the past 3 months, and it didn’t seem that he’d be able to come see us this month as he had promised. My dad worked as a Drilling Fluids Engineer or as he loved to say: “Your mother could have married whoever she wanted; still she couldn’t resist her Mud Man.” Being a Mud Man meant that he was away a lot on oil platforms abroad. He had been all over, Brazil, Norway, Gulf of Mexico, you name it. But before Alaska, he had been working in New Zealand for more than year and had only been able to visit us twice. It really took a toll on my mother. When he finally came back stateside, he said he was only able to stay two weeks with us before going on to Alaska. Mom wasn’t happy and even though their bedroom door was always closed, both Nick and I could hear the very heated arguments that they had had. My father promised that he would try to visit us at least once a month, if he could. That was three months ago.
My father loved us, of that I was sure. He worshiped my mother. That was another certainty. But being a mud man was all he knew how to do and ever since my mother lost her job at the lab, because of the loss of grant money, and because Nick and I were almost headed for college, he wanted to take any and all jobs offered.
My mother felt that this was her fault. Mom was a Biochemist. She was studying different disorders of human hormones – clinical endocrinology. She loved it, but when the grant for her team wasn’t renewed she was convinced that she wouldn’t be out of a job for too long. That was two years ago. Mom didn’t have many friends. The friends she really did have, worked in the lab with her. Most moved away to bigger cities to improve their chances in getting new employment and others went to private companies in different fields. But all moved on and my mom was stuck. Pressed on pause for two years. Those years looked like twenty on her.
“How about tomorrow, mom? Will that work?” I said trying to bring back some light in her eyes.
“Sure sweetie. Of course. Tomorrow will be fine. Nicky come down love. Your sister needs to leave,” she said while clearing my hair off my face giving me a small peck on the cheek.
“Nick?”
“I’m coming already. Jesus!” My little brother grumbled finally stepping foot into the kitchen. His hair was all over the place, showing that he had just gotten out of bed, with only enough time to put on a clean black Rammstein T-shirt and not much else. He grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl and put on his army jacket. A quick kiss to my mom and he then strode to the front door.
“So not in hurry anymore?” He said, with all the pleasantries that I was used to in the morning from him. Which were none. My little brother was much taller than me. At fifteen, he was close to being almost 6’ 5’’ and his personality was as dark as his clothes. The only thing that made him seem his age was my mother. She had a way with him.
“Nicky, your sister will be having dinner at Jess’s tonight. How about we order in pizza for us then?”He gave her his crooked smile, which this early in the morning was a miraculous thing to see.
“It’s a date, mom. Promise to wear something nice for the occasion.” He winked at her, put on his usual Ray Bans and opened the door making his way outside.
I looked over at my mom and that smile was once again on her face. I wished that my brother’s terms of endearment were enough to keep my mother’s spirits high for the day. But I knew that once we left for school, that smile would vanish. I grabbed my jacket and book bag. I looked back once more at my mother as she cleared away my plate with the half-eaten piece of toast and empty mug.
“Bye mom, I’ll try not to come home too late tonight.”
“Okay darli
ng. Have a nice day, Cass,” she said, but her back was already turned while facing the kitchen sink. With a frown, I left.
Nick was already in my car, leaning his head on the passenger seat window. I got in and aside from turning the engine on, made as little noise as possible. Even with his shades on, I knew that Nicky’s eyes were closed and he was grabbing the few more minutes of silence and solitude he could get before we entered the ever frantic school grounds.
Riverside was as normal as any other High School in the district. I was a senior and doing all I could to get into Berkeley next year. I knew that it was on the other side of the country, but going to Berkeley was what I had always wanted since I was a toddler. Well, maybe not a toddler, but close. I knew that mom and dad were putting away everything that they could for college, but Nicky was a sophomore and in two years it would be his turn. I was hoping to get at least some sort of scholarship. This would help my parents a great deal and it would increase the chances of both of us going to college.
Nick wasn’t focusing on that yet, but I knew that he wanted to go to Brown University. It was close to home and they had adjoining art classes with Rhode Island School of Design which suited him perfectly. Under all that height was the soul of an artist. His was with a paint brush, mine was with a pen. Berkeley had one of the best Journalism programs in the country and I had to get in. My grades were high and so were my SAT scores. I had been active in my extra curriculum activities since I was a freshman. Berkeley awaited and there was nothing that could side-track me this senior year. Nothing.
I drove into the parking lot and found a spot next to Ronnie’s car. Veronica and Jessica were my best friends since forever. Ronnie was the sporty one. Black sleek hair, big green eyes, brown gorgeous skin, and legs that wouldn’t quit. That was Ronnie. She was all about the teenage experience and had already started to mourn the last year of high school. This made her an expert in manipulation when it came to me and Jess attending football matches, basketball games, dances, parties – you name it. Whatever high school experience was available, Ronnie was determined that we have it and document it in any social media outlet she could think off.
Jess and I were of a different opinion on this front. We were too eager to start the next chapter in our lives and this year was just a means to an end. But we hardly ever denied Ronnie. Next year we would be all apart from each other. God willing, with me at Berkeley in California, Jess at Columbia in New York, and Ronnie attending the University of Virginia. Since we would end up being all scattered around the country, Ronnie’s request to attend some boring games, would not really be a problem.
“Nicky, we’re here! After school, I’m going over to Jess’s but if you want I can drop you home first.”Nick straightened up as if just woken from a pleasant nap and yawned loudly.
“It’s cool. I’ll grab a ride with one of the guys. Don’t be home too late. Want me to save you a slice?” I was going to say a slice of what, and then I remembered that tonight’s dinner was pizza.
“Sure Nicky, but no anchovies this time.” I said grinning. Nick smiled back and we both got out of the car. The morning mood was almost gone for both of us.
“Be good, Nicky,” I said as I put my car keys in my bag.
“Always am!” He said already walking towards two other kids wearing nothing but black. Once I got to my locker I heard a big thump as if someone had just slammed straight into the locker next to mine.
“Hello, gorgeous!” Jess said in her most posh voice. I laughed at the absurdity of such an early compliment.
“Well hello to you too, hot stuff!” I said while taking out the books that I needed for English Lit.
“Tell me that it isn’t so. That it isn’t freaking Monday again and that we have to study for yet another Spanish Test. Tell me it isn’t so!” She giggles. She pulls her arm over her eyes to add appropriate drama to her previous statement up a notch.
“Nope! Sorry! Can’t keep letting you live in denial. What kind of friend would that make me?” Giggling myself.
“After school, your house. Did you come with Ronnie this morning or did one of your cousins bring you?” I asked.
Jess was from an enormous Portuguese family. She was the youngest of five siblings, but all were either married or in college. Jess would be the last to leave the nest. She also had plenty of cousins and most lived either on her street or in a very close proximity. She once tried to name all of them in front of me so I’d know how many but after she passed the tenth name, she said that these were just her first cousins and then started to name second cousins. I zoned out and gave up trying to know how many.
The younger cousins also went to Riverside, so Jess normally had a ride to school. I usually knew if they were related because most of the time, they all had Jess’s gorgeous olive skin and dark almond eyes. If I was still unsure, once in a while they would let a Portuguese word slip into the conversation as if it was the most normal thing in the world and that everyone understood it, especially when they were cursing. Suddenly Jess straightens up from her drama-like state.
“Oh crap, I totally forgot to tell you. Isaac’s back. He’s the one that brought me.” She said more enthusiastically.
“Who’s Isaac?” I asked but already with my books in tow and making my way to homeroom.
“Isaac is one of my cousins. He moved away about three years ago when his grandmother got sick but now he’s back. He’s staying with us until his folks get their own place. Our house has plenty of space and you know since Tina and Mickey left for college the house is so quiet. So, Isaac and his folks staying with us is great!” Jess beamed with delight.
I loved that Jess thought her house was quiet. It wasn’t. Ever! It was always full of people. Every weekend there was a family get-together or someone’s birthday. Even during the week the house always had cousins, aunts, and uncles coming through. But to Jess that was normal and quiet compared to when her siblings were all under the same roof.
Quiet was what I had at home. Quiet was what my mother was experiencing right now. Another pang of guilt went through me. I spent more time either at Jess’s or even at Ronnie’s house than they did in mine. It wasn’t that my mom didn’t want me to invite them more often. She would have loved that. But our house was too quiet. And I guess I didn’t want Jess and Ronnie to discover how quiet it actually was.
“Tony just took him to get his schedule and then he’ll text me to see if we can meet up at lunch. You’re going to love Isaac trust me. Damn it, got to run. Can’t be late for class. Ciao Bella!”
“Ciao!” I laughed and ran just in time for homeroom.
ISAAC
«Here we go again»
It feels the same as before. Everyone’s staring, trying to get a clue as to who I am and where I came from. It’s always the same. Even here.
I thought that maybe being back would be easier, but it hasn’t started off well. The past 48 hours have been an utter blur. This whole week has felt like that. Oh, who am I kidding? For the past couple of years, I felt like I´ve been on autopilot. Not really living but just going through the motions. But when mom pulled me aside to inform me that my prick of a father said they had decided to leave Arizona, since Nana died, and come back to Plymouth, I felt like things were finally going to get better.
That was exactly a week ago today. Now here I am, having a classroom full of kids look at me while I´m being introduced by yet another teacher, whose name I have already forgotten. As they look at me with some curiosity, I stare back at them with none.
I register all the similarities from my last school and confirm my suspicions that all high schools are the same. I see the jocks and the cheerleaders. I see the smart kids up front, as well as the kiss-asses. I see the stoners and the slackers in the back and somewhere in the middle, I take my seat and stare at the window. The scenery though, is definitely different. I see a lot more green outside than I did in Arizona, but inside the view is the same as out west. Only the faces have changed.
> If only Tony or Alex took the same classes as me that would be a welcomed distraction. Hell, I would even be happy with Jess. I can't help smiling. Yeah, that was a big surprise seeing Jess all grown up this weekend.
I really didn´t hang out too much with her while we were growing up. I mean the age difference wasn´t much, but when I left I was almost fifteen and she was like what? Twelve, maybe thirteen. She was a baby in my eyes and that´s how we all treated her. This weekend, though, I saw that my cousin was no longer a child and had, in fact, become a very strong willed and independent girl.
As the baby of the family, she held my Uncle Carlos and Aunt Annie´s complete attention. But in turn, she was also devoted to them. Last night after dinner, I saw how all three discussed my uncle’s grocery store and what products they should decide to import in order to increase sales. They all talked as equal partners and after hearing all of Jess’s suggestions and points of view, it was clear that she was no longer the baby of the house and had a head for business.
I realize that I was biting the inside of my lip. I hope that Jess´s knows how lucky she is. At least her family talks. Mine is either silent or yelling. My uncle suggesting that my mom helps out at his store was a fucking godsend. At least, while she´s there, that asshole will have to leave her alone. While we are at my uncle´s house I hope that my father, at least, tries to maintain appearances. Or at least, stays away from his scotch long enough not to cause a scene in front of anyone.
I jump from my wandering thoughts when I hear the bell. Shit, I didn’t pay attention to one thing this teacher said. I have to get my head in the game. It´s my senior year. Just a couple of more months of this bullshit and I can finally be on my own. That’s all the scumbag said I needed to do, then I could leave anytime I wanted to.