by Cameo Renae
And the fact that she was related to my mom, the kindest, most beautiful person that ever walked the face of the earth, was definitely a plus. I missed my mom and the thought of her sent a piercing pain straight through the middle my heart. I wished the pain would go away, but I knew that every time I’d open my eyes, it would be there in some form, haunting me for the rest of my life.
I was tired; more like exhausted, and my eyes were still heavy and swollen. So, I closed them and faded back into a deep, needed sleep.
Chapter 2:
The next morning the doctor gave me an all-clear, and signed my release forms. I sat on the edge of the bed waiting for Lia and Jeremy to arrive. My brain was still numb to everything that had happened, and I was glad. I didn’t want Jeremy and Lia to see me fall apart. I was always the strong one. I needed to reassure them that I’d be okay, no matter what happened.
I’d called Lia to let her know where I was and what had happened, but she’d already heard the news and sobbed through our entire conversation, apologizing after every other word. She was glad I was alive, but devastated about my parents. She and Jeremy had grown very close to them over the past three years.
I’d asked her to complete one, last, humongous favor for me; to swing by my house and grab a few of my things, and not to forget the picture of my parents on my nightstand.
She already knew that the key to the front door was hidden under one of the potted plants on the porch, and although she was a little freaked-out by going in, she agreed to do it… as long as Jeremy went along.
I instructed her to grab my warmest clothes, even though I wasn’t sure if the warm stuff I had was warm enough for Alaska. Everything I had was “wimpy” warm - for California cold. I knew I’d have to update my wardrobe before winter or I’d freeze to death. It had just turned October, so I still had some time. Hopefully they had malls wherever I was going.
The thought of moving to an unknown place, with an unknown relative, was awkward and unnerving. I didn’t know what I’d be walking into, and it was the unexpected that was scaring me, and turning my stomach into a whole new set of knots.
Voices carried down the hallway, and I instantly recognized one of them…Jeremy. He had such a distinct, goofy, snorty laugh. As soon as they rounded the corner my heart felt a little better. I didn’t realize how much it helped to see their familiar faces.
“Hey Emma!” Lia said, dashing over and giving me a big, warm hug. I winced in pain.
“Oh my gosh! I’m sooooo sorry!” she gasped, backing up with her hands in the air, shooting me a look of panic.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m alright. Just a few bumps and bruises. That’s all.” I said, hoping she wouldn’t feel too bad.
“Are you sure you’re alright? How are you… really?” I knew she was concerned. Lia was a worry-wart, a trait she’d picked up from her mother. Even though she didn’t want to admit it, they were a lot alike.
“Alive,” I answered. There wasn’t much more to add to that.
“Emma, we’re so sorry about your parents. I hope you’ll always remember that Jeremy and I will be here for you. Always.”
I nodded, trying to hold back tears, but they started to flow as soon as Lia’s did. She walked over, plopped down next to me, and wrapped her arm around my shoulder… carefully this time.
“Yeah, Emma. We’re always just a phone call away,” Jeremy muttered, sitting on my other side, carefully placing his hand over mine. Jeremy was like my nerdy brother and this gesture, to comfort me, was his most sincere given he wasn’t a touchy-feely kind of guy.
“Thanks. You guys are the best,” I said, wiping my face dry. Lia popped off the bed and headed towards the tissue box in the bathroom.
Jeremy cleared his throat. “We brought your things,” he said, shuffling to get my suitcase, wheeling it to the side of my bed. He then smiled, pushing his orange framed glasses back on his nose. He was wearing long beige shorts, a brightly colored Hawaiian floral shirt, knee-high tube socks, and bright orange, Converse shoes. His curly hair was matted and unkempt. Typical Jeremy.
“Oh yeah… and I think you’ll need this,” Lia said, handing over a plastic bag.
I reached in and pulled out some clothes… my traveling clothes, and they all matched. Typical Lia.
“Oh! And your make-up bag, toothbrush, panties and bra are in there too,” Lia whispered.
“Ewwww! Too much info,” Jeremy huffed, giving her an eye.
“Oh please, Jeremy. You were the one who reminded me to make sure and put them all in the bag,” Lia scolded.
His face turned a bright shade of red. “I did not!”
“What-ever, Jeremy,” she huffed, holding her hand up in his face.
“That’s it… I’m gonna change. You guys can sort out your differences while I’m gone,” I said bundling everything into my good arm, and quickly disappearing into the bathroom. As soon as the door snapped shut I heard them grumbling, and then the TV blared on.
I’d already taken a shower after the nurse came in and removed my IV a few hours earlier. I tried not to think about my parents, even though they were constantly on my mind. I needed to look strong while my friends were here. They needed to know that I’d be alright, and that they didn’t have to worry about me. But the mere thought of being brave and being alone, made my heart throb. This would be the most difficult task I’d ever have to face.
I slipped out of my hospital garment, noticing the countless cuts and bruises all over my body. I sighed, staring at my reflection in the mirror, carefully tracing an inch-long gash on my left cheek. It was much worse the night before, but it seemed to be healing super-fast. I hoped it wouldn’t leave a scar, but the good thing was that it was near my hairline so I could at least cover it with my hair.
Getting dressed with a casted arm was a crazy task, and my head looked like it had a scraggly, brown, birds-nest perched on top of it. I sighed and grabbed the brush. Another major problem. My right hand…the dominant one…was in the cast.
I’d never tried applying make-up, or brushing my hair with my left hand, and now I knew why. But all-in-all, I managed to pull it off, and somehow look half-way decent. Who cared anyway? I was going to Alaska, for heaven’s sake. I’d never heard of any hotties from Alaska. All I pictured were big, scruffy men in red flannels with facial hair. And that was just another downer to add to my already huge and continuously growing pile of negatives.
Well, this is it.
I gave myself one last glance.
Pathetic, but I couldn’t look any better than this.
“Are you ready?” I whispered to myself.
Nope. I wasn’t. How could I ever prepare for something like this?
I huffed and exited the bathroom to hear Jeremy holler, “FIIIIIINALLY!”
He was sprawled out on the bed with the remote in hand. Lia sat on a chair in the corner of the room fiddling with her new iPhone 5.
I mustered a fake smile. “Sheeze. I’m a bit busted up here. Give me a break,” I scoffed at him.
I noticed Lia wasn’t wearing her favorite pink-framed glasses.
“New glasses?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah,” she said, tucking her hair behind her ears to show me. “My dad accidentally sat on my pink ones; snapped ‘em right in half. When we went to get a replacement, they asked if I wanted to try a new color. I decided it was time to change it up, so I decided to go with the aqua. I bought this new jacket that matched,” she smiled, fingering her new aqua colored threads.
“Well, the color looks really nice on you,” I commented.
“Thank you,” she chimed. “And you look nice too.”
“Nice try… but thanks anyway. And thanks so much… you know… for grabbing my stuff. You guys truly are the best friends ever.”
“Well, you totally add the coolness factor to our group,” Jeremy chuckled, flicking the TV off.
“Hardly,” I breathed.
“It’s true,” Lia admitted. “We were the terrib
le two. No one even gave us a second glance until you showed up.”
“Yeah, and then we became the terrible three,” Jeremy howled and snorted, holding his stomach. I’m glad he thought it was funny, because Lia and I didn’t. We both rolled our eyes and shook our heads.
After humoring himself, Jeremy finally pointed to my bulging right arm. “So what’s up with that?”
“Oh,” I said, attempting to tug the long sleeve up, revealing the bulky, white cast. “It’s broken, but the doctor said it can come off in a few weeks.”
“Oooooo! Can we sign it?” he asked with a gleam in his eye.
“I guess. Why not?”
“I’m first!” Jeremy exclaimed, excited like a little kid.
Lia inhaled sharply and I turned to watch her dig through her purse, pulling out a bright-pink pencil case. She zipped it open and sifted through the pile, picking out all of her multi-colored sharpie pens. She held them up, fanning them out to Jeremy.
Jeremy plucked the black and orange from her grasp. Go figure. They were his favorite colors.
I grinned and shook my head. “Go ahead Michelangelo. Create your masterpiece. But you only have about ten minutes to do it, or at least until my escort arrives.”
“Do you even know what part of Alaska you’re going to?” Lia asked.
“No. I just found out yesterday that I was being banished to the place. Nothing more than that. I guess that’s what the escort is for,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.
“Escort…now that’s very interesting,” Jeremy said sarcastically, patting the spot on the bed next to him, ushering me to sit. He lifted my casted arm onto his lap, and pulled off the black cap proceeding to draw a circle with squiggly lines all around it. I think he was going for a sun, or what he thought resembled a sun. Its long rays extended over half my cast, and I was guessing it was because he wanted me to take a bit of sunshine to Alaska. He then proceeded to draw orange rimmed glasses on his sun’s face, and a huge smile with lines for teeth. Jeremy was definitely more of a Picasso than a Michelangelo.
“Jeremy!” Lia scolded, glaring at him through her narrowed, Asian eyes. “You better save me a spot!”
“Don’t worry. There’s lots of room on the back,” he grinned slyly. She rolled her eyes and huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and slouching back into her seat. “Oh, and could you please pass me the yellow, Lia darling?” he said in a dramatic voice.
She flashed him another wicked glance and reluctantly tossed over the yellow sharpie. He pulled the cap and began to color in his sun.
Lia was next. They switched places and she neatly laid out her choice of pens behind us on the bed, proceeding to draw a rainbow, a multi-colored flower, a butterfly, and her name. Every letter was a different color. Hers was a work of art, compared to Jeremy’s kiddy sun and illegible signature.
“Wow! This cast will definitely brighten the whole state of Alaska,” I said twisting and turning my newly pimped arm. They both smiled and nodded approvingly, giving each other a high-five.
“So, did you know that Alaska is like this ginormous place, one- fifth of the size of the whole United States? You can get lost easily over there. I heard that people, criminal types, move there to escape justice… you know… lots of places to hide. So you’d better be careful, Emma. Don’t go out alone at night. And, watch for bears…and moose that have babies. They will charge at you if you get too close,” Jeremy noted, pressing his glasses back up on his nose. He must have done some online research. That’s what he was good at. At least it showed he really cared.
“I don’t know much of anything. But I’m sure I’ll be fine. I promise.”
“Well, you better call us when you get in so that we know you made it safely,” Lia said nodding her head.
“I will, as soon as I can get to a phone.”
“What happened to your cell?” Lia asked.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “It didn’t end up with the rest of my things from the crash.”
Jeremy turned and gave Lia a dirty look, and her eyes became saddened. “I’m sorry, Emma,” she whispered.
“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m sure I’ll get a new one.” I tried to sound like it didn’t bother me, even though it did.
“Do they even have cell phone service in Alaska?” she asked.
“Yes, they do, but not in all areas. AT&T has the best overall coverage,” Jeremy noted so matter-of-factly. Wow… he actually did research on it. The poor boy needed to get a real life.
“I wish I could pack you both up in my suitcase and take you with me,” I sighed.
“I’d love to come!” Jeremy said excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to try snowboarding, and I’ve heard Alaska is the place to go.”
“Oh please,” Lia huffed, shooting him an exasperated look. “You can’t even get both feet on a skateboard… while it’s standing still… while you’re holding onto something!”
“Whatever, Lia!” he scuffed. His bushy eyebrows furrowed and his nose scrunched up. They were just as bad as real siblings. I actually felt a tiny smile emerge on my lips.
“So did you manage to scrounge up all my warm stuff?” I asked.
“Yes, but it was a bit unnerving going into your house with no one there… you know… knowing what happened.” Her gaze flittered away from me and went to Jeremy.
“Yeah, Lia was pretty freaked out,” Jeremy chuckled.
“Was not, Jeremy! You were way more freaked out than me…you big chicken,” she snapped, throwing her arms over her chest. “He made me go in first, and then was glued to my back the whole time we were there. Every single noise made him jump.”
“Well, it was a bit uncomfortable,” he admitted.
“But we did grab everything warm we could find… shoes, socks, pajamas, every single long sleeved shirt, jacket, and blue jean you own,” Lia said, patting the suitcase with every word.
“We also put some snacks, the camera, and your new Kindle in your carry-on,” Jeremy noted with a wide smile. “Oh… and the picture of you and your parents is in there too. We had to take it out of the frame because it was metal, and we didn’t want the glass to break. It’s best not to take anything that is questionable to the airport. You know how they are these days,” he said.
“Thanks guys. I’m gonna miss you SO much,” I said, as tears stung my eyes again.
“We’re going to miss you too! What are we going to do without you our last, crucial year? We’re finally going to be seniors,” Lia said, her eyes tearing as soon as she saw mine. Jeremy looked at me, and a single tear grazed his cheek. He quickly turned away and lifted his glasses, quickly wiping his face with his shirt. That was the first time I’d ever seen Jeremy get emotional.
“You guys will be fine. And it won’t be forever. I promise to email and send pictures.”
“You better,” Lia said, wagging her finger at me.
And then… something happened. A sudden euphoric feeling; an unexplainable heat shot through every cell in my body. My pulse quickened, along with my breath, and tingles pricked my skin. A rush of adrenaline flooded my veins and my surroundings began to haze. I grasped onto the edge of the bed, taking in long, deep breaths.
“Hey, are you okay?” Jeremy asked, scooting over to me, grabbing hold of my shoulders.
“Emma, what’s wrong?” Lia called, jumping behind me, pounding my back.
Hello! I’m not choking! I wanted to speak those words, but I couldn’t answer them. It was like all the breath had been sucked out of my lungs.
Then…there was a knock at the door, and we all turned to look.
Chapter 3:
As soon as he stepped through the door…my breath seized.
“Emma? Emma Wise?” the young stranger asked with a crooked grin, combing back thick, dark-brown hair through his fingers.
Was that my escort? Holy hell, I hope so!
He looked a little older than me, had dark, perfect features and flawless porcelain-like skin. Long eyelashes framed the
brightest hazel eyes I’d ever seen in all of my seventeen years. Dark denim jeans and a fitted, black V-neck sweater adorned his tall frame. His physique was statuesque, but his skin was pale…almost colorless. I assumed it was because he came from Alaska. No sun for half the year. That had to explain it.
I finally caught my breath. “Yes,” I exhaled.
He smiled, revealing the whitest, straightest teeth. “I’m Kade Anders, your escort.” I noticed that he said ‘escort’ like he wasn’t too sure about the title.
Lia turned to me. Her cheeks were blushed in bright pink, and her Asian eyes were the widest I’d ever seen them. She swallowed hard, and then mouthed the words, “Oh-my-God-he’s-so-hot!”
I laughed and then glanced back at him. His eyes were fastened to mine, and I was suddenly bewitched by his beauty; frozen in a trance. I noticed something in his eyes; something in the way he was looking back at me, like he’d known me forever.
He suddenly broke eye contact and turned to Jeremy.
Jeremy must have noticed my immaturity and cleared his throat… extra loud.
I had to compose myself. I had to snap myself out of the fog that just crept in through the door. I was acting like a complete idiot, gaping at him like some silly little girl with a kindergarten-crush.
You’re so immature Emma! Snap the hell out of it!
I had to spend the next who-knows-how-many-hours with this guy, and I did NOT want him to think I was immature, which was hard when both of my best friends were very immature for seventeen. But that’s why I loved them so much. They made life so much more fun because of it.
“So, do you have any type of paperwork to prove you’re the escort?” Jeremy asked, staring inquisitively at Kade with a raised eyebrow. I’d had a million things swirling through my mind, and knew an escort was coming. I just assumed that when the person showed up… I’d follow.