The Pendants and the Mystery of the Wozniak Five Part I

by Stephanie Steele

  “It's the truth.”

  "Why are you telling me all of this, Uncle Leon? I mean, I'm glad you are, but...” Valie didn't finish. She knew that he would know. Leon was a private man and those were things that he never talked about, so his confessions seemed strange to her.

  Leon thought for a second, staring unseeingly ahead. Then, finally said, "I don't rightly know, I've just kept it to myself for far too long, I suppose."

  Then, he stood, kissed his niece on the forehead, and started towards the door.

  "Oh, and by the way, you're grounded for a week."

  Chapter 2

  Phaedra Kinney sat alone in her apartment. She was staring at the watch in her hand. She was trying to process all the thoughts that invaded her mind in the past half hour. How could he ask her to do it? She wondered. Would she be able to pull it off? What if she couldn't? Thoughts came, questions came; she sat there staring at her watch, watching it get later and later by the second as her eyes stayed focused on that watch as if somehow it would provide her the answer.

  Her apartment was perfectly put together. Her furniture white with plum accents here and there. Everything had a place, everything neat and clean. Not many personal touches of pictures or mementos, nothing from her life, aside from one picture. She was a 27-year-old woman with only one picture in a delicate silver frame on the bookshelf in her living room. Everything else came from posh boutiques or trendy stores around the Chicago area. The apartment itself could have been a model apartment for prospective tenants; Phaedra would only have to remove that one picture. She was a young woman who worked sometimes 60 hour work weeks as a social worker in Chicago. Her work was her life. Her co-workers knew her as a beautiful and intelligent woman, who was driven and focused, but she rarely smiled and had no personal life outside of the office. She only worked. No parents, no children, no significant other, just her clients, or her “kids” as she referred to them. Her work was to remove children from broken homes and place them somewhere safe. It was work that wasn't cut out for everyone, hardly anyone it seemed, but Phaedra worked for her kids. She worked to give them the happy homes that they so desperately deserved. She had a big heart, but Phaedra was worn and sad, those who worked with her could see that something troubling from her childhood had followed her into adulthood; however no one knew what it was.

  That night when she arrived home, she set her keys down on the little table next to her door. She set down her purse, just like normal, in that particular order, and as she was taking off her coat to hang it up, that's when she noticed. Something was out of place, something was different. At first she couldn't place it, but her eyes scanned the living room back and forth. It was in the living room that something was different, and then...she saw it. The picture frame on her bookshelf. The only picture in her apartment, a picture of her and her once-boyfriend, Asher. It was moved to a different spot. She carefully walked to it, as if she was afraid of it, but as she got closer, that's when she noticed the note tucked underneath. Phaedra carefully moved the picture and picked up the note. She took a heavy breath and unfolded it; her hands were shaking even though she already knew what it was. It was a note asking for her help. She had a feeling it was coming. Somehow, she just knew.

  It was after reading the note that she sat on her couch and stared at her watch. She continued to stare, feeling unsure of just what she was going to do. In her mind, she weighed the pros and cons. It was risky. Not just risky, but dangerous. Very dangerous.

  Over two hours passed when she finally stood and started to prepare herself. She went to her neatly kept bedroom and pulled out a suitcase she had once purchased on-sale three years ago, but never used. It wasn't until she started packing that she knew. There was never a question in her mind. She would do whatever she could to help them. There would be no one else to do it; she had to be the one. The lives of five unsuspecting teenagers hinged in the balance.

  Chapter 3

  The next day at school, Valie was sitting at lunch picking the sausage off of her cafeteria pizza, wondering if it was even real meat, while Trent sat next to her, dipping his banana in Hershey's syrup that he had packed in his lunch.

  Casey walked over and slammed down her lunch tray and continued an argument that she was having with a fellow cheerleader, it was a very intense argument about knee socks versus ankle socks.

  "It's like an organized religion," Trent said with a laugh, looking bewildered at the two bickering cheerleaders.

  "Hey guys," a sweet voice greeted them, it was Emma Henley. She set herself and her lunch down at the table. Emma was Valie's other close friend, and just like Casey, she was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty, although she was more subdued and a little heavier than Casey. Charlie, Emma's boyfriend, sat down next to her. He was a football player, proudly wearing his letter jacket everywhere.

  "Hey," he said in his deep voice.

  Charlie, Emma, and Casey were Valie's three closest friends next to Trent. It had been like that since the sixth grade. Charlie was a good guy, one of the sweetest in their high school; he was one of the reasons that Trent stopped getting teased as much as he did. He was the type of guy that was friends with everyone, although he was big and burly, he was almost always smiling.

  The five of them ate lunch like normal--laughing and talking about classes and minute things they would not remember the next day. Trent shared with the others the story of the strange dinner guest they had the night before. He found it more amusing than Valie did. To Valie, it was the perfect time to bid adieu to her friends and go to her scheduled meeting time with her guidance counselor. She waved goodbye to her friends, tossed her lunch in the garbage and started down the hallway.

  As seniors as East Dells High, their high school required them to meet with a guidance counselor once every other month to make sure the seniors were preparing for college and keeping up with classes.

  East Dells High had two counselors. Mr. James covered the students with the last names that began with A-M and Mr. Winters covered N-Z. Students tended to favor Mr. Winters, mostly because he acted like he genuinely cared for his students, he supported their young dreams, but he kept things "real" with them at the same time, and he was funny. Never missing an opportunity to make a student laugh, either by poking fun at the principle or telling a joke he heard while he was in the Navy many years ago.

  Mr. James, on the other hand, had a nasally voice and was very "buttoned up," he usually acted like he didn't have time to work with his students. It was more of a job that he took because he didn't have other options, not because he had a passion for working with students.

  Valie walked into the guidance office, which was small and stuffy. There were two cushioned chairs to her left and a small receptionist desk to her right, there was never a receptionist there though- Valie thought back and remembered seeing her only once in her entire time at the high school. Valie walked to one of the two doors, the one that said “Mr. Winters.”

  She knocked and he waved her in. He was on the phone and pointed at the chair across from his desk. Valie took a seat and waited patiently.

  Mr. Winters' office was completely cluttered. Files were stacked on his desk, floor, and window sill. There was a filing cabinet behind him, but Valie had a feeling that it was empty. He had a bowl full of jelly beans on his desk and a bobble head that looked like it was supposed to be some kind of crossbreed between Abraham Lincoln and Albert Einstein. Valie was never able to figure out what that was supposed to mean.

  To her left, she noticed for the first time a crooked poster of a sun setting over a clear lake, at the bottom it said: Destiny. Not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice. Valie stared at the poster for a long while, trying to understand the meaning, while Mr. Winters finished up his phone call.

  Mr. Winters was a man who typically wore rocker tees over his pronounced gut. Today, it was a Bob Dylan shirt. He had a long red beard with pieces of gray and his hair was always tied back in a ponytail. He had a few tattoos on hi
s arms, and despite multiple warnings from the school board, he never covered them up. To him, it was an expression of individuality.

  He finally hung up the phone and looked at Valie who was still curiously admiring the poster.

  "Miss Revels! Thank you for being so patient with me!"

  Mr. Winters had a booming voice that sounded like he could be a voice over for a cartoon. He started to rifle through some files on his desk. "Tell me, how are you, how was your summer?"

  "It was good; we took a trip to Florida." Valie said with a little faded excitement

  "Oh yeah, again? That's a tradition for you guys, ain't it?"

  She smiled and nodded. Leon had taken Trent and Valie to Tampa Bay, Florida every summer for three weeks since they were in fifth grade. It was the one getaway Leon afforded the two. They always stayed in the same rented condo on the beach, but Valie and Trent never got tired of it. It was refreshing for them to break free of their hometown, if even for a little while.

  "Other than the trip, I just worked.”

  Mr. Winters smiled and looked at Valie for a moment and she knew he was going to ask.

  "I don't want to talk about sophomore year," she said quickly.

  "Fair enough. We don't have to talk about it...when we spoke last spring; you mentioned that you planned on applying for UW Madison...is that still the route you want to take?"

  Valie sighed, "It's not so much the route I want to take- it's the route I have to take.”

  “Well, you know as much as I encourage independence and doing your own thing, maybe it is better for you to stay closer to home for college.”

  “Why?” She snapped. “I want to go to college...away; I want to go to my mother's Alma Mater, which by the way, is nowhere near Wisconsin. I want to get out and see everything else. I don't want to stay around here; I want see things and experience life.”

  “You're almost 18 years old, Valie, you don't need permission, but I think if it's something you really want, then you should talk to Leon about it. Have you thought about a major?"

  Valie shook her head.

  "Well, don't worry; it's an important decision, but not a life changing one. You can always switch majors. At eighteen years old, I never understood why colleges expected you kids to know what you wanted to do with the rest of your lives. You're still kids."

  "I...I, like to write."

  "What do you like to write about?"

  "Just...stories, I've been sort of waiting for good material, but I do like to write."

  "That's great. You could go for Journalism, English, Liberal Arts; some colleges now even offer a degree in Professional Writing."

  "I guess I'll have to put some more thought into it.”

  "Well, that's a start,” He said with a nod, sounding pleased, then scribbled something down on the paper in front of him.

  "Mr. Winters?"

  "Mmmhmm?"

  Valie motioned to the poster next to her, "Why do you have that poster in here?"

  He folded his hands and looked at it for a long moment.

  "Destiny...it's a funny thing. When I was a kid, my mom always told me that my destiny was to become a doctor, like my old man. He was a brilliant surgeon- saved many lives; it was up to me to take over his practice one day. So, after the Navy, I went to college, then med school. My parents would both tell me how proud they were of me that I was fulfilling my very own destiny, but I knew inside that it wasn't right for me, that it wasn't how I wanted to help people. So I became a teacher instead and I work as a guidance counselor. I make peanuts compared to what I would've made as a doctor, but you know what? I'm happy. I get to meet great kids like you and hopefully help you all make some good decisions. I want my students to reach out as far as they can imagine, I want them to choose for themselves where they want to end up. These are your mistakes and successes to make. Life will take you wherever it wants to; you gotta grab it by the collar and say, "let's do this together."

  Valie had to stop herself from scoffing, “You're totally contradicting yourself! I'm telling you that I don't want to go to college in Wisconsin and you're telling me I should because my uncle wants me to.”

  He chuckled, “Why don't you ask yourself what this all really about?”

  She turned her palms up and made an obvious face.

  “You just don't like people telling you what to do, you're anxious to make your mark, I can see that.”

  “I want to get out of this town.”

  "You will, just don't try to grow up too fast. I just...I believe that Leon probably has good reason for wanting to keep you close. I'd encourage you to talk to him about it.”

  She sighed and thought about that conversation--it wouldn't be an easy one.

  “So, this is what I want you to do: think about applying to UW Madison and maybe, after talking to your uncle, apply to some others. When you get home today, start writing about your favorite classes and what makes them your favorites. Write down what bothers you in the world, write down what you wish you could change. Get your gears grinding to help decide on a major."

  “Okay.”

  “Hey?”

  She looked up at him.

  “You know that you're just one of my absolute favorite students, dontcha?”

  “Thanks, Mr. Winters.”

  Valie left his office, and while walking to her next class, she thought about talking to her uncle about college. It wouldn't be as simple as it sounded. He was unwavering in what he wanted her and Trent to do. Valie cared for her uncle a great deal and she knew that she couldn't go fully towards another direction unless she had his support. His support meant everything to her.

  A couple hours later, Valie was sitting in her last class of the day--study hall with Casey that was held in the school's Spanish classroom.

  In the back, two male students were doing some Irish jig as they wore the sombreros that hung on the wall. The teacher supervising was the Gym teacher, Mr. Reynolds, who sat at the desk preoccupied with a magazine. Valie and Casey were talking about their Homecoming plans, carrying on their conversation, despite the chaotic classroom. It was only their second day of school, but most seniors had already finalized their plans. Homecoming was three weeks away and a big deal at their school. The football team was decent and, being seniors, it would be their last one. Everything had to be perfect, right down to the shoes, according to Casey anyway. Casey and Valie still didn't have dates, but Valie was more concerned about her dress and she wasn't even really worried about that. To her, the experience was important because it was a night with friends, their last Homecoming together.

  As Casey was talking, Valie noticed that she kept looking past her, as if something in the background was grabbing her attention. Valie asked her what she kept looking at. Casey leaned in and whispered that there was a new student behind her who was "super cute." Valie casually glanced over her shoulder. Although he was sitting, she could see that he was tall and slender. He was wearing a beanie on his head and a white t-shirt and jeans. He looked up, catching Valie looking at him, but she didn't feel embarrassed and it didn't seem awkward to her. He pulled the corners of his mouth up into a small smile. She turned back towards Casey.

  "So cute, right?" Casey giggled.

  He was attractive, but he looked sad to Valie. The quick glimpse she saw of his eyes, they had a sleepy look to them. His eyelids came down a little farther than normal.

  "Who is he?" She asked Casey quietly.

  "I guess his name is Aaron, he hasn't really talked to anyone. It's actually...a little weird."

  "Ask him to Homecoming." Valie suggested.

  Casey smiled, "I've thought about this actually...he's really cute."

  "Was he here yesterday?"

  "Huh? Oh, no, he started today."

  The two continued their chatter until the final bell. Casey went off to cheerleading practice and Valie went to her locker. She stood there staring at her Trigonometry book and her History II book, thinking about the dreadful days where sh
e would have to start lugging them home for homework.

  “Excuse me?”

  Valie jumped at the voice behind her, instinctively slamming her locker shut. She whirled around. It was Aaron, the new student from her study hall.

  "Oh,” she said, wondering how long he'd been standing there watching her stare mindlessly into her locker. “Yes?”

  "Can you tell me which way the office is?"

  As he spoke, Valie noticed how nice his eyes were. There was softness there and something kind, almost mysterious.

  "It's straight down that hall," Valie pointed behind her with a smile, also wondering how he didn't know that already.

  "Thanks," he said shyly. "Your name is Valie, right?"

  "Yeah, that's me,” she answered, feeling both surprised and flattered. “You're Aaron?"

  He nodded. "It's nice to meet you."

  "Yeah, you too. Welcome to East Dells High.”

  He smiled, bowing his head and started down the hall.

  Valie turned back towards her locker as he walked away. She shoved the books she needed into her book bag and closed her locker. As Valie began to walk towards her uncle's classroom, she glanced back to watch Aaron heading towards the office. He had an uncertainty about himself when he walked, one that she found endearing. His shoulders slumped forward a little. To Valie, it seemed that he didn't belong in the school, not because he was new, just because he seemed different. Not strange, not different in a bad way, just different.

  Valie walked into her uncle's classroom. He was wiping down his desk from a lab experiment gone wrong that left a dark green substance stuck to several lab tables, the ceiling, and all over his desk. Valie turned her nose up at the mysterious goo.

  “What is that slime?” She asked, sitting in a desk, putting her head down.

  “An excited student who didn't feel like following directions. How was your day, kiddo?"

  "Mr. Winters wants me to start thinking more about my major." Valie answered, with her words muffled by the desk.