Alex nodded, but no words came out. She wanted so badly to march back into her Grandma’s house and tell her that Sandra had a healthy baby girl, and she may be gone but a piece of her was still on Earth. Her Grandma had never fully recovered from Sandra’s death, and this was exactly what she needed to pull her up out of her sadness.
“Alex? Please, just promise me you won’t say anything.”
“I promise, for now. I can’t keep this secret forever though.”
“I know. Just give me a little bit of time to deal with this. I just found out too.”
“Your secret is safe for now Cam, as long as you promise me eventually you will come clean to my Grandma and Omar.”
“I promise. I have to go, I’ll call you later.”
Alex went back into the kitchen and hung up the telephone. She had about two seconds to collect her thoughts before her Grandma appeared in the doorway, with a scrunched up scowl painted across her face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Your parents called this morning while you were asleep and said they were coming over this afternoon. They told me not to tell you, but I just feel terrible keeping it a secret.”
“Keeping what a secret Gram?”
“The reason they let you come here this weekend was so they could look at a boarding school a few hours away in Syracuse. They’re going to take you up there this evening.”
Tears stung Alex’s eyes, and she felt her bottom lip begin to uncontrollably shake. She shook her head no furiously, “You got to talk to them Grandma, tell them not to send me! I can’t leave everyone.”
Her Grandma sunk down into one of the kitchen chairs, and ran her fingers through her thinning gray hair.
“Honey, I’ve tried to talk to them. I’ve been talking to them about it for a few days now, I’m afraid it’s no use. Maybe it’s for the best though; I know it sounds horrible right now. But, it’ll be like a fresh start. You can get away from all this stuff for a while.”
“Whose side are you on!” screamed Alex.
Her Grandma stood and took a step toward her. She spoke sternly, which threw Alex off a little because she was usually so timid. “I’m on your side. I’m worried about you. Every day you remind me more and more of Sandra. You’re running around town all hours of the night, keeping secrets, hiding things, and switching moods faster than most people switch underwear. I don’t want to lose you too Alex.”
Alex shook her head and ran past her Grandma up to the guest room. Her chest heaved with sobs and she barely could see through her blurry eyes to navigate up the stairs. She wasn’t going away. No way was she leaving Kenzie and Karter. And she had to try to rebuild her relationship with her cousin. She threw herself on the bed and sobbed uncontrollably, until there were no tears left. Then she laid there quietly for minutes that felt like hours. She couldn’t control anything in her life. Her parents were treating her like a child, but in the last few weeks she had experienced more than most adults she knew.
Keri Raker was a piece of work. How could she send her away like she was some sort of delinquent, after everything she had done when she was a teenager? She got pregnant before she graduated high-school, moved in with her boyfriend before they were married, and helped her father-in-law sell his first grand-child. Then she had the audacity to talk badly about Sandra and how dramatic and wild she was.
Instinctively Alex reached for the bundle of letters her and Camryn had found yesterday. She got so grossed out after reading the first one she had just set them aside and fell asleep. She skipped to the last letter which was dated October 26th 1991, only a few days before Sandra’s death. She rubbed her teary eyes and focused on the bubbly cursive scrawled down the paper. After a few moments her hands began to shake uncontrollably, and her stomach churned.
“Oh my God.”
She sprung from the bed and grabbed her purse, cramming the letters inside it. Her heart was racing out of her chest as she fumbled to pull a pair of sweatpants on, and then her Uggs. She grabbed her purse and raced downstairs, and past the bathroom where her Grandma was running her bathwater. As she sprinted down the long driveway she heard her Grandma calling for her from the front-porch, begging her not to leave. She must have heard the front door slam when she escaped.
Once again she frantically made her way through the woods and over Lost Creek to The Boxes. This time was different though. Even though everything she had known her whole life was crashing down around her, this time she knew what was crashing down. A week ago when she ran through the woods she was chasing the truth, now she had crashed head first into the truth and was running away from it. Her long black hair whipped in the cool wind as she emerged from the brush into The Boxes. Karter was standing in front of his building talking to some boys Alex didn’t recognize. He seen her coming and started walking towards her. She threw herself into his arms and squeezed him tightly for a moment.
He pulled away from her and wiped the untamed strands of her hair off her clammy forehead.
“I’m sorry about the other day.”
Alex looked confused for a moment, “Huh?”
“Our fight, in my room. What I said about you being spoiled,” he scanned her face with his dark green eyes searching for some sort of recognition of his apology.
“Oh that,” stammered Alex. “It’s fine.” She looked around nervously, then grabbed his hand and led him into his building. “I need to talk to you, alone.”
The two of them made their way upstairs and into the James’ apartment. Kenzie was sitting with her Mom on their old ratty couch watching television. Her face lit up when they walked in and she started to get up, “I’ll be right out, I just got to talk to him real quick,” Alex said to her as she pulled Karter past them towards his bedroom. She felt a twinge of guilt as Kenzie pouted and settled back down on the couch.
Karter pushed his door shut and sat down on his mattress, pulling Alex down with him. He cupped her pale face with his strong tan hands, and pressed his lips against hers. After a little hesitation Alex’s lips softened and she pushed towards him kissing him back. She ran her fingers through his wild curls as his hands roamed down her sides and rested on her hips. Then she snapped back to reality, “No Karter. I really do have to talk to you.”
“Oh, I just thought that was like code for I want to go upstairs and mess around,” he joked. Alex’s expression didn’t change though; she didn’t even blink as she stared at him seriously.
He scooted backwards giving her some space and cleared his throat uncomfortably, “Okay. What’s up? What do we need to talk about?”
“My parents were going to send me to boarding school today.”
“But now they’re not?”
“I’m not going.”
Karter shifted on the bed uneasily, he was obviously torn between not wanting her to go and not wanting her to get into more trouble by not going. “Why aren’t you going? What are you gonna do run away?”
“No. I’m just not going. I’m going to tell them I’m going to live with my Grandma.”
He looked at her for a moment, while he chose his words carefully. He spoke like he was trying to gently break it to a small child that there was no Santa Claus, “That’s a good plan Alex. But, you know they might not go for it.”
Alex shook her head and started pulling the letters out of her purse. “I’m not going and my Mom’s not going to make me. She’s going to let me live wherever I want as long as I keep my mouth shut.”
Karter cocked an eyebrow at her, trying to follow her as she rambled. “What are you talking about? You sound like a psycho.”
“I found these,” she said gesturing towards the letters. “Just listen,” she ordered as she breathlessly began to read the last letter aloud. “My dearest love. If only we had met in a different town, in a different time, under different circumstances. If only I had met you before I met him, and before you met her. The bottom line is...we didn’t. It’s time for us to accept our fate and the hands that have been dealt t
o us. I’ll never forget what we had, or the way I felt on those weekend getaways when it was just me and you, and I hope you don’t either. But, it’s time to move on. I need to do what’s best for my baby, our baby. And that means I have to provide him or her with the best life possible and that includes a father that loves them. This would kill Davis and Genevieve so I’m sure you’ll agree to let me move on quietly and peacefully, as will I allow you.”
Karter stared at her blankly. “So, you found proof your Mom had an affair and you’re going to blackmail her? I’m kind of impressed. And kind of scared. This is serious Alex; do you realize what you’re getting yourself into?”
“You don’t get it,” Alex snapped back frustrated. “My mom didn’t just have an affair. Genevieve is my Grandma. I found these in my Grandpa’s stuff. My Mom had an affair with my Grandpa, my Dad is my brother,” she squeaked. Even though she realized it almost an hour ago it was the first time she said it out loud, and it sounded insane.
“That’s ridiculous Alex.”
“No, it’s not. Think about it. The Doctor said for sure Donavon and I have different fathers, but they had similar DNA. There’s a reason I look like Sandra’s twin, I’m her sister, not her niece. We have the same father. This letter was written when my Mom was pregnant with me to whoever she was having an affair with, why else would my Grandpa have it?” She almost started to tell him about her Grandpa and Mom working together to get rid of Sandra’s baby, but stopped, she couldn’t break her promise to Cam yet.
Karter took the crinkled letter from her, and shook his head in disbelief. “Damn. Your family is more messed up than mine.”
Alex nodded.
“How are you so calm and cool about all of this?” he asked, with a concerned look on his face
“I don’t know it hasn’t really sunk in.” She smirked at him, “I need a drink though.”
“Well then you came to the right house. Can I get you rum and coke, or rum and juice, or how about some rum and coffee?”
Alex stood wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead against his, “Can I just have a rum on the rocks?”
He pressed his full lips against hers, gently sucking on her bottom lip, “Of course Madame. As long as you promise not to get all weepy and emotional,” he teased.
She pushed him away playfully, “Whatever, go fetch my drink.”
He jumped up off the mattress and headed out of his room towards the kitchen. She followed him out of his bedroom and knocked on Kenzie’s door. She pushed it open a crack and stuck her head in. Kenzie was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed, straightening her hair. The left side was sleek and flat and the right side was still wild and untamed curls.
“Hey girl, come in,” she motioned for Alex to join her on the floor.
Alex sat down next to her. She picked up her lit cigarette out of the ashtray between them and took a long drag.
“Is everything all right?”
Alex exhaled slowly, dreading having to tell the whole story over. “No, but it will be.”
Kenzie stopped straightening her hair and stared at her waiting for her to finish.
Alex took another pull off the cigarette and passed it to her. “Well long story short, my Mom had an affair with my Grandpa. My Dad is actually my half-brother, Sandra was my half-sister. I just found love letters from my Mom to my Grandpa. Nobody knows I know yet, just Karter, and now you.”
Kenzie’s mouth was hanging open when Alex finished and looked up at her. “Oh my God. What are you gonna do? Do you think your Grandma or your Dad knows? Are you going to tell them you know?”
Alex cut her off before she could ask any more questions, “I have no idea. I don’t want to think about it anymore. It’s kind of gross actually. Let’s just hang out, and have a good time today.”
Kenzie nodded and reached out, her bangles banging together, as she squeezed Alex’s leg reassuringly.
“Okay. But when you are ready to talk about it I’ll be here.”
Alex smiled, “Aww. Tear,” she said and pretended wipe away imaginary tears brought on by their touching moment. Then they both laughed and Alex called out to Karter, “Where’s my drink?”
“We don’t have any ice,” Karter announced as he appeared in the doorway with half a bottle of rum and an arm full of empty cups and cans of coke.
He joined them on the floor as Alex teased him, “No tip for you.”
The girls threw back shots while Karter rolled a joint and played some songs off his phone. Everything that happened next went by so quickly Alex could barely wrap her fuzzy mind around what was going on. There was a knock on the front door; Karter looked up with an alert look on his face. Before he could rise to his feet they heard Ms. James call out in her sleepy out-of-it voice, “Come in.” It sounded like a herd of cattle running into the house, and unfamiliar voices were shouting things she couldn’t make out. Karter started to put his hands up against Kenzie’s bedroom door, and at the same time the door crashed open.
A police officer stood in the doorway, “we’ve located the missing Raker girl,” he spoke into his radio clipped to his shoulder. Then he turned his attention to Alex, “Let’s go Alexandra. Your parents are waiting for you.”
Alex stood up, the rum pumping through her blood like liquid courage. “You can’t just barge into someone’s house! And I’m not missing!”
The cop put his hands on his hips, and spoke to her like she was handicapped. “We didn’t barge in, we knocked on the door and Ms. James invited us in. And you are fourteen years old and your parents don’t know where you are, so you’re missing.”
Another cop joined him in the doorway and scanned the room nosily.
“Shit,” Karter mumbled.
“Mr. James, long time no see,” the new cop called out sarcastically. “Is Karter James still on probation?” he asked into his radio, as he glanced at the joint in his hand.
Alex began to panic, “You don’t need to do that sir. I’m leaving.” She grabbed her purse and rushed through the living room, past a confused Mrs. James and another officer. The cop that pushed his way into Kenzie’s bedroom followed right behind her down the stairs. The cold air shocked her a little, and she shivered in her tank-top. “Wait right here by my car, your parents will be here any moment. They’ve been notified.” Alex nodded and joined him in front of his car obediently.
As she watched her parents Mercedes pull into the parking lot she heard some shouting behind her. Karter was being lead out of the building in handcuffs, Kenzie followed behind them shouting obscenities to the officers. She started to rush towards him, but the officer with her put his arm in front of her forcefully, “Miss Raker, if you move another inch I will arrest you for obstruction of justice. This is not a game.” She bit down hard on her bottom lip to stop it from quivering as she watched Karter slide into the backseat. The officer with her grabbed her by her arm and pulled her towards her parent’s car. “She’s all yours Mr. Raker,” he announced disgustedly then turned and walked back to his car. She watched the two cop cars pull away, and then turned to where Kenzie was standing but two of her neighbors were comforting her and escorting her back into her building.
Mr. and Mrs. Raker both got out of their car. Her mother stood behind her dad with her arms crossed over her chest and a disgusted expression across her face.
“You’re done Alex!” her father shouted in her face. She felt tiny beads of his spit splash her face.
She should have been intimidated since he had never raised his voice like that before, but her anger and adrenaline took over. She screamed back at him, “I’m done? You’re done! You’re dead to me! Karter just got dragged off to prison because of YOU!”
She spun on her heel to stomp away, but her head snapped back in pain. Her Dad had grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her back. Her eyes widened in horror as she jerked away from him. In her mind she seen a flash-back of her Grandpa choking Alessandra, or what she imagined they would have looked like back
then. “Get away from me,” she growled.
Her Dad spoke in a deep whisper, “I lost my temper. Just get in the car Alex, you’re causing a scene.”
Alex shook with anger, “I’m not getting in your car. Who do you think you are? You’re not even my father.”
Her Dad’s expression didn’t change. He probably assumed she was just taking the whole “you’re dead to me” to the next level. But Keri Raker jumped in quickly, her expression changed from anger to ghost-white fear.
“Shut your mouth before you say something we all regret, and get in the car Alex!”
Alex laughed in her Mom’s face. She was beginning to snap, watching Karter get arrested and then getting man-handled by her Dad was the last straw.
“Aww, Mommy is scared I’m going to say something bad,” she taunted. “How much do you think I know?” Alex winked at her Mom smugly.
“That’s it,” growled Davis as he wrapped both of his arms around Alex and awkwardly tried to her move her to the back door of their car. Alex swung her arms and legs madly while screaming for him to put her down. Davis let go of her, not because he couldn’t pick up her light body but because she was making such a racket someone was going to call the police again.
“I told you to get away from me,” Alex shouted in his face. The she turned her attention back to her Mom. She looked Keri straight in the face and didn’t break eye contact with her as she called out, “It’s okay Dad, I still love you like a brother.” Keri shook her head in disbelief, she opened her mouth but no sounds came out.
“What the hell is going on?” Davis demanded.
“She’s drunk, she’s just talking crazy. Put her in the car,” her Mom snapped.
Davis took a step towards her and Alex backed up. “Ask her who my real father is! Ask her!”
Everyone froze, and stared at her. Her father looked stunned and confused. Her mother looked paranoid and borderline frantic. It was so quiet in the parking lot, even the crows in the tree line stopped squawking for a moment to hear what she had to say next.
The Wrong Side Of The Tracks (Leighton) Page 11