UNDERCOVER ANGELS:
Kayla’s Big Move
Angela Dusenberry
Ano Klesis Publishing
www.anoklesispublishing.com
Ano Klesis Publishing www.anoklesispublishing.com
Dusenberry, Angela.
Undercover Angels: Kayla’s Big Move ISBN# 978-0-9788564-0-3
Copywright © 2009 by Angela Dusenberry. All rights reserved. Cover photograph by Taunya Molnar.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Angela Dusenberry can be contacted at www.angeladusenberry.com.
The following trademarks were used without permission, and UNDERCOVER ANGELS in no way intends to portray any affiliation with these companies: Toyota, Arbonne, Subway, Maurices, The Spaghetti Factory, and Safeway.
Centerville, OR is a fictional town.
Printed in the United States of America
In loving memory of Jessica Courson, my first true best friend and the one who taught me the important life lessons about loving God with all of my heart…and that time is short. In only sixteen years on this earth, she was able to be my undercover angel, shining with joy and hope and abundant love. I pray her life lessons will be passed on through these pages.
Table of Contents
1) Fairview Academy, Here I Come...1 2) Lunchroom Friends………...……11 3) Nana’s Flower Shop……..……....20 4) Poisoned…………........................27 5) Shopping Adventures……..…......33
6) Main Street Grill………….……..40 7) Safeway……………………….....47 8) Heart to Heart……..………….….52 9) Cheated………………………….62
10) Adventures in Babysitting……...69 11) Dinner at Sara’s……………...…75 12) Nana’s Home……………….….81 13) Toilet Papering…………….…..85 14) Confession………………….…..91
15) Confrontation……………..…....98
Chapter 1
Fairview Academy, Here I Come!
“Are you sure I should wear the pink tank top, Mom?” Kayla asked, as Kim walked past her bedroom door.
Mom popped her head into Kayla’s large room with a bay window and eyed her daughter. “I think you look fine, Hon; you had better hurry, though, it’s almost time to leave.” With that, she turned and walked down the stairs.
“Fine isn’t good enough for my first day at a new school.” Kayla frowned as she gazed into her full-length mirror. She decided against her pink tank top and threw it on the bed with the small pile accumulating there. Her purple duvet cover was almost covered with clothes that had been deemed “fine.” She poured over her closet once more, and then finally decided to wear her knee length, blue corduroy skirt with her white tank top and white sandals. She added the silver heart shaped locket necklace her father had given her. A tear trickled down her cheek as she opened the locket and looked at the picture inside. The memories came unbidden…as they often did.
She remembered the day it was taken. It was April eighth, and they were at Disneyland. Dad had taken her there for her eleventh Birthday, and the two of them had their picture taken together in one of the little picture booths.
“Smile, Angel,” he had said just before the flash. He had called her Angel ever since the first grade when she had come home from school crying because the other kids had made fun of her freckles. Dad said her freckles were angel kisses, and that she should always be thankful for them.
In the picture, they were both smiling, and it was evident that Kayla got her bright blue eyes from him…she missed him so much.
“I wish you could see me today, Daddy,” she whispered into the mirror, “my first day of seventh grade.” Somehow, she knew he was watching her from heaven. At least that is what Mom had said after the funeral. Even so, Kayla’s heart hurt whenever she thought of him…especially in moments like this when she was about to experience something new. It didn’t matter that almost a year had passed since her father had bravely stopped a school shooting…and in the process, lost his life. She had lost the best father a girl could have.
Kayla turned and started to clean up the pile of clothes on the bed as she thought about the past year. Mom had tried to be brave at first, but after the tragedy, she seemed more paranoid than normal. When Nana called and told them that Gramps had passed away, Kayla felt once again the turmoil and agony only those who have experienced such a loss can understand. During Gramps’ funeral Mom and Nana had talked in hushed tones, and before Kayla had time to really think about what was happening, Mom announced that she would be moving Kayla and her seven-year-old brother, Cole, to Centerville, Oregon, where they would live near Nana. Even so, Mom could not fool her…she knew the real reason was that her mother was afraid. She had grown up in Centerville, and thought it was a safer place than Riverside, California. Now Kayla would have to brave a new school. She was more than a little worried about the transition.
Kayla pushed her thoughts aside, checked the silver clock in her room, and then rushed down the stairs to grab some breakfast. When she turned the corner into the kitchen, she saw Cole already gobbling down his cereal like a bear trying to get fattened up for winter. Her mother stood in their kitchen pouring her own bowl.
“Oh, honey, I hope you didn’t want Fruit Loops, because I just poured the last bowl,” she said with a sheepish grin on her face. She was dressed in a black skirt suit. Her brown hair was curled and piled high on her head in an elegant up-do.
“No, that’s OK, Mom. I think I will just make a smoothie today. I don’t want anything heavy. My stomach is kind of in knots already.” Kayla got out the blender and set it on the blue, marble counter.
Mom moved over and put her arm around Kayla, “It’s all going to be fine,” she said as she brushed Kayla’s sun highlighted brown hair out of her face and handed her the milk. Mom had a way of reading Kayla’s thoughts…it was almost like their hearts had beat as one since losing her dad.
“I just hope that I fit in here. I mean, I am not used to private school. What if everyone is snobby?” Kayla said as she grabbed the bag of strawberries out of the freezer, and the rice protein from the cupboard, and then watched as they swirled together in the blender with the milk.
“I’m sure you will fit in fine,” Mom said, taking a seat at the counter near Kayla. “It’s not like it’s a military school. It’s just your basic private school where paddling is considered an acceptable form of discipline.”
“What?” Kayla asked, shocked.
Mom laughed, “I’m just joking. Lighten up.” Then, her voice took on a serious tone and she got that far away look in her eye. “You know, I feel better about you and Cole being in private school with all of the problems public schools are having. I couldn’t bear to lose any more of my family in a shooting.” Mom looked down quickly, but not before Kayla had seen the way her eyes were threatening tears.
“Mom, I miss him so much,” Kayla said as tears formed in her own eyes. She heard a slight sob escape her mother as she grabbed some tissue and gave her mom a hug. Would there ever be an end to the emotional roller coaster she was on? She was so thankful that she had her mother and Cole, and now Nana.
Cole was still at the pine dining room table eating his breakfast. Kayla looked over at him and wondered how he felt about everything. At first, when their Dad had died, Kayla and Cole had bonded when they used to sit up late sharing memories together, but he seemed a lot quieter since the move. Kayla made a mental note to spend some time hanging out with
him soon.
“It looks like we’re both going to have to go redo our make-up now,” Mom said as she took Kayla’s hand and led her back up the stairs.
Kayla just loved her mom. Kim was so strong, but she also had a special sparkle even in the midst of a terrible storm. She was able to take a cloudy morning and pour sunshine into Kayla’s world, which is exactly what she managed to do today. Kayla watched as her mom touched up her own make-up and then helped Kayla touch up hers; well, it was more like putting on a little more lip gloss and some blush. Since Kayla was starting seventh grade, Mom had decided to let her wear a little bit of make-up. She could wear everything except mascara, as long as she didn’t end up looking like a clown. Mom was an Arbonne consultant in addition to her new job as a real estate agent, so Kayla always loved it when her mom would give her a makeover. When she was done, they both admired themselves in her mom’s big closet mirror.
“If anyone doesn’t like you, they’re crazy!” Mom said, with a smile. It felt so good to Kayla to see the sparkle return to her mother’s eyes.
Kayla went back down stairs, grabbed her smoothie, and then the three of them hustled into their blue Toyota Corolla. As her mother drove like a mad women to get them to school on time, Kayla thought about Centerville.
It was so different from her Southern California home. Kayla loved to sun bathe on the beaches that were only an hour away, or surf with her friends. Now all she had were mountains and fog…well, actually, she thought that was how Oregon would be, but so far, it had been sunny and warm. Nana said there was a lot to be enjoyed about having four distinct seasons. During the summer, her mother had even taken her and Cole to the lake a couple of times to picnic, and they did have an indoor water park. The one thing that Kayla loved the most about this new place was all of the trees. There were so many trees, even in the city. She looked out the window at the speck of blue sky peeking through the clouds and decided that even though she wasn’t sure she would like Oregon, she was willing to give it a try.
Just then, her mother pulled into the school parking lot and Kayla felt the knots in her stomach return. Mom dropped her off at the front entrance of Fairview Academy. She grabbed her backpack, hopped out of the car, and threw a wave over her shoulder at Mom and Cole. As she walked through the double doors in front of her new school, she heard the bell ring.
“Oh no, I’m late already,” she whispered to herself as she tried to find her first class. The school building was a lot smaller than she was used to, but it was really nice. There wasn’t any graffiti on the walls, and the tan carpet looked brand new. There were still a lot of people in the halls, so Kayla figured the bell she heard was probably just a warning.
There it was, Room 202. She carefully opened the door and took a seat near the middle of the small classroom. The room was decorated with large poster size pictures of exotic places. There was a picture of a lush garden near where Kayla sat. It had a white gazebo in the center with children playing nearby in the daisies.
“You’re in my seat,” a brown haired boy with braces said as he pointed to Kayla. She was startled by his rudeness, and suddenly felt the urge to cry, but she quickly regained her composure.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She grabbed her backpack and found another desk in the back, near a picture of a waterfall with cascading ferns surrounding it.
“I think you’re in my seat,” a girl said tapping Kayla on the shoulder.
Kayla turned around and saw a red haired girl with dark green eyes. She had a warm smile and her tone was not rude at all. Kayla grabbed her backpack and stood up again, only this time she noticed that a small group of students had gathered around something on the wall. She walked over to where they stood, and that’s when she realized that there was a seating chart! “Good grief,” she mumbled under her breath, feeling embarrassed by her ignorance, and hoping that no one was watching her. Dad would have never gotten himself into a situation like this, she thought, he would have scoped everything out first.
It turned out that her seat was just one behind the red haired girl. She took it just as the second bell rang.
“Good morning everyone, I am Mrs. Crenshaw.” Kayla looked up to see a teacher with dark brown eyes and a genuine smile. She was writing her name on the chalkboard with big swirly letters. She doesn’t look like the paddling type, Kayla thought, remembering her mom’s teasing.
“The first thing that we are going to do today is to choose locker partners. You may choose someone on your own, or I will assign someone to you.”
A moment of panic seized Kayla. Frantically, she scanned the room for a familiar face, but she knew that no one would choose her for a locker partner. What if I get stuck with some geek? She thought, picturing herself sharing a locker with some guy who had B.O. At her old school, she had tons of friends. Suddenly she felt all alone.
“Do you want to be my locker partner?” the voice of the red haired girl in front of her broke into her nightmare.
Kayla let out a sigh. Apparently she had been holding her breath. “Thanks, I don’t know anyone yet, and I was worried I would get stuck with the luck of the draw.”
The red haired girl laughed, and it was like the joy of a summer day to Kayla. “My name is Sara, and although I can’t guarantee to keep the locker perfectly clean, I do have a great locker mirror!”
“Great, I’m sure I’ll use it all the time,” Kayla said just as the teacher told them to get their stuff and follow her to their lockers.
Sara seemed really nice. Kayla got to know a little more about her while they were setting up their locker. Sara was twelve years old, a pastor’s daughter, and her curly red hair was natural. Kayla confessed to Sara that at first she hadn’t realized there was a seating chart, and that she thought private school people were just rude. Both girls laughed over her misunderstanding.
“No,” Sara said, “people in private school are not all snobby. I think probably anywhere you go, there will be people who are rude, but I have known most of the people here forever, and most of them are nice.”
Kayla couldn’t help noticing the sad look in Sara’s eyes as she said, “most.” Kayla wondered if there was anyone in particular who was rude, but she didn’t ask, because before she had the chance, Sara was flooded with other students who all seemed excited to talk to her. Kayla was pushed to the back of the circle, where she stood quietly until the bell rang.
Chapter 2
Lunchroom Friends
The next class Kayla had was gym, and luckily they didn’t have to dress down. Kayla hated the uniform they had issued her when she walked in. It had a purple stripe down the leg of the shorts, and the shirt had this ugly bulldog on the front.
Kayla looked up when the gym teacher started calling out names to divide the class into squads.
“Kayla Anderson, right here.” Kayla hustled to take a seat where the gym teacher had pointed, and on her way she noticed a guy that looked like he just stepped out of California with his brown hair with bleached blond streaks, blue eyes, and tan skin. Unfortunately, he didn’t get called to be in her squad. She watched him walk to the other end of the gym and take a seat on the floor behind the other people already lined up there. He reminded her of the guys she used to surf with back home. She overheard someone call him Tyler. Maybe things in Oregon wouldn’t be so bad after all, she thought, picturing him sitting with her at lunch, walking her to class, maybe holding her hand. She got the shivers just thinking about it.
Kayla looked around at the people in her squad. She didn’t really recognize anyone. Suddenly they started cheering as the teacher called out, “Hailey Sanders.” Kayla noticed how trendy Hailey was dressed as she walked confidently towards their little group, seemingly untouched by their cheers. With her fish net tights, and her western rhinestone belt, she almost looked like she was straight out of New York. But here she was, in Centerville, Oregon where people seemed to dress more conservatively than in the big cities. Her hair was short and blond with a butterfly barrette o
n the left side. She smiled at Kayla as she took a seat in their row on the gym floor.
Kayla tried to focus on the teacher’s explanation of their upcoming activities, but Hailey kept giggling and talking to a guy behind them, and Kayla subconsciously thought maybe they were talking about her.
When the bell rang, she quickly got up and started across the shiny gym floor. As she walked, she caught a glimpse of the surfer guy. He was laughing and talking with some other guys. Kayla didn’t notice the coat rack on the wall until it was too late. She ran right into the coats! Quickly she tried to pick up the ones she’d knocked to the floor before anyone noticed, but it was too late. The group of guys Tyler was with were laughing and pointing at her. She turned away from them and walked with such speed that she could have won the annual mall walk-race Nana had told her about.
As she was on her way to lunch, she stopped by her locker to see if Sara was there. Sure enough, she was just checking her hair in their locker mirror.
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