Diamonds in the Rough

by Michelle Madow

  They both seemed confused as they sat down in the living room, her mom on the armchair and her dad on the other end of the couch. Madison’s head pounded harder as she looked at them, and she massaged the back of her neck in a failed attempt to relieve the tension.

  “We did blood typing in genetics today.” She took the card out of her pocket—once it had dried, she’d laminated it to take home—and tossed it onto the coffee table. “This was my result.”

  Panic flashed in both of their eyes, and neither of them looked at her as her mom picked up the card.

  “AB positive.” Her mom’s voice shook, and she tugged on the end of her braid.

  “But those results are impossible.” Despite the tightening in her throat, Madison tried to remain calm. She’d learned early on that whenever someone raised their voice, they weren’t perceived as rational and were less likely to get the results or answers they desired. Right now she needed answers. “I remember watching TV a few years ago and Dad mentioning he was the universal donor, O negative. But it’s impossible for a child to have AB when one parent is O. The only scientifically possible blood types I could have are O, A or B, depending on Mom’s, of course. I did the test twice, because I figured I got a faulty card the first time, but it was the same both times. AB positive.”

  She watched her parents closely, waiting for an explanation. But her dad twiddled his thumbs and refused to meet her eyes, and her mom twirled her braid, her face pale. Madison’s stomach flipped, and she had to swallow down the pizza that was slowly rising up her throat.

  Her dad finally looked up at her, his kind brown eyes shining with guilt. “I wish you hadn’t found out this way.”

  “Found out what?” Her voice cracked. She couldn’t say what she was thinking out loud—she had to hear it from her parents.

  “Madison,” her dad said slowly, curling his hands into fists. “You know that, no matter what, I am your father, and I love you very much and nothing will ever change that, right?”

  “Right,” she said, although suddenly it became hard to breathe, and her head spun, the world feeling like it was crumbling around her.

  “But as you discovered today in genetics class, I’m not your biological father.” He let out a long breath, his eyes pained as he waited for her reaction.

  Madison blinked, a million questions running through her mind. It had been the answer she’d feared since doing the lab, but no imagining prepared her for hearing it said out loud.

  She closed her eyes and laced her fingers through her hair. “Am I adopted?” she finally asked. Although, looking at her mom, she didn’t see how that was possible. She looked so much like her mom, with her blue eyes, full dark hair and smooth tanned skin. And she didn’t look unlike her dad, either, with his dark hair and dark eyes. Sure, his skin had more of an olive undertone, his nose was larger and the possibility of inheriting blue eyes when brown eyes were dominant was slim, but she’d always assumed that for reasons of chance, she looked more like her mom than her dad. Plus, she’d seen baby pictures of her parents holding her in the hospital. How could she be adopted when they were there when she was born?

  “You’re not adopted,” her mom said. “I’m your biological mother. But I hope you understand that this changes nothing. Your dad loves you just as much as I do.”

  “What do you mean, ‘this changes nothing’?” Fire exploded through Madison’s veins, and she slammed her fists down on the couch. “How could this not change anything? You and Dad have been married for over twenty years! But I’m not his biological daughter, which means you cheated on him and got pregnant. Then for some reason he took you back and you both decided to keep this all from me, raise me as if none of that ever happened, and think I would be okay with that.” She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, burying her face in her knees and rocking back and forth. “This can’t be happening.”

  “I know it sounds bad.” Her mom reached for her hand, but Madison glared at her and pulled her arm away. Her mom flinched and brought her hand back to her lap. “But it’s much more complicated than that.”

  “You lied to me for my entire life.” She took a few shallow breaths, unable to get enough air, and tears rolled down her cheeks faster than she could wipe them away. She gave up trying and let them fall. Her dad handed her a tissue, and she blew her nose—it was a good thing no one but her parents could see her, because she must have looked a complete wreck. She focused on breathing steadily, and finally her lungs relaxed, and she was able to speak again. “No matter how ‘complicated’ it was, you chose to lie to me. Were you ever going to tell me the truth?”

  Her parents looked uncertainly at one another. Finally her mom turned to Madison, her eyes set in determination. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. You deserve the truth.”

  Madison used a clean tissue to dab away more tears and nodded for her to continue, bracing herself for more shock. No matter how hard it would be, she needed to hear this.

  “About seventeen years ago, your dad and I were both stressed from our medical residences,” her mom started, and Madison sat back to listen to the story, cradling the box of tissues to her side. “It was taking a toll on our marriage, so we separated for a few months to clear our heads and focus on our work. Your biological father and I had been friends since middle school, and during that time we…reconnected. That was when I got pregnant with you. But he already had a family, and soon after I found out I was pregnant, he found out he had another child on the way from his wife. I knew he wouldn’t want to mess that up. As you also know, your grandfather—my father—is traditional with his religious beliefs. I worried he wouldn’t fully accept a grandchild, especially a female grandchild, into the family out of wedlock. I feared he would never forgive me for having a child with a man who wasn’t my husband—that he would never look at me with respect again. I didn’t know what to do.

  “The first person I went to was your dad. He helped me get through it, we resolved our marriage, and moved back in together. When I told your biological father I was pregnant with you, and that your dad and I wanted to raise you as our own, he didn’t object, as long as he was still able to be a part of your life. His wife never knew his true relation to you. We made him your godfather, and he acted like one for the first year. He was involved as much as he could be, and you and your half sisters were around each other as much as possible, to ensure you would be close. But then something devastating happened to his family that tore them apart. He felt like it was his fault, so he made us swear to stay quiet about him. He had his reasons, and while it wasn’t easy for anyone involved, we had your best interests at heart.”

  “My biological father.” Madison shook her head, barely able to process everything her mom had told her. But there was one main question she needed answered. “Who is he?”

  Her mom set her lips in a line. “You have a dad who loves you and has been there for you throughout everything,” she said. “Your biological father stepped out of your life. He had his reasons, and while I’ll never understand how he can live with his decision, your dad and I promised him that we wouldn’t reveal his identity.”

  “You’re our daughter, and that’s all that matters,” her dad added.

  Madison stared hard at both of them. “If you don’t tell me who he is, I will never trust either of you again.”

  “He doesn’t want you to know,” her mom insisted, her eyes begging her to back down. “It’ll be easier for you if you don’t know.”

  “You can’t make that decision for me,” Madison said. “He’s my father, and I deserve to know who he is.”

  “I’m your father,” her dad said, sounding hurt and betrayed. “Biology doesn’t matter. I’ve raised you, and I love you. You’re a gift to me. I know your mom and I are dedicated to our work and aren’t home as much as some of your friends’ parents, but it doesn’t mean we love y
ou any less.”

  “I know that,” Madison said, and she did. Her parents got held up at work a lot, but they loved their jobs, and she respected them for that. They spent time with her when they could, and they went on family vacations twice a year where they spent every minute with each other. “But I have a right to know who my biological father is.”

  “You have to trust us on this,” her mom said.

  Madison glared at her. “You can’t ask me to trust you after I found out you’ve been lying to me for my entire life.”

  Both of them were silent, and Madison stayed still, determined not to budge until they gave her an answer.

  “Adrian Diamond,” her dad said softly.

  “What?” Madison heard him, but he couldn’t have meant what she thought.

  “Adrian Diamond is your biological father.”

  www.campusbuzz.com

  High Schools > Nevada > Las Vegas > The Goodman School

  The Volleyball Girls

  Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 5:22 PM

  Hottest team of the year award goes to the girls volleyball team. Who’s going to the game tomorrow night?!?!

  1: Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 6:13 PM

  wouldn’t be surprised if half the school showed up. i just like watching savannah diamond in those short shorts. her friend alyssa isn’t bad either.

  2: Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 6:47 PM

  Hottest girls on the Volleyball team:

  Savannah

  Jackie

  Brooke

  Alyssa

  3: Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 7:03 PM

  Jackie’s parents are gonna be outta town this weekend so she’s throwing a RAGER at her house after the game tomorrow night! Bring your bathing suit. Or don’t and we’ll have more fun ;)

  4: Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 8:16 PM

  savannah’s flying in her friend from cali for the weekend to come to the game. she’s been posting on savannah’s facebook constantly about how excited she is, so i had to check out her page. she’s not so bad looking herself. another reason to go to jackie’s party tomorrow

  5: Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 9:58 PM

  could be a good pre-game before hitting up the strip…

  6: Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 10:43 PM

  Are you too cool for house parties? Must be Damien or Oliver or Madison or Larissa or one of their friends. #Losers

  7: Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 10:56 PM

  #jealous

  8: Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 11:00 PM

  You all DO realize this isn’t Twitter, right? Hashtags don’t work here.

  9: Posted on Thursday 10/9 at 11:06 PM

  #Whatever. They’re #fun ;)

  Chapter 5: Savannah

  “Thank your mom again for letting you leave school early today to visit?” Savannah asked Evie. The two of them sat in the back of her Range Rover—her bodyguard, Carl, was driving them—on the way to Jackie’s party, and Savannah still couldn’t believe her best friend was here. Evie had sat with Courtney and Peyton during the volleyball game, and now she would be with Savannah at the after-party. It was just like old times…but not really. Because in old times, Evie would have been playing on the team with her. And Savannah wouldn’t already be thinking about how sad it would be when Evie left tomorrow morning. It was too bad her best friend couldn’t stay all weekend, but Evie’s dad’s birthday was tomorrow, and she had to be back by dinner to celebrate it with him.

  “I will, I promise.” Evie smiled. “But I already told you how she said missing half a day of school wasn’t a big deal, considering how you paid for my ride to the airport, the flight and are letting me stay with you. And I still can’t get over where you live. I sort of knew what to expect from the pictures you’ve sent me, but it’s different being there in person. You’re the luckiest ever. I wish I suddenly found out I was related to a billionaire.”

  “It’s all pretty amazing,” Savannah said. “But I miss home sometimes. I wish I had a friend like you at school.”

  She’d already told Evie everything—how Alyssa was only nice to her after she’d seen that she knew Damien and Nick. Then she’d made the volleyball team, so the girls had no choice but to include her. But even though it was already October, and Savannah had been hanging out with them every day during school and practice for weeks, it wasn’t the same. She didn’t trust them like she trusted Evie.

  “The girls on the team didn’t seem that bad,” Evie said. “And if you don’t end up being close friends with them, you have your sisters, right?”

  “Yeah,” Savannah said. “But they’re my sisters…they have to be nice to me. It’s different.”

  “I wouldn’t know.” Evie shrugged.

  “Right.” Savannah felt bad for bringing it up. Evie was an only child, and while Savannah had always thought it was awesome that Evie had her own room and bathroom at her house, she’d always suspected Evie had been jealous of how close she was with her sisters. “Anyway, we should be there soon. You ready?”

  “Of course.” Evie checked her reflection, fluffed her hair while making a silly duck-face pose, and laughed. Her cheerfulness was contagious, and Savannah couldn’t help laughing with her. “Let’s rock this party.”

  * * *

  The volleyball team was the first to arrive so they could set up, and Jackie gave them the grand tour. Her house was enormous—apparently her family had bought two lots in the community so that they would have room to build it. The living room, dining room and kitchen all had a two-story ceiling, and shooting off from the kitchen was a rec room with tables set up for beer pong and flip cup. Jackie’s parents, who were out of town that weekend, lived in a first-floor suite with two walk-in closets, an exercise room and a sauna. Upstairs were five other bedrooms—even though Jackie had only two brothers—and a separate stairway near the kitchen led to another bedroom for their live-in housekeeper. They also had a huge library full of every issue of Nevada Design, the luxury interior design magazine Jackie’s dad published.

  It was the biggest house Savannah had ever seen. And judging by the way Evie walked around with her mouth dropped open, it was the biggest house she’d ever seen, too.

  “Remember to keep everyone in the rec room, the kitchen and outside by the pool,” Jackie instructed. “No one’s allowed in my parents’ suite. I don’t care if couples go off into my brothers’ rooms or the guest rooms, but my room is off-limits. Except for me and whatever guy I bring in there with me, of course.”

  “Brian Peterson was checking you out during the game,” Brooke said.

  “I know.” Jackie winked. “And he was looking hot tonight. So who’s ready to celebrate our win?”

  They gathered into a circle, put their hands in the center, counted down to scream “Bruins”—their school mascot—and cheered. Then they did a round of shooters, and the party began.

  * * *

  Three hours later, the house was packed with most of the athletes from Goodman (freshmen not included except for a select few), and some randoms who showed up from other local private schools. The volleyball girls had given up trying to keep everyone in the “designated party areas” over an hour ago—they were too busy having their own fun. A group of guys had tried to teach Savannah and Evie how to play flip cup, but Savannah was failing miserably and slowing down her team, so they left the rec room and ventured outside to the pool.

  “Cannonball from the balcony!” a junior guy Savannah recognized as one of Nick’s football teammates yelled from Jackie’s balcony, jumping into the pool with a huge splash. He emerged from the water, threw back his head and gave a Neanderthal roar with his fists in the air. Everyone watching cheered and clapped, screaming various versions of “Yeah, man!” and “That was awesome!”

  “Savannah!” Brooke called from
the shallow end of the pool, where she was hanging out with a few of the girls on the team and some guys who were flirting with them. They all had red Solo cups in their hands. “Come swimming with us!”

  “I didn’t bring a bathing suit,” Savannah replied.

  “You don’t need one.” Jackie laughed and threw back her long brown hair, which had reverted to its natural curly state in the water. “We’re all in our underwear. Although Alyssa said she would get naked if Drew got naked, so things are about to get interesting!”

  “We could do it,” Evie said, soft enough that only Savannah could hear.

  “I’m wearing a see-through thong,” Savannah whispered. Even the drink she’d had since that first shooter wasn’t enough to make her feel comfortable shedding her clothes in front of everyone. If Peyton was here, she would do it in a heartbeat, but Savannah wasn’t as daring as her oldest sister.

  “We’re actually heading back inside,” Evie said to the group in the pool, and Savannah smiled gratefully at her. “Just wanted to check out what the commotion was out here. Have fun!”

  “Bye!” Brooke yelled before one of the guys dunked her underwater. She held her cup up high, and it miraculously escaped being submerged with her.

  Savannah didn’t know many people yet, and not wanting to look unoccupied, Evie had the brilliant idea to take pictures of themselves with the party in the background—­probably because she wanted to show off to everyone at Fairfield High that she’d been to a party like this. They got every background they could, and there were a lot to choose from, so they were busy for a while. More people were jumping off the balcony and into the pool, a big group was smoking hookah on the porch and some guys—including Oliver Prescott, the son of Adrian’s main rival and possible business partner, Logan Prescott—were gathered around the kitchen table, which was covered in lines of white powder that Savannah suspected was cocaine. She accidentally got a picture of Oliver doing a line, and she almost deleted it but stopped. This was the jerk who’d made a bet to sleep with her and her sisters over the summer. She would never put the picture online, but it might not hurt to keep it on her phone.