Unsound (Horizons #1)

by Ashley Summers

  “Wow,” I said with a smirk, “I thought you were such a good girl. I’m impressed!”

  “Jeff loves him. But I’m so scared of him finding out. I’ve been telling Evan to be patient for me. Finally we had an agreement, that when I turn eighteen, I would tell Jeff. It’s only a couple months away but I don’t think I’ll be able to. I’m scared of disappointing him. And I’m scared of him not letting us see each other.

  “I hate sneaking around though. It’s taking a toll on us, a toll on him. He just wants to be normal and have a normal girlfriend,” Michelle said, a worried look in her eye.

  “Normal is overrated,” I told her. I didn’t know the right thing to say. I would have been worried too.

  “I guess,” Michelle said, “well, I assume you want the phone. I’m going to go pick out an outfit for the nursing home. You know… my nicest t-shirt and jeans,” she said with a laugh.

  I said bye, and waited for Michelle to make it down the stairs before picking up the receiver. I dialed the number by heart—then felt mine drop when I heard the recording.

  “This number has been disconnected. Please hang up and try your call again.”

  I slowly lowered the phone into its cradle and sat back. I was worried. The number being disconnected could mean a number of different things, and none of them seemed promising.

  Jason

  The group was sitting outside enjoying the sun and a free period. Jeff came up to the table as a car pulled into the lot from the trail. Lena was over there, waiting to greet whomever was in the car.

  “Hey guys,” Jeff greeted us, taking our attention off the car, “good news!”

  “New member,” Jon and I said together. Where Jon’s comment sounded more like a dejected question, mine was a clear exclamation. Who didn’t love a new member?

  At the sound of the trunk slamming, we looked back over to the parking lot. We saw a girl standing next to the car, not smiling at Lena as she introduced herself.

  Despite the heat of a rapidly approaching summer, the girl was covered head-to-toe in black. She was wearing a black leather jacket over a black blouse, a short black skirt, ripped black tights, and tall black high-heeled boots. Her pale face was half hidden behind large, dark sunglasses and framed with shoulder-length black hair. Something about her screamed familiarity.

  “This will be interesting,” Julie said with a laugh.

  “Julie,” Jeff said warningly.

  “What?” she said innocently, “I’m sure goth chick over there will really add something special to our happy little family.”

  Jeff just shook his head and ignored her. I was impressed because I think she was wearing him down, “Alright guys, I have to go over and meet her.”

  “What’s her name?” I piped up. I had a curious feeling in my gut. Something was off.

  “Melinda,” Jeff answered over his shoulder, already walking towards his office.

  “Hmm,” I said, scratching my head. My stomach clenched in excitement at hearing the name, “can’t be,” I muttered under my breath. I watched her walk in the opposite direction towards Jeff’s office.

  “Cat got your tongue?” Julie commented. I looked over to see her smirk. Her eyes looked like they knew something. She was always watching and she always seemed to know more. If she wasn’t so hot, it would be creepy.

  “Get outta here, Thompson,” I told her with a wink and a laugh.

  Melinda Mindy Davies

  I was in Jeff’s office. I had just arrived but my mother was waiting in the car. I could see her through the window. I could see her drinking deeply from a travel mug. The idea of dropping her daughter off in a rehabilitation center was clearly a little more than she could bear. I knew there was a heavy poor of Kahlua in that coffee—save the whiskey for later so no one could smell it.

  “Okay Melinda,” Jeff started, “First, I want us to discuss your reasons for being here. From the police report, I see you attacked your father by–”

  “For the thousandth time, that was self-defense,” I interrupted. Everyone kept making me feel like I was a wanted criminal, “And I prefer Mindy.”

  “Mindy, I’m not trying to accuse you. I read the police report so I just have the facts offered by the station. I know that your father’s b.a.c. was extremely high, so was your mother’s. But the police report mentioned blood on you. I know you were checked out in the E.R. which led to a psychiatric evaluation.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked slowly. I thought I met with the shrink because I had just shoved my father down a tall flight of marble stairs. I didn’t think she found some underlying issues within me. We didn’t even talk that much.

  “Mindy,” Jeff started, “When the psychologist spoke to you, she thought you could benefit from being away from your parents.”

  “I’m sure my mom jumped at that suggestion. She’s wanted to send me to boarding school for years,” I mumbled. I actually thought that’s why I was sent here; my mother wanted me out of her hair and away from her beloved husband.

  “I’m sure your mother just wants what is best for you, Mindy,” Jeff consoled. I rolled my eyes. He didn’t know my mother. My mother who was sitting in the car sipping an Irish coffee rather than sitting next to me before saying goodbye.

  “So, what’s the deal with this place?” I asked. My mother wasn’t one to give me details. I really didn’t know the deal, didn’t know what I had been dragged into.

  Honestly, the second I saw my father lose balance over the top step, I knew I would be sent away. I just didn’t know where. Jeff seemed nice and all, but I was confused.

  “I take it your mother didn’t explain much,” Jeff started, he seemed tense, “We offer rehabilitation for at-risk youths. This is sort of an emotional growth boarding school. We handle substance addictions, depression, eating disorders… uh, self-mutilation. The psychologist you met with suggested it to your mother. She could tell there was a tumultuous relationship between you and your parents.”

  I snorted, “Was it that obvious when I pushed my dad down the stairs?”

  “That wasn’t what tipped her off. The doctors in the emergency room noticed scars on you. Your wrists, your thighs. After meeting with you, Dr. Rosen’s evaluation was that you might benefit from a group setting. From what you and she discussed, you didn’t have any peer relationships. I’m not passing any judgments, but I think you were trapped in your own personal hell with your parents. That’s a big burden to bear.”

  I nodded slowly, not really knowing how to answer. I didn’t know they saw the scars at the hospital. They didn’t say anything to me about it. We were there for one night and then I was immediately shipped off to a rehab school, “wait. But what am I rehabbing here?”

  “Dr. Rosen thinks you suffer from depression. You’ve been self-mutilating yourself, Mindy. That’s something we’re worried about,” Jeff explained. I continued to nod. I nodded my understanding when he explained about my group and my classes and my living situation. He let me know in no uncertain terms, that I would not be alone here. Also, that I would have very little contact from my parents for the first part of my treatment.

  That part almost cheered me up. Then Jeff said my mother was coming in to go over some paperwork and say her goodbye. Too soon to be cheerful.

  * * *

  “Hi, Mrs. Davies. Thank you for staying. I just wanted to go over protocol with you,” Jeff said as my mother walked into the room. He stood to shake her hand, which she dutifully ignored and clumsily sat in the seat next to mine.

  “I just went over the basics with Mindy,” Jeff began.

  “Melinda. Her name is Melinda. Melinda is a family name,” my mother said sharply, despite the amount of booze that was pumping through her. It always bugged her that I refused to answer to my full name. I think that’s why I detested it so much.

  “I explained about our facility to… Mindy,” Jeff faltered for a beat before saying my preferred name, earning a small smile from me, “it seems that she had no idea
what kind of place this was. It seems like she was going through a tough time at home and didn’t really have anyone to reach out to.”

  “I don’t really appreciate your tone or your insinuations. In fact, I’m not sure I understand where you get off talking to me like that, like it’s my fault that my daughter is a criminal. She’s lucky that we decided not to press charges and throw her ass in jail.”

  The icy words leaving my mother’s mouth took the smile off of mine. I wish I had my notebook, a book, my headphones. Anything to drown out reality.

  “I wasn’t implying anything,” Jeff said, taken aback. The wrath of Karen Davies was a lot to handle when you were unprepared, “I’m just wondering though if there was something else going on for Mindy to…” Jeff trailed off, but continued with a small eye roll, “attack her father and push him down the stairs?”

  “You’re asking me? You’re the professional here. Isn’t it clear that this little demon child is crazy? I’m paying a good deal of money to send her here and I don’t like being accused.”

  I rolled my eyes. She was really pulling out the big guns on this fight.

  I was relieved to hear a knock on the doorframe as Lena popped her head in. She looked at Jeff and he nodded.

  “Melinda? You can come with me,” she said, looking at me.

  “Mindy,” I muttered as I stood up without even a glance at my mother. I knew her look was as venomous as her tone.

  I followed Lena down the hall, my skirt billowing slightly behind me. As I entered a room at the end of the hall, I saw that my bags were sitting on the table, opened.

  “Sorry Mindy, but we need to check everyone’s belongings upon their check-in,” Lena started, a hint of nervousness in her tone. “We also wanted to make sure you had enough… appropriate clothing. We do a lot of outdoor activities you know.”

  I nodded with understanding and I looked down at my outfit. I knew as I got dressed that morning, that it probably wouldn’t fly wherever I was headed, but I wanted to be comfortable when I arrived. I was comfortable in black. I felt invisible. I felt better, safer.

  “I get it,” I said with a sigh. I thought that I would be wearing some type of prep-school uniform, but I had packed basic clothes, t-shirts, sweatshirts and jeans. I hoped everything still fit. It had been a while since I donned jeans and t-shirts. My basic black wardrobe took over my closet months prior.

  Although the intention had been to blend in and disappear, it had the opposite affect in the hallways of my preppy high school and even in the hallways of my own home. Nevertheless, the dark clothes and my dark makeup helped keep people away, and helped cover the occasional bruises given by my charming, abusive, alcoholic father.

  “I’m sure you can still say bye to your mom in a bit. I just figured you needed a break from that,” Lena said quietly as she picked through my bag. Her words surprised me. She was listening to the confrontation in Jeff’s office.

  “Thanks,” I responded.

  “So, here’s an outfit to change into. I’ll need you to wash that makeup off too. And is your hair…?”

  “It’s a demi,” I reassured her, “it will be au natural in a few more weeks. Where can I go to,” I motioned to my face.

  “There’s a bathroom right in there,” Lena said, “given your history, we need to keep the door open until we search you.”

  I just nodded again, at a loss for words really. Lena seemed relieved. Probably because I was so easy going about everything. Truthfully, although still confused at where I was, I felt relieved for the first time in a year.

  Julie

  It was eight o’clock in the evening, and the Mountain Climbers were in the cafeteria waiting for Melinda. She was with Lena and we didn’t know what was taking so long. Jason was at a table with Michelle. I was on a nearby couch, next to Jon. Marie and Anthony were at another tutoring session in a classroom somewhere.

  “Hey guys,” we heard Lena’s voice and looked up. A pretty girl, about five-foot six, wearing a soft grey t-shirt and light blue jeans tucked into her Ugg boots followed Lena and Jeff. While she was still pale with dyed black hair, she had more color in her complexion than earlier with her pale makeup and black lips. It was like night and day as she stood there awkwardly.

  “Davies?”

  The girl stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Jason, puzzled.

  “Mindy Davies… I thought that was you before!”

  “You two know each other?” Jeff asked. By his expression, I assumed that had never happened before.

  “Jason? Is this where you’ve been?” Mindy asked, shock evident on her face.

  “Can someone share with the rest of the class please?” I asked, growing bored of the name game.

  “Well,” Jason started, scratching his head, “Mindy and I used to be really good friends back in high school.”

  “But you two are from different high schools,” Jeff interjected.

  “Ah,” Jason interjected, “for about four months I was with a foster family who lived in a different district. I transferred to the other regional high school for a few months. I went back to the original one, but I still lived close enough to Mindy to see her all the time. We were best friends.”

  “Aka, he would sneak over and against my better judgment, I would let him sleep on my floor when he ran away,” Mindy added before her eyes opened wide, “Sorry, that’s probably not something I should admit to you, right?”

  Jeff shrugged as he ran a hand through his hair. He was actually at a loss for words. He couldn’t know the kind of relationship these two had, or if they were bad for each other, and didn’t know what to do.

  “Aw Jeff, you’re not gonna take her away now, are you?” I asked, more than a hint of sarcasm in my voice.

  “Yeah, Jeff. You can’t take her away now,” Jason pleaded earnestly with his hands, “we’ll be so good, I swear! Plus she was always a good influence on me. Wait, what the hell are you doing in a place like this?”

  A flush crept up the base of her throat.

  “Jesus, man,” Jon said, “give the girl a few days. No game, I tell you, goes right for the hard questions.”

  Michelle and I laughed along with Jon, but Mindy was clearly uneasy as her flush deepened.

  “Well,” Jeff interrupted, “Mindy, I need to review this a little bit, but I’ll let you settle in and talk to everyone.”

  Once Jeff walked away, everyone’s attention turned back to Mindy.

  “So you knew Jay in high school?” Jon asked, “I think we’re all dying to know… was he always this big of a loser?”

  “Probably,” I chimed in as the group laughed.

  Mindy definitely looked uncomfortable and didn’t know how to answer us.

  “I think we should take the lack of an answer as a yes,” I commented, trying to lighten the mood. She definitely didn’t expect to see a remnant of her past in a place like this. I know I would be mortified to see someone from high school, friend or not.

  “Sorry,” Mindy quickly said, “I guess I’m a little overwhelmed.”

  “And if anything, I was the cool one… Mindy was a little goody-two-shoes. I didn’t even really know who she was for the first month I went to Montgomery,” Jason stated.

  “Oh thanks,” Mindy replied dryly, clearly not stoked to be deemed a dork right off the bat.

  “So how did you guys become friends?” I asked.

  “I don’t really remember how we met… I mean, he’s right,” Mindy started with an eye roll, “he was the troublemaker in school, always in detention and in the principles office. And I was the goody-two-shoes. Worried about my grades, never went to parties.”

  “Ah, but that’s how we met,” Jason chimed in, “You decided you had enough of being the good girl for your ungrateful parents, and you were at that homecoming after party.”

  “Oh my God, you’re right!” Mindy exclaimed with a hand on her forehead, “that was the first time I got drunk. I was a freshman.”

  “Who couldn’t h
andle her liquor,” Jason added, “I was an older, wiser sophomore and when I saw this poor girl wandering around….”

  “You decided to be a perv?” I interjected with an eye roll.

  “Well I mean, it probably started out that way. I saw her head up to the bathroom and thought I would follow and hit on her. Then she walked into an end table upstairs and almost knocked it over.

  “Of course, the kind gentleman I am, I helped her. I sat her down, got her some water and walked her home. I snuck her into her house—”

  “Thankfully, my parents are drunks and didn’t hear us come in,” Mindy interjected.

  “Yeah, cause you’re a loud drunk. All giggles and gibberish,” Jason added.

  “Yeah well, he slept on my floor that night.”

  “And many nights after that,” Jason finished with a grin.

  “Boring,” I said.

  “Julie,” Jon scolded me. I had to bite the inside of my cheek so I didn’t smile at that. I couldn’t let him know how affected I was every time he said my name.

  “What? I wanted a good story, sex, drugs and rock n’ roll. Not a PG friendship,” I stood with a shrug, “I’m going to bed. It was nice to meet you, Mindy. Night all.”

  I didn’t mean to be rude, but I was exhausted. Though the night terrors had stopped and the drugs were out of my system, I still felt drained going through a full day of activities. I felt eyes on me so I paused at the doorway and glanced back at the group. Jon quickly lowered his gaze to his book. I smiled on the walk back to the cabin knowing that he watched me walk away.

  Mindy

  I noticed Jon look after Julie as she left, or rather watching her ass as she sauntered outside. Everyone else seemed to ignore the outburst, so I figured it was normal from her. Not that I cared to take offense, I had been treated way worse at my old school.

  Jason pulled me to a table off to the side of the group, “So how have you really been?” Jason asked me as we sat.