Coming Home

by Kimberly McKay

  “She was. She’s friends with a couple of buddies of mine from school, so I flew her in early to get to know her – to prep her for the show … because she was nervous.”

  “She seemed so nice. I liked her.” Chad smiled and cocked his head. “She was here for the show the whole time?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Huh.” Chad sat with a stupefied look on his face. “What do you know … she seemed … nice.”

  Chad smiled and leaned forward in his chair. He had a feeling about this girl that he couldn’t quite pin, but whatever it was – he liked it.

  Anne was a people watcher – always had been. Whenever she’d move to a new school, it was a must for survival. Back then you needed to know how to differentiate between the mean and nice girls to survive. Getting on the wrong side of a mean girl was like a death sentence – and the same thing applied here.

  As she surveyed the room, she saw nothing but glamour, as the other contestants modeled their cocktail dresses and over the top accessories. She’d talked to a few, who seemed nice, but the jury was still out.

  She took a sip of her champagne, as her eyes landed on Cara, who grimaced at her from across the room and leaned in to whisper to the girl next to her. Both turned to give Anne the once over, making it obvious that they talking about her.

  Great. Here we go. Anne gulped her champagne.

  “You nervous?” A sweet voice came from behind her.

  She turned to see a tall beautiful girl, who was standing by the fireplace, behind her.

  Anne smiled in return. “Maybe … just a little.” She laughed. “But this helps.” Anne lifted her glass to her lips and noticed her new friend wasn’t holding a glass of her own.

  “Do you want me to get you one?” Anne asked politely.

  “Oh, no. I’m good. I don’t drink.”

  “I’m sorry … I didn’t mean …” She wasn’t sure if drinking offended her or not. She lowered her flute of champagne.

  “It’s okay that you do. It’s just a personal choice for me. I used to have a problem … so it’s just best that I don’t.”

  Anne noticed the girl’s hand went to a dainty cross, which hung around her neck.

  “I’m Kamryn.” She dropped her hand and extended it to Anne.

  “Anne,” she replied, before sitting on the lounge chair, motioning for Kamryn to sit. “I love your dress by the way.”

  Kamryn had on a stunning plum floor length dress, which had a slit that ran the length of her thigh.

  “Thanks. I was admiring yours earlier. Classy choice. I think you’re probably the envy of the whole room.”

  Anne looked to her lap, wondering how she even sat down in hers. Her full length red silhouetted dress, hugged every curve. She felt a little bit like Julia Roberts, in Pretty Woman, except her dress had shimmering straps that held up the sweetheart neckline. Anne anxiously lifted her hand to the back of her neck, which was completely exposed by her updo.

  “Thanks. I never get this dressed up. I feel a bit awkward.”

  Kamryn smiled with warmth. “You don’t look awkward, my friend. You look stunning.”

  “Well, either way – it’s nice to meet you. I think I’ll need a friend here if I keep getting glares from across the room.” She nonchalantly motioned in Cara’s direction.

  Cara was still talking, except now she had an audience and they were all laughing. Cara’s new entourage looked again to Anne.

  “Yeah, I noticed that earlier. There’s always that one mean girl, and a few followers.” Kamryn sighed. “Sad, really. But don’t worry. From what I’ve learned – the mean girl in every instance usually turns everyone off. And the others, if there’s any nice in them at all … come around.” She patted Anne’s arm.

  Anne smiled, grateful for her efforts to make her feel better. She seemed so genuine, which was far from expected. She expected everyone to be like Cara.

  In taking Kamryn in, she thought she could win this whole thing … if Broadcast Affair were a real show. Her beautiful dark skin almost glowed, and her almond eyes shined with kindness. She was a force to be reckoned with for sure.

  The girls’ conversations were cut short by the sound of a dinner bell. Everyone let out an excited cry, which rippled through the room, as Terence James stepped through the large entrance. All eyes were on him, as the girls waited expectantly for him to introduce Chad.

  “Good afternoon, ladies.”

  “Hi Terence.” All twenty said, in unison.

  “This would normally be the time when I would ask Chad to come downstairs for the party.” Terrence waited for the dramatic effect. Two camera operators panned the room, to capture responses.

  Most girls played up to the camera, by lifting their hands to their chests and showing a look of surprise. Anne rolled her eyes at the dramatic play that unfolded in front of her. So far, this was going exactly as planned, with the exception of Kamryn.

  “Tonight, there’s a slight change of plans.” Terrence continued. He looked to the confused looks of the contestants and smiled. This was getting good. “Not only is Chad not coming down …”

  A hushed murmur ran through the crowd. “What?” Anne heard repeated a few times.

  “But, take a good look at your surroundings.” He waved his arms to the room.

  Anne did as she was told, and looked around the sitting room, with a clear view to the mansion’s back patio. She could see a large pool, with a waterfall, through the window behind her. To her right was a theater room and behind Terrence was a grand lobby with a massive staircase, which led to their rooms upstairs.

  Terrence leaned forward and smiled. “Get your last look, because you won’t be staying here any longer. Girls not only will you NOT meet Chad tonight, but you won’t be living here. Go pack your bags. We leave tonight for a mystery location of Chad’s choosing.”

  Anne could hear some squeals throughout the room.

  “Is this typical?” She turned to Kamryn, who looked thoroughly confused. “I’ve never watched this show.”

  Kamryn shook her head. “No, this has never happened. I wonder where we’re going … another country maybe?”

  “Hmm. Well, the other girls seem pretty excited so maybe.” Anne looked up to see Cara wave in her direction.

  “Great,” she groaned. “I hope I don’t get stuck sitting next to her for an overseas flight.”

  Kamryn laughed. “I’ll make sure to switch with her if you do. Something tells me she wouldn’t want to sit next to you either.”

  Anne giggled in return. “You’re probably right. Let’s go.”

  Both merged in with the other girls and made their way to their rooms to undress and pack. Anne wondered what was next and how it would feel to go on a date with Chad Chambers … if it ever got that far.

  Chapter 9

  Dark commercial vans wound around a bumpy dirt road, where tall trees formed a tunnel overhead. To Anne, it looked like they had entered an enchanted forest to which there was no end.

  It was obvious their last destination was Austin from the boarding passes they received once they caught their connecting flight in Colorado, from California.

  Texas was a whole country into itself, but definitely not a foreign one. She was sure most of the girls were disappointed as they weren’t on their way to someplace like Paris or the Bahamas, but Anne was happy.

  Her heart lit up, knowing that she was so close to her best friends in Oklahoma. She planned to call Chastity as soon as she got to where they were going … wherever that was.

  Kamryn leaned over to look up as far as her window would let her. She was in awe at the trees and also wondered where they were going.

  “Think it’s a mansion out in the middle of nowhere?” Vera, another girl on the show, spoke from behind them. No one answered.

  The driver slowed and took a sharp left, where they entered through a wooden ranch style fence. Above the fence hung a huge sign with the words, Camp Valleyview.

  Once they broke through
the trees, they proceeded to drive toward open prairie and over a huge hill, where they could see some old buildings emerge by a lake.

  “That’s not a mansion, Vera.” Anne snickered.

  The other girls, all seven of them other than Kamryn, started grumbling.

  “What in the world? What is this place? Is this a joke?” Alyssa turned to Vera with a look of concern. The two girls drew their heads together and looked out the windows. They were sitting in the row behind Anne, and mirrored what she thought – only Anne didn’t chime in with them.

  Alyssa softly whined to Vera. “I hope we’re not staying here.”

  Confused, Anne looked to Kamryn, who shrugged her shoulders.

  “Don’t look at me. This isn’t part of any episode I’ve ever seen,” she whispered.

  Three vans pulled slowly to the front of a large lodge, which was set next to an open but covered court. The driver for Anne’s van slowly turned and smiled toward his passengers.

  “Grab your gear. Final stop.” His eyes were twinkling at the thought of these women, who were obviously expecting a luxury hotel but were now going to have to rough it. The cameraman, who was in the passenger seat, panned the vehicle for the girl’s reactions.

  Each face was full of horror … except one. Anne’s smile was a curious site in a van full of grumpy frowns. He zoomed in on her, as she stared out the open door with joy and proceeded to hop out of her seat to the dusty ground below.

  “This is not what I expected,” she said with a smile and took a deep breathe in, enjoying the fresh air.

  “Tell me about it.” Vera tumbled from the van with her bag. “What are you smiling about?”

  Anne chuckled. “I’m not sure yet, but this might be fun.”

  Vera rolled her eyes, and stood with the rest of the girls on the porch next to the main doors of the lodge.

  After exiting the second van, Cara dragged her bags past Anne, and said with a scowl, “Grab your gear princess. It won’t get off the van without you.” She stared Anne down and stepped up to the porch.

  “Tell me she’s going to go home soon.” Anne grumbled to the cameraman, reaching for her bags. She pulled them to the courtyard and sent an icy smile to Cara.

  “Girls, on the banister you’ll see four large jars. Each one has a letter from A to D. Those letters coincide with cabins, which sit over the next hill.” Terrence pointed to his east, where a pathway led through the trees.

  “In each jar,” he continued, “is a set of five names. If your name is called, from jar A – you will stay in Cabin A. Cabin B and so forth … get ready to hear who your new roommates are. Once you get your cabin’s roster – head out as fast as you can. In your cabin will be individual gifts from Chad, which were handpicked for each of you.”

  The girls let out a collective squeal. Anne’s heart did a small leap, but she kept it in check. The thought of Chad taking time to pick out anything for her was exciting. But she still thought this could be a ruse, so she couldn’t let herself get too involved in the process.

  She watched as Cara’s name was the fifth called, which finished up the names for cabin A. She gave a silent prayer of thanks that enemy number one wasn’t one of her bunkmates.

  Terence proceeded to call out contestants, one by one. She watched as the girls dwindled down, name-by-name until it was down to the last five standing on the porch. She looked to her new roommates, and wasn’t too displeased. Of the group, she seemed to get a mild mixture. A couple of them, who were part of Cara’s entourage, weren’t making Anne jump for joy but she wasn’t devastated either.

  As she recalled what Kamryn said early on … she hoped the two in her cabin, who were on the Cara-bandwagon, would soon realize what the diva was all about. She also hoped they wouldn’t give her any trouble.

  Vera, Alyssa, Kamryn, and Danielle quickly picked up their bags and hurried down the path toward cabin D, with Anne. Once over the ridge and through the trees, old rustic cabins came into view.

  Anne’s face lit up. It was the most modest accommodations she’d seen in while. All four cabins sat in a circle facing a fire pit, with log benches surrounding the common area. She passed what she could assume was the bathroom, only to see a set of open showers and groaned. So far, that was the only disappointment she could point out. Her mind was spinning on ways she would shower without interruption of anyone else, and hoped the cameras wouldn’t be allowed access near there.

  Anne took the steps leading up to cabin D and gingerly stepped through the screen door. It smelled just as she thought it would – like cedar and dust. The windows were open blowing the tree’s natural musk throughout. And when she thought it couldn’t get any better, she saw how intricate their bunks were. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to personalize them. Each one had a name above it, so she quickly scanned the room to find hers.

  She was happy to see that Kamryn’s was above hers, and watched as her friend took the rungs up to her new bunk and leapt onto her pink comforter and into the pink furry pillows, which adorned the area against the thin wooden walls.

  “This doesn’t make sense. Nice luxury linens in such a musty old place.” Kamryn laughed. “But I like it!”

  Once Anne sunk into hers, the first thing she saw was Kamryn’s head popping down from above. Her long hair hung below her, as she grinned upside down toward her. She reminded her of a child she would have gone to camp with, as a kid.

  “This is the coolest bed ever! This is nothing like camp as I remember it.” Kamryn laughed and whipped her head back up to enjoy her new digs.

  “It’s unexpected alright.” Anne sighed and leaned against her turquoise fluffy comforter. It was her favorite color. She wondered if they did that on purpose.

  “Is this supposed to be our gift?” Alyssa asked and plopped down with disappointment. “I don’t get it. This is horrible.” She wondered why Anne and Kamryn were so happy.

  “What are you smiling about? We’re in a hell hole with no bachelor and our accommodations are as far from luxurious as you can get.” Vera asked from across the cabin. “What’s with you two?” She looked to her other cabin mates, and whispered, “They’re disturbed.”

  Alyssa and Danielle nodded. Both were hoping their fancy sheets and bed set weren’t their gift.

  What no one noticed in all the commotion was that at the foot of each bunk was a couple of old dusty trundle chests. Each had a sticky note on the front, near the lock. Since they blended in with the drab background, none of the girls had yet to notice them.

  Anne smirked. “Have you ever been to camp? Any of you?” She turned to Kamryn. “I know you have.”

  Kamryn nodded and lifted her eyebrow to the rest of the group.

  The three girls shook their head. “No.” They said in unison.

  Vera shrunk into her massive pillows and pouted. “And I’d rather not start now. You mean we really have to unpack and stay here? Ugh!” She grabbed a pillow, buried her face in it and screamed.

  Kamryn hopped down to jump on the corner of Vera’s comforter, playfully pulling back the pillow from her face.

  “Come on, Vera. It’s going to be fun. And if you’ll notice there are a few cameras installed inside and outside… so make every second count girl. Who knows who could be watching and what they’re going to do with it.”

  Vera sat up at the reminder of cameras and smiled. “You’re right Kamryn … I guess.” She looked around, still smiling for effect. “It’s just not what I had in mind.”

  Anne crossed the room and joined them. She sat down on the trunk at the foot of Vera’s bed. “I think its kind of fun. Look, I took this on like an adventure. I didn’t think anything here was going to be real. I thought it was all going to be so predictable. So far – I’m pleasantly surprised.”

  Allyson chimed in. “You’re weird.”

  “Yeah, I know.” She gave Allyson a satisfied smile. As she stood to unpack, Anne felt something sticking to her leg. She looked down and peeled the sticky note away, seei
ng Vera’s name on it.

  “What the?” Anne looked to all the girls, in awe as they panned the room, noticing the trunks for the first time.

  “Is that for me?” Vera squealed and jumped toward Anne.

  Anne shrugged, handed her the sticky note, and turned to look for her own, as each girl quickly opened their lids to find a handwritten note and a wrapped box inside.

  In comparison, each letter seemed to be consistent. Anne scanned hers and smiled.

  This is a gift in efforts to apologize for not spending time with you at the mansion. But don’t worry - if it’s meant to be, we’ll meet soon. I got you this gift in hopes that you will know what to do with it. Enjoy your time here and make the most of it.

  Can’t wait to meet you, Chad

  Chad watched multiple monitors as all the girls screamed with joy and dove into their wrapping paper. He hoped they would understand their gifts, and know what to do with them. He especially hoped Anne would get the meaning behind hers.

  Anne cautiously reached for the ornate paper, skillfully unwrapping her box. She hid her smile when she saw what was inside.

  Although the girls received individually hand picked items, on the surface they seemed very random. Anne looked around her, and saw the looks of confusion.

  Kamryn pulled out some stationary and an expensive pen set. She delighted in running her hand along the wooden box, which held they sat in.

  Alyssa unwrapped hers and slowly pulled out a long ribbon, with a whistle attached. She dangled the whistle in front of her face with a look of disdain.

  Danielle flipped through a set of empty sheet music, wondering what she was supposed to do with it. Her brows furrowed and she let out a deep sigh.

  Vera’s face lit up, like a kid at Christmas, as she pulled out the expensive gift set full of Mac makeup and make-up brushes. She immediately started opening all her new colors.

  Anne pulled her top of the line chef bowl set out one by one and stacked them inside of one another. It came with many other tools she could use in a chef’s kitchen. She smiled at the thought. She thought it to be very personal and thoughtful.