Evicted

by Traci Sek

  Finally, I spot Kate standing at the school entrance. I start to shout at her but quickly notice a boy walk up. He hugs and kisses her. I put my hand down immediately and move in for a closer look. Maybe it isn't my sister.

  Nope, it is, and who is the guy kissing her? Kate’s smiling and touching his chest, and they seem to be in a heart to heart conversation. His nose is touching hers. I had to find out who the guy is. I continue to slither through the crowd of kids trying not to be seen by Kate. Finally, I’m close enough. I watch as he gives her one last kiss and turns to leave. I take a long look at his face and gasp. It’s Ryan, Sarah's son. What the hell is she thinking? I move back towards the street, discreetly, and wait. "Kate," I yell as I wave my arm in the air.

  "Jessa! Hey, what are you doing here?"

  "I thought I would walk with you today, catch up. I feel like we haven't talked in a year."

  "Oh, ok," she says hesitantly.

  "So, what's new?" I ask, curious to see what she will tell me versus what I saw.

  "Um nothing really, just lots of end of the year exams. Preparing for the big ones, you know boring stuff."

  "Oh, really, that's all?" I laugh nervously.

  "Yeah, pretty much." She avoids eye contact with me.

  "Oh, come on, I tell you everything Kate including things about Spencer. You better fess up before I go tell Dad what I saw."

  Kates' eyes grow wide. "Jessa, were you spying on me?"

  "No, but that's not the point. You, Ryan, kissing?! What's that all about?"

  She hesitates then sighs, "alright. I like Ryan a lot, and we've been secretly dating."

  I gasp again. "Kate! Do you know what could happen if Roy found out?"

  "I know! And for the love of God, stop calling him Roy, it’s Dad."

  I roll my eyes.

  "Fine. Do you know what Dad would do if he found out, and God only knows about Sarah? It could ruin their relationship," I whisper harshly.

  "I know that's why it's a secret, and I'm counting on you to keep it, Jessa."

  "Well, of course, I will, but you better be careful. What if Dad happened to pick you up today and saw that instead of me? You should really be a little more discreet."

  "Yeah, yeah, I will."

  "I can't believe you and Ryan." Kate hits me on the shoulder, then laughs.

  "Oh Jess, he's freaking amazing. I mean granted this is my first boyfriend and all."

  "Well, I'm happy for you, Kate. Just be careful in more ways than one."

  Kate gives me a confused look, and then the light bulb goes on. "Oh, gosh Jess, never ewe. No, thank you. You don't have to worry in that department."

  "Ok, good.” I decided to tell her what happened at school and about the fundraiser.

  "You should have hauled off and punched her over the table," Kate says in a feisty tone.

  "Well, I told you, Gia and I are on good terms. I promised her no more hitting otherwise I would have."

  "At least they both saw her true colors."

  "Yeah. I hope so."

  "What are you going to do if she comes up to you at the fundraiser?"

  "I'm sure she won't. She's going to be too busy shaking her ass at all the hot guys... She's an attention whore, but if she happens to, I'll do my best to ignore her. I have to start looking my best in front of Spencer."

  "Well, good luck with that." We both laugh.

  ***

  I make sure I get up early enough this morning, to make it to the fundraiser on time. I slide on a tank top, black shorts, and hurry out the door. I still have no idea how to ask Roy for prom tickets. I don't want to hear his answer. Spencer also never told me what time this whole thing starts.

  The fundraiser is being held in the school parking lot, and it's slightly off a busy road. As I arrive, I see people at all the different stations. The middle of the parking lot is for the car wash. Buckets, rags, hoses, and soap bottles are lined up in a circle. To the right of the parking lot sits a big stand with the words lemonade written in big black bold letters. Underneath it, says $1.00. Next to the stand sits a few opened chairs, which I assume are for people to sit while their car is washed. To the left of the parking lot, sits four empty brown boxes. I walk over to take a closer look. Each one is labeled in a different category—drinks, canned food, boxed foods, and miscellaneous. Maybe take out some description here...

  "Wow, you're here early!" I whip around to see Spencer's bright smiling face. He’s dressed in long checkered beach shorts and a plain red t-shirt which suited him perfectly. My heart flutters at the sight of him.

  "Yeah. I forgot to ask what time it started."

  He smacks his forehead. "My bad, I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you and Gia. It starts at ten am, in about an hour and a half."

  "Oh, good. So, what am I supposed to be doing?" I had a pretty good idea, but any extra time with Spencer was alright in my book.

  "Well," he points to the boxes. "When and if people bring canned goods, they will come to you first. You give them one of these pink tickets, which provides them with a dollar off their car wash to thank them for donating.” He hands me the tickets, and our hands touch for a second. They are warm and smooth.

  "Thanks," I quickly replied, avoiding his gaze. "That's a great idea."

  "Yeah, it was advertised, so hopefully people will remember. If they don't have any canned goods, don’t give them the slip and try to keep up. Some people might try to get two tickets or something. It's one per car and ask if they have any donations if they say yes, their car will be directed to you. Now, I managed to get one hundred volunteers: most to help wash cars faster. Two other lovely ladies will join you."

  "Spencer! Come here," another girl shouts from afar.

  "Sorry, duty calls."

  "It's ok, go. I got this!"

  He smiles at me, his breathtaking signature smile and turns, running towards the girl. A little while later, the two girls in my section arrive, girls I haven't met before. They are seniors. It’s already a hot day for May. I get to know the girls and wait for cars when I see Julia stride in. She’s wearing a black bikini top with tiny jean shorts and white sneakers. Her long black hair now in a messy bun. I can't help but roll my eyes. Control yourself today, Jess. I reiterate to myself—Show Spencer and this school that I can be better than what I have shown so far.

  Cars start rolling in, and I quickly set my attention to the task at hand. Almost every car that comes in has food donations. Compliment after compliment about how wonderful my school is for doing such charity work streams through each car. It makes me feel great, knowing I’m subconsciously helping others. Maybe this was the type of work I wanted to do once I graduated. Up until now, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I hadn't even given it a second thought. Spencer came over occasionally to move the full boxes and put new ones in their place. I couldn't help but steal a glance each time. Finally, my break came, and Gia strolls over.

  "Hey, girl! How's it going over here?"

  "It's going. It's awesome how many donations we got so far."

  "Yeah, I see that. It's pretty busy with the lemonade stand as well."

  Out the corner of my eye, I see Spencer, who’s talking to the person I hate the most in this world, Julia. I watch as Julia puts her hand on his shoulder and throws her head back in laughter. The rage in me is boiling in my stomach. What could possibly be so funny?

  "Uh, hello," Gia says, waving her hand in my face. I force myself to focus back on Gia.

  "I'm sorry."

  "Where did you just go?" My eyes travel once again to where they were standing. Gia follows my gaze.

  "Oh, Lord girl, you need to stop. I mean, if that makes you mad, then you need to tell him how you feel."

  I hesitate. "I kissed him."

  Gia gasps. "Wait. What? When?" Her eyes are wide and confused.

  "When I was suspended. He came to give me school work, and we were talking. He said all this nice stuff to me, and I couldn't help it, I just kissed him. I'll ad
mit it was awkward afterward, but he didn't really say anything; he just got up and left."

  I find myself saying this all in one fell swoop of breath. Gia’s still standing with a stunned expression. She finally speaks.

  "Wow. I had no idea. He didn't mention anything to me."

  "Yeah, he hasn't brought it up to me either. It's like he doesn't care."

  "I'm sure he does. He's just been busy with everything; maybe he's waiting for the right time like prom," she says enthusiastically.

  "I'm not going."

  "Why not?"

  "Because you know Roy, he will never give me thirty bucks for a ticket, let alone money for a dress and shoes."

  "How are things at home? I have been so wrapped in my problems; I haven't asked you."

  "Eh, it's a little better now that he's dating this girl. At least he's kept his job, and we haven't been evicted yet."

  "See, things are looking up! Just ask him, don't rule it out yet."

  "Yeah, I guess."

  "And if you need someone to do your hair and makeup, I volunteer."

  I smile. "Thanks for the offer. I'll let you know."

  "Oh, here comes a car. I better get back." Gia runs off back to her station leaving me standing alone. Julia and Spencer have since separated leaving me feeling agitated. The day finally ends and as much as I try to say goodbye to Spencer, I can't. He’s surrounded by all the people trying to clean and get ready for the next day. I don't want to bother him so I head home. When I open the door, Sarah, Ryan, and Kate are sitting on the couch. Kate’s trying not to be obvious that she and Ryan like each other.

  "Hi, Jessa," Sarah chirps, getting up from the couch. "How are you?" She stretches out her arms for a hug. I give her a light squeeze.

  "I’m good, just a little tired. What's going on?"

  "Well, your father invited us over for a nice dinner."

  I look towards the kitchen and see Roy pulling a tray out of the beat-up oven that came with the apartment. I take a big sniff of the smell wafting through the air. It was baked chicken: Roy's signature dish. He hasn't cooked it since before our mom got sick, and It smells delicious. I still can’t believe how much Sarah has changed my father in such a short period of time.

  “Hi Jessa, how was the fundraiser?” my dad asks as he pulls his oven mitts off.

  I shrug. “It was alright. We had a lot of cars so that was good.”

  “Good to hear. You are just on time for my specialty chicken.”

  We all sit around the small cramped table and eat. I figure now is the best time to bring up prom. Maybe with Sarah being here, he will be in a good mood.

  "So, Dad," I begin. He raises his head to look at me. "Um, the school prom is coming, and I really want to go." I don't look at him or continue. I poke at my chicken with my fork.

  "I don't see why not. When is it?" I look up at him.

  "Really? It's May 20th."

  He looks at the calendar "That's ten days from now." He shrugs his shoulders. "I don't see why that would be a problem."

  He then continues to eat, and I try to contain my smile.

  "Great. I’m going to need thirty bucks for the ticket and a dress and shoes."

  His eyes go wide as he swallows his food. "Thirty dollars? Don't you think that's a little expensive?"

  "Well, it's not at school, Dad. It's at Marcie's Banquet Hall. They provide us dinner and everything."

  "Oh," he pulls at the collar of his dress shirt. "Well, I think I can afford thirty dollars, but a dress, I don't think I can do Jess plus shoes? That's like a whole paycheck."

  "That's ok, Dad. I knew it would be too much, just forget it."

  "No, wait," Sarah chimes in. "I'll buy you a dress and shoes."

  I look at her, shocked.

  "Oh, no, I can't let you do that." Roy puts his hand on hers.

  "No, I want to. We can make a day of it, get to know each other. How does that sound?" She turns and looks at me. On the one hand, I get to go to prom. On the other, I would have to spend the day with Sarah, possibly open up. Which is something I’m not yet ready to do. I decide prom is more important.

  "Um yeah. That would be great if you really don't mind?" I answer shyly.

  "No, not at all." Sarah smiles and continues, "well, it's settled. I'll pick you up next Saturday, and we can go."

  I feel like hugging her, but I refrain. Instead, I simply smile.

  Preparations

  As agreed, Sarah shows up on Saturday bright and early to take me shopping.

  "So, I want to thank you again for taking me today, but I don't exactly deserve it," I state, looking out the car window. I can't bring myself to look at her. I’m too ashamed of how I acted before.

  "Why do you say that?" Sarah asks.

  "Well, the night at your house, I wasn't the nicest."

  "Oh, nonsense. You're a teenage girl who's lost her mom, and your world has been turned upside down. I totally understand."

  "You do?"

  "Yes. I lost my mom when I was little, to cancer also. I was Kate's age, but I didn't have an older sister to look up to like Kate does with you. I had a younger brother, and my father was a raging alcoholic and couldn't be bothered. So, my grandparents took us in. I was grateful, and I never spoke to my father again, so I don't know if he remarried. I do understand what it feels like to lose a mother and now a husband. Ryan wasn't the easiest to deal with, either. When I first lost Scott, Ryan was lost; he cried for days, and then nothing. It was like he was numb; he was just an empty shell."

  I can't believe she’s opening up to me so soon, but I liked it.

  Sarah continued," long story short, lots of therapy, fighting, and rebelliousness from him, and he finally got over it."

  "Wow, I'm so sorry," I murmur.

  "Oh, don't be. It's life. It's hard, but in the end, happiness always wins. When I met your father, he was broken. I must admit, I felt his pain and wanted to help. So, we started talking and I listened. I think it was the therapy he needed to get out of his black hole. He told me all about you and Kate, and he knew he was a terrible dad, but he felt horrible, Jess. It was so painful to look at you girls and see nothing but your mom. He didn't know how to get past that."

  "And now he's ok?" I ask.

  "Well, not completely, but he's much better than he was when I first met him. It will take a while. Anyway, after talking so much, he asked me to lunch, and we hit it off. That's when we started dating. We needed each other to complete that hole in our hearts, and we make each other happy, Jess. I know that's hard for you to take in."

  "Yeah, it is." I felt like crying. I wipe a tear from my eye and look back out the window.

  We pull into the large mall parking lot and park, but before I can open the door, Sarah puts her hand gently on my shoulder.

  "I just want you to know that I'm here for you if ever you need me, and I want today to be fun."

  I look at her and nod in agreement. I’m relieved that the conversation is over, but I also feel satisfied at the same time.

  "So, where shall we go first?" Sarah asks as we walk through the big glass doors.

  "Um... well, I heard Malloy's dress shop was the place to go."

  "Alright, then Malloy's it is," Sarah smiles. "I'm so excited! I always wanted a daughter to do this with."

  I’m not sure how to respond, so I leave it alone. The mall is already packed even though it’s only ten in the morning. We finally find Malloy's and walk in. Girls are everywhere, trying on dresses and shoes. The selection of dresses are quickly dwindling, since it was just a few days before prom. Seven days to be exact.

  "So, which color are you aiming for?"

  "I like purple or lilac," I respond, trying to squeeze through the crowd of cackling girls.

  "Ok. I'll grab all the purple and lilac ones."

  Sarah manages to grab four different dresses. I wait patiently for a fitting room and as soon as one opens I dart to it. The first dress is deep purple with frill sat the end resembling a t
utu, and only comes to my knees. No way. The second dress is a lighter color of purple with sparkles running down the sides to the floor. Too long, I think to myself as I shimmy out of it. The third dress fits perfectly and flows down to my ankles... I twirl around in the mirror, and like that it’s strapless and silky. I love it. It feels so right, I decide to step out to show Sarah.

  "What do you think?" Sarah gasps. "Oh, Jessa, that's the dress!" "I agree," I breathe and smile at her.

  "I think I have just the shoes for you." She holds out a pair of silver high heels that slip on through several rows of straps with a dangling silver bead in the middle. I pull them on and stand in the mirror. I can't help but imagine Spencerstaring at me in awe. The thought causes a ripple of excitement to jolt me.

  "Are you sure it's not too expensive?" I ask, turning to face Sarah. I try not to look too desperate and tell myself to not get attached in case her answer is no.

  "Don't worry about a thing," she simply responds. I quickly change and gather my things to cash out. We grab lunch and head back home.

  "I had a great day getting to know you, Jessa."

  "Yes, me, too, and thank you again for buying me this stuff."

  "You're quite welcome."

  I guess Sarah isn't such a bad person after all. Although it hurt to know she might take my mom's place, I’m satisfied that she isn't a monster.

  ***

  I can barely contain myself as I sit in class Monday morning. As soon as Gia is away from Julia, I run up to her.

  "Gia! I'm going to prom!"

  "Really? So, your dad gave you money for the tickets?"

  "Yeah, crazy, I know!" We both laugh.

  "And what about your dress?" Gia asks.

  "Another unbelievable miracle. Sarah, my dad's girlfriend, offered to buy my dress and shoes. We went shopping Saturday!"

  "Oh, that's great, Jess! I'm happy for you! They are selling tickets at lunch. I'm buying mine then."

  "Ok, sounds good. I will too."

  "Oh," Gia exclaims! "I know you don't want to hear this, but me, Julia, Julia's date, and Alex are renting a limo. Do you want to join us? You don't have to worry about paying. You can be dropped off at my house and get ready there, and I can do your hair and makeup."