“Great.” The girl sighed, casting her eyes over the crowd, many of whom were standing in the congested foyer. Well, at least we’re sitting, she consoled herself while continuing to frown.
A few minutes later, they were shown to a table, and the boys eagerly unwrapped their crayons to work on their masterpieces. Grinning at the youngsters, Bailey inquired, “You guys want chicken strips tonight?”
Jase and Jess agreed in unison, and Bailey chose a steak with a baked potato and salad. Pulling out her phone, she skimmed through her news feed to discover that a few hundred people had liked and commented on her final post. Darkening her device, she emitted a large sigh. Man, this sucks. I have to find a way to get home.
Eating her dinner in silence, she peered around at their quaint surroundings. Eventually, she allowed herself to ponder what her friends were doing at the moment, her mood descending further when her mind turned to what her evening would have held in store if she hadn’t been dragged away from her normal life.
Peter ate in near silence, only occasionally asking the boys a question or answering one of theirs. He noted the two of them were deeply attached and got along extremely well. He grinned while watching them, happy they were taking all the changes in stride. The girl on the other hand, appeared sullen and seldom had anything positive to say.
Realizing he had to return to work the following morning and the kids had school, he chose to keep their outing short. Only making a quick stop at the grocery store before heading back to the apartment, he wanted to ensure everyone would get a good night of sleep in their new home. In the end, he wasn’t sure what he would do about the auburn-haired girl and her attitude, but he knew he needed to figure it out quick. Otherwise, I’ll have to decide how I’m gonna get rid of her.
Four
Prom Queen
Rising early after a fitful sleep, Bailey chose her attire for her first day at school. A new place and new kids. She thought she should be nervous but had a dull ache in her chest instead—and the longing to go home. She had been nominated for prom queen, which would be taking place the weekend coming up. She exhaled loudly at the realization she would miss it.
“Why did they have to die?” she whispered under her breath. It has ruined everything. She knew she wouldn’t win, senior girls always did, but it was still her moment to shine, and it was gone.
Pulling on her jeans and shirt, she moved to the bathroom, where she put on her makeup and styled her long tresses. Bailey firmly put her dark thoughts aside while she worked. I need to make a few friends here, and carrying around all that baggage isn’t going to help that happen. Besides, thinking about losing her parents was painful, and she would do whatever it took to avoid it.
Hearing sounds outside the door, the girl finished her primping, then practiced smiling into the mirror. Choosing the one she liked the best, she made sure she could reach the expression easily and began rehearsing her story. Making her way to the kitchen, the eggs and bacon her uncle had prepared smelled delicious, and she sneered at the idea that the role of maid suited him.
“Do I need to wake the boys?” she inquired sedately.
“Not yet,” Pete replied, filling their plates. “I’ll call them in a few minutes.” Replacing the skillet on the stove, he gathered some papers and took his seat in front of the steaming meal. “Let’s get you squared away first. Then I can deal with them.”
Glancing over at the stack, “What’s all this?” She could tell one of the items was a map, but its purpose, so far, was unclear.
“Well, you don’t have a vehicle, and since everything is spread out, you’re gonna need a way to get around,” he replied calmly, causing the girl’s jaw to drop.
“Mom or dad took me everywhere,” her voice squeaked slightly. I hadn’t thought of that.
“Yeah, well, as there’s only one o’ me an’ I work all day, you’ll be taking the bus.” He pushed the map towards her as he spoke, ignoring her gaping expression. “This’s the layout of the routes, an’ I marked the area where you’re allowed to go. All o’ this stuff”—he dragged his fingers over portions that had been shaded with a pencil—“is a no-fly zone. You can go to school, and you can be here at the apartment. This’s the mall.” He thumped the page. “An’ this’s Wal-Mart.”
“Wal-Mart?” she scoffed. “Who the hell shops at Wal-Mart?”
Cutting his eyes up to glare at her without raising his chin, he clipped, “From now on, you do.” Folding his hands in front of his face, he tapped his extended index fingers against his lips, resisting the urge to belittle her. “I know your mother had her way of doing things, but she’s gone. You’ll find that I’m a lot simpler t’ live with. A lot less complicated. No maids, no entertaining—just ordinary.”
The girl stared at him, turning her fork over her plate. Clenching her teeth, she could feel the hot flush rising in her neck. “What’s wrong with the way my mother did things?” she demanded curtly, emphasizing the word mother loudly.
“Not a thing.” Peter lifted his cup to sip the warm brew. Leaning back in his chair, he allowed the pause to grow long, watching the fire in the girl’s green eyes. “You’re a lot like her. Uptight. You should learn to relax more. Enjoy your life, Bailey.” Rising, he left her to look over the materials while he got the boys up and ready to leave.
Reaching over with an extended finger, the girl pushed the map to the side, finding a few pieces of paper and a card with Bus Pass in bold letters across it. Lifting it to inspect it more closely, she discovered she could use it for an unlimited number of rides, valid for the entire month.
“I guess I’ll get a new one when I need it?” she asked, her voice considerably quieter when he rejoined her.
“Yeah.” He flopped into his seat. “I’ll get you a new one on the first. It’ll do to finish out this year, an’ we can discuss your transportation for next year after you’ve settled in.” He smiled at her, noticing the small pout that she wore. “You’ll be ok. The bus is perfectly safe. Stick to the places I gave you, an’ you’ll be fine.”
The boys joined them at that moment, and Bailey quickly downed the rest of her breakfast while they ate cereal and milk. Rinsing her plate and fork, she loaded them into the dishwasher and went to brush her teeth, a little forlorn at the sound of her brothers’ laughter. They don’t even seem to care that mom and dad are gone.
The small party arrived at the elementary school a short time later, where registering the boys only took a few minutes. Bailey and her uncle walked them to their class, their excitement easy to see as they chattered to one another and pointed out their new surroundings.
Hanging back while her uncle introduced the boys to their teacher, she speculated the fact that they had each other made it seem so easy for them. Me, on the other hand… She rolled her eyes with a sigh. I’m on my own.
Returning to the Suburban a few minutes later, the silence hung heavily between them. During the ride the few blocks to the high school, Bailey gasped. “What about the boys…if you have to work? How’re they getting home?”
Peter grinned at her sudden concern for someone other than herself and collected his thoughts a moment before he responded. “They’re going to a daycare after school. They’ll be picked up, an’ I’ll get them on my way home in the evening. There’s food at the house, an’ since you’ll be arriving first, I’d appreciate it if you’d start dinner for us around five o’clock.”
Her mouth hung open slightly. “And what makes you think I can cook?”
“There’s some frozen dinners in the freezer from our shopping last night. Just follow the directions on the box. You can read, can’t you?” he suggested, baring his perfect white teeth as if to mock her.
“Yes, I can read.” She turned back to the window, noting the size of the building and the amount of traffic surrounding her new campus. “How many kids are here?”
“I think it’s two or three thousand,” he replied. “There’s two high schools, and they’re both full. Like I said,
the town’s booming right now, so there’s not enough places to live, and everywhere you go, it’s crowded.”
“You found a place to live.” She turned to watch his reaction to her prodding.
“Yeah.” He pursed his lips. “My company pulled some strings to get the apartment for me so you guys would have a place to stay.”
She frowned at his simple and brief response but let it go for the time being.
Parking in a visitor’s spot, the pair climbed out of the vehicle and crossed the busy street. “I see the bus stop down there.” Peter pointed to the left side of the building. “That’s where you’ll catch the bus this afternoon. You’ll have to swipe your pass, so make sure you don’t lose it or you’re stuck.”
Bailey grunted with a nod, still angry that she was going to be taking public transportation. “I won’t lose it. I’m not stupid,” she spat, earning her a dark glance at the front doors.
Inside, her schedule waited for her, as her records had been faxed from her previous school. “Do I need to walk you to class?” her guardian teased, his eyes darting around the bustling breezeway outside the office.
“God, no! I don’t need a babysitter.” Bailey turned her back on him and walked away, leaving him standing alone in the sea of bodies.
Making it through her day, Bailey used her smile often, glad that she had worked it out before leaving the house. Eager to begin rebuilding her network, she found a group of girls to go to lunch with and took great care not to get too personal with them. Like her uncle had said, the town was booming, and therefore new kids weren’t that unusual; she didn’t even have to explain why she was there.
Catching her bus at the end of the day, she noted a boy she had met in a class took a seat on it as well. Watching him from the corner of her eye, she studied the wide holes in his ears that his gages held in place. She could also see the large silver ring he had placed in his nose, which had not been there earlier.
Noticing her stare, he smiled. “I have to take it out every morning and put it in after school. They don’t let you wear anything but earrings on campus.”
“That’s stupid,” she responded, moving to the empty seat next to him. “Have you been here long?”
“Naw.” He shook his head slowly as he spoke. “My dad got a job here. Half the people I know are from somewhere else.”
“I see.” She gave him her smile, liking the way his dark hair stood on end, forming three-inch-tall spikes all over his head. I’ve never had a boyfriend before, but I bet this guy would piss Uncle Pete off pretty good. Keeping up the conversation, she pointed out on her map where she was headed, causing him to laugh.
“I live in those apartments, too.” He indicated the general location of his family’s dwelling. “They’re new. We were one of the first families on the list. Lived in a motel until then.”
“A motel?” She widened her green orbs, feigning interest.
“Well, hotel. You know what I mean.” He wrinkled his nose, pointing again. “Anyways, this is where we get on and off the bus.” Arriving at their destination a few minutes later, they stood and exited the transport.
“See ya later,” he called over his shoulder, his leaving her standing alone surprising.
Hmmm, he must be playing hard to get, she mused to herself. Bailey had never dated by choice, but she never had a shortage of young men in pursuit of her. She called it keeping her options open, but in reality, it had been done as most things were—to please her mother.
Glancing across the street, she could see businesses in the next block, which formed a huge strip mall. An enormous banner that read Now Hiring hung on the front of some type of eatery, judging by the tables and chairs on the patio in front of it. Her smile curling into a twisted sneer, she walked quickly to the corner to cross at the light and made her way to the door.
Inside, she asked for an application, which she quickly completed and returned to the counter. Taking it, the skinny kid at the register surprised her.
“One sec. My boss wants to see you.”
So she gave him her smile and stood to the side.
A moment later, an equally thin man in a dark blue shirt and bright red tie offered her his hand. “Hi. I’m Mark.”
“Wow. I thought I would have to wait for a response,” she informed him, breathing deeply while he steered her towards a booth.
“Oh, no.” He chuckled slightly. “We need help, and finding it is hard to do around here.”
“Is it? I wouldn’t know, I guess. I just got here yesterday.” She gave him a grin.
“I see here you have no employment history.” He indicated the empty section with a pen.
“No, I’ve always done volunteer work back home. I can provide some references, if that would help.” She held the expression, growing nervous she might not get the job.
“That won’t be necessary. Why don’t you tell me about yourself?” He grinned at her encouragingly, and she didn’t hesitate to fill him in on most of her essentials, only leaving out the reason she had made the trip to live with her uncle or the fact that she wasn’t with her parents.
Fifteen minutes later, he held out his hand and said crisply, “Congratulations. You’re hired. When can you start?”
“When can you put me on the schedule?” she shot back evenly.
A slight rumble of laughter escaped his throat. “Nice. Tomorrow night, five o’clock. Here, let me give you a shirt, and you’ll need a pair of black or khaki-colored pants and white shoes. Oh, and don’t forget the belt.” Leading her to the back of the store, he handed her two red shirts. “And welcome aboard!” He shook her hand again heartily.
Stopping at the small boutique on the other side of the burger shop, she located two black pairs of pants and a belt to complete her uniform. Then, walking briskly to the apartment, Bailey used her key to get inside and rushed to the kitchen to pull a box out of the freezer.
So much for me being the maid, she quipped as she set the oven to preheat. Guess he’ll have to find his own damn way to cook dinner since I’ll be working. Sliding the baking tray onto the rack and slamming the door, she grabbed her books and headed down the hall, swinging her auburn hair behind her.
Five
Secret Lives
“You got a job?” Peter Mason demanded loudly between bites. “Why the hell would you get a job?” His voice resonated with angry accusation for a brief moment before he succeeded in reeling in his emotions. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Bailey,” he managed a calmer tone. “You’ve only been here a day, and you’ve got a lot of adjusting to do.”
“Yes.” She grinned sweetly. “And I’ve always had something to keep me busy.” And being house mother isn’t going to be it, she tossed at him telepathically. “I won’t overdo it. Don’t worry. But you’ll have to figure out what you’re going to do about dinner since I won’t be here in the evenings.” She smiled innocently, hiding her elation that she had succeeded at getting under his skin.
The man stared at her for a moment, then decided to let it go. “Well, in that case, the boys an’ I will have dinner before we come home. That’ll save us the time of cooking. Or we’ll work it out.” God damn it. I knew this bitch was gonna be trouble. He glared at the girl, mentally stewing in his anger.
Turning to his nephews, “So, how was school today?” his tone immediately lightened when he addressed the youngsters. “Did you make some new friends?”
The twins eagerly joined the conversation, having stored up a full day worth of adventures. Peter smiled at the way the pair played off one another, filling in any gaps and painting a vivid picture of third grade life in Midland, Texas. Happy to have the distraction to keep him from making things worse with his niece, he and the boys retired to the living room for games and laughter as soon as the table had been cleared and the dishwasher set.
Leaving them to their controllers, Bailey made her way to her sparsely furnished room and snatched her phone off the charger. She hadn’t bothered to mess with F
acebook or her friends much since her arrival, but after having a look around, she knew she needed the network.
I think I want a new profile though, she plotted as the system booted. I don’t want these kids here meshing with my friends back home. Keep those boundaries clear. Watching the little wheel spin, indicating the app was connecting, she waited. A minute later, she closed it and started it again.
“Well, damn,” she cursed aloud when she noticed the small circle with a line across it at the top of the screen. “No bars.” Grabbing the knob and swinging the door wide, she stomped down the hall. “Hey, Uncle Darling, I have no service.” She waved the device at him for emphasis.
Staring at her blankly, he considered her words for a moment. “Yeah, well, we’ll have to get you switched over to my plan, I guess. Maybe this weekend we’ll have time.”
Her jaw dropped slightly, realizing it would be four days before she could do anything. “Why can’t we go now?” she bit angrily.
“Because I’m busy now,” he replied, turning back to the screen and unpausing the game, his attention back on the boys. “Ok, so what do I do with this thing?”
“You throw it,” Jess continued to give his uncle directions, giggling loudly. “You suck at this, Uncle Pete.”
“Hey, don’t use that kinda language.” His guardian reached over to poke him in the belly with a stiff finger. “An’ I’m gettin’ better.”
Putting her hands on her hips, Bailey wanted to scream. Sorry bastard. She shook her head in disgust, realizing she had been dismissed. He fawns over them like they were the best thing since sliced bread and couldn’t care less about me. I’m the extra baggage, so why doesn’t he just send me home and be done with it?
She slammed the door to her room as she sauntered inside. That’s what I’m gonna do. I’m going to make him SO REGRET making me come here. I was a nice girl, but those days are DONE. Flopping down on her bed and rolling onto her back, she turned the useless phone in her hands, thinking about the boy with the big ring in his face.
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