by Holly Hood
“Mason,” he told her, smiling his usual smile. I could feel Aunt Wanda’s stare from the other end of the table. I knew she wanted me to keep cool and not get jealous.
“How old are ya’ll?” She poured a glass of ice tea, watching us as if we were the most interesting thing she had ever seen before.
“I’m twenty and Mason is twenty-two,” I said, taking in her big white teeth that were a little too perfect if you asked me. She got her lips from her father—if that was who he was to her. I assumed he was seeing they were perfect. She was a ball of energy. I was certain every boy in the town had a thing for her. I was trying to like her, but it was difficult.
“Yeah, I turn twenty-three in a month,” he told her, watching her narrowly as he spoke.
“Well, I’m, eighteen and Noah, my brother, he’s—”
“Twenty-one,” Noah said interrupting. He took a seat. I shot a look at the cocky blonde, caught off guard by his ominous personality.
His hair was dirty dish water blonde, all gelled and tousled. He had a prominent jaw line, sleek nose and baby blues. When he talked, his gaze shifted from the floor back up to the person he was addressing.
“Hi, I’m Noah, nice to meet you.” He moved his gaze to Mason. “You too.” He rested his napkin on his lap below the table.
“Kendall,” I said, looking at my food. I knew his type. He was the overly confident kid who thought any girl would be lucky to have him, the arrogant fool that was always proved wrong in the end. I could tell he was probably the type who would never admit he was wrong. He would let it build until he was an even nastier person. I was willing to place a bet on it.
“Well, let’s eat,” Anna said, coming back into the room with a fresh basket of biscuits. She pulled her apron strings, hanging her apron over the back of her chair and took her seat.
This was a moment in my life that I hoped had a civilized outcome.
Everyone dived right into the food Anna had made for all of us. Sausage links, eggs, pancakes, waffles, hash browns and biscuits. Anna knew how to cook. Her smile showed how pleased she was with the result of all her hard work. She sipped her coffee, watching everyone enjoy her food.
“So tell me Wanda, what’s it like back home?” Roger asked, buttering his biscuit. I looked at Wanda. She took a mouthful of food, chewing slowly, probably trying to think of a lie.
As more time ticked by Aunt Wanda still had provided no reply. Now everyone’s eyes were on her.
Payton fidgeted in her chair uneasily. Anna stood, quickly taking empty dishes from the table. I caught Lainey and Noah staring at me.
“Well, I don’t know, Roger. That town will never change. You know that. Always the same and always will be,” Aunt Wanda said, she picked up her glass of orange juice.
Anna returned, carrying a basket of muffins. Her need to feed everyone seemed never-ending.
“Fresh blueberry,” she told me, offering me muffins. I took one with a smile. I wondered how Lainey stayed so thin with a mother like her.
“So what sort of things are you guys into back home?” Anna asked, sitting back down.
I looked at Mason, hoping he would take his turn and say something. He wasn’t looking too willing though.
“I like to hike and swim. Anything outdoors really,” I stammered, trying to create some sort of truth in my deplorable life.
Anna accepted everything I said, her eyes were warm, she touched my arm. “Well, I’ll tell you, Kendall. Alabama is known for great swimming holes. And I know just the two people who could take you guys out,” she said, casting a look at Lainey and Noah.
Lainey perked up. Noah acted oblivious.
“What about you, Mason?” Lainey said. “What do you like to do?”
Her gaze was dreamier every time she looked at Mason.
“I played baseball back home. I guess you could say sports and whatever.” He shrugged her off.
“Well, would you like a tour? You could get out of the house and take a little walk. The kids would be more than happy to show you around,” Anna said, clasping her hands together in enthusiasm. She acted as if we all were supposed to do the same.
“It’s no big deal if it’s too much,” I said looking at Noah. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be around someone who acted so rude.
Noah looked at his mother then me. He sat up straighter, stretching, his biceps flexing. “It’s not a problem. I’m sure we will have a good time,” he said, raising an eyebrow at me. Mason looked at him, bothered. He sat up, crossing his arms over his chest. Lainey watched closely.
Anna was pleased. She shooed us outside. Aunt Wanda shot us a surreptitious warning glare before we slipped out of view. Payton was already back at the duplex, not hanging around any longer then she had to.
Mason and I started down the stairs. I walked closely beside him as Lainey and Noah led the way down the driveway.
“I feel like I am a part of the Brady bunch right now. Shoot me please,” he said, kicking stones across the country road.
“I think they’re nice,” I said, looking at Noah as he snagged a branch from the tree he was passing by.
“Yeah because he looks so thrilled to be here right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if he isn’t as psychotic as other people I know.” He shook his head.
I laughed. We headed into a green grassy field. Lainey turned making sure we were still following. I stopped laughing before she thought I was making fun of her. She chewed at her thumb, lost in thought. When she almost tripped she finally returned her gaze to the front.
“I think she has a thing for you,” I said softly, poking Mason in his arm.
“Good for her,” he grumbled.
We made our way down a hill into an enormous amount of tall pines, the trees swallowing us.
Noah swung his stick at the trees as he hurried through the brush.
“How much farther,” Mason asked, not pleased with the wilderness. Noah turned around, bringing us all to a sudden halt.
“There’s a bike trail a few more feet. Is this intimidating?” he asked, a cocky smirk pinned to his lips. I bit my lip, the moment a bit amusing. I knew Mason had enough fortitude to deal with Noah’s masculine teasing.
Noah hopped an overturned tree with quickness, his feet landing on the bike trail. I looked around not seeing any bikes anywhere.
“If we walk down here there’s a big stream,” Lainey told us, taking off, not waiting for any of us to follow. I hurried after her, hanging onto the trees to keep from falling on my face. The earth gave way, my feet slipped through the soft soil, before I met the bottom I scrambled sideways looking for something to grab onto.
“Easy there. I thought you said you liked the outdoors?” Noah asked, taking hold of my waist. He lifted me, setting me on solid ground.
“Not off the sides of cliffs,” I muttered, looking at Lainey. She took a seat amid the leaves on the ground. Mason held back a smirk and sat down beside her.
“You have pretty hair,” she said with a nod. If this was how she spoke I was afraid I didn’t have much to say. I held my breath, sifting my brain for something girly to say back. I touched my hair, staring at the trees.
“You don’t have much to say. My friends talk my ears off. We all do actually,” she rattled.
“I’ve never really had many girl friends,” I admitted, shrugging.
“What girl doesn’t have girl friends?” Noah piped in. He sat down, leaning against a tree.
Noah pulled out a pack of cigarettes. I eyed Mason as he lit one up. Mason shrugged. It wasn’t a cigarette at all. He took a long drag and then passed it to Lainey. She hesitated, looking at the two of us before she brought it to her lips.
Lainey coughed passing it to me. I took a light drag and passed it to Mason.
“This girl. I was a tom boy,” I said, blowing out smoke. I had almost forgotten he made his snarky statement.
“A total tomboy,” Mason laughed. He studied the joint in his hand as he exhaled a cloud of smoke.
“Oh yeah? You two always have been so close?” Noah prodded. He took the joint back from Mason licking his lips, taking the next drag with a whole lot of power behind it. He almost killed the rest of it.
“Yeah we were raised together,” I said, watching Lainey make another weak attempt at smoking.
“You don’t seem tom boyish to me. How many wear pink?” Noah said, tugging at my shirt. He leaned against the tree going quiet.
“So, Mason, how good were you at baseball?” Lainey asked, scooting closer to Mason. He took the joint from her, their fingers touching for a split second. Lainey’s expression pleased as she talked to him.
I watched her play with her hair demurely. Pretending to be interested in everything he had to say. He kept on, stuck in the moment and the high. His smile bigger and bigger every time he ignited giggles from her. She innocently touched his arm with her fingertips every time he made her laugh.
Noah shot up from the ground. He looked at the two of them.
“I’m going to take a walk. If you don’t want to sit here and be bored then you could come.” Noah told me. He shook his legs free of leaves. I accepted his hand, letting him pull me up.
Mason didn’t notice I had even left. I was a little bothered by his complete fixation on Lainey. As I walked through the woods with Noah I heard another giggle. I kept my eyes fixed to our feet as we walked the trail.
“How exactly do you know my dad?” He asked, the silence shattered.
“I never met him. I guess my mother and Aunt knew him. He never told you?”
“I don’t make it a point to ask him about his life before my mother,” he said snidely.
“I’m sorry, why are you being so rude again?” I asked, looking at him. He seemed a bit shocked I said anything.
“This is just me. No one’s ever said that before.”
“Probably afraid to,” I said low.
He nodded, staring at the clearing ahead of us. My whole body was calm and fuzzy feeling.
“And if you think their all afraid of me why would you say something?” He lifted a stone from the ground. He moved closer, watching my every move.
“It takes a lot more than a blonde hair, blue eyed, country boy to scare me,” I said, blowing him off. His intimidation tactics were not working on me.
“What about Mason? You think he scares easily?” He smirked.
“Mason seems mellow, but he’s got a lot more going on than you would think.” I warned him.
“Very protective aren’t we?” He smirked, his eyes showing his amusement. “So what kind of girl are you, Kendall?”
I laughed, pushing his shoulder and walking back the way we came. I wasn’t falling for his lame attempts at flirting with me.
“The girls around here take one look at me and their all about it,” he said, following behind me.
“You’re cocky. And I don’t think your suave at all,” I said not slowing down.
“Dark hair more your thing?” he asked, hitting a nerve.
“I don’t have a thing.”
“The two of you don’t even look like relatives. I bet fifty dollars he’s had his hands all over your body,” he said, pushing and pushing.
“Sometimes you’re better off not asking so many questions, Noah,” I told him.
“My sister is pretty quick. She sees something and she takes it,” he said, still trying his best to get under my skin. I bit my tongue, coming to the top of the clearing. And just in time to see Lainey pulling away from Mason’s lips, she jumped to her feet laughing.
My stomach dropped. I was shocked Mason would kiss her. Lainey wiped her lips free of her smeared lip gloss. Mason came over to me.
I tried not to act shocked.
“You don’t want to see the water?” Lainey asked, jumping in between the two of us. I kept my eyes on Mason ready to deck her. He rolled his eyes, irritated by my attitude.
“No, I think I need some sleep,” Mason said.
“Yeah, looks like it,” I mumbled.
Noah grabbed my arm, letting Mason go ahead of us. Mason shot me a look. He knew there was nothing he could say now.
My heart ached.
“I told ya,” Noah said in a sing song voice as we headed back to the house.
June 25th
Two days flew right by. I stayed inside most of the time, barely showing my face to the sun. I was upset, it was clear. And I was for so many reasons. The first, I was angry that I let Mason have the power to upset me. I let him crawl inside my mind and behind my emotional barricade. I let go and thought I was okay with the feelings that were starting to show on the outside for him.
But now, seeing Mason do what guys did best, the feelings had almost vanished leaving me only angry at everything. I was starting to care less and less about anyone. Every blow to my heart made my skin even thicker. It made me want to turn all my feelings off and just be mechanical.
I finally ventured outside. It was sunny, the sun shining on every inch of the acres of land Roger and Anna owned. The fields across the way were so dazzling and green. Everything around their house was so natural. The trees were always blowing; it was hard to hide inside on days like these.
I wandered through the grass barefoot, the blades tickling my feet.
Anna stood in the yard hanging colorful quilts on the clotheslines. Her white dress blowing to the side like ivory petals, she was like a flower, tiny and delicate. In everything she did she was always happy. Her smile was a permanent fixture on her face.
I imagined her thoughts were always lovely. If she always looked the way she did I was sure they were. I sat down underneath the big tree, lying back and letting go of everything on my mind just really sprawling out.
“Are you hungry, sweetie?” Anna asked. I stared up at her, the blue sky behind her making her saintly looking.
“No, not really,” I said softly, breathing in the fresh air.
She dropped the wicker laundry basket in the grass and took a seat beside me. Her dress slid past her thighs as she wrapped her arms around her legs. And she didn’t care. She stared off, lost in thought.
“Roger tells me your mom and you don’t speak anymore,” she said. She kept her gaze straight ahead. I sat up, propping myself up with my elbows.
“It’s been a couple years,” I lied. I wasn’t sure what to say.
Anna looked over at me finally. Her smile smaller, once she laid eyes on me, she probably sensed my sadness.
“He also tells me you have been through a lot in your life. No real role models.” She eyed me for a response.
I was sitting up straight now. I wasn’t one to dive into my family. I never talked about them with anyone and that was the god’s honest truth. No one knew everything that I did about them. Not even Mason. Mason knew only what he heard or was there to witness, nothing from my lips.
“We all can’t be so fortunate to have what you guys do,” I said defensively.
“I’m not trying to upset you. I guess what I am trying to do is show you that there are woman out there that are good. That have good hearts.” She smiled.
My heart sped up rather than calming. I swallowed down the part of me that wanted to flip out. “I wouldn’t know, I’ve never know a single person like that in my life.”
“That’s very sad. You’re a nice girl, Kendall,” she said.
“You don’t know anything about me. Nothing nice comes from a rotten life like mine. I try to be what I can be. What I know. That’s all I can do,” I said, lying back down. I tugged at the grass.
Anna stood up. She knew she wasn’t breaking through to me. Some people just couldn’t be helped.
“I had a rough life growing up. And then I met a wonderful man who loves me, scars and all. There is always someone out there willing to give you a shot,” she said softly, heading into the house.
I closed my eyes. Sometime people were so full of it. Most people were not looking to see anyone for what they really were. And most people were never going to show who they rea
lly were.
She was a batty woman, I thought to myself, letting the wing waft over me like a giant fan.
A loud tapping pulled me from my tranquil state. I followed it to an old workshop behind the duplex. I ran my hands over the chipped paint as I made it to the door.
Roger was busy hammering away at an old bookcase. I watched his arms moving in rhythm as he worked on the wood. His red flannel shirt revealing part of his chest, a little part of me was attracted to his power, and how his eyebrows furrowed at every crack of the mallet.
“Well hello there,” he said, realizing he had an audience. He motioned me in as he continued hammering. I moved closer noticing it wasn’t a senseless beating after all. He was carving a rose into the wood.
“Wow,” I said breathless, looking at his outstanding craftsmanship.
“It looks simple, but it’s very detailed,” he said with a grin. He took my hand bringing it up to the rose carving, pushing my fingertips into the grooves.
“Wow, this is so cool, Roger,” I said with a smile.
He watched me closely as I ran my fingers down the wood examining every inch of it. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
“When did you learn to do this?” I asked, not taking my eyes away from it.
“Probably around your age, my old man owned an antique store. He taught me everything he knew.”
I nodded, finally looking up. Roger was leaning against the tool bench a big grin on his face.
“What?” I asked.
“It’s uncanny how much you look like Joy-Ann. I always thought she was the most breathtaking woman I ever laid eyes on.” He wasn’t sorry he said this from the expression on his face.
“I guess it’s hard to see when it’s you,” I said, staring at the ground.
“I totally had a thing for your mom. She never gave me the time of day though,” he said, moving back to the bookcase. He lifted the mallet and gave me a look.
“You were lucky,” I laughed. “Your wife is much better than my mother.”
Roger glanced up at the house through the open door. He moved closer to me.
