Hidden Worlds

by Kristie Cook

  She knew texting while driving was illegal in her state, but since no cops were around, she wanted to text her cousin to let her know she was almost there. Holding the wheel with her forearm and placing her phone right in front of her, her eyes shifted back and forth from the road to the keys, typing a few letters at a time.

  Skylar and her cousin were best friends, and every year in late August, she visited her for a few weeks. This was the first time she had driven to her aunt’s house by herself. They lived in a very small town, and it took about an hour and a half to get there from Skylar’s home.

  Almost there. Can’t wait to C U.

  After she pressed send, she shoved the phone back inside her purse. Hearing her favorite song on the radio, she cranked up the volume a bit and sang along. Shortly after, she heard a high-pitched sound. Unsure where the noise was coming from, she turned the volume down. Shocked, she felt the dreadful sound rush to every nerve in her body, awakening her, terrifying her, making her heart thump so fast she thought her chest would split open.

  Surely I’m over reacting. After all, there are loads of cars speeding. But when she heard the horn signaling for her to get off the freeway, she looked in the rearview mirror and saw the reds and blues flashing and twirling—for her. In that instant, she felt her blood pressure shoot up. How in the world? Where did that come from? I was so careful. Darn it.

  Exiting the freeway, she drove into the first place that looked safe … a gas station. The only person pumping gas replaced the nozzle, got into his car, and drove off, leaving her alone in the lot with the cop. She wished she could follow the other car and drive away, but instead she parked away from the gas pumps.

  No other stores were adjacent to the station; in fact, it was pretty much a stand-alone building in complete darkness. Who knew what could be lurking? What did I expect? I’m in east nowhere USA! Inside the station’s mini market, the light was on, indicating it was open, but from what she could see, there was nobody there besides the cashier. At least that made her feel safe—somewhat.

  Glancing at the side view mirror, she realized that the officer was obviously taking his or her time getting out of the vehicle, since she saw no one approaching. Turning off the ignition, Skylar waited anxiously, biting her lip, thinking of ways to convince the cop not to give her a ticket. Tapping her foot and picking at her nails, it was like waiting for a courtroom verdict.

  Being around cops was intimidating enough, but being pulled over by one was even worse. People got tickets all the time, but this being Skylar’s first, made it difficult to bear. How would she explain this to her mom?

  As she apprehensively waited for the officer, she wondered what she had done to get pulled over. It was almost impossible for him to know she had been texting. Her mind reeled with unpleasant thoughts. What if he was a bad cop? What if he planted drugs in her car and made it seem like they were hers? More “what ifs” circulated through her head—watching the news and bad movies had definitely invaded her mindset.

  Tap! Tap! Tap!

  Skylar jumped, startled by the sound. “Sorry, officer,” she whimpered, starting the engine just to roll down the window and then quickly shutting it off again. The flashlight shone brightly, hindering her view, but she got a breath of the hot, sticky air that clung to her skin. Having the air conditioner on in her car, she had forgotten how hot it was out. Even at night, the weather was intolerable.

  Hoping not to offend him or her, she moved a little to the left and got a clear view of his gorgeous, young face. With instant combustion, her heart fluttered a mile a minute and her stomach churned nervously. She felt her face grow hot as she flushed and her body temperature shot up, either from the sight of him or the searing weather—perhaps the combination of both. Whatever it was, he was the gravity pulling her in. She was wrapped in his invisible force, taking in all of his hotness, and she was almost sure he was looking back at her with the same intensity. Breathe … breathe … exhale.

  She had heard of love at first sight, but this was more like lust at first sight. What is wrong with me? Stop staring! Sheepishly, she unglued her eyes from his beautiful greenish blue ones; she couldn’t tell exactly what color they were. Trying not to stare, she saw a pearl drop of sweat trickle down from his hairline. She didn’t want to look into his eyes again, for fear she may get lost in them and not be able to look away.

  Shifting her view, she focused on his uniform; it fit perfectly to the curve of his muscles. His clean-shaven face brought out his high cheekbones, and every part of him looked flawless, from his hair to his broad shoulders, and all the way down as far as she could see. She had seen good-looking cops, mostly on television, but for goodness sake … sizzle!

  “Could I see your driver’s license?” he said flatly in a low, masculine voice.

  Pause

  Even the tone of his voice made her heart race. Get a grip! Do you have a girl friend?

  “Your driver’s license?”

  Pause.

  “Your license?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, but this is my first time being pulled over. Did I do something wrong?” She blushed, focusing on his nametag—Officer Doug.

  “I need to see your driver’s license.”

  She reached into her purse, pulled out her wallet, and then her license. “Here. It’s really not a good picture.”

  The officer’s lips formed a thin line. “We don’t judge.” He winked.

  OMG! He winked at me. Skylar felt her cheeks flush again, and she wondered if he noticed.

  “Skylar Rome?”

  “Yes, that’s me.” She pointed to her license.

  After staring for some time, he handed it back to her. “You’re new to this town, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. No. Well, yes. I mean …” Oh my gosh, I can’t even talk.

  “Can’t make up your mind?” The officer chuckled, obviously amused by her nervousness.

  Skylar giggled. “I visit my cousin here every summer. I was on my way there. Did I do something wrong, officer?”

  Skylar wanted to know what she had done to get pulled over so she would not do it again, though she wouldn’t mind being pulled over by him again.

  The officer didn’t answer her, even though she’d now asked twice. He seemed flustered, looking intently into the empty darkness around the gas station, as if he could see something there.

  “Ms. Rome, can you open your trunk?”

  “Oh, sure. I only have my bags in there.” She did as he requested and popped the trunk from the inside. “Should I come out?”

  “No,” he said, a little too sternly. “Stay there and don’t move.”

  His tone startled her at first, but she didn’t think much of it. After a few seconds, he came back. “Skylar.”

  “Yes?” She looked into his eyes and blinked, mystified. She could’ve sworn his irises pulsated and turned the color of silver.

  “Just be careful,” he warned, and walked away.

  Skylar exhaled a deep breath she didn’t realize she was holding. With a sigh of relief, she placed her driver’s license back inside her wallet. When she cranked the engine, she looked to the left to make sure it was safe to make a U-turn, but she jumped again when she saw the officer standing beside her car where he had stood before. Did he change his mind and decide to give me a ticket?

  “Don’t text while you’re driving. It’s dangerous. It’s also against the law if you didn’t know,” he scolded.

  “Oh, okay. I’ll remember next time.” She smiled. “Thank you.” How did he know?

  With a nod, he turned away and headed back to his car.

  Skylar looked in her rearview mirror, but he was already gone. That really happened, right?

  She took out her phone and read a text from her cousin. Can’t wait!

  Skylar texted back. I got pulled over by a gorgeous cop. He let me go. Explain when I get there.

  Ecstatic that she didn’t get a ticket, she pushed the pedal and drove out of the gas station.


  ***

  Kayla lived in a two-story house. All the houses on that block were cookie-cutter homes, built practically touching each other. It was difficult to tell which one was Kayla’s, especially since there were hardly any streetlights, so Skylar looked for not just her address, but also the white mailbox that glowed in the dark.

  The first thing Skylar did when she arrived at her cousin’s house was run to ring the doorbell. Kayla swung the front door open and pulled her cousin in for a tight squeeze. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  Kayla wore a gray tank top and cotton shorts. Her brunette hair brushed Skylar’s face, and she noticed that it was longer than it had been on the last visit, now passing her shoulder blades. “You grew your hair?” Skylar said, pulling her back. “I love it.”

  “Me too,” Kayla giggled, flipping her hair. “Your hair got longer, too. Great minds think alike.” Kayla giggled again. “Enough about our hair. So … what happened? A hot looking guy pulled you over?” Her eyes were beaming with curiosity.

  Skylar nodded with a shy smile. “Hottest guy ever.”

  “Did he give you a ticket?”

  Skylar swiped her hand across her forehead. “Nope. Thank God, or Mom would kill me.”

  “You got lucky. He probably thought you were cute and let you go.”

  “What?” Skylar blushed, thinking how cool that would have been if those thoughts had run through his mind, but what did it matter anyway? What were the odds of seeing him again? She figured the chances were slim to none.

  “It’s not a big deal. I got my first ticket about a month ago. You have to go to traffic school to get it off your record. You can even do it online. So did you ask him to cuff you?” Kayla snorted.

  “I wish I’d thought of that. I was too busy trying to get my mouth to work. I was staring at him like an idiot.” She shook her head, thinking how silly she’d acted. “Let me get my bags.”

  “Do you need help?”

  “Nope.” Skylar ran out, clicked the remote to unlock the doors, and came back in with two duffle bags and her purse.

  “That’s it? Just two bags?” Kayla exclaimed.

  “I’m only staying for three weeks, not a year. I’m not like you,” Skylar teased. “So where’s your mom?”

  “She’s still at work. We keep the diner open until midnight during the summer, don’t you remember?”

  “Yes, of course, but for a split second I had forgotten.”

  “I bet I know why,” she smirked. “So, did you get his name? Maybe I’ll run into him next time and I’ll tell him my cousin has a crush on him.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.” Skylar slapped Kayla playfully and ran upstairs with her bags in her hand, and Kayla at her heels. As Skylar settled into the guest room, the girls sat on the bed and discussed their summer plans.

  TWO

  The sun’s rays seeped through the window, warming Skylar’s face. From the intensity of the heat, she knew it was going to be another scorching day. Squinting against the brightness, she let out an irritated moan. Grrr … is it morning already? She wasn’t ready to start the day.

  The moon had been full and brilliant last night, capturing her eyes. She’d left the curtains halfway open, wanting to escape in the beauty as she lay in bed. Unfortunately, she had forgotten to close them before she fell asleep. Moving a bit to the right to dodge the light helped, but then she smelled eggs and bacon, which made her stomach rumble with hunger. Instead of taking her time getting out of bed, she sprang right up.

  Quickly, she washed and changed into shorts. She realized the curtains were still open as she pulled a T-shirt from the drawer, and was startled to see the shadow of a man behind the curtains of the house next door. She rushed to close hers, not wanting to give anyone else a peep show—especially when she was only wearing her bra and shorts.

  That’s odd, she thought. Skylar recalled Mrs. Song, who was a widow, occupying the house next door. What was a man doing there? She brushed it off, thinking it could have been her son or a friend. After she looked presentable, she went downstairs to the kitchen.

  “Good morning, Auntie Kelly,” Skylar greeted, giving her a warm sideways hug and a kiss as she inhaled the aroma of the food. Scrambled eggs—Skylar could hardly wait to take the first bite. Kelly stopped stirring the eggs and turned to wrap her arms around her niece.

  Skylar’s aunt was also wearing shorts and a T-shirt. She looked like she just got out of bed, especially since she wasn’t wearing any makeup, but despite that, she looked great. Just like Skylar’s mom, Gina, Kelly was naturally beautiful, and had flawless skin. With her hair dyed lighter, she looked young for her age.

  “Good to see you,” Kelly replied cheerfully, releasing her hold and placing her hands on Skylar’s cheeks. “You are getting more beautiful every time I see you.”

  Skylar felt her cheeks turn warm. Shyly, she looked away. She was never good at taking compliments. “Thank you.”

  Kelly released her face, smiling. “How’s your mom?”

  “She’s good, I think.” Skylar hesitated, though she didn’t know why her answer was uncertain. Perhaps it was the fact that her mom was in love, something she wasn’t used to. It had been just the two of them for the longest time, until she met the second love of her life. Mom was happy, and Skylar was happy for her, but was she really in love, or was she lonely? What did Skylar know of real love anyway?

  “Her fiancÉ is treating her well?” Kelly continued to ask.

  “Yes, from what I can tell. I mean, he’s nice. I like him … I think,” Skylar mumbled, shrugging her shoulders then turning to Kayla, who was already sitting at the table, still wearing her pajamas.

  Skylar plopped down next to her. Kayla looked irritable, and was obviously not paying attention to their conversation.

  “So, Auntie Kelly, how about you? Dating anyone?” Skylar asked. “Mom doesn’t share that part of your life.”

  “There is a good reason why she doesn’t. Nothing serious. If I’m lucky enough to meet someone and fall in love again, I’ll be sure to let you know.” She winked.

  Skylar could tell her aunt felt uncomfortable discussing that topic, so she stopped asking further questions and turned her attention to her grumpy cousin. “You’re up early this morning. You didn’t wake me up.”

  “Didn’t want to bother you so soon,” Kayla grumbled and rolled her eyes.

  Skylar knew Kayla’s eye rolling wasn’t meant for her, and she wondered what was up. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when Kelly approached and placed Skylar’s plate and a glass of orange juice in front of her. “Thank you, Auntie.”

  “It’s my pleasure to feed my favorite niece.”

  “I’m your only niece.”

  “Is that so?” Kelly laughed, smirking. “Then I’m happy to feed my only niece.”

  Ready to devour her breakfast, Skylar kept one eye on Kayla and the other on the view beyond the windows. The dining room was her favorite spot in the house. The long windows provided a clear view of the front yard. Beaming in from between the branches of the trees, the sun’s rays gave the illusion of heaven’s light.

  “How was the drive here?” Kelly asked, nipping at the bacon she had just taken out of the pan.

  Kayla almost spit out the juice she had just drank, and coughed several times to get her breath back. Skylar shook her head, silently asking Kayla not to say anything. “It was fine. Nothing happened,” Skylar reassured.

  Kelly arched her brows in confusion, looking suspiciously from Skylar to Kayla. She parted her lips to speak, but then closed them and shook her head with a grin.

  “What’s wrong?” Skylar finally asked when Kelly turned to wash the dishes, giving her the chance to talk to Kayla. She could hardly get her words out. Her mouth was too full of eggs.

  “I have to work at the diner today.”

  “Okay, so we’ll change our plans. No big deal.”

  “Then I have to work tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after … you g
et the point?” Kayla sighed heavily. “We are short on waitresses. Mom says she can’t afford to hire another one right now, and it takes time to go through the interview process. So I’ll have to fill in the shifts.”

  “Sorry, Skylar,” Kelly said, seeming to have eavesdropped on their conversation. “I know you had plans, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work around them. This can happen when you own a diner. When you go to college, make sure to pick a good career.”

  Skylar took her last bite of eggs. “Maybe I can help at the diner?”

  Kelly and Kayla both flashed their eyes happily at Skylar. “Yes. We can work together, and then I won’t be so bored,” Kayla uttered, emphasizing the word “bored.”

  “You’ll be too busy to be bored.” Kelly’s eyes steeled at her daughter. “But that is a great idea. I could use the extra help. Let me ask your mom if it’s okay. I don’t want my sister getting mad at me for making her baby girl work during her last summer before she goes off to college.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine, Auntie Kelly. Mom wanted me to look for a job so I could start learning about finances. Besides, I should start paying for my own gas, but you don’t have to pay me. I would only work for the experience, and this way I’ll get to be with Kayla.”

  “Nonsense, Of course, I’ll pay you. It won’t be much, but it should help pay for your gas. Did you hear that, Kayla? Skylar thinks she should pay for her own gas … hint, hint.”

  “But I practically work for free. It’s against the law to pay me so little,” Kayla pouted.

  “I’m your mother. I can do or say anything, within reason. Now hurry up and eat, ‘cause both of you are due at the diner in one hour,” Kelly said, scrubbing the counter near the stove. After the grease marks disappeared underneath the sponge, Kelly excused herself from the room.

  “What a way to spend a Saturday,” Kayla whined.

  “It’ll be fine. At least we can be together. You’ll have to teach me. I won’t know what I’m doing.” Skylar got up, cleared their empty plates, and set them in the sink. After she washed them, she turned to see Kayla still in the same position, her eyes staring blindly at the refrigerator, elbow on the table, and her right fist propping up her head.