by Katie Wright
© 2017 Katie Wright
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter One: Blessed Event
Fourth of July was normally a blessed event. My family and friends came to celebrate the birth of our nation with a barbeque, our backyard pool, alcohol, and fireworks (not necessarily the ones in the sky). This year was different in so many ways. It wasn't normal nor was it fun for me. It was bad, very, very bad. By the end of the night I just wanted to run back up to my room and cry into my pillows forever, which is what I did.
How old am I? No I'm not a naive teenager, but a full fledge adult who lives with her parents. I'm 22 with shoulder length auburn hair, 5'2, and an okay build. My name is Heather Harvey, and I may reiterate I live at home with my parents. Actually most of my friends do too. We just all graduated from different colleges around the country but all managed to end up right back where we started.
I graduated with a major in History. Many people asked me if I wanted to be a teacher. I didn't know, and hadn't planned on it and therefore I wasn't certified to be one. So what was I going to do with my life? I had no idea but I knew I loved history although I had to explain to many people what I could do with it if I wasn't going to be a teacher.
What about a lawyer perhaps? To be perfectly honest I had no intention of returning to school because after the amount of research, reading, and writing of papers that were returned to me with a less than satisfactory grade on them by anal professors that lived in ivory covered towers I was more than sick of it.
The importance of all this information is to explain the fact that it bothered me that many of my friends were already receiving jobs because they had narrowed their jobs to specific degrees. I wasn't jealous of them but I wanted to enjoy my life and pay off my loans. I realized I could only do that with money.
I take a mental flashback to the Fourth of July. You all know the sequence of events that occurs when your relatives arrive. They ask how you're doing, congratulate you for graduating and then herein comes the inevitable question, "What are your plans?" I suppose they meant plans for the future. I ran off a list of possibilities and ultimately ended up saying that I was just going to get a job I needed to pay for my loans and narrow down what I wanted to do later.
My parents reminded me it was alright not to be working over the summer because I would be working the rest of my life. I liked their thinking and I agreed with them but I still felt a major pang of embarrassment when people asked me what I was doing or what I would be doing with my degree.
Most of my relatives were expectantly polite; they nodded, and wished me luck. My friends were also telling me not to worry. I had come out of college with a 3.0 and that wasn't too shabby. I was not a genius but I wasn't an idiot either. I'd find a job in no time they told me, yeah sure, thanks guys! Although it was still the beginning of the summer and technically I hadn't been looking. My job hunt would be on hiatus till the end of August.
The day had been going pretty good even though the questions had been driving me insane. I thought in only another five more hours the fireworks would start and then I could go back to bed and sleep. Luckily I think I was almost through all the relatives who had finally made it. Then my Aunt Carrie came in with Uncle Todd and my two cousins, Brian and Mickey. Brian was about two years older than me and Mickey was my age. We were really close at one time but as we got older we stopped hanging out more. High school changed a lot of things. And since I had been away for four years I hadn't seen much of them till today.
I didn't think too much of them because I knew sooner or later they would all come over and congratulate me and then ask me the same damn questions. I waited with my younger sister, Sarah at a table set up by the pool watching the kids attempting belly flops off the diving board. Ow, that must have hurt.
Sarah was two years younger than me and on her subsequent summer lull. We didn't look at all alike. She was blonde, thin as a rail, and two inches taller than me. She also had hazel eyes while mine were dark brown. She wasn't an annoying sister either that stuck here nose into everyone's business. Sarah did her own thing and I did mine. But we were very close and she was the only person I'd share my secrets with, though there weren't that many.
She turned to me, "Did you know who that guy was that came in with Brian and Mickey?"
I looked at her and then mentioned, "I just saw them and I didn't see anyone with them."
She looked up and over my head, "Well they're coming this way so I guess we'll find out."
Aunt Carrie and Uncle Todd said hi and gave hugs. They congratulated me but instead of doing the predictable thing and asking me about my upcoming plans they turned and excused themselves.
I looked at my cousins, "Where are they going?"
Brian took a seat next to me, "I think they're looking for your mom."
"Why?"
He dipped a chip in the salsa and started to munch on it, "I don't know, I guess they didn't get to see them when they got here?"
Well he was a lot of help. I tried to turn in my chair because I knew Mickey was behind me but he was talking to someone. Someone I couldn't see. I heard the unrecognizable voice. I looked back at Sarah. She was giving me a questioning look and then mouthing, 'That's him?'
I decided to attack full throttle. I finally grew up and decided it would be pitiful if I didn't start acting like a grown up and ask questions. I turned around and looked at Mickey speaking to some guy while pointing at the people in my backyard. I guess he was explaining who everyone was.
"And these two," he finished, "are my cousins Sarah and Heather."
The guy nodded to us, but Sarah and I said a polite 'hello.'
"And you are?" I couldn't help it. If you're going to be invited to someone's house then you should at least say hello.
"My name's Casey. Casey Turner." And then he looked back to Mickey.
And that was all he was going to say to us? I was a little pissed, what did I do to make him so hostile towards us? Sarah could tell I was getting angry because I started to hear her snicker from across the table.
"Well how do you know my cousins?" I stared straight into his eyes which were not covered by sunglasses as mine were.
He crossed his arms over his chest and answered, "I work with Brian."
"So you're a mechanic?"
"Yes."
Well this conversation was going nicely.
Sarah luckily tried to save the doomed dialogue and asked, "If you guys haven't eaten there are some hot dogs and other stuff on the patio."
Brain got up and the two other guys walked with them into the patio.
The patio was screened in so it was possible for anyone in there to hear me but I had to talk to Sarah. The man's arrogance was astounding.
"What the hell was that guy's problem? I was just curio
us," I sat back in my chair and took a glance at Casey talking and laughing with my cousins.
"I don't know maybe he's just shy." This would be Sarah's typical answer. She believed everyone was innately good while I learning about the history of human destruction eventually felt that everyone was innately evil. That's terrible to think but also going through eight semesters with crazy, opinionated, know it all history majors also made me realize this. The whole experience left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Without thinking I started spouting off my mouth, "Well who the hell does he think he is? He comes to our house and doesn't even say a polite 'hi' or anything and then just goes and eats our food."
"Heather," Sarah hissed out.
It was too late however and as I took a glance to my left I noticed three heads at the patio screen.
"Shit," I muttered to myself. I didn't know what to do so I rushed to the patio door and walked through not knowing whether the three heads were looking at me or not and ran into the kitchen pretending to get a soda.
I took a cold one out of the fridge and started to walk towards the front of the house hoping, no praying, that no one was up there and that I could spend a few minutes alone by myself.
As I walked towards the living room I felt a hand grab my arm and turn me straight around. Luckily, or unluckily I came face to face with Brian.
"What the fuck is your problem?" He blew up at me.
I pulled my arm out of his grasp, "Excuse me, but why the hell did you bring someone who's such an asshole. Did you even tell him where he was going and who I was?"
"Well who the hell are you? You don't own this house you just live here and I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your big mouth shut in front of my friends." He started to walk away but then turned back, "College couldn't teach you to get a job but it did a good job at teaching you to be an asshole." With that he gave a short snort and walked to the back of the house.
I was stunned. I wasn't upset at this point because I realized that because Brian hadn't gone to college he was just jealous. I also knew I wasn't an asshole and I didn't care if he or his friend thought I was. I wasn't going to pretend to be anything I wasn't in front of someone I didn't even know.
Chapter Two: Fireworks
Was it possible that a day as momentous as the Fourth of July could have gone so bad? I should have been in the pool dunking my second cousins or nursing a beer and bullshitting with Sarah. But I wasn't of course because I was hiding from my two cousins and their supposed friend Casey. How did I end up in my bedroom on my computer checking e-mail and wondering if anyone was on instant messenger? Obviously no one was of course because either they were at my house having a great time or somewhere else having a great and wonderful time.
I looked out my window which faced the backyard. There were the three amigos moseying around the pool with cold beer in their hands. And Sarah was with them! Of course she got along with everybody, she was just like that. I was the disgruntled bitter one, the bitch. Sarah seemed to be talking animatedly with Mickey while the other two were checking out my friends Jane and Cara who were playing one-on-one volleyball in the pool.
"Sickos," I muttered to myself. It was disgusting how they were gawking over them. They were, next to Sarah, my best friends. Maybe I was jealous of them because they were having such a good time without me at my own party. If it hadn't been for Casey I would have been in the pool playing noodle wars with my friends.
But why was I hiding? Damn him! He scared me into my house and out of my backyard!
Regaining new confidence to kick someone's ass I changed into my bathing suit and wrapped a towel around myself. The butterflies were still apparent as I made my final step out of the patio but I suppressed them by catching Jane's attention. She noticed my wave and yelled at me to come in. Oh, at least I was wanted.
I didn't even take a glance, not even a look, at the two bastards next to the pool. I could feel their eyes on me as I quickly removed my towel and slipped in. I wasn't horribly overweight or anything but I wasn't a stick like Sarah. She looked incredible in a bathing suit, but me on the other hand was a little round in all the wrong places. Basically I could lose a pound or two around the waist. Alright I wasn't that huge, just self conscious.
Cara saw me and immediately grabbed me to her side of the net.
"Jane kicks ass and I suck I need someone who can actually help me beat her!"
It was funny how competitive Cara was even though she wasn't the athletic type. I suppose she just liked to win. Although pool volleyball isn't so much about skill as about how one can move in the water easily. We were in between where the five foot dropped to the eight foot. Jane was reasonably tall, coming to about 6ft. As you already know I'm a tiny one and Cara isn't that much taller.
It was much more difficult for us to cover the amount of ground Jane could even if she was standing in about five feet of water.
"Hey guys," Sarah called. "Let me get my suit on and then we can play two against two and it'll be fair."
"Oh thanks Sar," I said sarcastically.
But of course it couldn't end at that. "Hey we brought our suits." I finally looked up and noticed Mickey with a big grin on his face. I could only imagine he wanted to play with us because he had a crush on Jane since we were in middle school.
Jane looked a bit hesitant and I understood why. Although he never proclaimed his feelings for her it was very apparent he liked her. No one seemed to say anything and finally I said, "Yeah go get your trunks on." It wasn't that enthusiastic, but I think everyone knew why I didn't want them to come in.
When they finally went into the house Jane came up to the net. "So that Casey guy is hot Heath. Are you gonna get some of that tonight?"
I splashed water at her, "Jane! I am not going to do anything with him. I don't even like him."
"But you just met him," Cara added.
"Yes, but within the first few minutes I already knew he was a total asshole. He wasn't even very polite to me and Sarah."
"He was nice to us and Sarah was talking with him while you weren't here." Jane looked at me like she was expecting me to come up with an answer.
"Figures," I began, "Whatever he's an ass and now he has to play with us. I hope he's not on my team. Although if he isn't he may try to hurt me with the ball."
My best friends laughed. I didn't know if they were laughing at me or the comment. And honestly I didn't care. I was a little paranoid now. He didn't want to talk to me but he didn't mind talking to everyone else. Was there something wrong with me?
"Oh jeez Heath, you're nuts," Jane splashed water at me. "But you know at least you'll get some good eye candy. I'm surprised isn't he what you consider your type? Brown hair, blue eyes, and a nice built, and oh, you get to see him in his skivvies in about two minutes."
I shook my head and looked down at the recesses of the pool. Oh if only I could drown myself right now. I just wanted to have a good fun game with my friends not my cousins and forget about Casey, but no now not only was he invited into my house but my pool.
Sarah made her way out first. She seemed to be running over a bit more quickly. She jumped in the pool with a splash that could have thrown all the water out of the pool. It hit a few relative bystanders who were none too happy.
When she resurfaced I gave her an odd look, "Jeez Sarah, how bad do you want to go swimming?"
She spat some water at me. Dis-gust-ing.
"Oh you missed it. So when you left Brian came back out all pissed off at you. Casey told him it wasn't that big of a deal and his feelings weren't hurt by it. Although he did seem kind of sad about what you said and I think you did hurt his feelings. Maybe you should apologize, he's not that bad."
I wanted to make a remark but the dunces were back and plopping themselves in the pool.
"So how are we going to do this? Maybe we should put the shortest people on this side of the pool and the tallest on that side," Mickey offered.
"Um, no that wouldn't be fair because t
he pool isn't that much deeper over there and besides you'll all be whacking the balls at our heads with your extremely long mutant big people arms. Stupid tall people." I was right though, yes the other side of the net was delving into the deep end but they still had more height on us, especially Jane, Mickey, and Sarah. Ass man, yeah that's my new name for Casey was taller, but not that much taller, he probably was around 5'8 or 5'9. At least he was taller than the short people but not as tall as the tall people. Does that make sense? I still think he had a good bit of height and should stay on our side. Not that I wanted him to but to be honest I wanted to win.
"Well," Jane started, "We could have Cara on this side and you can get Sarah and Casey?"
It seemed fair enough, but then Brain had to open his big mouth, "Hey where do I go then?"
Jane seemed to contemplate this but Mickey answered, "Well you're taller than Casey, why don't you stay over there?"
Brian grumbled, I just knew he didn't want to be on sides with me. In some twisted way we had figured where everyone would go. There was Casey, Sarah, Brian, and me on one side and Jane, Mickey, and Cara on the other.
