Make Me

by Amanda Heath

  I stand there for several minutes wondering what the hell she was looking at.

  Chapter 6

  MAGGIE WAKES ME up about three a.m. by barking. When I don’t get out of bed, she sticks her big, wet nose in my face, three times. Finally I left my head and blink at her. “What?” I snap. I seriously don’t like to be woken up.

  She just barks once more before scratching at the bedroom door. I sigh and throw the covers off and climb my tired body out of bed. I did spend all day shopping.

  I open the door and Maggie races out and heads for the front door. I swiftly follow her and find her scratching at this door. I roll my eyes and open it, “If you made me get out of bed because you have to piss, I’m gonna be a little ticked, missy.” I tell the dog before I realize there are three dudes standing on my front porch. “What the hell?” I snap, eyeing them.

  Brody, Kellan, and my worst nightmare are standing there, drunk off their asses. “You have got to be kidding me!” I snarl, about to slam the door in their faces.

  Kellan stops the door before it slams shut, “Paisley, I’m really sorry about this, but we always crash here when we party. Our parents would kill us if they found out.”

  I only roll my eyes before I try to shut the door again. Kellan is way stronger than he looks. “Too damn bad. I live here now, and I don’t want your drunk butts in here!” Did I mention I’m also very cranky in the mornings?

  Before I know it Channing moves Kellan out of the way and I’m up close and personal with his smoky blue eyes, “Please? We don’t have anywhere else to go.” His voice isn’t slurred but his eyes are glazed over, indicated his drunkenness. He shuts his eyes for a second, almost as if talking to me pains him. “I would never ask anything of you, but this is actually important.”

  Before my brain can process this, I’m moving behind the door and letting them in. I don’t know if it was the pleading in his voice, or the loneliness in his eyes. It kind of freaks me out, the way his eyes express his feelings so well. Even when he’s drunk, his face remains expressionless.

  “Thank God,” Brody slurs out before he moves into my house and falls face down on the couch. He’s snoring before his face hits the fluffy cushion.

  “Thank you, Paisley,” Kellan tells me before, surprising me, he wraps his arms around me. The hug is tight and short but it leaves me feeling weird. Drunk people have always made me feel weird. He heads over to the linen closest next to my bedroom door and pulls out several pillows and blankets. He hands some of them to Channing before he takes off to my other bedroom. Channing tosses a blanket on Brody before lying down on the other side of the couch.

  I roll my eyes and head back to my own room. Maggie looks up when I enter, and I point my finger at her, “Don’t not wake me up until noon tomorrow, or I’ll have a new German Shepard sized doll.”

  ***

  It’s well before noon when I wake up the next morning. Only this time I wake up myself. I look at the clock on the night stand which says its nine a.m. I can deal with that. Hoping the boys are gone, but knowing they aren’t, I put on some clothes. I want to spend the day with BeeBee, but I better make some breakfast for the three stooges.

  I pull on some skinny jeans and a white t-shirt. I look down to realize my red bra is visible through the shirt, but I don’t really care. At least I’m not naked.

  I take a deep breath before opening my bedroom door. Both of them are still sleeping and Brody is snoring. They both look so vulnerable, something I didn’t think any of them could be. But it’s mostly Channing. His face is turned towards me, but his face is soft, the hard mask he wears nowhere in sight.

  I realize he must have taken his shirt off before he fell asleep, because I can see his lean body and his golden skin. Muscles peek out on his stomach from under the covers, though it’s not a six-pack or anything. You can tell he works out though. And I’m not going to lie here, he is freaking sexy. My eyes keep moving down and I about have a heart attack.

  He’s got morning wood and lets just say even from over here, I can tell he’s big. A blush burns over my face before I move my eyes back up his face and let out a shocked gasp. He’s looking at me, fully awake. There’s a smirk on his full lips and his eyes shine with laughter.

  Ugh, really? How do I get caught checking him out?

  I ignore him and let Maggie out the front door. I’m sure the poor dog has to piss. I head back to the kitchen, not even looking in Channing’s direction. The kitchen is modern, with black granite counter tops and white tiled floors. All the appliances are stainless steel. I open the fridge and pull out some eggs and milk. Next I move over to the coffee pot and start brewing some coffee. I don’t really like the stuff but I hear it’s good for hangovers.

  I head back over to the fridge and pull out the bacon. When I close the door I almost scream. “Can you, like, not sneak up on me? Maybe?” I whisper at Channing.

  “I wasn’t quiet walking in here,” he states, his face in that mask. How I wish I could smack it right off his face. Why does this jackass make me violent? At least he put his shirt back on.

  “Whatever,” I mutter.

  I ignore him for the most part. I can feel when he crosses behind me and makes a cup of coffee. Then he sits down at the bar. I can feel his eyes staring holes in me as I make bacon, pancakes and scrambled eggs.

  About half way through, Kellan and Brody wake up. “Oh my god, that smells so fucking good,” Brody mumbles when he enters the kitchen. He didn’t put his shirt back on. He’s a little more built than Channing but he doesn’t do anything for me. Probably because he’s my first cousin. Good Lord I’m weird.

  “Is this for us?” Kellan asks scratching the side of his head. He’s got all this clothes on and a black eye.

  “What happened to your face?” I ask, walking over to turn his face so I could see his eye better.

  He chuckles looking over at Brody. “I hit on Brody’s girlfriend. He gets violent when he’s drunk.”

  “Well it’s too late for ice. Sit down. I’ll make you a plate,” I tell him, pointing at the bar where Channing is eyeing me funny.

  “Thanks, cuz,” Kellan states, chuckling.

  I roll my eyes and start piling eggs, pancakes, and bacon on three plates. I pull out forks and place them on the plates. Then I drop a plate in front of each boy. Now they are all looking at me funny. “What?” I snap.

  Brody and Kellan share looks and Channing just stares at me. Then Brody clears his throat, calling my attention to him. “I don’t think any of us have ever had someone make us breakfast. Other than a personal cook,” he adds at the end.

  I raise my eyebrows, “Really? Well where I’m from, if you didn’t make it yourself, then you weren’t eating.”

  Now they just look confused. “What do you mean where you come from? Your Mom had a entire trust fund, which I think goes to BeeBee, since you got a huge one from your dad.”

  Ah, they think I was raised around money. Grandma explained this one to me yesterday while we were shopping. I move to the counter right in front of them and place my hands to support me. “I’m going to assume none of you met my mother. She was a horrible person and an even worse mother. She didn’t have access to that trust fund because she did drugs while she was pregnant with me. We lived in a trailer for as long as I can remember. I went without food, unless she thought about buying groceries. When I was old enough I found a nice neighbor, whom I became best friends with. Her family was nice enough to feed me. And when I didn’t have clothes, my friend let me borrow hers.” I pause taking in their faces. They’re all a mixture of shock, pity, and anger. The anger comes from Channing’s eyes, and I don’t bother to figure that one out. “I didn’t grow up like you three. You should remember that.”

  I don’t wait for a reply; I just walk out of the house.

  ***

  BeeBee has this lovely young woman named Molly as her nanny. I honestly love this lady. She sings BeeBee to sleep, she reads her stories, and she takes her outside to
play. She also has a room right next door to BeeBee’s so if she needs anything in the night, Molly will hear her.

  My little sister doesn’t need me anymore. That’s how I find myself outside on the back lawn, petting Maggie’s big head. I spent several hours with my sister, but when it started to become clear she didn’t need me there, I got incredibly sad. I don’t even know what to do with this emotion. I know she’s not my daughter but it still freaking hurts.

  “You have the same look on your face your grandmother had when Stanley moved out of the house.” I jerk at the voice, but only because it surprised me.

  “Hey Papaw,” I tell him. I figure I have the same look on my face that every mom gets when their child doesn’t need them anymore.

  “Its okay to be sad about it. I do realize you had to raise that little girl. And most people wouldn’t have done it.” He places a hand lightly on my shoulder. “Your grandmother only separated you because she wanted you to be your age. You should be worried about boys and schoolwork. Not about if BeeBee is okay or needs something. She isn’t doing this to hurt you.”

  I look up at him and give him a watery smile. “I know that. It’s just hard to let her go. I woke up the first night here and freaked because I couldn’t hear the baby monitor. Then I remember I didn’t have to worry about it anymore.” I pat his hand on my shoulder and look away. “I’ll be okay about it. I just need a little time.”

  He chuckles, “You sure are mature for a teenager.” When I look at him he winks. I smile back, happy he isn’t going to make me talk about it anymore.

  We sit in quiet for a few minutes before I ask a question, one that has been bugging me. “Papaw what’s out there?”

  He looks up to where I’m pointing my finger at the woods, “If you walk about in there, you’ll come to a fence with a gate. That gate goes to the Southerland property.” He taps his chin once with his finger. “In fact, that’s how Channing gets here. He comes to see the boys quite a bit, when they are here, of course.”

  I’m not sure I like that.

  “Grandma was looking that way when she found Maggie in my room last night,” I tell him.

  Papaw looks at me funny for a second and then something clicks in his head. “Maggie used to be Channing’s.” He pets Maggie’s head while he pauses. “Margret was living in Europe when Channing got Maggie. You see, Margret is allergic to dogs, so when she moved back, Channing had to find a new home for Maggie.” He looks over to the trail, barely visible in the twilight. “We offered to take her in so she would still be close.”

  I feel like he’s telling me something, but I don’t understand what it is. “She seems well mannered to have come from Channing,” I say instead of asking what he’s trying to tell me. Something inside of me isn’t ready to hear what he has to say. “You know a lot about my other grandmother.” I state, squinting my eyes at him.

  He seems to get lost in his thoughts for a moment. His lips pull up on one corner before he drops it. “I used to know her quite well.”

  Chapter 7

  LUCKILY I DIDN’T run into my cousins or that douche canoe, Channing, for the rest of the day. And Maggie actually let me sleep through the night. Which I’m grateful for because today I start my new school.

  I spent four hours on the phone with Carly last night. On my day of shopping I picked out a new phone. Of course I had to have an iPhone. I also got this really cool case to protect it. Knowing me I’ll drop it a thousand times. Then there’s the laptop and kindle Grandma gave me. The kindle I was so happy about. I love to read, though I’m not a bookworm or anything.

  Anyway, while talking to Carly, I found out that Derek got depressed for a day because I left. He proceeded to slip that he took my virginity, and Carly was not happy about this. I thought she was going to come through the phone and strangle me. But on a good note, she’s very happy for me. And she started calling me Cinderella. You can’t see, but I’m rolling my eyes.

  So now I’m beyond nervous about school today. I’ve always paid attention and gotten good grades, just to prove I wasn’t what my upbringing made me. I wanted to be one of the smart girls who didn’t get into any trouble. Not that my mom would have noticed or cared for that matter.

  The uniforms are what you would expect. Girls have to wear pleated skirts, which are this awful grey color. The boys have to wear slacks, the same awful grey color. For the shirts I can choose from a polo or a short-sleeved shirt with a vest. I’m going with the polo.

  Now I’m dressed in my black polo with the Meadows Academy crest on the right breast, awful skirt, and knee high stockings, also black. There’s a knock on the door, and I’m starting to realize I hate when someone knocks on my door. More times than not it’s my cousins and the douche canoe.

  I open the door and I’m happy to see that this time, it’s my grandma. “Don’t you look beautiful,” she says, pulling me into a hug. For rich people they sure are affectionate. Something I’m definitely not used to.

  “Good morning, Grandma.” Then I notice the cousins behind her. At least Channing isn’t anywhere in sight. “Kellan, Brody.”

  “Ready for your first day?” Grandma asks me. I only nod and close the door to my house. I’ve got my brand new backpack full of school crap.

  I’m not ready at all, though. I’ve read a lot of books; I know how these rich girls are. I’m not looking forward to this at all. My stomach churns and I figure I’m really close to puking all over someone. Hopefully Channing.

  “We will take it from here, Grandmother,” Brody says, kissing her cheek and taking my hand. “Can I drive the Camaro?” he asks me with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

  “No. No one drives Dancer but me,” I tell him, wrenching my arm away from his hand.

  “That sucks. I’ve got a Mustang, but we promised Grandmother we’d ride with you today.” He walks around me and heads for my Camaro. Oh, this should be fun.

  “Don’t worry little cuz, we’ll look after you.” Kellan walks past me, but turns and starts walking backwards to my car. “Though I think we should be looking out for the students at Meadows.” He winks at me before climbing into the backseat.

  My hands start to shake and my palms are sweaty. This is going to be awful. I can feel it in every bone of my body. So I take a deep breath and climb into the driver’s seat and turn the key. “Are the girls going to be big bitches to me?” I ask nervously.

  Brody and Kellan blink at each other before they both burst out laughing. “No cuz, you’re a Vaughn. Not to mention a Southerland. You and Channing could blow up the school and no one could touch you.”

  All I have for this is, “Huh?” I seem to be saying that a lot around these guys.

  “There isn’t one single person who would want to piss you off. You’re worth more than anyone else at this school, including Channing. Everyone wants in our group, and since you’re our cuz, you’ll definitely be in our group,” Brody explains, giving me a wink.

  “So these people are shallow and vain? And stupid?” I question, narrowing my eyes at Brody.

  He nods. “Pretty much.” I only sigh and drive us to school. They give me directions as we go, but I grow more and more nervous the closer we get.

  By the time we finally reach the school, I know I’m going to be throwing up. I just can’t do it. I never wanted any of this and it was thrust upon me Friday afternoon. I should be going to my lame high school, where the kids aren’t super rich and no one gave a crap who I was. Maybe I can go home right now and talk to Grandma about home schooling me.

  “Relax, nothing is going to happen to you,” Kellan whispers, standing next to me after we exit the car.

  “I hope you’re right,” I tell him never taking my eyes off the school. It’s huge and surrounded by a concrete wall. There was even a gate you have to cross through. The guards stop everyone but when they saw me it was a simple, “Go on through Ms. Vaughn.” I don’t think anyone has ever called me Ms. Vaughn.

  We parked my car next to an impressive b
lack Jaguar. If I weren’t so in love with the way a Camaro looks, I would have gotten a Jag. Yummy. Okay, maybe I can do this if I start thinking about cars. Yeah I’ll just take one apart in my head and put it back together.

  I’m just getting to the spark plugs when a hand from Kellan stops me. There are three gorgeous girls standing in front of me. Two of them are blonde and the other has shiny black hair. Their uniforms match, which kind of freaks me out. The school colors are black and blue. So you get black and blue polo’s or a black shirt and blue vest and vice versus. These girls have on blue polo’s and the hideous skirts. All of them have their hair pulled to the side in a ponytail that trails over the shoulder and down to their right boob. They each have diamond studs in their ears, and gold-chained necklaces but these have their names on them.

  Natasha, Jasmine, and Lola.

  Lola is one of the blondes and she rushes over and jumps on Brody. They start making out and I feel my nauseous stomach turn from disgust. Kellan chuckles, “Don’t mind them. It’s been a whole day since they have seen each other.” Then he starts introducing me to the girls. “Natasha, Jasmine, this is my little cuz Paisley. Paisley, these are three of our friends. You’ve met Channing, but there’s also Vince, Rachel and Royal.”

  “Hey Paisley, it’s so nice to meet you,” Natasha says, holding out her hand. I shake it and I’m surprised to find her eyes are friendly and open. Jasmine is the same as I shake her hand as well.

  Then they both look back at Kellan. “Where is Channing?” Natasha asks and I kid you not, she looks half in love with she’s says his name. Good God, I bet he has that affect on every girl like, ever.

  “I’m not sure. He should have been in by now. His Jag is in the parking lot.” Kellan answers and I realize why we parked next to the Jag. “Oh well, I’ve got to take Paisley in and show her around.” He waves to them as he walks me into the building.