Pike’s Island was completely blanketed in a thick layer of fluffy snow. From a distance it looked like a giant heap of whipped cream afloat in a cup of dark blue liquid. I hadn’t realized just how much it had snowed because it didn’t stick to the ground in Portland as shoppers walked up and down the streets, disturbing its final resting place.
As the ferry pulled up to the dock, I remembered I still had the note from Michael in my pocket. I had forgotten all about it because I was too preoccupied imagining the inevitable confrontation with my mother. Maybe it needn’t be confrontational after all, I thought. I could just humbly agree with everything she said, accept every insult she hurled at me and not challenge her one bit as she prescribed a fitting punishment for me. That’s what I would do. I’d shut my mouth and listen.
I took the note out and held the folded piece of paper in my fingers, but wouldn’t open it. Why had Michael told me not to “freak out” when I read it? That made me more curious, but also frightened me at the same time.
The boat finally pulled into the harbor and hit the side of the dock with a thud, giving all the passengers a good jolt. I told James to put his game away in the deepest, driest pocket he had because it was going to be a long and wet walk home. I put Michael’s note in the inside, front pocket of my jacket and hoped it would stay dry. I’d read it later when I was back in the safety of my room, in case I needed to climb into my bed to find solace beneath my big, warm comforter.
• • •
By the time we got home, James and I were soaking wet. It seemed to take us forever to walk through the deep snowdrifts that lined both sides of the streets.
My brother and I saturated the family room floor as we traipsed through it on our way to the kitchen and the tiny room off of it that served as a laundry room. James and I took turns stripping off all our clothes, boots and coats. We needed to get all of our clothing into the dryer. I went first because I wanted to hop in the shower and warm up. It felt like every inch of me was frostbitten, even though I knew it wasn’t.
I let the hot water run over me as I stood directly under the shower nozzle. I reflected on the day and was filled with a slew of mixed emotions. I was happy on the one hand to have seen Michael and been able to spend a little time with him. We had never had a meal together before, although Michael didn’t eat very much. It was nice to meet his little brother Kevin, too. He was so adorable and opposite from Michael in the looks department. Michael’s hair and eyes were so dark, while Kevin was blonde and blue-eyed. I knew, though, that it was because Kevin was adopted.
I lathered my hair and thought back to what Michael had said to me about wanting my love. Of course it scared me. How could it not? And then he casually mentioned that I shouldn’t let the note freak me out. The note! I totally forgot about the note! It was still in my coat pocket tumbling around in the dryer with the rest of the wet clothes.
I turned off the shower and dried myself off. As apprehensive as I had been earlier, I really wanted to read it now.
I went into my room and was searching for some cozy sweatpants and a sweatshirt to put on when I heard the front door close. At first I thought it was my brother and was about to yell down for him to stay inside. Then I heard voices, familiar voices and realized it was my mom and Brian. They were back and I was dead.
• • •
I didn’t know what to do. I could stay in my room and try to find a hiding spot where no one could find me. I looked around the small space. That wasn’t an option. Or I could go downstairs and deal with the messy situation.
I decided to take a deep breath and get the whole thing over with. I would plan for the worst and hope for the best.
I walked down the stairs. James sat in front of the television, as usual, still wrapped in the blanket he had used when he had taken off his soggy clothes.
I heard noise coming from the kitchen and realized my mom was in there. I closed my eyes as I walked toward it, hoping that her wrath would hurt less if I couldn’t see it coming. I walked straight into a wall.
I opened my eyes and found my mom and Brian both staring at me. If they didn’t think I was immature and irresponsible already, they did now.
I found my way into the kitchen, with my eyes open this time, looked at both of them and put my head down. “Hey.”
“What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Willow, I specifically told you not to leave the house and yet you disobeyed me.
“No,” I started to object, “you told me not to go to a friend’s house and I—“
My mother cut me off and became irate. “You knew exactly what I meant!
“Besides,” she continued, “the weather is terrible and you ventured out with your little brother in the middle of a nor’easter.”
I didn’t know what a nor’easter was, let alone that we were in the middle of one. I guessed that was another name for a bad storm.
My mom put away dry dishes as she continued her speech. Brian sat back and enjoyed the show. “It was almost impossible for Brian and me to get back here because of the snow. We didn’t even finish having lunch because of you.”
Yikes! Not only did my mother cut her weekend short because of me, she also cut her special luncheon short, too.
But then I thought about what she had just said. Did they come back early because of me or because of the storm? I wanted to ask her, but I remembered the advice I had given myself earlier about not saying anything, so I just stood and listened.
My mother slammed cabinet doors as she continued her tirade. “I should have forced you and your brother to come and meet Brian’s family.”
I couldn’t hold back and calmly said, “I don’t care if I ever meet them.”
“Well, you’ll have no choice but to meet them very soon at our wedding. In June.”
My mother informed me of her wedding date as if she were a nurse reporting my vital signs. If so, my blood pressure would have plummeted immediately.
“This June?” I asked dumbfounded.
My mother nodded. She and Brian hadn’t even known each other for a full year. How could she get married so soon to a man she hardly knew, to a man who could very well be harboring a secret girlfriend somewhere else on the island?
I felt as if I might get sick and my face must have spoken volumes.
Brian chimed in. “Willow, I love your mother very much.”
My mother put down the dishcloth, walked over to Brian and stood protectively by his side.
Were they a team now? Team Mom-Bri against me?
I didn’t know what to say. I was never going to accept that they were going to get married, whether it was this June or in June twenty years down the road.
With a wedding date set, apparently it was no longer up for discussion. My mother shifted her attention toward the real reason I was standing before the judge.
She started off slowly. “Willow, because of today and how you blatantly disobeyed me and,” she stopped and, in a show of solidarity, rested her hand on Brian’s shoulder. They looked at each other.
My mom continued, “The fact that you broke into Orchard Elementary and got caught by the police …”
My eyes widened with shock. I glared at Brian. “How could you?”
Brian remained calm and stared back. “You gave me no choice, Willow. I warned you.”
My mom was stern and serious as she handed down my punishment. “You leave me no choice but to ground you for a very long time, Willow, until the end of the school year. If you’re disobeying me at sixteen, what will you do when you’re off to college? You need to control yourself now and stop making bad choices and stupid mistakes, mistakes that could cost you your future.”
I was stunned and speechless. Only for a moment, though.
“Until the end of the school year?” I shouted. “That’s over four months away! That’s forever! How can you ground me forever?” So much for receiving my mother’s terms quietly and grac
iously.
Brian piped in. “I think that’s a fair punishment considering the crimes.”
“Crimes? Crimes?” I asked dumbfounded. “Since when is taking a ferry over to the mainland a crime?”
“Breaking into a school and trespassing are crimes, Willow, felonies actually,” Brian stated. He looked to my mother for support. With a slight nod of her head, she gave it to him.
I felt as though my back was up against the wall, like my life was over as my mom sided with Brian. Neither of them cared about what I was going through or how I was feeling.
“I don’t care what you think!” I screamed at Brian. “You’re not my father and never will be!”
I saw Brian flinch. I knew my words hurt him and I was glad.
“Willow!” my mother scolded. “Apologize this very minute.”
“Never!” I yelled as I turned from the two of them and fled from the kitchen. This time I made sure to keep my eyes wide open, even as tears fell from them so I could avoid all obstacles in my way, as I ran to my room feeling overwhelmingly all alone, the most alone I’d ever felt before.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-EIGHT
In the Middle of Nowhere (Willow's Journey #1) Page 37
