CHAPTER 2
As soon as Holly climbed out of the minivan the front door of the large brick home opened. It was a two-story house that was square with the exception of the carport area that jutted out from the side of the house. A winding sidewalk led from the driveway up to the front door. Seasonal flowers swayed in a slight breeze. She wasn’t quite sure what they were, but the whole thing was beautiful. She didn’t know exactly what she’d expected, but it definitely wasn’t this.
A man and two teenagers had come out of the house and stood around while they waited for her to get her things. “Holly, this is your Uncle Allen and your cousins, Lissa and Steven,” Katie said.
“Hey,” Holly made a short little wave to them, feeling awkward.
“It’s great to meet you, Holly,” Allen said. He stepped forward and shook her hand politely. He was a tall man, well over six feet. His hair, which was a light brown, was cut short on the sides, but the top was longer and styled. He was wearing modern black glasses and was dressed a bit like those stylish dads you see in the catalogs with his olive-green shirt and brown slacks. “We’ve tried to plan a quiet evening, so you can get your bearings.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that,” Holly said. She wasn’t used to being surrounded by people who were strangers. All day she’d found herself looking around for a familiar face, before realizing she was in a completely new place and there wouldn’t be any.
“It’s cool getting another cousin our age,” Lissa said to her. She looked to be about Holly’s age. Her long dark brown hair hung in waves and was pinned back on one side. Her eyes reminded Holly of Katie and her mom’s. Somehow that made her relax a little. She was wearing a Johnny Cash t-shirt under a short-sleeved plaid shirt and cut-off denim shorts.
Steven was almost as tall as his dad and seemed a bit older. “Could have used another boy in the family, but you’ll do,” he said grinning playfully.
Holly laughed and said, “Sorry to disappoint.” She felt the tension in her neck ease, realizing they were probably just as nervous about meeting her as she was about meeting them. They were trying hard, just like she was.
“Well, let’s get Holly inside and unpacked,” Katie said. “Steven, why don’t you carry her suitcase up the stairs? Lissa, will you show her where her room and everything is?”
“Sure. Follow me, Holly,” Lissa said with a wave as she turned and walked inside.
Stepping through the big wooden front door, Holly was a little taken aback. Brigid’s house was lovely, but this place was big, old and beautiful. Both were nice, but in completely different ways. This place felt like it had been home to many generations. The hardwood floors shined in the entry and a sparkling chandelier hung from the ceiling. The stairs were against the wall on the right with a dark cherry wood finish. It was old, and yet modern, all at the same time. For Holly, it seemed like a great place to learn about her family history.
Lissa dashed up the wooden stairs. Holly shook herself and followed. Each step creaked as she followed her cousin to what would be her room for the next two weeks.
On the second floor, Lissa took a right and opened the first door. “This is your room. Mom and I picked out a new bedspread and curtains for you. Honestly, the other ones were kind of blah. Trust me, I did you a favor,” she said as she touched Holly’s forearm with exaggerated sympathy.
“Thanks,” Holly said, not completely sure what else she could say. “So how old are you again?”
“I’m 13. I’ll be a freshman next year,” she said as she walked over to the closet. Pulling the door open she did a fancy move like she was on a game show. “This is your closet, my dear.”
Holly laughed. “The only thing I can think about right now is finding a bathroom. Would you show me where it is?” She’d needed to go ever since she’d been on the airplane, but she hadn’t wanted to squeeze into the tiny compartment on the plane.
“Sure. Come on, I’ll show you that before I give you a tour of the rest of the house.” Lissa bounced out of the room and down the hall.
Holly secretly hoped the girl was just excited she was here. She wasn’t sure if she could handle being around someone so perky all the time. It wasn’t natural.
When she was finished in the bathroom, Lissa showed her the upstairs rooms before taking her back down the stairs. She stopped in front of a nearby door.
“This is my dad’s office. He works from home,” Lissa explained.
“That’s cool, so does Brigid. What does he do?” Holly asked.
“He’s a web developer. He builds websites and stuff,” Lissa said proudly. “Brigid’s the woman you live with, right? What does she do?”
“Yeah, she’s taken care of me since Mom died. She’s a book editor,” Holly said as Lissa pushed the door open.
Allen was sitting behind his desk, his face illuminated by a computer screen. “Hey, Lissa, giving Holly the grand tour?” he asked.
“Sure am,” Lissa said smiling proudly.
“Why don’t you take her to the kitchen? She may want a snack or something,” he suggested.
The girls began to chat as they walked through the house towards the kitchen. Katie had already set out some snacks for them.
“Is your room okay?” Katie asked.
Holly nodded as she picked up a chocolate chip cookie and took a small bite. “Yes, thank you. You really didn’t need to go to all that trouble for me,” she said. “Whatever you had before would have been fine.”
“It wasn’t any trouble at all. That guest room needed a change, and having you visit gave us a good reason to do it. Well, I’m going to go out and check on the garden. You kids can watch television or play a game, or whatever. Make yourself at home, Holly. If you need anything, just let someone know.”
She smiled brightly as she stepped through the French doors that led out to the backyard. Holly looked out at the view. The backyard was a decent size, not nearly as big as theirs back in Cottonwood Springs, but still not bad for being in the middle of a city.
It was fenced-in and nicely landscaped. Right outside the doors was a large stone patio with a table and chairs. There was also a little fire pit nearby. Holly could almost imagine them all sitting around it roasting hot dogs or marshmallows.
Steven walked into the kitchen and headed straight for the chocolate chip cookies. “So, has everyone driven you nuts yet with their constant chatter?” he asked jokingly.
“Not yet,” Holly laughed. “But I do have to admit that I’m not used to all of this attention.”
Steven sat down on a barstool at the edge of the large island in the middle of the kitchen and pulled the cookies closer to him. “You’ll get used to it. They just want you to be happy,” he said. He didn’t make a lot of eye contact, because he was focused on the cookies.
Lissa pulled out a barstool for Holly before sitting down herself. “Well, duh. We don’t want her to be miserable while she’s here,” she said as if he was being an idiot.
“I’m not used to much. I can make myself happy just about anywhere with a good book and something to eat,” Holly said as she snagged another cookie.
“Reader, huh? Does that mean you don’t play video games?” Steven asked.
“Honestly, I’ve only played a few times over at friends’ houses,” she admitted.
“What?” Lissa asked, turning towards Holly with wide eyes. “You have got to be joking. You don’t have some sort of gaming system?”
“Well, no. My mom didn’t have a lot of money, and since I’ve never really had one, I didn’t ask Brigid for one,” Holly said, but it wasn’t like she didn’t know what they were or anything.
“We’ll change that,” Steven said. “You have got to play something while you’re here.” He turned to his sister and shook his head. “A teenager who doesn’t play video games. It’s just not right.”
Lissa giggled as Holly rolled her eyes while she smiled. She was already starting to like having cousins.
CHAPTER 3
Al
lison had been checking the school website for her grade point average and the class ranking list which told everyone which five students had the top GPAs. It was the summer before her senior year, and she was determined to be named valedictorian. She had the grades for it, and she’d been working hard to make sure her GPA stayed as high as possible. It wasn’t just her dream to be valedictorian, it was also her mother’s.
Her mother had been forced to drop out of school when she’d become pregnant with Allison. A complicated pregnancy and all the stress that went with it had made it almost impossible to keep her attendance and grades up. When Allison had started high school, her mother confided in her one night that she dreamed her daughter would be valedictorian, fulfilling her unmet dream of years ago.
“My grades were almost perfect,” she’d admitted. “I wouldn’t change having you for the world, but when I started having troubles with my pregnancy my grades slipped, because of all the doctors’ appointments and days when I couldn’t get out of bed. It wasn’t long before my perfect GPA went down the drain.”
Seeing the sadness in her eyes had done something to Allison. All her life it had been just the two of them. They were like two peas in a pod, always there for each other. Knowing what her mother had gone through to raise her the best way she could made Allison want to make her mother proud of her. She wanted her mother to feel that all of the sacrifices she’d made had paid off.
“If I couldn’t be valedictorian, I’d love to see you be it. You have the grades, and you’re definitely smart enough. That would be like me getting it after all these years,” her mother had said, growing misty-eyed.
“I’ll do it for you, you’ll see,” Allison had promised her. Her mother had smiled and patted her hand before heading off to her second job as a waitress. That night Allison mentally swore that she would do whatever she could to make sure she didn’t let her mother down.
Now they were getting down to the wire. Her grades had been good during her first three years of high school, but Chloe consistently had the best grades. No matter how hard Allison tried, it was never quite enough. She just hoped that maybe, just maybe, all the extra studying she’d done would pay off. If she tried to work on the subjects over the summer, she hoped she could get a leg up for next year’s courses and beat out Chloe.
She clicked on the link to show the class standings, holding her breath and crossing her fingers. Looking above the computer, she smiled at the picture of her mother and her that was taken last year. They both had the same caramel-colored skin and straight brown hair. Allison’s was a bit lighter than her mom’s, but not much.
They’d gone to the park for a picnic on one of her mother’s rare days off. It wasn’t often that they were able to do much together. Working two jobs, her mother was usually trying to catch up on sleep or things that she thought needed to be done around the house whenever she had a day off.
“I’ve got this,” she said to the picture. She wasn’t sure if she was talking more to herself or to her mother. Either way, she had to think positively.
When the page loaded, she eagerly looked at the top of the list, certain she would see her name there this time. Instead, it was the same as always. Chloe. Right beneath her name was Allison’s name.
“Darn!” Allison yelled, slamming her hands down on the desk. What would it take to beat her? Was it even possible? It was as if Chloe was a robot who’d been sent to destroy all of Allison’s dreams.
Standing up from the desk, she paced back and forth in the small, square front room. There wasn’t much space between the old couch, the coffee table, and the television, but she managed. She was used to moving around the furniture in their tiny home.
“It’s not fair,” she said aloud to the pale grey walls. “Why can’t I ever beat her?” She’d been trying so hard, giving it her best. Each time, no matter how much extra credit or studying she did, Chloe was always just a little farther ahead.
Frustrated, she looked at the time and realized her mother would be home soon. Sighing, she walked over to the computer and turned it off. “There’s got to be something I can do. Maybe if I keep it up, she’ll slip,” she said as she thought out loud. “She’s not perfect. She’s human, just like me. There’s no way she can keep this up forever.”
Heading to the kitchen, she opened the old refrigerator and pulled out the ingredients to make sandwiches. It wasn’t much, but she didn’t have time to make anything else. Her mom would only be home an hour and a half before heading to her other job. Allison had made it her job to make sure her mother took care of herself. She had a habit of forgetting to eat, among other things.
Allison had taken over most of the housework as well as making dinner. She knew other kids her age didn’t have to do those things, but she didn’t care. She’d do anything to try to help her mother out. Cooking dinner and helping around the house was nothing compared to the long hours her mom had to put in just to keep a roof over their head and food in the refrigerator.
Allison’s dream was to get into a good college on a full ride scholarship. She wanted to study psychology and help people work through their problems. She was still trying to decide if she wanted to specialize, but she knew that was something she could decide later. Right now, all she knew was that she wanted to make a difference.
After college, she wanted to take care of her mother, buy her a house, and make sure she didn’t ever have to work again. Allison wasn’t sure how she was going to manage all that, but she knew her own needs would come second this time. For so many years she’d watched as her mom went without so Allison could have things.
The sound of a key sliding into the lock on the front door brought Allison out of her thoughts.
“Hey, Mama. How was work?” she asked as her mother stepped through the front door and shut it behind her.
“Exhausting. What do you have there?” She crossed the short distance from the front door to the kitchen counter that separated it from the living area.
“A ham and swiss cheese sandwich. Here, have some chips, too,” she said as she pulled a bag from the cabinet and put a handful on a plate with the sandwich. She’d made the sandwich just the way her mother liked, with double cheese and lettuce right in the middle.
“You are too good to me, sweetheart,” she said, her voice sounding tired. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she looked a little pale.
“Sit down and eat. Kick off your shoes and relax,” Allison insisted.
Without arguing, her mother shuffled over to the couch. She must be tired, Allison thought. That’s the only time she doesn’t argue with me and try to help. Her heart broke for her mother. It couldn’t be healthy for her to work this hard.
“I think I may go to the library later on,” Allison said as she made her own sandwich. “I know it’s summer vacation, but I got a list of the required reading for next year’s courses from one of my friends who graduated. If I read them ahead of time, maybe I’ll have a leg up when we study them this year,” she continued.
“If I have time, I’ll probably try to find out the algebraic equations that will be introduced and see if the library has any videos on them.” Placing a handful of chips on her own plate, she got a glass of ice water and left the kitchen.
She sat down on the couch and looked over at her mother, who had already fallen asleep. Her chips were almost all gone and half the sandwich was eaten. Her head was tipped back against the couch and her mouth had dropped slightly open. A gentle soft snore coming from her was the only sound in the room.
Allison felt a pang of guilt. Her mother was working herself into the ground for her. No matter how much Allison insisted it would be okay, her mother wouldn’t listen. She was forever trying to work just a little more, so she could put money away in Alison’s college fund.
Allison had assured her mother she’d be able to get some sort of scholarship or grants, and that she didn’t need to work so hard. But her mother wanted to make sure everything was covered, so she kept at i
t, even when she was practically asleep on her feet.
Carefully, Allison slid the plate from her mother’s lap and set it on the table. It would keep for a little while. No reason why she couldn’t rest a bit. She pulled the quilt from the back of the couch and softly whispered, “Lie down, Mom. It’s okay. I’ll wake you up in time to get to work.”
Mumbling her thanks, her mother lifted her feet onto the couch and scooted down. Her wrinkled scrubs rode up on her calves. Allison tugged them down before covering her with the quilt. Alison’s grandmother had made it for her mother when she was just a small child. Now it was the only thing her mother had left of her mother’s. It was one of her most prized possessions.
Once again, Allison promised herself that this wouldn’t go on forever. She’d do whatever it took to take first place away from Chloe. For her, getting that spot meant everything would finally be okay. Granted, it didn’t promise a scholarship or anything like that, but in her mind, it was almost guaranteed if she beat Chloe in the race for highest GPA.
But what if she still beats me? Allison thought. What if, no matter what I do, she’s just better? Taking her plate to her room, she sat down on her bed and took a bite of her sandwich.
“Then I just have to make sure she messes up,” she whispered to herself. “But how?”
She began to think that the best way to get someone to have bad grades was to distract them. But nothing could fluster Chloe, could it? After all, it was well-known she wouldn’t even date because she didn’t want anything to make her lose her focus on becoming a pediatrician.
“But what if she was to get in trouble?” she speculated. “Not only would she be distracted, but her perfect reputation would be tarnished. It could mess with her mind and cause her to slip up in her grades,” she plotted aloud. Allison knew it wasn’t exactly right, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Of course, she didn’t want to get Chloe in serious trouble, but maybe just a little trouble. She didn’t want to risk the police getting involved. But maybe, just maybe, if she did the right thing and made it reasonably look like Chloe did it…
Holly and the Framed Friend Page 2
