Sweet Harmony

by A. M. Evanston

  "What happened?" Daniel asked.

  She looked up into his shimmering blue eyes and saw that there wasn't a hint of anger in them now. She hesitated, wondering if she could trust him. Probably not. But she hadn't made a habit of making smart choices and there wasn't a point in starting now.

  "I just found out my mom was cheating on my dad with a guy my own age," she said. "My parents are going to get divorce. The worst part is my dad didn't even tell me. I had to find out what my mom was doing from a news article."

  Daniel's expression didn't change. Maybe he'd read the article and had just wanted to hear her say the words or maybe he'd experienced too much in life for anything to take him by surprise anymore.

  "That's tough. I know how you feel," he said. "My mom left me and my dad when I was a kid. It leaves you feeling empty inside."

  "Did being betrayed make you feel empty?" She tightened her grip on his shirt. "It makes me feel full. Too full. Like I'm experiencing too many emotions and I'm going to burst."

  Daniel studied her, his expression serious. To her surprise, he let her go and pointed to his chin.

  "This is a onetime offer only." His jaw clenched. "You can punch me in the face. Pretend that I'm the person you're mad at most."

  Wow. A free punch. She didn't see that coming. Strangely, after all of the times she'd wanted to punch Daniel, her clenched fist was as heavy as a boulder.

  "I think that will only make me feel guilty," she said.

  "You had no trouble punching me before."

  He actually smiled a little.

  "We weren't in timeout when I punched you before," she said. "Besides, I only hit people when I feel like they deserve it."

  Silence fell. She could tell he was trying to control his temper. Sighing, she looked out into the distance.

  Daniel gritted his teeth, but he gave her shoulder a squeeze. "You look like you're feeling a little better now."

  To her surprise, she was. How could a guy who usually made her ready to spit acid uplift her mood like this? Daniel must have some weird, supernatural powers. She took a step back and glanced at the dorm. Being here with Daniel was too strange.

  "I probably should head back," she said. "I have to talk to my parents. If they'll even pick up the phone, that is…"

  "Good luck." Daniel saluted. "Just remember next time I see you, the timeout is over. We'll be back to fighting."

  "I know."

  Daniel headed back to the school. She couldn't let him go like this, not without showing some sort of appreciation.

  "Hey, Daniel," she called.

  He turned around. The sun caught his beautiful honey hair and made it shimmer.

  "Yeah?" He raised an eyebrow.

  "Thanks," she said.

  Daniel nodded and then went inside.

  She stared after him for a moment, her heart still aching. What just happened? she thought. After she released a shaky breath, she realized now was not the time to be confused by Daniel. Her parents were the ones who should be on her mind.

  ****

  Annamarie paced in her dorm room. She held her cell phone in her hand after she'd finished dialing her mom's number. The woman's phone was still disconnected. She had to try her dad. After she called his cell, she waited. Nobody picked up. Another tear leaked out of the corner of her eye. Don't think you can get away with ignoring me, she thought, sniffing defiantly. She knew well he was practicing at this time and left his phone on. It didn't matter how long he chose to avoid her call. She'd spend all day and night dialing his number if she had to. Gritting her teeth, she clicked on her dad's number and dialed again. A moment went by. Finally, somebody picked up.

  "Annamarie, this really isn't a good time," her dad said.

  Another tear of rage leaked out of her eye. She'd never punched her dad before, but if he was here, she would have done just that.

  "It's a perfect time," she said. "Don't you dare hang up or else I'm using the emergency credit card you gave me to book the first flight straight to you."

  Her dad sighed. He knew she didn't give empty threats.

  "Very well, Annamarie," he said.

  Somehow his exasperation—like she was a nuisance instead of a distraught daughter—pissed her off even more. Another angry tear burned her cheek. She was surprised her tears weren't turning into hot lava because of her rage.

  "When did you think you were going to tell me that Mom was cheating on you?" she whispered, her voice laced with malice.

  "You found out about that?" He sighed again. She wanted to choke him so he couldn't do it anymore.

  "I found out," she said. "BUT I SHOULD HAVE HEARD IT FROM YOU!"

  Her sudden yelling must have shocked him because she heard him yelp on the other end of the line.

  "Listen, sweetie—"

  "Don't you dare call me sweetie right now." Sweetie was a childhood endearment he'd used when she was little.

  "All right, all right." Her dad groaned.

  "Tell me how long you've been lying to me and Yuri," she said.

  Her dad was silent.

  "Dad, if I fly down there, I'll do horrible things." Her voice dropped to a sinister whisper. "You remember the time I let a wild dog out in the middle of rehearsal and the performance had to be cancelled? I can do worse. Much worse. I wasn't even trying to make trouble then."

  "Fine." Her dad cleared his throat. "I've known for three months."

  That's when he decided to send me away to school, she thought.

  "Why didn't you tell me then?" she asked.

  "I was hoping your mother was just having some sort of crisis or quick fling and would come back to me." For the first time, his voice broke. "This wouldn't be the first time she…"

  The words stung. This wasn't the first time she had an affair? He didn't need to finish the sentence for her to realize the truth. Her already broken heart shattered more.

  "How many times has she done this?"

  "A few." Her dad sounded defiant, but she could hear a quaver in his voice. "I won't tell you more than that. You're only sixteen and I don't want you to hear about these kinds of things."

  "Hear about it?" she snapped. "Because of her, I'm in the middle of it."

  "Which was why I sent you away," her dad said. "Do you think I want to be alone right now while your mother parades around California with a man just two years older than her own daughter? Of course not. But I sent you away. Not for me, but for you."

  "But why?" Being at this school when she should have been at home made her feel lonely and depressed. She didn't believe he'd done anything for her.

  "Think about it, Annamarie," her dad said. "The paparazzi have showed up at our house multiple times every day asking about your mother. I wanted to save you from that."

  Annamarie swallowed, her heart wrenching.

  "I'm old enough that I could have handled it."

  "I didn't want you to handle it. I wanted you to be somewhere safe." Her dad was choking on his emotions now. "I wanted Yuri to be somewhere safe too."

  All of the burning rage she'd felt toward him ebbed away. She still blamed him for not telling her, but she'd never heard his voice crack before. Her dad was all cool control and perfect disposition. He'd worked hard after his Brooklyn days to make himself into a perfect gentlemen. Now all that was being stripped away in the heat of his emotion. How many nights had he suffered because of her mom? For the first time ever, she saw her dad as less of a parent and more of a broken-hearted man. And she couldn't waste all of her rage on him. This was her mom's fault. Just because the woman's phone was disconnected didn't mean that she could spend all day screaming at the only parent who still cared enough about her to remain in her life.

  "Have you talked to Mom?" she asked, fighting to maintain her self-control, pretty much the hardest thing in the world for her to do.

  "Not really." Her dad swallowed. "She talks to me through her divorce lawyer."

  The words were another blow. She'd read about divorce papers i
n the article, but to hear about the split from her dad just made it so much worse.

  "The divorce is really happening then?" she whispered.

  "I'm afraid so, Annamarie," her dad said, his voice trembling again.

  "And us?" she asked. "What about Yuri and me? Who gets to take care of us?"

  She knew that she was almost an adult, but Yuri had seven years to go until he was eighteen. She prayed he wouldn't spend his teenage years in a boarding school when he should be at home with his dad.

  "She hasn't mentioned you two, except…" Her dad paused.

  "Except?" The pause was horrifying.

  "Except when I said that if we get divorce, I want custody of you and Yuri," he said. "She agreed to it with no argument."

  The words crippled her. She fell to the bed and placed her hand over her mouth to forbid the sound of her weeping. She didn't want him to know how hurt she was. It made her seem weak. Still she couldn't help but wonder how her mom could just throw her away so easily. Yeah, she'd been hell on two legs growing up, but she'd always loved her parent.

  "Are you crying?" Her dad sounded confused and horrified.

  "Of course not." She wiped away the flowing tears as if he could see her.

  "Yes, you are," her dad said.

  Okay, so I am, she thought, hanging her head.

  "I know I haven't been the best father to you over the years, but I want you to know something," her dad said. "I love you. I'll always be here for you."

  She could tell he meant the words. Once again, she had two choices—scorn his love or accept it. She thought he'd been scorned enough.

  "I love you too," she said, fighting to sound strong.

  "I'm sorry I messed this up so badly. I just didn't know what to do. Sending you to a boarding school seemed like the best option." Her dad sighed. "Do you forgive me?"

  "Yes, Dad." She stared out the window. "I forgive you."

  "Good." He grunted.

  "I still want to go home," she said. "I want to be with you."

  "No." Her dad's voice was harsh enough it even made her flinch.

  "But why?" She knew what was going on now. What was the point of not heading home?

  "I'll come to get you in a little while after everything calms down," her dad said. "The academy doesn't allow visitors, so reporters can't legally go on campus. I want you to stay there and lay low."

  She didn't want to lay low. Who cared if a reporter stuck a camera in her face?

  "Don't do this," she said. "I need to be with you now."

  "Annamarie, do you remember the time you punched my personal assistant because you heard him talking about me behind my back?" her dad asked.

  The man had deserved it. He'd call her dad words she wasn't even allowed to say.

  "Ugh, yeah," she said.

  "Now tell me, what are you going to do when a whole bunch of people start talking bad about our family?"

  Okay, he had a good point. Her temper wouldn't hold out long. She'd probably end up punching out a reporter or two.

  "Fine." She hung her head in defeat. "I'll stay at the school a little while longer."

  "Finally, you see reason," her dad said. "I'll give you a call in a few days' time to make sure you're okay."

  "Okay, Dad. Bye."

  She ended the phone call and looked in the mirror. Her haunted face stared back at her. She placed the phone on her bedside table and sunk onto the mattress. With a groan, she placed her hand behind her head. Why is this happening to me? she thought. She didn't believe she'd be able to think of her mom without feeling angry ever again.

  Chapter Ten

  Annamarie watched her mom parade around in a clown costume holding onto the arm of a well-toned body builder with skin as golden as a coconut's husk. She rushed up to her parent and tried to pull her away, but the woman didn't budge. Desperately, Annamarie tried to stand between the two of them, but since she was so small, the woman looked over her head like she was nothing but an unimportant fly.

  For the first time, she realized her dad and Yuri lingered behind a pane of glass watching them. Her dad's face was blank and his hazel eyes were empty and staring. Yuri didn't look like his animated, crybaby self either. His freckled face was pale and his mouth was thin. Both her dad and her brother were like standing corpses, frozen in time. When she reached the glass pane, she pounded against it, her palms aching.

  "Dad, why aren't you trying to stop her?" she asked.

  Her dad didn't say anything. He just kept on staring straight ahead. She was truly on her own, not that this was anything new. Maybe if she broke the glass, she'd stop the trance her dad was under. She punched the pane. Her knuckles collided with the glass, but to her surprise, she felt nothing.

  "Toilet girl," Daniel said from behind her.

  She whirled around.

  Daniel staggered toward her.

  "Punch me instead," he said.

  "I don't want to punch you," she yelled, then felt searing pain go through her right side as she flailed.

  Her eyes flew open. She was disoriented. Instead of being on her bed, she was curled up on the floor. She must have fallen off her mattress mid-dream. Her ivory sheets were tangled around her legs. Shoot. She peeled away the sheets and noticed the fabric was drenched with her sweat and tears. A shaky sigh escaped her lips. It took her a moment to remember why her stomach churned and her heart ached like somebody had struck it with a hot poker.

  My mom betrayed me…

  She staggered to her feet. The urge to cry was stronger than ever. She didn't know how Daniel could say he felt empty when his mom left him. She was anything but empty. In fact, she was so full she felt like she was going to puke all over the carpet. You can't keep doing this. Today is a school day. Put on your freaking clothes and head to class. She straightened up and her jaw clenched. It didn't matter what her mom did—well, okay, it did matter—but she needed to get on with her life. She had to be strong and go to class so she wasn't given more detention on top of everything else.

  After she pulled on her uniform, she heard the sound of squealing in the hall. What is it this time? she thought, wondering what could possibly be deserving of such fanfare. She shook her head just as her door opened and Daniel darkened her doorstep.

  "Good morning, toilet girl," Daniel said, grinning.

  It was too early in the morning for this crap.

  "Who says there's anything good about it?" she asked, wondering what the heck he was doing in her dorm room.

  His grin didn't fade. He walked over to her and seized her hand. One second she was standing in the middle of her room, the next she was being forcibly dragged into the hall.

  "I'm going to hit you," she threatened him.

  "Yeah, yeah." Daniel didn't sound intimidated.

  "Where are you taking me?" She dug her heels into the carpet. "I have to go to class."

  "Class doesn't start for another forty-five minutes," he said.

  "But I haven't brushed my teeth yet." Her breath probably smelled like a bamboo's backside.

  "Brush them later."

  Freaking Daniel. Why did everything have to go his way? She could have kicked him and escaped his grip, but she had to admit she was a little curious about where he was taking her.

  After he dragged her through the exit of the dorm, she saw Owen walking across the grounds. He froze and stared at the two of them. Daniel completely ignored Owen and yanked her through the back door of the school. When they made it to the recreation room, he finally released her arm.

  "What's the big idea?" She placed her hands on her hips.

  "Just go inside." He opened the door and shoved her into the room.

  Just as she opened her mouth to complain, she froze because she caught sight of the coffee table. It was laden with glistening honeydew and cantaloupe. A bowl of strawberries was next to a giant plate of clotted whipped cream. A bowl of marmalade and a plate of butter sat beside a mountain of golden toast.

  "What's going on?" she asked
.

  "Jay said you only eat out of a vending machine," Daniel said.

  Jay? Oh, Jaiden. She realized Jay must have been Daniel's nickname for his best friend. Still she couldn't figure out why Daniel would put in so much effort for her.

  "I thought we weren't in timeout anymore." She didn't like special treatment. "You aren't supposed to be nice to me."

  "We aren't in timeout." Daniel scowled at her. "I can't fight with an opponent who's buried in the ground. You keep eating those vending machine donuts all the time and you're going to die."

  "I thought that would be your fondest wish."

  "Only if I'm the one killing you," he said.

  The two of them stared at each other. Something hot and intense burned between them. It wasn't anger, but then, what was it? Her heart was hammering so hard it was like a buffalo was ramming her ribcage. There was also a herd of creatures in her stomach a heck of a lot larger than butterflies. She didn't like the unknown emotion. She liked to charge at problems head on. How could she face something when she didn't know what it was?

  "Are you going to eat or what?" Daniel finally asked, breaking through her thoughts.

  "I'm going to eat, but only because it's a shame to let those strawberries go to waste." Strawberries were her favorite fruit. "Don't think it's because I want to eat with you or anything."

  "And don't you think I did this to be nice to you." Daniel glared at her, his eyes dark and penetrating.

  "Believe me, I don't." She stuck her tongue out at him.

  Daniel rolled his eyes, but then he led her over to the food and sat down.

  ****

  As Annamarie walked down the hall, she had the strangest sensation somebody was watching her again. When she turned around, she saw no one. The hall was well lit, so if there was somebody there, she would have seen them. She blamed her paranoia on what had happened to her yesterday. Of course she thought people were out to get her. Her mom had plunged a knife into her heart. She headed into the main hall and followed behind a group of guys.