by S. E. Akers
Charlotte cast a smirk my way as she sipped on her Zinfandel, waiting for me to announce my discontent. “I think it’s charming. Shiloh, what do you think?” she probed.
“Is that, um…in style, Chloe?” Daddy asked uncertainly.
“Oh, Daddy. Something like this never goes out of style,” my little sister simpered. “You don’t know fashion like I do. She’ll look classic and timeless. After all, we were kind of limited in our selections. Shiloh tends to lean a little more on the conservative-side when it comes to clothes. She said ‘nothing slutty’,” Chloe added with a crafty grin.
I could see Daddy’s expression from out of the corner of my eye. Even he was skeptical, but after what I’d put him through earlier, I didn’t want to initiate a big argument in the middle of his downtime. Thoughts of touring college campuses filled my head, not to mention, the special birthday dinner on Sunday that had been planned. I swallowed my discontentment and quickly spoke up.
“It’s fine. Thanks, Chloe. You really put a lot of thought into this…selection.” I jumped up from the table and headed for the hallway. “I really do need to take a bath,” I declared as I glanced back at the heinous glob of yellow fabric.
“Do what you need to, sweetie. You’ve worked so hard today,” Charlotte replied with a witch-like twinkle in her eyes.
The blank stare I shot my mother was all she needed. She would revel in my disheartenment all evening. I’m sure that’s better than any “buzz” she could ever get from any old bottle of wine.
I ran upstairs and drew my bath. Seeing how I was still in a funk over that ugly yellow dress, I decided to use some of Chloe’s bath salts (she owed me that much). I dumped the whole container of Sea Island Salts into the old claw-foot tub. I sat on its lip and watched the water as it rose, pondering the events of my bizarre day. It had been filled with oddities, each more shocking than the last. I was leaning over to shut off the valves when the thought of checking my messages popped into my mind.
After I’d retrieved my phone, I wandered back into the bathroom and placed it on a stand beside the tub. Once my dirty clothes had been tossed in the hamper, I slowly guided my tense body down into the steamy, aromatic water. It felt so soothing on my sore neck. I’d noticed that it looked awfully red when I’d taken off my sweatshirt. Surely there would be the beginnings of a bruise by morning.
I hope this helps.
I dipped my washcloth into the warm water and laid it on my brow. My head was throbbing, and I found myself still restless. A million questions were racing through my mind, but answers were what I really needed.
I tried to shut everything out, but to no avail. I reached over and grabbed my cell phone. Katie had left 2 voicemails (that I didn’t feel like listening to) and numerous text messages. A gabfest was the last thing on my mind, so I sent her a quick text.
In the tub…Can’t talk
Within seconds Katie replied.
K…Did U get a dress?
I swiftly hammered out my response on the keypad.
Y…Just hope no one
brings RAID to the dance
Talk 2 U 2morrow
I laid the phone back on the stand and moistened the cloth again. This time, I plopped it over my entire face in an attempt to hide from the cosmos. I had but one simple wish.
Please…Just let my day end on a “normal” note.
A few seconds later, a pounding sound began to rattle the bathroom door.
“Shiloh, I need to get in there! How much longer are you going to be?” Chloe belted out impatiently, followed by an abrupt lull. “Do I smell MY BATH SALTS?” she grilled fiercely.
Straightaway, I submerged myself under the water. And there it is…Just like clockwork!
Chapter 5 — He Came Bearing Gifts
I awoke in the morning, surprised that I’d actually managed to get some sleep. In fact, I snoozed right through my alarm clock, which I didn’t even hear beeping. With everything that had happened yesterday, I figured I would’ve tossed and turned all night, but I didn’t even have a hint of a bad dream.
Maybe my nightmares prefer to torment me when my eyes are open? Lucky me…
Seeing how I was running late, I followed my morning routine with swift precision. Though I’d taken a long enough bath last night, I hopped in the shower anyway for a quick pick-me-up. As the water cascaded down by body, I caught the lingering scent of Chloe’s bath salts. I ran my fingers across my neck and shoulders. Amazingly, they didn’t feel sore anymore. Every lingering twinge of pain my assailant had inflicted was miraculously gone.
I guess the bath did the trick.
I was out of the shower and back in my room in a flash. I had to hurry. I hated to be late for anything — namely school. As soon as I whipped open my closet door, I jumped back and flinched.
“Ugh!” Hanging on the back of the door was that damn yellow dress.
Chloe must’ve snuck in my room last night and hung it in here. How kind of her!
A thought crossed my mind. I ran over to check my alarm setting. It had been readjusted to go off at 10:00 AM.
That little witch reset my clock — totally on purpose — just because I used up all of her precious bath salts! My eyes panned back over to the hideous dress still swaying on the door hook. I think having to wear that thing is punishment enough.
Promptly, I threw on my clothes — a fitted red tee and my favorite pair of jeans, which I always saved for Fridays. Instead of my usual ponytail, I opted to wear my hair down for a change. My switch was purely psychological. I didn’t want too much of my neck showing, not after the way it had been strangled yesterday.
I had to head straight into work after school, so I threw my uniform in a duffle bag, along with my roller skates. These will come in handy, I figured, knowing the Sterling Drive-In would get slammed with customers as soon as the Homecoming game was over. There was no time for breakfast. Daddy would be sleeping in, so I didn’t feel the least bit guilty about getting up so late and not fixing anything. Charlotte will just throw a bowl of corn flakes at him later and call it “brunch”.
I made it outside just in time to see Mike’s Camaro driving off with Chloe.
Crap! I’m REALLY late, I grumbled as I hurried over to my car and slid inside. I pulled out of our driveway and zoomed down the road. I was careful not to speed (well not to speed excessively), but I really didn’t want to spend too much time dawdling down the road that flanked Shiloh Ridge. Normally the curvy, downhill drive would take a solid three minutes, but today I cut it down to only one and a half. At that revelation, I decided it was time to slow down. I couldn’t make a habit of speeding — not out fear, at least. As soon as I’d reached the bottom of the mountain, I paused to look over at the mine. Everyone’s jobs were secure today, and it appeared to be “business as usual”.
I pulled onto Highway 52 and headed down the two-lane road to Welch High. I had approximately ten minutes to get to school, park, throw my stuff in my locker, and make it to first period without “officially” being late. I was proud of my perfect attendance record. A tardy would certainly count against it.
It actually only took nine and a half minutes to accomplish my feat. I was extremely thankful I didn’t get behind any school buses along the way. However, I did have to park in the lower lot and dash up the steep hill to school. I wasn’t too pleased about that, but at least I arrived to my first class on time (barely) — just as the second bell rang.
Katie turned around as soon as I sat down. “You’re running behind this morning. I’ve been waiting on you for the past fifteen minutes. Are you still upset?” she whispered.
“No,” I mouthed back and gave her a look, signaling Mrs. Thompson had entered the classroom.
Katie jotted down a quick note and passed it back to me. It read:
How BAD was the dress?
Mrs. Thompson was facing the blackboard, so I leaned up closer to whisper in her ear. “Absolutely HIDEOUS.”
Soon, the sound of irksome fe
edback “crackled” through the intercom. “Good Morning, students,” our principal, Mr. Harless, belted out enthusiastically. “I have a lot of announcements this morning, so bear with me. As everyone is well aware, Homecoming is finally here, and I trust that all of you will be at the field tonight to cheer our Golden Knights on to victory against the Princeton Tigers.”
Students could be heard in our class and throughout the building as they erupted into a chorus of cheers, roars, claps, and whistles.
Mr. Harless continued, “The game starts at six sharp, and we’ll crown our new Homecoming Queen at halftime. Good luck to every young lady on the senior court.” A brief pause followed. “Now, on to some surprising and exciting news. I’m sure everyone is already aware that Xcavare Enterprises will be purchasing the Riverside Pocahontas Coalmine. They’ve made a promise to not only make this mine their most profitable, but also to revitalize our community and bring it back to its status as one of the richest counties in our state. They’ll be making a huge investment in our infrastructure, our businesses, and our people. I’m pleased to reveal their proposal for our school and its students. For starters, Xcavare Enterprises has graciously offered to sponsor our Homecoming game, as well as tomorrow night’s dance. What’s more exciting is that they’ll also be making a large donation to our Science department, which will finally allow us to renovate the classrooms and purchase the equipment and materials needed to keep up with the needs of the 21st century student. In addition, they will be granting eight of our college-bound seniors an extraordinary opportunity. These selected students will be allowed to travel abroad to one of their mining operations. Further details about the study-trip will be disclosed after all the students have been officially chosen. The selected students will however be required to obtain passports in order to participate.”
Katie whipped around in her seat. “That sound’s exciting. I’m sure your name will be on that list.”
“That’s all I am right now is college bound, not college accepted…Remember?” I whispered back.
“Lastly,” Mr. Harless added, “and what I’m sure all of you will feel is the most exciting news…Classes will be dismissed today after fourth period to kick off our Homecoming festivities. Buses will be running in accordance with our half-day schedule. That’s all, and Go Golden Knights!”
Cheers echoed throughout the school. I looked around the classroom. Everyone was overjoyed with the news — Homecoming, an early dismissal, and of course, the generous gifts from Lazarus Xcavare. I sat there watching the unsuspecting, jubilant students as I thought about what I’d read while researching in the library yesterday.
Xcavare Enterprises wasn’t in the economic recovery and revitalization business, they were in the mining business. They seemed to be going well out of their way to adopt our little town. Though Lazarus Xcavare was apparently very wealthy, I didn’t get the feeling from his emotions that he was a “do-gooder” — quite the opposite. He seemed cold, conceited, and callous. I started to think there was a lot of truth to the article I’d read.
Maybe they were buying up mines and then abandoning them? This might be a drastic attempt by their company for some “damage control” to keep their shareholders happy. Surely a shrewd PR move like this would bump up their stock price. I was so deep in thought that I didn’t realize Katie had been trying to get my attention.
“SHILOH?…Earth to Shiloh,” Katie teased as she waved her hands in front of my face.
“Sorry,” I replied.
“Isn’t that great news? I told you they were going to make a commitment to Welch,” she boasted and turned back around in her seat.
Mrs. Thompson attempted to commence with class, but I don’t even think she wanted to rattle off any equations this morning. Everyone was on such a high.
“Okay, people,” Mrs. Thompson announced. “Free period for the rest of the class — but keep it down.” Cheers flowed around the room again.
I grabbed my Geology book and propped it up, directly in front of my face. Katie got the hint. I didn’t want to be bothered.
I’d just opened the book up randomly in my haste for cover. To my surprise, I happened to be looking at a chapter entitled “Gemstones”. As I flipped through a few pages, I made a noteworthy discovery. On page 298, there was a picture of a polished blue stone with a few white speckles. It looked identical to the one I saw sitting in the center of Lazarus Xcavare’s gold ring.
Lapis Lazuli, read the caption underneath the color photo. So that’s what it was. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but there was something about his ring that was still nagging at me. A chill ran down my spine just thinking about the abrupt “jolt” I’d felt when my fingers touched it yesterday. There really wasn’t any other information, but at least I learned “something”. It was an alluring stone, without a doubt, but I would have expected him to be wearing something a little more extravagant and flamboyant. Something gaudy to match his demeanor.
Katie tapped on the back of my book. I lowered it just enough to see her making a sad, puppy-dog face. With an obedient grin, I sighed as I closed my textbook and tucked it under my desk. She smiled and playfully started clapping her hands.
“Good,” Katie beamed. “Now, tell me exactly how crappy the dress was.”
We spent the next forty minutes bashing Charlotte and Chloe. The second period bell rang, ushering everyone on to his or her respective classes. Katie and I had different teachers for Literature, so I headed off alone to Mr. Jackson’s class. I arrived to find a message scribbled on the whiteboard in blue ink. It read:
Monday — Test on Hamlet
Free period today
Use it well!
GO GOLDEN KNIGHTS!
After reading the message, most of the class made a u-turn, heading back out the door. I sat down and grabbed my notes to get a jump on studying for the exam. After all, I had a busy weekend planned. I would have to work until midnight and probably wouldn’t get home until 1 o’clock in the morning (if the drunks were still there at closing-time). Then there were the two favors on Saturday: Helping Ms. Sutherland pack and going to the dance with Mike. Sunday was my birthday. It would take about three or four hours to drive over to Twin Falls, eat dinner, and then come home.
I’d better get all the studying I can in now. I really won’t have time for it this weekend.
Third period Government came and went. Yet again, another teacher decided to give us a break. I was kind of shocked. Apparently, the teachers seemed just as eager as the students were to “call it a day”.
Soon the bell rang, and I was off to Ms. Fitz’s class. On the way, I thought, I wonder if she knows anything about the lapis lazuli? Katie probably did, seeing how jewelry and gemstones were her family’s business. I just couldn’t bring myself to ask her. She’d want to know “why”, and I didn’t want her knowing any details about my disturbing afternoon with Lazarus Xcavare.
Ms. Fitzpatrick was dressed to the nines again. “Please take your seats,” she informed everyone as they entered. “We will be having class today, unlike some of the other teachers around here.”
Katie plopped down in her seat beside mine, playfully mocking Ms. Fitz’s orders. As the final bell rang, Mike Riverside entered the classroom, lagging behind with Kara Leighton. They were both giggling as they headed to their seats. I rolled my eyes when she strolled past me and then shot Mike an icy glare. He acknowledged my suspicions with a dirty look of his own.
Asshole…
Ms. Fitzpatrick rose from her desk. “Okay, everyone…I have my own special surprise for the class. A dear friend of mine will be presiding over our lecture today. He’s a professor of Geology and Mineralogy at the prestigious Yardley University.”
A few moans erupted from the back of the room.
“I want everyone on his or her BEST BEHAVIOR…GOT IT?” our teacher advised in a sharp tone.
Everyone shut up and rightfully so. We could tell she meant business.
“Good,” Ms. Fitzpat
rick cooed. “I’ll be right back.” She sashayed out of the room, almost animated, but was back in a flash. “Class,” Ms. Fitz announced, “I’d like to introduce you to Professor Tanner Grey.” In a grand fashion, she gracefully waved her arm out for our mystery speaker to make their entrance.
No way! No freaking way, I thought as the beautiful stranger stepped through the doorway. My eyes flared as he glided across the room, headed towards the lectern. My emotions immediately started to churn the same way they had last night. I scanned around the room to see if anyone else found our guest speaker as intriguing as I did. Confidently, I observed his electrifying charisma had lit a spark within every female in the room, leaving them helplessly spellbound.
“I wonder if Geologists do it in the dirt?” Kara whispered to Erica Kelly, one of her friends who sat behind me. They were both giggling like two horny little hoes — not even trying to be discreet about it.
That really struck a nerve with Mike. If the glare in his eyes didn’t give him away, the sneer on his face sure did.
“No…They just sit around and get their rocks off,” he gruffly shot back to them.
After hearing his hostile jab, I couldn’t help but grin. Uh, Jealous much?
“Thank you for inviting me here, Ms. Fitzpatrick. I’m actually in town doing some consulting work for Xcavare Enterprises, but I’m always on the lookout for budding geologists,” Professor Grey remarked and flashed a dazzling smile in her direction. By the look on Ms. Fitz’s face, I thought she was going to melt like an ice cube on a hot sultry day.
I found myself slumping down in my seat while his eyes panned the room, trying to hide behind a bushy clump of long, curly hair belonging to Anna Cooper sitting in front of me. From out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Katie was trying to get my attention.
I looked over to my right to see her mouthing, “He’s sooo DAMN HOT!”
