by M. W. Muse
Don's gift blew me away, though. He'd gotten me a watch that had a sun with crystals that reflected the sun's rays during the daytime; at nighttime, it showed the moon and the same crystals turned to stars. It was so beautiful. I tried not to act too shocked at his gift, but I wasn't sure if I'd fooled anybody.
People started trickling out after I finished with the gifts, and after everyone left, I helped Melissa clean up the last remnants of the party. But I could tell she had something on her mind. She seemed eerily quiet, her face somber.
"What's wrong?" I asked her as I pushed the remaining table back into place. "It's time for me to tell you something, but I can't figure out the right way to do
it."
"Oh, really? What about?" "Your mother."
I froze. Was she going to tell me another story about my mom? If so, she surely
didn't sound like she was about to regurgitate one of those trivial, generic stories. "This sounds important."
"Maybe you should sit down." Did she see my legs shake? Those simple words were like a direct blow to my knees.
"Okay." I couldn't say anything else. Dry-mouthed, heart thudding, I sank on the
couch.
Melissa followed, sitting down beside me. "There's no easy way for me to say
this, so I'm just going to come out and say it. Well, come out and say all I'm allowed to say, anyway."
"What you're allowed to say?"
Melissa's brow furrowed as she stared at me. "Season," she began after a long moment of silence, "your mom didn't die when you were a baby."
It took me about two seconds to process her words, but they didn't sound right together. I repeated them in my mind, understanding finally dawning. "What!" I jumped to my feet.
Melissa stood, staring at me. "Sit down, Season."
I complied slowly, and she followed suit. "Your mom left you in my care because she was worried about your safety. Even though she was powerful, she knew she couldn't keep you safe with her, so she trusted me to look after you. And now, she's coming back for you on your eighteenth birthday."
"I'm not following, Melissa." I could feel the tears pricking my eyes.
"I know this is confusing, and if it's safe, she may try to communicate with you beforehand to explain. She wanted me to wait until you were closer to turning eighteen before I told you, but I felt it was more appropriate for you to adjust to this over the next year. You'll be going through a lot of changes and this may help explain it for you."
"Why wait until I turn eighteen?" I was surprised I could even speak. My throat was tight with tears and Melissa's words, "Mom didn't die," still echoed in my head.
Was this true? How could it be? And . . . why? Why didn't I know this before? Why did I have to wait? I stared at Melissa, waiting for some kind of explanation.
"I cannot answer that. In fact, I cannot say anything else about it." She got up and walked into the kitchen.
I sat there on the couch in a daze, staring at all the gifts I'd received. It seemed like hours, rather than minutes, since the last of the guests had left. I couldn't wrap my head around any of this. Nothing made any sense. But even with the unbelievable news about my mom, why did I get a prickling feeling when I tried to think what Melissa meant by changes.
Chapter 3
My eyes flew open at the sound of thunder. My head was foggy with a faint image of a dream still lingering, but I managed to sit up and stare out my window. I saw nothing. In the seconds that passed, the rest of my body adjusted to the sound of the storm in what seemed to be the start to a gloomy day. I tried to think back to the dream I'd just had, but just as saw nothing out the window, I saw nothing of my dream.
I glanced at my clock out of habit and slid out of bed. After slipping on my house shoes, I walked over to the window to watch the rain pouring from the clouds. A flash of lightning illuminated the dark morning sky, and thunder erupted. I stared a few seconds longer in awe. For those of us living in this part of the country, storms were a common occurrence, but their power never ceased to amaze me.
For some reason, storms never bothered me like they did some people. It wasn't that I was eager to observe them; I just wasn't anxious when they developed. Maybe I just enjoyed the distraction that storms provided. Distractions from the mundane processes of regular life. This one was definitely a distraction now. I wasn't studying the swirls of the clouds, the angle of the rain, or the distances between the sounds of thunder . . . I was really mulling over the events which had transpired the day before.
The storm just gave me something external to focus on.
Watching the storm develop was easier than understanding what Melissa had told me last night. But questions flew in my mind as fast as lightning flashed across the sky. Too many questions and not a single answer.
I sighed and turned away from the window. I had to get dressed and return to the mall. Because of Chloe's diversion—her conversation about Don—I'd forgotten about filling out job applications.
And Don was another matter entirely. I'd been so focused on the shocking news of my mother that I'd forgotten about how Don acted around me yesterday. As I got dressed, I thought over the conversations we'd had and the way he'd touched me.
Instead of feeling as if thoughts of him would feed my obsession, it actually brought a smile to my face. It was the first time I'd felt happy that morning. I put on my new watch, smiling wider, and walked out of my room toward the kitchen. My expression sobered, though, when I saw Melissa cooking breakfast. Not only was I angry with her for not explaining that little bomb she dropped on me, but I was also hurt that she'd keep something like that from me for all these years.
I sat down and started eating my pancakes without making eye contact. This was obviously an attempt to make nice with me, and I wasn't falling for it.
"I'm really sorry about last night. I think I probably shouldn't have said anything." I chanced a glance and saw that she sipped her coffee without looking at me.
"Why?"
"Because now you'll be wondering about it."
Was she for real? "Of course I'll be wondering about it. How could I not? You told me my mother is alive, that she plans to come get me. But what you haven't told me is why. Why she left; why she's coming back. You know the answers, but you won't tell me."
"I know this is very hard for you to understand. I wish I could explain everything to you, but I honestly can't. I did my part. I told you what I could. From this point on, I don't want to talk about it anymore."
"Unbelievable!" I jumped out of my chair. She must have been out of her mind if she thought I was going to drop this!
"Season, you can get mad all you want. I know you have a lot of questions, but you'll just have to save them for the person who can answer them. And that's not me."
I stormed out of the kitchen, grabbed my purse, and left the house, slamming the door behind me. She had some nerve. I shook with fury. I could barely put on my seatbelt or get the key in the ignition. When I managed to get the car started, I tore out of the driveway and headed straight to Chloe's house. The storm intensified. I knew I had to get started on my job hunt, but I needed to talk, to vent.
I pulled through Chloe's opened gate and ran for the door to get out of the rain. She lived in the most lavish neighborhood around, which was developed by her real estate-guru parents who picked this land because they were inspired by the beautiful pond at the back of the property. That seemed a little hokey to me, but whatever. Rich people had to spend their money on something.
"What's up?" Chloe asked as we headed for the staircase.
"I just felt like visiting before I start begging people for a summer job."
She ignored my comment and went straight to the juicy topic she preferred. "Did you have fun last night? I thought it was a great turnout. Everyone commented on how
beautiful you were, and it seems like you really raked in the goodies!" I didn't miss her glance at my wrist as we made our way to her bedroom.
"Yeah, the party was great. Thanks. I did have a wonderful time."
"Well, girl, I think after last night, it's pretty obvious Don has feelings for you." "I think you might be right."
"I can't believe you're not denying this!" Chloe had to sit down on the edge of her bed, and I followed. "I mean I saw him holding your hands. I've never seen him do that with anyone, not even those anorexic chicks he brought to those dances. How are you able to have a coherent conversation about him after last night? I figured you'd be screaming at the top of your lungs all morning while I tried fruitlessly to calm you down."
"A lot happened last night." More than she understood. But at least talking about Don calmed my irritation with Melissa.
"So what did he say? Tell me everything. I want all the details!"
I exhaled slowly while a sincere smile formed on my face. Then I relayed every wonderful detail to Chloe amid her squeals.
"So he touched your lips, hugged you twice, held your hands the entire time, and whispered in your ear? Did I miss anything?"
"Nope, I think that's pretty much it."
"He's into you, and I know that's what you've always wanted. At least you've accepted the fact you two like each other more than just friends. So why are you so calm?"
"I said I think you might be right about him liking me, not that I believed it completely." My smile faded as I braced myself for the next topic. "Anyway, something else happened last night to trump that."
"What could possibly have happened that would've topped that?"
I took a deep breath and forged on. "Melissa told me my mom is alive." Chloe stared at me in total astonishment. Speechless.
"So you see that I have bigger things on my mind than Don," I said as I found some fascinating lint on my pants that I couldn't seem drag my attention from.
Chloe put her arm around my shoulder. It took her a few minutes to gather her thoughts, but I felt her eyes on me the entire time. "Do you want to talk about it?" I knew curiosity was burning in her, but she was more concerned with my emotional state than with satisfying her inquisitive mind.
"There's really not much to say." But I looked up and spilled everything Melissa had told me, right down to the changes she alluded to and the fact that the topic was not up for further discussion.
"Hmm, I wonder if your mom is in some kind of witness protection program or something."
"I really have no idea, but I guess I'll get the answers one way or another." Even if I had to wait until my mom showed up.
"I think we should try to figure this out ourselves."
"I wouldn't know where to begin, Chloe. Besides, I really need to find a job before the summer comes to an end," I said sarcastically.
"I might actually be able to help you with that. This morning, I heard my mom talking to the new neighbor. She owns the new Med U.S.A. Pharmacy on Main Street. And she has a son our age." Chloe wagged her eyebrows before continuing. "Anyway, she's hiring seasonal help."
"I know where it is. That would be perfect, actually."
"Let me grab my purse, and I'll go with you. It couldn't hurt to drop my mom's name in the conversation. Maybe she'd hire you as a favor to her new neighbors."
We took Chloe's car, and I was relieved the lingering rain from this morning's storm had eased up as we pulled into the parking lot of the pharmacy. We hurried inside and went straight to the cashier working the front register. She directed us to the office in the back.
Chloe knocked on the door to the office while I stood by her side, trying not to
fidget.
"Come in," a quiet voice responded.
We walked into the office, and a lady with a bad 80s perm but with gorgeous, creamy skin stood up from behind a desk covered with papers. She was both oddly terrifying yet breathtakingly beautiful. Striking.
"May I help you?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm Chloe Shannon. You met my mother, Bev, this morning." "Yes, of course. Your mother was very gracious and inviting."
"I heard you tell her you're hiring, and my friend, Season, is currently looking for a summer job." Chloe nodded her head in my direction, and I smiled.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Season. I'm Ms. Gorge. Do you have any experience?"
"No, ma'am, but I'm a quick learner."
"That's good. You'll need to be. How soon can you start?"
A shock ran through my body as I realized she was giving me the job. "I can start whenever you need me."
"How about Monday? Can you be here at nine o'clock?"
I resisted the urge to jump up and down, clapping like an idiot and just said,
"Sure."
Ms. Gorge rummaged around her desk and found a stack of papers. "Take this
paperwork and fill it out. Bring it back on Monday."
"Okay. Thanks, Ms. Gorge, I really appreciate this opportunity," I said as I shook her hand.
Chloe and I left her office and started for the front door. I was just about to commence the required new-job-squealing when a guy caught us both by surprise.
He was tall, with dark hair and green eyes. He seemed to be about our age, but I knew I had never seen him before. Judging from Chloe's reaction, it was apparent she'd never seen him before, either. He was strikingly handsome and built like an athlete. I'd only seen one guy better looking than him in this town, but this guy could definitely
hold his own. Chloe and I stood, both dazed, while he carried what appeared to be heavy boxes with ease into the front door of the store.
He glanced over at us. I knew I was still staring, and Chloe's was gaping like a carp. He cocked his head to the side, flashed a quick, beautiful smile as he put the boxes on the counter, and then turned to the girl at the register.
"Tracy, can you tell my mom I'm bringing in the supplies she ordered?" "Okay," she said eagerly, smiling at him. Apparently, Tracy enjoyed the view,
too.
His gaze flashed to us as he started walking in our direction. I collected myself,
but Chloe hadn't found her composure yet.
"Hi. I'm Chrys Gorge." He waited for a response from either one of us.
Chloe must have checked out because she wasn't quick to engage him. She usually had no difficulty with conversation, regardless of how absurdly handsome the guy was.
"Hi, Chrys. I'm Season, Season Crete. This is my friend, Chloe Shannon."
The way Chrys stared at me while I spoke actually gave me butterflies in my stomach. Reflex reaction, I guessed.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Season. You, too, Chloe," he said as he stuck his hand out toward each of us for a quick handshake. I shook his with ease. Chloe had a little more difficulty feigning nonchalance.
"What can I do for you?" he continued as he glanced back and forth from each of
us.
Chloe giggled a short laugh that she quickly suppressed.
"Er, nothing, thanks. Ms. Gorge just gave me a job," I offered, to get the attention
off Chloe while she pulled herself together.
"Really? That's great. We need a lot of help around here." He smiled, locking his eyes on mine once again. Under his stare a weird, uneasy sensation prickled at me, but then he glanced at Chloe and it went away.
"So, will you be working here, too?" he asked her.
"No. I came here for moral support." Chloe was finally able to comment. "That's too bad," he said with a knowing grin.
"Don't worry; you'll still see me around. Season's my best friend, and apparently you and I are now neighbors." Chloe had slipped back into her regular, flirtatious personality.
"Well, that's nice to know. Maybe I'll come borrow a cup of sugar sometime," he said, responding to her coy demeanor.
"You can come borrow anything you want." Chloe raised a suggestive brow.
Okay, now I was beginning to feel uncomfortable for a different reason. Chrys just laughed at her response and then turned toward to the counter to pick up the boxes.
"It was a pleasure to meet you both," he sa
id, but his eyes, though they lingered on mine a little longer than Chloe's, seemed almost confused.
Chloe threw him a playful smile. Mine was somewhat more casual.
We walked out of the store and got into Chloe's car. We weren't even out of the parking lot before she started.
"Oh my! Have you ever seen anything more beautiful than that?" "Yes," I said matter-of-factly.
"Well, Don certainly is hot, but Chrys is fire!"
"Chrys is definitely a looker, and he seems really nice, too. At least, I hope he is if I'm going to be working with him." I wasn't sure what to make of that weird feeling I'd gotten earlier.
"Maybe I should get a summer job, too!"
Okay, that was just ridiculous. "Nobody will believe that you need to work. If you get a job up here, everyone will know why you did it."
"True. I don't want to come off too obvious."
"I think it's a little late to worry about not coming off as interested," I teased. "At least he knows he has an option."
I needed to rein her in before she lost all sense. "Chloe, he might have a girlfriend."
"I'm not worried about that. I have a girl on the inside." I groaned, and she smirked.
"You're going to find out everything about him," she said with certainty as we pulled into her driveway.
And I knew there'd be no getting out of that.
* * *
I spent the rest of the afternoon at home, cleaning, to keep my mind from spinning theories about my mom. Then I realized, since Melissa was stuck at a conference until tomorrow, I could do my own investigation into that little bomb she'd dropped on me. Starting with her room.
I walked slowly through her doorway, and turned on the light as I scanned the room. I was home alone, but I felt like I was being watched for some reason. Ignoring that feeling, I started with her dresser, rummaging through the drawers. I found a bunch of jewelry, recognizing some of the pieces. I didn't know what I was searching for, so I examined some of the antique items. There was a gold comb with jewels encrusted at the top in the shape of a butterfly, a silver-colored brooch in the shape of a ladybug with rubies and other gemstones, and several other ornate pieces that appeared to be worth a lot of money. Not exactly what I thought I would find, but not exactly what I was looking for, either.
