“Please,” he interrupted, rising to his feet and taking a few paces toward the hallway from which he'd come. “It's just down this way.”
Ayden rose first, turning to me with a nervous look. “Um, if it's okay, I think I'm just going to go back in with my sister.”
“Okay, Ayden, go ahead,” I said. He nodded to the rest of us, and then made his way down a different hall and back into Kim's room.
“Please,” Mr. Kosto said again, and there was no mistaking the sincerity in his voice. “You must come with me. So we can finally put the past to rest.” And then, without waiting for our assent, he turned and strode down the other corridor toward his daughter's room.
I didn't have a clue what was going on, and I also knew I hadn't entirely thought it all through, but whatever Mr. Kosto was talking about, if following him meant getting the final piece to the puzzle, then I wasn't going to miss it, so I rose to my feet and followed him.
By the time I reached the doorway to Athena's room, Joshua and Eve had run to catch up with me. “Sophie, are you sure about this?” Eve asked.
“No,” I replied, and I could feel my guts clenching. “But something tells me this is important. I can't explain it.”
They both stared at me for a few moments, and then Joshua exhaled. “Okay, we'll go in. But we won't stay long, all right?”
I nodded, and the three of us entered the room. Mr. Kosto was sitting in a chair next to his daughter's bed, grasping her hand. “Meet Athena,” he said softly, never taking his eyes off her.
I got my first look at Athena. She looked to be around nineteen years old. She had long blond hair that fell down around her shoulders, and several scars on her face that couldn't quite mask the beauty she must once have had, scars that also indicated how grave her injuries had been. Her mouth and nose were covered by an oxygen mask, and there were numerous tubes and wires that attached her to several machines surrounding her bed, including what looked like a respirator, a machine that effectively breathed for her and kept her alive.
She looked so peaceful, a far cry from the out-of-control hell-raiser Mr. Kosto had described. Whatever mistakes she made, whatever mistakes her parents made, she was now paying the ultimate price. She would never open her eyes again. She would never grow old, get married, or have children. What a terrible tragedy.
My thoughts were interrupted by a gasp from behind me. I barely had time to register it before Eve pushed roughly past me, standing at the foot of the comatose girl's bed. Her breathing had quickened, and her mouth had dropped open in astonishment. Her lip was trembling, and for a moment I thought she might faint.
Joshua was at her side in a second, grasping her shoulders in concern. “Evie, what's wrong?”
“We … know her, Joshua. Look,” she whispered, her voice shaking.
Joshua turned to look at the girl closely for the first time. After a few seconds, recognition dawned on his face too. “Oh my God,” he said, seemingly unable to believe his eyes.
They both stood, still as statues, staring at Athena. I looked back and forth between them and the girl several times, waiting for an explanation. Finally, I couldn't stand the silence any more. “Who is it?!”
As one, they both turned to me. Her eyes haunted, Eve replied, “It's Rhonda.”
* * *
On the ride home, I knew I should have been thinking about Ayden and Kim, but I still hadn't fully processed all I just learned.
Mr. Kosto went on to explain that his eldest daughter, born Athena Kosto, had not only changed her first name but taken her mother's surname, becoming Rhonda Broots. Back in the eighth grade, Eve spent months getting to know Rhonda, even went to her house on numerous occasions, and never once was she told Rhonda had a younger sister. By then, of course, Rhianna was living in Finland, but seeing her old enemy, lying still as death in her hospital bed, had really shaken Eve.
Dad remained silent as he drove us home. I was in the back, holding Eve's hand as she leaned her head on Joshua's shoulder.
I flashed back to the beginning of seventh grade. Before then, I wasn't any different than my other classmates. But when I turned twelve, and popularity officially became something to be coveted, when boys and girls finally decided to socialize with each other and everyone started forming into cliques, my reputation as a 'loser' began to surface. I never knew what prompted it, or who'd started it, and it never occurred to me that my social status started to decline at the exact same time Rhianna came back. It happened so gradually that I just didn't notice. All the friends I made back in fifth and sixth grade just drifted away from me, except for Marissa, and having Michelle befriend both of us also made our lives better.
Wow. Somewhere in Rhianna's mind, she must have blamed my sister for ruining Rhonda's life. Rhonda probably told her it was all Eve and Joshua's fault, and Rhianna believed it. Which was totally untrue, but after the bullying, the moving, her parents fighting … people can come to some crazy conclusions when they're dealing with stuff like that. And since she couldn't ruin Eve and Joshua's lives, she took it upon herself to ruin mine. To get back at my family for what had happened to hers.
Rhianna tried to do to me what Rhonda did to Joshua. Back when they were in middle school and attending JMMS, Rhonda started tons of rumors about him that weren't true, isolating him so the male bullies could terrorize him whenever they wanted. All his friends deserted him, just like mine did. Except for Riss and Shell. The whole school saw us as 'different,' and we just went along with it. We learned to accept it. To embrace it. To make it part of ourselves.
I never thought of myself as less than everyone else, even if others did see me that way. I made friends, and stayed friends, with some of the most amazing people I've ever known, people just like me. People like Riss, and Joshua, and Kelsey, and Logan, and Shell, and Ayden, and Kayla, and even Simon. And if that makes me 'odd', or 'weird', or 'different', then so be it. I wouldn't have it any other way, and if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing.
My God. This is the most messed-up situation I hope I ever experience. But it's over now. My life, Eve's life, Joshua's life, will go on. Maybe Rhianna can get the help she needs. Maybe she can finally find some peace, some closure, and turn her life around before she follows her sister down the wrong path.
We pulled up to Joshua's house, and he said goodnight to all of us. Before waving goodbye, he shared a long, warm, loving embrace with Eve, promising he'd see us all tomorrow. It still amazed me that after six years, their love for each other was as powerful, as unbreakable as ever. As it always would be.
By the time we got home and I dragged myself up to my room, I was exhausted. Looking in the mirror, I realized again that I was still dressed as Wendy. I managed a wry smile as I beheld my own image. My first stint as an actress was over, and, God willing, it wouldn't be my last.
I changed into some pajama bottoms and a loose T-shirt, and sat down at my desk. I opened the bottom drawer, which had been home to Logan's sketchbook for the last three years. I flipped through the pages, looking wistfully at a few of the drawings he'd done of me. I remembered the sweet, innocent, bespectacled, ponytailed hug-monster I once was, and smiled.
Replacing the sketchbook in my desk, I looked at myself in the mirror again. I was three years older than I was when I posed for those pictures, but it felt like so much longer. I wasn't a kid anymore. I was a young woman, ready to take on the world. Well, sort of, anyway. I still had to finish middle school.
Tomorrow morning, I'm going to tell my family, and Joshua, how much I love them. And then I'm going to call Riss, Shell, and Ayden, and tell them what great friends they are, and how much I love them too. Awkwardness be damned, I'm going to do it. I need to do it.
I turned out my bedroom light and climbed into bed, slipping beneath the covers and closing my eyes.
I'm Sophie Devereaux, and I'm different.
And that is a good thing.
Chapter 33
~ Day 83 (Sat., 9:05 p.m.) ~
AYD
EN
I pushed open the door of Kim's hospital room to behold one of the most miraculous sights I'd ever seen.
Kim was not only awake, but she was sitting up in her bed. She had her right arm wrapped around Mom, and Mom was cradling her head, pressing it against her chest. Both were short of breath and openly sobbing.
Seeing me enter, Mom put her finger to her lips, and I nodded. I'd obviously come in during a sensitive moment.
“I'm so sorry, baby,” Mom was saying, gently rocking Kim back and forth.
“I loved him,” Kim softly cried, her voice muffled by Mom's coat. “He took care of me.”
“I know, baby, I know.”
My heart sank. In all the excitement of finding Kim alive, I'd forgotten that Cole, the man who kept her off the street and took care of her, was dead. I wasn't sure how to feel about that, given what he did for a living. He'd kept her safe as best he could, though, and he'd protected her with his life. And she loved him. I thought about Marissa, and how I'd feel if I suddenly, violently, lost her. And just like that, my chest became tight, and the tears threatened to return.
I saw the faintest of smiles curl my mother's lips. “There's someone else here to see you.”
Kim eased herself off of Mom, turning to face me. Our eyes met, and the waterworks started again. For both of us.
“Kimmy?” I whimpered. Mom took a step back, and I rushed to take her place at Kim's side.
“Ayden?” She reached out and caressed my face. “My God, Ayden … you've gotten so big …” Another tear coursed down her cheek.
I smiled, the tears continuing to flow. “You look the same.”
I threw my arms around her, feeling the warmth of her body heat as we shared our first embrace in forever. I never wanted to let go. I held her, kissed her face, held her some more.
She cupped the back of my head with her good hand. “I've missed you so much, little brother.”
Taking care not to touch her injured shoulder, I gave her another kiss on her forehead. “I've missed you, Kimmy.”
She moved forward again, but then her face twisted in pain, her mouth opening in a silent scream.
“Lie back down,” Mom ordered, gently but forcefully easing her back onto her pillow. “Try not to move.”
After settling back in, Kim looked up at both of us. “Am I going to be okay?”
“Yes, baby,” Mom said. “You'll be just fine. And very soon, you'll be back home with us.”
A haunted, pleading look came over Kim's face. “I'm sorry, Mom. I'm so sorry … for everything.”
“So am I, baby. But we're together again now. That's all that matters.”
Kim looked back and forth between us. “I love you so much,” she said, her breath still ragged.
“Love you too, baby,” Mom said, gently stroking Kim's hair. “Just rest now. In the morning, we'll talk more. We have some catching up to do.”
Kim nodded, and for the first time, she broke into a smile. A worn, haggard smile, but still a smile. I couldn't help but share it. But her smile was quickly replaced by a puzzled look, as she continued to stare at me. “Mom?”
“What is it, baby?”
“Why is Ayden dressed like Robin Hood?”
I chuckled, placing my hand on top of Mom's. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”
Chapter 34
~ Day 104 (Sat.) ~
AYDEN
Karma. Gotta love it.
I hadn't given it much thought when Detective Callahan and Sophie mentioned it, but after all the amazing things that happened to me and my family over the last few weeks, I definitely was now. Our run of bad luck, which was always such a presence in our lives that we might as well have set a place for it at dinner, was over, and whatever higher power oversaw such matters was determined, it would seem, to pay us back all at once.
My Mom and I were relieved, and more than a little surprised, when we received a check in the mail for forty thousand dollars, a reward from the city for 'doing our part as citizens' in helping foil a smuggling ring. It wasn't enough to make us rich, but it did give us more peace of mind than we'd had in years.
The doctors patched Kim up and released her from the hospital after six days, though she still had to wear a cast over her left shoulder in order to keep her from overusing her muscles until they'd properly healed from the bullet wound. She was delighted to come home and find all her stuff still there, and seeing her in familiar clothes made her return to our home even more complete.
Last week, Mom and I got a letter in the mail from a Mr. Clarence Bigelow, the owner and manager of the furniture store where Ron used to work. Mr. Bigelow invited us all to come down to his showroom, and, puzzled, we accepted. The elderly, white-haired man was all smiles as he greeted us, showing us around his place of business, which was one of the most ginormous stores I'd ever seen.
Mr. Bigelow eventually led us into his office, where he thanked us over and over again for helping to foil the schemes of his 'no-account assistant manager,' who he not only made the mistake of promoting but entrusted to do most of the bookkeeping. Out of sheer gratitude, he then offered to refurnish our house for free, starting immediately. Mom initially refused the offer, but he insisted. “One good turn deserves another,” he said.
But Mr. Bigelow's generosity didn't end there. He let us know that with the arrest and firing of several of his employees, including his 'dumb-as-a-sack-of-hair' grandniece Bambi, there were now positions available, and then he asked if Mom or Kim would be interested. Kim practically jumped out of her seat and accepted on the spot. But mom, the voice of reason as always, told Mr. Bigelow that Kim couldn't start until she finished rehabbing her shoulder. Mr. Bigelow then told Kim all she needed to do was pass a high school equivalency exam and a drug test, and the position was open for Kim whenever she was ready.
I wondered, for months that if Kim was to come home, if she would be able to readjust to living under our roof again. The last thing any of us wanted was for the fighting to start again, but it seemed Kim's traumatic experiences had successfully scared her straight, and losing her boyfriend Cole so violently made her appreciate Mom and me even more. Unconditional love, we all learned, was not something to be thrown away, no matter how angry or helpless we felt. Mom and I had spent the last three weeks showering Kim with so much love that I worried she might suffocate. But she welcomed every bit of it.
Ecstatic at the prospect of being lawfully and gainfully employed, Kim vowed to us that she would do whatever it took to get that job and pull her weight. Mom bought her a stack of books about studying for her GED, and Kim spent hours on the couch – until the cast came off, she had to sleep sitting up, so the couch became her impromptu bed – reading. Kim was never a bad student, and I helped her whenever I could. I had faith that within a few months, she'd be ready to take her test.
Before leaving for work today, Mom took a phone call from her boss at Romano's, and, with a broad grin on her face, she instructed Kim and I to hop in the rust-bucket and make the seven-mile journey to the restaurant with her. As she drove, we tried to quiz Mom as to the reason for her good mood, but she refused to tell us. I couldn't remember the last time I saw Mom this happy, so I assumed it was really good news.
When we arrived at Romano's, the owner, Mr. Ermoli, showed us to a booth in the corner, where an extra-large pepperoni pizza and a big pitcher of root beer awaited us. The three of us immediately dug in. It was some of the best pizza I'd ever tasted, quite a bit better than the ones Mom occasionally brought home from work. When I asked Mr. Ermoli if he'd changed the recipe, he told us he had … on a suggestion from Mom. Kim and I looked at Mom in astonishment at this news.
As it turned out, Mom had been doing such a fantastic job over the last few months, particularly since they'd remodeled the place, that Mr. Ermoli decided to show her every aspect of how the business worked, and Mom had taken right to it. She now knew everything about the pizza business backwards and forwards. I was about to congratulate Mo
m again when Mr. Ermoli held up his hand, silencing me.
At last, Kim and I found out the reason for Mom's great mood: Romano's was doing so well now, they were going to open a second location near Westridge Mall, only three miles away from our house. The grand opening would take place in about eight months, and Mr. Ermoli wanted Mom to be the manager.
Mom was still grinning as Kim and I dropped our half-eaten slices and hugged her, thanking Mr. Ermoli over and over again for giving Mom this opportunity. And us, too. Free pizza for life! Yes!
Karma. I am officially a fan.
Chapter 35
~ MONTHS LATER (Graduation Day) ~
AYDEN
I straightened my tie, admiring myself in the mirror. I look good, I thought with a smile.
Over the last few months, contractors and landscapers and repair-people had been in and out of our house, making it livable again. It was a pain in the butt to live there while it was going on, but it was worth it. Our house was beautiful now. My room now had everything a young man soon to enter high school should have – a new desk with a laptop, a stereo, a bookcase, and a brand new cell-phone. Oh, and a closet full of new comic books – I was determined not to totally be an adult just yet.
It was just after New Year's that Kim got her cast off, and apart from a wicked-looking scar on her shoulder blade, she was completely healed. She took a couple of online courses to further prepare herself for her GED exam, and, just three weeks ago, she passed it with flying colors. Finally, she took Direct-2-U's mandatory drug test, and it came back clean.
Kim took her new – well, moderately used – car to tell Mr. Bigelow the good news, and he immediately scheduled Kim to begin her training. Kim came home in a spiffy new blazer and slacks, and she made a show of using her hand to polish the nametag bearing the name “KIMBERLY” above the words “SALES ASSOCIATE” that was pinned to her outfit. We celebrated that night with – what else – pizza. The best darn pizza in town. My mom's special recipe.
Sophie's Different (James Madison Series Book 3) Page 27
