At the end of the period, the teacher asked Carter to stay behind. Here we go, Alice thought. She shot him a ‘leave me out of it’ look before leaving the classroom.
Alice scuttled off to the grocery store after school, looking forward to her shift as Mrs K always cheered her up. When she arrived, however, only Mr K was there.
‘Hello lovey, Mrs K had to go out. Are you okay to run the shop on your own until she gets back?’
‘No problems Mr K, it’s not very busy on Mondays.’
She took up her place behind the counter and took a book out of her bag to read while she waited for customers. Half an hour later, Carter came into the shop. He browsed around the aisles before deciding on a chocolate bar. When he came up to pay he whispered, ‘You were right, they don’t believe I did it.’
She knew exactly what he meant but didn’t comment. He continued, asking, ‘How would you like to tutor me?’
‘I’m sorry, Carter, but I don’t have time. I work here every night after school, then I have my own homework to do.’
‘You can come by my place after work. I’ll pay you the same as you’re earning here. Please, I need your help. They’re going to make me sit a test next week to prove I know my stuff. I can’t do it without your help. Just a couple of hours a night is all I need.’
His anxious blue eyes pleaded with her. The thought of spending time alone with him in his room excited her. But he was Peaches’ boyfriend and she didn’t want to rock the boat at school.
‘I don’t think it’s a good idea,’ she replied.
‘Please, I need this, I won’t pass without help. I don’t want anyone else to know I’m failing, especially not Mom and Dad.’
Reluctantly she agreed to help him, starting after work tonight. He paid for his items and sneaked her the payment for his assignment. She glanced at it and noticed he’d given her the full amount for the ‘A’, not half as she had been expecting. Quietly pleased, she slipped the hundred dollar note into her pocket.
Five o’clock came around quickly as she closed the shop and walked around to Carter’s house and knocked on his door. His mother opened it and seemed taken aback by her oversized clothes and shabby hair.
‘Hi, I’m Alice, I’m here to work on an assignment with Carter.’ This was a cover story they had both come up with.
‘Oh, hi Alice, come on in. Carter!’ she yelled up the stairs, ‘Alice is here.’
Alice glanced around the large and luxurious house while she waited.
Carter sauntered down the stairs and signalled for Alice to follow him up. She couldn’t help noticing the look of pity his mother gave her as she followed him.
He offered her a coke from the fully stocked fridge in his room, along with a chocolate bar. She turned down the chocolate but took the coke. They got down to the business of studying straight away. Carter was smarter than she’d realised, and he picked up things quickly when he put his mind to it. At seven, she headed home, feeling they had made some headway.
***
The next day she woke up in good spirits. It was her 18th birthday, her first day of adulthood. Nobody ever celebrated it, but she wondered if they might today because it was a special one. As a child, she had been showered with gifts and made to feel like a princess. Oh, how life had changed.
She got dressed and headed down for breakfast. Nobody said a word to her, let alone acknowledged it was her birthday. She struggled to swallow her cereal past the lump in her throat, so she tipped the remains into the trash, then blinked back the tears as she headed out the front door. What had she done to deserve bring treated like this? She couldn’t have a meltdown though, not on her birthday.
She did her best to make it through the rest day, managing to avoid Peaches and her followers. If they teased her today, she would surely burst into tears.
That afternoon at the end of her shift at the grocery store, Alice locked up and was about to leave when Mr and Mrs K came in carrying a chocolate cake with eighteen candles on it, burning bright. They both broke into song.
‘Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Alice, happy birthday to you.’
Then they gave her a big hug. Tears welled up in her eyes at their thoughtfulness, but she blinked them back, not wanting to spoil the moment. Mrs K handed her a small square package wrapped in red shiny paper with a black bow. ‘Here’s a little something for your birthday.’
With shaking hands she took the beautifully wrapped package, doing her best not to cry. This was the nicest thing anyone had done for her since her parents died.
Alice carefully unwrapped the package, revealing a box from a jeweller. What could it be? She opened the lid, and inside on a padded insert sat a golden heart-shaped locket. It was beautiful. She pulled it out of the box to take a closer look.
Mrs K took the locket from her. ‘Look, it opens up like this.’ She clicked a button on the side and it sprang open. ‘You can put a photo of your parents in here and always hold them close to your heart.’
The tears that had been threatening finally broke their banks. She hugged Mrs K, then Mr K and thanked them so much. She would love to have stayed, but she’d promised Carter she would help with his studies.
She arrived later than arranged, but Carter didn’t mind. She’d brought him some cake wrapped in tissue paper.
‘It’s your birthday? Wow, you should have said, I would have gotten you something.’ He stuffed some of the cake into his mouth. ‘Mmmm, this cake’s amazing.’
They were running late, so got stuck into some study. Carter picked things up quickly and Alice was confident he should be able pass his special test.
She was in the middle of explaining something to him when she noticed he wasn’t paying attention, just staring at her.
‘What?’ she said.
He gently put his hand out and tucked a wild strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. The whole operation had taken only seconds, but it sent tingles down the side of her face and the back of her neck. His intense blue eyes stared into hers. ‘You know, you are quite pretty behind all that hair.’
Alice blushed, unsure what to say.
‘If you cropped your hair short and got some new clothes, all the guys would go mad for you. I’d totally go out with you.’ He leaned in to kiss her then, but she came to her senses and shifted away from him. ‘But you’re going out with Peaches.’
‘Naw, that’s not serious. I’m bored with her, she spends all her time obsessing over you and how much she hates you. I’m over it.’
‘What’s that all about? Why does she hate me so much?’
‘It’s because you’re different and you don’t seem to care. She’s very insecure you know. She goes crazy if she sees me talking to other girls.’
‘Why don’t you dump her?’
‘I tried to, but she threatened to kill herself. Remember a while back when she was off school sick for a couple of weeks?’
Alice nodded remembering how peaceful it had been, not being abused.
‘Sleeping pills,’ he continued. ‘She took an overdose of her mother’s pills. Ended up in hospital getting her stomach pumped, then she had to go for intensive counselling. She’s a nutcase. It knocked me though. I couldn’t have her death on my conscience, so I stayed with her.’
Alice had had no idea. Peaches had always appeared confident.
‘So what are you going to do? Marry her because she might kill herself?’
‘I’m kinda hoping when we leave school we’ll drift apart naturally. With luck, we’ll get into different colleges and go our own separate ways.’
‘There is another way you know.’
‘Yeah?’
‘You could give her a dose of her own medicine. Become over-protective, jealous, possessive. I reckon that would scare her away. Don’t let her talk to other boys. I dunno, but might be worth a try.’
‘Maybe. Not sure I could act like that though. Wouldn’t do my street cred much good.’
<
br /> Alice looked at her watch; it had gone seven already. ‘Hey, I gotta get going.’
‘Want me to walk you home?’
‘No, I’m fine. Bye.’
Alice headed off home feeling the happiest she had in a long time. She’d made a new friend and she loved the locket the Kyriacopouloses had given her. Perhaps life was picking up.
The next day she almost skipped to school, looking forward to seeing Carter again. The previous evening, she had relived the moment over and over, the way he had tucked her hair behind her head and told her she was pretty.
On arriving at school she headed towards her locker and saw him coming towards her with his friends. She smiled and said hello, but he ignored her. As they passed, one of the guys poked him and said, ‘Weird Al spoke to you, dude, whatcha gonna do?’ and they all laughed.
She felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach. Any good feelings she’d had sank into the pit of despair that was her life. Trying to contain her tears, she gathered her books and headed off to class. Only a few more months of school and she would be out of there, as far away from this dump as possible.
She couldn’t believe she’d thought Carter was her friend. There were only a few more days until he had to re-sit his test, but he could go to hell. She wasn’t going to help him, no matter how much he paid her. She’d managed to save $3000 now, enough to put her escape plan in effect.
During the day, Peaches and her gang kept looking at her and laughing. Carter must have said something to her. They were probably laughing at her for believing what he’d said to her last night. She’d started to fall for him and he’d made a fool of her, kicking her while she was down.
At lunchtime she went to her locker and when she opened it, there was a note from Carter. Her hands shook as she opened it and read the message.
Hi Alice, sorry I couldn’t talk to you earlier, street cred and all that. Hope you understand. See you tonight? I’ve got a surprise for you. Carter
Alice breathed a sigh of relief; he did care, just not in front of his friends. She wondered what the surprise was as she shivered with the anticipation at the thought of seeing him again, alone in his room.
Oh no! She couldn’t go around to Carter’s tonight, she had to work. She scribbled him a quick note and slipped it into his locker.
That evening at the grocery store, her mind kept wandering. She really wanted to see Carter, but she had to work late. Mrs K must have noticed something was up.
‘Oh Alice, what’s the matter with you tonight, you’re in your own little world. I bet it’s to do with a boy.’
Alice blushed. How on earth did she know?
‘It is, isn’t it! So who’s the lucky fella?’
At that moment, the door swung open and Carter sauntered in. He did a quick nod, said ‘Hey,’ then wandered around shop aisles, browsing. Mrs K gave Alice a wink, then headed out, leaving the two of them alone. As soon as she’d left, Carter grabbed a chocolate bar and came over to the counter.
‘Hey Al, sorry ‘bout today. The guys would have given me so much crap if I’d spoken to you.’
Alice shrugged as if it was no big deal. She didn’t want to appear needy, like Peaches.
‘Are you able to come over after your shift? It’s the last chance we’ll have before my test next week. I’m going to be busy all weekend.’
‘Sorry Carter, but I have to work here until seven, then I have a meal with the K’s. I won’t be finished until after eight.’
‘That’s okay, come over then. I’ve got a surprise for you.’
Alice perked up, wondering what it could be. Uncle Nat would kill her if she was late. He’d been drinking heavily in recent weeks and had become more abusive. But, she was eighteen now and could do as she pleased, and she’d love to be alone with Carter again. Mrs K came into the store and suggested Alice could leave early if she wanted, as if she’d been eavesdropping.
‘There you go. Finish early and come over. I really need your help to pass my test next week.’
‘Oh okay, as long as you’re sure, Mrs K.’
‘Of course I am.’
‘Great, I’ll head home now, Mom has dinner ready at 6:00. Why don’t you come over at 6:30?’
Alice looked at Mrs K who nodded her approval.
‘What a handsome young man,’ Mrs K said, after Carter left.
Alice blushed, not sure what to say, but the doorbell clanged, and another customer entered, saving her from having to reply. She served him, then counted down the minutes until she could leave.
At six o’clock, Mrs K announced she’d put some dinner on the side for her to eat before leaving.
Alice gobbled it up, then walked around to Carter’s place, arriving at 6:30, on the dot. He summoned her up to his room and she struggled to contain her excitement, wondering what the surprise was.
‘So glad you could make it, I’ve been enjoying our tutoring sessions.’ He flashed her a cheeky grin. ‘There’s no way I’d be able to pass without your help. I’ve got a little surprise for you later, but first, I want to go over a few things as it’s our last session before my test.’
They knuckled down for an hour, working through some questions Carter had. His perseverance had paid off and he’d proved he wasn’t just a dumb jock. This attracted her to him even more.
At 7:30, Carter said, ‘I think that’s enough for tonight. Any more and my brain’s going to explode!’
Alice laughed, and he said, ‘You’re gorgeous when you laugh you know? You should laugh more often.’
‘I would if I had something to laugh about. If you haven’t noticed, everyone hates me. My family, all the kids at school, even the nerdy ones. It’s like I’m cursed or something.’
‘Hey, I like you, now I’ve gotten to know you.’ His eyes suddenly lit up. ‘Are you ready for your surprise?’
Alice tried not to show her excitement too much. Be cool, she told herself. ‘You’ve got me intrigued,’ she replied.
‘Wait there, I’ll be back in a minute,’ he said, then left the room.
While she waited, she glanced around his bedroom, wondering how he could live in such a mess. Her own bedroom was immaculate, with everything in order. She couldn’t bear having anything out of place.
A minute or so later, he came back carrying a large trash-can liner filled with something. What sort of surprise came in a trash-can liner? It didn’t look heavy, more awkward, the way he carried it. He dumped it down on the ground in front of her.
‘Sur... prise,’ he said.
‘What is it?’
‘Open it up.’
Tentatively, she opened the bag and looked inside. It appeared to be a bunch of second-hand clothing. Did he want her to take them to a thrift store?
‘I’m confused,’ she said.
‘They’re clothes my sister was throwing out. I managed to save them for you.’
He must’ve seen the horror on her face, as he continued. ‘My sister’s about the same size as you. All the clothes are designer brands, she’s just bored with them, so I thought you might like them. They’ll fit a lot better than the ones you’re wearing. Take them out, see what you think.’
Alice felt sorry for him. He’d clearly been trying to help, but offering her second-hand clothes was humiliating.
Carter looked concerned by her lack of reaction, so he picked up the bag and emptied the contents onto his bedroom floor. A jumble of T-shirts, blouses and jeans tumbled out and lay scattered on the floor. He picked up a blouse and pair of jeans and handed them to her. ‘Try these on, see if they fit. I reckon they will.’
She took the clothes he offered her and headed into his ensuite bathroom. He was right, they fitted perfectly, and suited her. She fiddled with her hair, holding it off her face, pretending it was cropped short like he’d suggested. Tears sprang up in her eyes as she realised she looked normal, not the freak everyone made her out to be.
She exited the bathroom and Carter wolf-whistled when he saw her. ‘Wow! Yo
u look hot!’
He stepped towards her and played around with her hair, tucking it behind her ears. ‘Yep, hair cropped shorter and styled and you’ll be a total hottie!’
He kissed her and she melted in his arms. She’d never been kissed before, and she enjoyed the sensation of his soft lips moving next to hers, his warm hands resting on her tiny waist. A knock on the door interrupted them.
‘Carter, you’d better be getting Alice home now, it’s getting late,’ his mother said.
Alice looked at her watch. Yikes, 8:30 already! Where had the time gone? She bundled the new clothes back into the plastic bag and Carter drove her home. He stopped outside her house, leaned over, and kissed her again. A feeling of euphoria came over her, as if everything would be all right.
The feeling lasted until she stepped inside the front door. The alcohol fumes hit her as soon as she entered. Empty beer bottles littered the floor and Aunt Melissa sat on the sofa nursing a black eye and bawling her eyes out. Uncle Nat made a beeline for her as soon as she stepped in the door.
‘Where have you been you little whore,’ he slurred at her. She stepped back towards the front door, but he blocked her path. ‘You were supposed to be home an hour ago. Where the fuck have you been?’
‘Helping Carter Willis with his homework, I told you that.’
‘Whore!’ He slapped her across the face. She reeled backwards from the blow and crashed into the hall table, knocking a vase to the ground causing it to smash.
‘You’ve been nothing but trouble for this family, always going on about how much you miss your parents. Whine, whine, whine, cry, cry, cry, that’s all you ever do. And not a cent from them. Your so-called rich daddy has had us paying for you ever since you got here.’
His rants were always the same, playing like a stuck record. He came towards her again, but she was prepared this time and managed to sidestep him. He continued with his drunken rambling but what he said next caused her to stop and pay attention.
The Eternal Community Page 8
