A NOVEL
KASEY LAINE
Dionndra Reneé
MANCHU ESTATE LLC / NEW YORK
Copyright © 2016 by Dionndra R Mitchell
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.
Dionndra Reneé / Manchu Estate LLC
3646 Harper Ave
Bronx, New York 10466
www.manchuestate.com
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Book Layout © 2014 BookDesignTemplates.com
Kasey Laine/ Dionndra Reneé. -- 1st ed.
ISBN 978-1-7329208-0-4
This book is dedicated to my parents,
Frank and Charlene
For encouraging me to chase my dreams and believing they could actually come true.
Oh, and that little thing called unconditional love, thanks for that too.
Love you
Dionndra Reneé
Behind every young child who believes in himself is a parent who believed first.
Matthew L Jacobson
CONTENTS
An Innocent Teenager
The Warning
The Hard Way
Broken Promises
A Mother’s Sacrifice
Behind the Mask
Her Life Will Never Be the Same
Plant A Seed
A Blossom of Love
All Advice Is Not Good Advice
It Is Not a Dream
She Can Run but She Cannot Hide
The Power of The Mind
The Stare She Could Never Forget
The Reincarnation of Kasey Laine
The Hunt for KL Begins
Chapter One:
An Innocent Teenager
O n this night, everything changed. The only thing that separates adventure and danger is a fine line. Tonight, that line has been crossed. As a teenager, school dances and the latest teen stars are the topics of every conversation. The most important moments of a teenager’s social life happen on the weekend. A seemingly normal night slowly unravels at the seams.
“Let’s get out of here.” Riley walks over to her dresser to get a pair of pants. As the vivacious and outgoing one in the group, she is anxious to start her evening with her two best friends. She loves spending weekends with them at their favorite place, the movie theater. She quickly puts her pants on.
Julia, a flighty soul, follows behind. She changes into one of Riley’s shirts; wearing Riley’s clothes on their outings has become a usual thing for her. She is always quick to appease Riley, who is a lot more assertive than she is. Comfortable in their skin, Julia and Riley show little concern about changing in front of each other. Tracie, on the other hand, is painstakingly shy and private. Even in front of her two closest friends, she is extremely modest. While Riley and Julia change clothes, she slips away undetected. She grabs her shirt out of her overnight bag and walks into the bathroom to change.
Julia and Riley sit on the bed, waiting for Tracie to come out of the bathroom. While they wait, Riley holds her hand out to check her nail polish. Julia looks into a compact mirror and applies bright lipstick to her thin lips.
When Tracie exits the bathroom, Riley and Julia acknowledge her with a smile.
Riley stands up, ready to hit the town. “Done?”
When Riley stands up, Julia stops putting on her lipstick. She quickly puts the lipstick back in her purse.
Tracie nods. “Yes.”
“Let’s go.” Julia stands up and leads the way.
Riley and Tracie follow behind. They jog down the stairs towards the back door. They pass through the living room, where Riley’s mother and father cuddle on the couch enjoying a romantic movie.
As she approaches the back door, Julia waves to Riley’s parents. “Bye.”
“Bye Mom, bye Dad,” Riley shouts to her parents, just before jolting through the door.
“Don’t stay out too late,” Riley’s Dad says as he watches the girls leave.
“Okay.” Riley and Julia rush out.
Straggling quietly behind, Tracie waves at Riley’s parents as she leaves. Her smile is simple and quick, and they smile back. Tracie is like a second daughter to them. She and Riley have been best friends since elementary school. Many memories are encased in the walls of this house.
Riley waits in her car as Tracie walks to the driveway. The sounds from the running engine erupt into the air; disturbing the night’s silence. Julia sits in the back seat, applying makeup yet again. In her eyes, she can never have too much on. Tracie gets in next to Riley, who does not hesitate to back out of the driveway. The car disappears quickly down the dark street. Unbeknownst to Tracie, this would be her last day as an innocent teenager.
Chapter Two:
The Warning
R iley’s car races down the street, with the radio blaring. Riley nods her head to the music as Julia sings along. Julia’s pitch is not the most accurate, but at least her lack of vocal ability provides material for a few laughs. Tracie inconspicuously pokes fun at Julia’s horrendous rendition of the song under her breath. Tracie prefers to sing along with the song in her head, which in her opinion is what Julia should do.
While Julia sings, her pager begins to beep repeatedly. The paging distracts her from singing, which Tracie thinks is not necessarily a bad thing. She holds her pager up to check the incoming number. Her boyfriend is paging her yet again. One of the many times he has paged her today. Julia scoffs in frustration. At this moment, he is the last person she wants to have a conversation with. Her mood change is undeniable. She has a tumultuous relationship with her boyfriend, and her mood automatically changes each time he contacts her.
Riley looks back at Julia through the rearview mirror. “Who was that?”
Julia does not respond. Riley’s question further agitates her.
“Here we go,” Tracie mutters to Riley.
“I know.” Riley whispers back sarcastically. They both know where this will lead. The combination of immaturity and teenage love are a disaster waiting to happen. Julia’s mood swing causes an awkward silence in the car.
Tracie turns back to Julia. “Don’t let him ruin our night.”
Rendered silent by her frustration with her boyfriend, Julia chooses not to respond. Riley and Tracie are unsure of what to say next.
“Maybe there’ll be someone there tonight.” Julia peers out the window as she breaks her silence. Julia has the tendency to bounce around between various love interests. This often gets her into more trouble than she can handle. When her boyfriend’s actions are less than becoming, she will often find comfort from someone else to temporarily fill the void.
“Yeah, someone cute…for all of us.” Riley and Julia laugh. The atmosphere is light again.
“No thanks.” Tracie shakes her head. She is not interested in meeting anyone, especially a boy. She has always avoided the opposite sex. This entire conversation is incredibly awkward for her.
“You can’t be shy forever. You have to put yourself out there. Live a little.” Riley wants Tracie to experiment with the opposite sex, like she and Julia already have. They have never seen Tracie with a boyfriend.
“Just be careful, because you could meet the wrong one like I did.” Julia looks out the window at the passing landscape. “It’s so obviously wrong, but it feels so incredibly right. I don’t know what it is, but you won’t be able to break free from a bad boy. You steer clear of t
he bad ones or you’ll be stuck forever. Like me.” Julia has had her fair share of bad boys in her short time on this Earth.
“That’s what scares me.” Tracie says this just low enough to go unheard. Falling for the wrong guy has always scared Tracie. This has always deterred her from dating boys. The fear of the unknown. Even though Tracie is already overly cautious, she reflects deeply on the warning.
Chapter Three:
The Hard Way
R iley pulls into the parking lot of the movie theater. She parks in the closest parking space and turns her car off. The three girls take a moment to do a final check on their hair and makeup before exiting the vehicle. Tracie takes a red lipstick tube out of her purse. She hands it back to Julia, so she can apply additional makeup.
Julia takes the lipstick from Tracie and applies it. “Thanks.”
“Are we ready?” Riley is anxious to enter the theater. Tracie nods in agreement.
“You know it.” Julia finishes applying her lipstick. She hands the tube back to Tracie.
The three friends get out of the car and walk towards the ticket booth. The ticket booth operator greets them. “How may I help you?” Julia walks up and buys her ticket first.
While waiting for her turn, Tracie becomes uneasy. She is overcome by the feeling of someone looking at her. The sensation lurks in the air all around her. Tracie looks off to her left to confirm her suspicion. She finds a mysterious young male staring at her.
Steve O’Neil, an audacious and suave loner, smokes a cigarette near the entrance of the theater. He slowly blows out smoke, all the while keeping his focus on Tracie. Tracie turns away and blushes. This kind of attention is something she is not accustomed to. Tracie tries to fight the urge to make eye contact, but her curiosity wins the battle. She looks back over in his direction. He has not taken his eyes off of her. He takes another deep puff from his cigarette. After exhaling, he flicks it onto the ground. He turns and walks inside the theater. He looks at Tracie flirtatiously as he disappears inside.
Tracie is smitten by Steve’s style and cocky demeanor. He seems daring and bold. This age-old trick continues to work like a charm. He is unlike anyone that has ever given her any attention. Tracie’s mother always told her to steer clear from the bad boys on motorcycles who wore leather jackets. Unlike your typical bad boy, Steve has a very polished appearance coupled with his laid back and casual attire. He is not like the guys her mother warned her about. Convincing herself that this unknown admirer is safe, Tracie remains in a daze. Although Steve has already walked into the theater, Tracie cannot take her eyes off the spot where he once stood.
Julia also notices Steve. She is impressed by his physical stature. “Mmm, mmm, mmm.”
“What are you mmm, mmm, mmming at?” Riley takes her ticket and joins Tracie and Julia. Tracie feels a little embarrassed about her friends catching her staring at this mysterious guy.
“Ms. Space Cadet is star-struck by her new boyfriend,” Julia innocently teases Tracie.
“I am not.” Tracie’s face turns bright red.
“Some boy toy was standing over there smoking a cigarette and giving her the ‘come and get me’ face.” Julia laughs as she fills Riley in on Tracie’s new crush.
“Whatever.” Tracie’s embarrassment turns to frustration.
“Let’s go inside.” Riley grabs Tracie by the arm and leads her towards the theater, leaving Julia behind. Riley has decided to drop the conversation so Tracie will not be uncomfortable. She is sensitive to how painfully shy Tracie is.
“Hey, I thought I was supposed to find a new guy, and the first cute one is all over Tracie…damn.” Julia runs after Tracie and Riley, who both continue to ignore her. “You’re leaving me…really? Are you serious?” Julia finally catches up to them just as they enter the theater. The three girls sit down in one of the middle rows.
“I was only joking.” Julia nudges Tracie.
Tracie awkwardly smiles, shrugging Julia off.
“And besides you’re a jealous whore…thought you needed to hear that.” Riley laughs as she teases Julia.
There is an awkward silence as they wait for Julia’s response. The three friends each look at each other, hesitant. Tracie looks from Riley to Julia. Before they know it, all three of them are laughing. Name-calling is a form of endearment among this group of friends.
The lights in the theater slowly dim. The theater is semi-packed. The girls settle down and prepare to watch the previews. As the previews begin, the silhouette of a young male walks up the stairs. The darkness makes it impossible to observe his facial features. He walks right past Tracie and her friends. This grabs Tracie’s attention, because the movie has just started. Everyone should already be in their seats.
The young man sits two rows behind Tracie. Tracie peeks around to see Steve, the young man who stood outside the movie theater staring directly at her. He props his legs on top of the seat in front of him to get her attention. Steve and Tracie immediately catch eyes. He blows her a flirtatious peck. Tracie blushes and quickly turns back around. She grabs her soda and takes a large sip, hoping to regain her composure. While shaking his head, Steve smiles and leans back in his chair. Tracie is eating up his flirtatious gestures, and he knows it. He is slowly reeling her in.
Tracie leans in and whispers to Riley. “He’s back there.”
Riley turns around and looks. Julia catches wind of what is going on and looks also. They all turn back around and giggle with Tracie. Their giggling agitates the person sitting in front of them, who is trying to watch the movie. Tracie starts to settle down and focus on the movie as well. Uncontrollable laughter fills the theater as the movie, a comedy, plays. Tracie puts her drink into her cup holder. “I’m going to the bathroom,” she whispers to her friends.
“Do you want us to come with?” Julia whispers back.
Tracie shakes her head no. She gets up and carefully slides past the other moviegoers.
After washing her hands, Tracie exits the bathroom in a rush. She does not want to miss any more of the movie.
“You sure are walking fast.” Steve is standing against the wall by the bathroom door. “And that’s okay, but the only problem is you’re walking in the wrong direction.” Steve looks at Tracie’s body intensely. He likes what he sees and he is determined to obtain it at any cost.
“What?” Tracie blushes. She knows what he meant, but decides to play hard to get.
Steve stands up off the wall. He walks over to Tracie. Tracie stands frozen. He has that ‘it’ factor, inhabiting his body from head to toe.
Steve walks directly up to Tracie, until they are face to face. He strokes Tracie’s hair as he pulls her in close. Tracie assumes Steve is going in for their first kiss--at least that is how it appears at first glance. She cannot control her thirst for his lips. She awkwardly prepares for his kiss, not quite sure what to do. Her inexperience is painstakingly clear. Her body and mouth tense up as Steve continues to lean forward. Right before he reaches her lips, he bypasses her face and leans into her ear. He whispers gingerly into Tracie’s ear, causing her to tremble.
“Life is funny, ya know. It always has a way of putting you in the right place at the right time.” He caresses her face. Tracie blushes, caught up in his charm. Steve gently kisses Tracie’s ear. “Just one second too soon or too late, and you might miss that opportunity.”
“Opportunity for what?” Tracie is naïve.
Steve strokes Tracie’s cheek, then he boldly glides his hand down her chest. His soft touch arouses Tracie instantly. She has never felt this way before. Steve’s hand stops right before it reaches her breasts. This is all part of his plan. “Come with me,” he whispers in her ear.
Tracie bashfully resists. Steve’s advances feel right, but she just cannot act on this temptation without giving it some thought. Snap decisions are out of character for her. She does not like to take risks.
“I can’t...my friends.” Tracie stutters. She tries to find any excuse to turn Steve down.
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Steve is not interested in Tracie’s potential excuses. He can see where this is going, and he abruptly interrupts her.
“Look, I understand. You’re here with your friends. I respect that.” Steve speaks nonchalantly. She is a dime a dozen in his mind. In order to relay this feeling, he turns and walks away. He does not look back at Tracie; not even once. “Hopefully I’ll see you again…we’ll see what happens.” Steve continues to walk away without looking back.
“Wait.” Tracie shouts, right before Steve disappears around the corner.
Steve stops in his tracks. Smiling, he keeps his back turned to Tracie. He knows his plan worked. Tracie rushes over to him. “I’m game.” Tracie is nervous, but her lust eases any doubts she has about leaving with Steve. “I just have to let my friends know I’m leaving...we all came together. I don’t want them to worry.” Tracie smiles at Steve as he turns around to face her.
Steve admires Tracie’s thoughtfulness. He finds it endearing and attractive. Seeing her rush after him strokes his already colossal ego.
“Go ahead. I’ll be waiting out front for you.” Steve kisses Tracie quickly and heads for one of the exits. Tracie walks back into the theater and sits next to her friends.
“Where have you been?” Riley has been worried about Tracie. It has been nearly twenty minutes since she left.
“I mean, damn…did you get lost?” Julia leans in, contributing her usual sarcasm.
Tracie laughs this off. “No, I was just talking to a friend.”
“A friend? What friend?” Riley does not remember seeing any familiar faces upon entering the theater.
“Umm, I just ran into that really cute guy, and umm, we were just talking.”
“Oh my gosh, he’s so cute.” Julia talks slightly above a whisper. Her tone is unacceptable for a movie theater and it angers the person in front of her. Julia completely disregards the angry man by sticking her tongue out at him.
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