Solo (4 page)

When he moved from his seat, I quickly glanced down at my book. He walked into one of the aisles. I grabbed my iPod and fiddled with the buttons, trying to look busy. He returned with two books. I lifted my head and our eyes met for a split second.

This topped the charts for the worst day of my life. I'd made my first enemy ever, seen the guy of my dreams while practically in my underwear, and my favorite jeans had been stolen. My eyes burned. The knot in my throat returned and I couldn't fight the tears anymore. One by one they landed on the pages of my U.S. History book, blurring Martha Washington. What had I done to deserve this? And what would I tell Mom about my clothes? The other stuff I could keep to myself, but my clothes disappearing was a different story. The last thing Mom needed was more stress. She had enough with Dad gone. She didn't need to worry about nonsense issues from her teenage daughter's ridiculous high school drama.

So much was running through my head, I didn't realize I was silently sobbing. My tears got so thick I didn't see who put a tissue on my book. When I looked around, the cute guy was gone.
Great, so much for first impressions.

The bell rang. I couldn't get out of the library fast enough. I rushed to the office. At this point, I didn't care about my clothes. I just wanted to get away. Casey was waiting for me. No words were spoken as she followed me to the exit.

I shivered when Casey and I walked to my car. The afternoon air was brisk with a subtle hint of moisture. "I sure hope I have a jacket in my back seat." I looked across the parking lot and saw the guy from study hall standing by a truck. "So, what's his story?"

Casey looked around the parking lot. "Who?"

Trying not to look obvious, I nudged my head toward mystery guy. "The guy over there by the dark blue F-150."

"Oh, that's Lucas Andrews. He's a junior." Casey hesitated and leaned against the fender of my bug while I dug through the pile in my back seat. "He used to be part of our group. Lucas and Evan were best friends at one time. All that changed after an eighth grade fight over a girl." She rolled her eyes. "Of course, the girl was Sasha. Personally, I think she regrets choosing Evan. She has a hard time trusting him." She rolled her eyes again. "He has wandering eyes."

I casually listened, still digging for my hoodie. Even though I was curious, I didn't want to look like I cared about the details.

Casey rambled on, "After the fight, Lucas stopped hanging out with us. He isn't rude toward us—he just keeps his distance. I think he mostly just hates Evan."

"Wow, all that over a little fight."

"Well, they bickered back and forth with each other for a few months. The final blow came at the eighth grade end-of-school dance. Lucas showed up solo. He caught Evan kissing a girl in the hall—it wasn't Sasha. Evan worried about Lucas saying something to Sasha, even though it was obvious Lucas didn't have feelings for her anymore." Casey stopped to catch her breath. "So, Evan and two of his friends took Lucas outside and beat him pretty bad; all because Evan was a little threatened." Casey shook her head. "Lucas never said anything to Sasha, but the other girl did, hoping she'd get together with Evan."

I looked a little puzzled. "No offense to Sasha, but what kind of girl stays with a guy who cheats on her?"

Casey whispered, "To be honest, I think, Sasha believes Evan will be her ticket out of this small town. That's why she puts up with it. Seriously, her dream job is to be a Trophy Wife."

"That's pathetic!" My eyes widened and I quickly threw my hand over my mouth. I couldn't believe I'd just blurted that out. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

Casey laughed. "That's ok, it doesn't bother me. Sasha and I have been friends since kindergarten, and it shocks me that she's turned out this way. I know she doesn't really like the fact that I befriend just about everyone. She jokes that I have a tendency to pick up strays. I'm just naturally a friendly person. Don't worry, Eliana; I've learned what to say to Sasha and what not to say."

I gave her a half-smile. Deep down, I wondered if I could truly trust Casey since she'd been friends with Sasha for so long. I decided I should keep some things to myself.

"This is such a cute little car," Casey said.

I felt a wave of relief with the subject change. "Thanks. It was a birthday gift from my parents. I think they gave it to me to ease the news that I would be moving."

"We don't have many cars like this, mostly just trucks, vans, and SUVs."

"I've noticed." I laughed, and glanced up and down the parking lot. "Perfect. I have a hoodie." Too bad I hadn't remembered that an hour ago when I was entering study hall in my Hooters' outfit.

We climbed into my VW and headed to the general store. After we'd made a quick stop for the infamous black sweatpants, I followed Casey's step-by-step directions to her house. We pulled into the driveway of a large blue farmhouse surrounded by rows and rows of trees.

"Are those Christmas trees?"

Casey chuckled. "Yeah, my family owns a tree farm. My dad took over the family farm after my grandfather had a stroke about six years ago. I'm not really the farmer type, but I wouldn't trade my life for anything. I plan to go away to college, but I'll probably come back here to raise my family. This is a very family-friendly place. Did you know that my parents grew up with everyone else's parents? They were all friends. My mom actually dated Lucas' dad during their freshmen year in high school."

"That's kind of weird." I wondered if my parents knew Casey's parents as well.

"Small town life is all we know; so it's normal to us."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I've moved around my whole life, and that's what I know as normal." I stared at all the Christmas trees.

"Thanks for the ride, Eliana."

"No problem, do you need a ride to school tomorrow?"

Casey grinned. "No, but thanks anyway. I have a car. I just usually take turns riding with Sasha and Emily."

"Oh, I didn't mean to butt-in."

"Its all right, I know what you meant." Casey smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow. Don't worry about Sasha, she'll come around."

"I'm not worried. I'll just keep my distance."

As Casey stepped onto her porch, I turned around in the driveway. I couldn't believe all the farms. How had my parents lived here their whole childhood and survived?

While on the way to my grandparents' house, I got nervous about how I'd explain the disappearance of my clothes. My saving grace was my hoodie and the black sweatpants. I took a deep breath before entering the side kitchen door. Since it was closer to the stairs, maybe I could escape to my room. No such luck. Mom and my grandmother sat at the kitchen table drinking tea.

"Hi honey, how was school?" Mom looked me up and down, analyzing my outfit.

"Oh, it was great, I met some great people. I took one of them home after school, that's why I'm a little late."

My grandmother butted in, "Is that what you wore for your first day of school?"

"This? Oh no! I had gym last period and I didn't get a chance to change. I figured I would go for a jog after school anyway." I hoped they believed the lie. My mom looked curious, but she didn't question me further. "I'm going to take my stuff upstairs and call Kelly before my jog. I've got to tell her about all the cute guys she's missing out on."

"Ok, just be back by six-thirty for dinner," said Mom.

"No problem." Relieved to escape, I darted up the stairs. I was so anxious to vent my fingers were already dialing Kelly's number. If anyone understood what I was going through, it would be her. The phone rang. Then Kelly's sweet voice answered, "Hello."

"Hey, I hate it here!" I skipped the intros and went straight to venting. I made sure to clue her in on every horrific detail. Kelly listened quietly to my rant, only replying with the occasional 'gosh' or 'seriously'?

After a forty-five minute phone therapy session, she slipped in the words, "At least there's a really cute guy."

I laughed, "You always know what to say. Thanks for letting me rant."

"What you need now is a good run."

"Yeah, I planned on it. It's been raining on and off all day, and its cold, but I think the fresh air will do me good."

"Eliana, promise you'll call me whenever you need to talk."

"Oh, don't worry. You're at the top of my list. Mom doesn't need my stress on top of hers. I'll call you soon. Love you."

"Love you, too. Bye for now," said Kelly.

I jogged downstairs adjusting my iPod armband so I could reach the buttons. "I'll be back in an hour or so," I called from the front room. "I have my cell, if you need me."

"Ok, don't be too late," Mom reminded me from the kitchen.

I heard my grandmother say, "She needs a little more structure and chores. If you let her run around all over the place she'll end up a teenage mom or she'll get into trouble with the law."

Outraged by her comments, I started to return to the kitchen to defend myself, but stopped when I heard Mom say, "Eliana is a fantastic young lady. She's never given us any reason not to trust her. She's sixteen not six. Chris and I have raised her to be a strong, morally correct young woman with values. She has great ambitions. I truly think she wouldn't ruin her dreams by getting into trouble. Beside we're in Myrtle Creek, how much trouble could she possibly get into?"

Shock kept me rooted to the spot. I knew Mom trusted me, but I'd never known she had that much confidence in me. I quietly stepped outside.

"I wish I was back home," I muttered.

"Oh Munchkin, don't you know that home is where you hang your hat?" said Gramps.

I quickly turned, not realizing that Gramps was on the porch. "That's great advice, Gramps. I'll keep it in mind." Gramps always had little tidbits of advice. Sometimes it made sense and other times—well, it didn't.

I put in my ear buds and took off down the long driveway. My favorite song came on; it made me smile and I ran faster. I decided to run alongside the mountain road. It was cold, but the fresh air made me feel free. What if I didn't stop? What if I kept going? I imagined myself running back to California. Kelly would take me in. It was a nice fantasy.

My thoughts traveled back to the events of my first day. My biggest issue—Sasha. She was pure evil. She was testing my breaking point. I decided to ignore her mean comments and kill her with kindness. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing me upset. One year—that's it. As bad as today had been, things could only get better. After the clothes incident, nothing could embarrass me now.

I made my way around the curve of the road, staying close to the shoulder. The further I ran up the mountain, the prettier the scenery became.

I continued thinking about school and my plan of attack. I decided to focus on my studies. As far as a relationship, I wasn't looking for anything serious. I didn't want to get involved with a guy, especially since I would be leaving in a year. I could survive this place for one year. I decided to look on my stay here as a challenge. Taking it a day at a time, I would have victory in the end.

The hip-hop music in my ears pumped up my running. I synched in time to the bass guitar. Running was just what I'd needed.

Mom's words "strong young woman" kept echoing through my head. Mom had faith in me and I would strive to prove her right.

Wow, how far have I run?
Thick pines hid the sky making the air seem darker. I grabbed my cell phone to check the time. It was six-fifteen.
Oh crap, I've been running for over an hour
. I dialed Mom's cell, hoping it would go through. To my relief, she answered.

"Mom, I'm so sorry, I got side-tracked running."

"That's okay, honey. Do you want me to come and get you?"

"No. I'm on my way back. I should be home no later than seven-thirty."

"Are you sure?" I could hear a tinge of stress in her voice.

"Mom, I'm fine. I have my phone. I'll call if I get tired or lost; I promise."

"Okay, if you aren't here by seven-thirty, I'm sending a search party."

"Deal. I'll be home soon." I hung up and started down the mountain, turning up the music.

The temperature changed and fog started rolling in. It made me jog at a faster pace. I knew Mom would truly have a search party out if I wasn't back on time. I didn't need any more embarrassments in my life. The more I thought about it, the faster I ran.

The fog thickened. At least it wasn't completely dark yet. A faint pair of headlights came around the curve. Within a split second, I knew the driver wouldn't see me. Before I could react, the headlights brightened and the brakes squealed. I jumped backward, hoping the truck would miss me.

My heart stopped when I slipped on some water-soaked leaves that sent me sliding down a hill and hitting every possible branch and stick along the way. All I could think to do was tuck and roll. I thundered to a stop at the bottom of the muddy hill. After a dazed moment, I patted my hands over my body searching for damage. "I'm alive," I whispered in disbelief. "I'm alive," I repeated to convince myself.