White Chocolate Moments (13 page)

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Quinn found it easy to forget that Arcineh had worked all summer and hadn't complained. She knew her cousin got good grades but never believed she had to work for them.

Quinn's tortured thoughts set the entire weekend on edge. Even Sam noticed her quietness, thought she might be struggling with her self-image again, and decided not to give Arcineh her gift until the family had left after the weekend.

However, this drove Quinn and Austin crazy, and in turn, they nearly drove Arcineh out of her mind.

"Just tell me Austin said for the fifth time on Saturday morning. "Are you deaf, Austin?" Arcineh asked. "I don't have it yet. If I knew what I was getting, I'd tell you:'

Austin clearly didn't believe her, and Arcineh had had enough. "You only want to know so you can taunt Quinn. You're so pathetic, Austin."

Austin turned and left, his face showing how angry he was and also how close Arcineh had come to the mark.

Arcineh didn't care what he thought. She just wanted peace. Unfortunately Quinn had other ideas. She was at her door just minutes later.

"What did Grandpa give you?"

"He hasn't given me anything yet:' Arcineh said, thinking this might be the longest birthday of her life. Her cousins, the least favorite people in her life, were in town, making the hours drag.

"You're lying:"

"Why would I lie about that?"

Quinn didn't have a good answer for that, so she turned and left. Arcineh sat down on her bed and tried not to think about the disappointments of this school year. Things still weren't completely ironed out with Hillary and Daisy. Brody had stopped asking her out, but because he hadn't sought either of them out, they didn't believe her.

What is it about me that makes people think I lie?
she suddenly

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asked herself.
My cousins think I'm hiding my gift from Sam, and Hillary thinks I'm secretly seeing Brody.

Arcineh sat and brooded over this for a time and then got mad at herself. She realized she didn't care what the others thought. Violet would have said it wasn't her problem. She
wasn't
seeing Brody, and if her grandfather wanted to give her the moon for her fifteenth birthday, that was his choice!

- Arcineh eventually got into her swimsuit and went down to the pool. It was just plain cold outside, but since the pool had gone in, her grandfather had agreed to leave it heated until her birthday each year.

The family heard her splashing around, and it wasn't long before they joined her. Tiffany, Austin, and Quinn took up residence in the hot tub, but Jeremy challenged Arcineh to a water volleyball game and even took the deep end. Violet served German chocolate cake that night, Arcineh's favorite kind, and in the morning, the Rowan family left right after breakfast.

As soon as they departed, Sam, looking mischievous and much too pleased with himself, took Arcineh to the garage. Parked next to his car was a brand new BMW 5 Series.

"Happy birthday, honey," Sam said quietly.

"But I'm 15:' Arcineh pointed out when her mouth would work.

"You'll be starting Driver's Ed in just a few months and need this. Besides, everyone expects it at 16. This way it's really a surprise"

Sam found his neck in a stranglehold, and Arcineh could not stop laughing.

"Was it a good birthday?" Sam whispered in her ear, still hugging her tight.

"The best," Arcineh said with a laugh, knowing she would never be able to explain.

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"Tiffany called:' Sam said a few days later. He'd found Arcie in the family room and caught her between songs. "It seems Quinn is pretty upset with you:'

Her grandfather never told her what her aunt said during their phone calls, so this took her by surprise. She turned the stereo off and sat on one of the sofas. Sam took a chair.

"Did she say why she was upset?"

"She says she tried to discuss something with you, and you wouldn't talk about it:'

Arcineh nodded, her face turning impassive.

"Do you know what it was?" Sam asked.

"Yes:'

"Are you going to tell me?"

"There's no point. When Quinn is involved, you never believe me:'

"That's not true:'

Arcineh only stared at him, and Sam heard himself. Sam's hand went to the back of his neck, and he rubbed at the ache there. He knew men who deliberately had children at his age, but in his view, being a father to a teenager at this stage in his life was almost impossible.

"I'm sorry you don't think I believe you:' Sam apologized lamely. "I didn't mean to do that:'

Arcineh shrugged but still knew it was no use trying to explain. On an impulse she took another tact.

"You're something of a prize these days, Sam:'

Sam stared at her, wondering where she was going.

"It wasn't like that when my parents were alive, but now that I'm here, you're the prize and Quinn has to have you. That might not be news to you, but this will be. I'm not in the competition. I'm not going to vie for your attention or anyone else's. Either you want me or you don't.

"There's a boy at school right now that all my friends like, but he likes me. They're all mad at me about that. I don't know what I'm

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supposed to do. I can't control his feelings. I look forward to the weekend when I can come home and just be here with you and Violet. It's hard when there are others because everyone wants to compete with me, and I don't know where to go:'

Sam felt his heart clench. He hadn't known that she felt this way, and he hadn't known about her friends.

"I'm sorry about your friends, Arcineh. I didn't know:"

"I think I told Violet all about it, and that got it out of my system:'

"But I still don't understand:' Sam could not let go of Tiffany's call. "Why couldn't you just discuss what Quinn wanted to talk about?"

"Because I didn't know what you were getting me for my birthday until after they left:'

Sam's mouth opened. "That's what she wanted to know?"

"She and Austin both. They didn't believe me when I said you hadn't given me my gift yet:'

Sam did not know what he was expecting, but this wasn't it. Arcineh was expecting some type of apology, and when it didn't come, she stood to cover her hurt.

"I'm going to finish my workout now:'

'All right:' Sam said, his head in a complete muddle.

Not waiting for him to leave, Arcineh went back to the stereo and turned the music up loud. She kept her back to the door after the music fired up. By the time the dance turned her around, her grandfather was gone.

"Hi:' Daisy said quietly, coming to stand at Arcineh's table in the library at the beginning of November.

"Hi:' Arcineh said in return.

"Can I sit down?"

"Sure."

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Daisy sat, but she looked upset. Arcineh waited for her to talk, sure that if she said anything it would only get her into more trouble.

"So its like this: Daisy began, glancing at Arcineh from time to time but not holding her gaze. "I just had a long talk with Brody this morning, and he told me what you said:'

"What was that?"

"That you wouldn't go out with him and lose all your friends, and then I realized because we didn't believe you, you lost us anyhow" Daisy was crying now, and Arcineh just listened.

"I'm so sorry, Arcie. Do you remember when we both liked Richard? And we promised never to let a guy split us up? And then I broke my promise:'

Daisy put her hands over her face to cover her tears, but her whole body shook with the intensity of it all.

"It's all right:' Arcineh said, not sure it really was but wanting Daisy back in her life so much that it hurt. "You don't have to cry anymore!'

Daisy looked at her, her makeup having gone on the run. Arcineh dug in her purse and handed her a mirror.

"And to think my shrink has been working on me for days:' Daisy muttered into the mirror, "trying to get me to a good place for when you didn't forgive me:'

"Your shrink?" Arcineh didn't bother to hold her surprise.

"Yes! I've been so sad about all of this, my mother made me go!' "Has it helped?" Arcineh asked, glad that her grandfather had

never forced her to talk to a stranger.

"A little," Daisy sniffed as she tried to wipe her face, "but I missed your birthday"

"That's all right:' Arcineh said and meant it this time. "Sam more than made up for everyone:'

"Jewelry?" Daisy guessed, handing back the mirror.

"A car:'

"But you're 15!"

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"That's what I said, but he says everyone gets one at 16, and what's the surprise in that?"

Daisy cried again, this time with laughter. Before the teacher in charge that day could come and tell them to hush, they had made plans for the weekend. The girls would spend one night at Arcineh's, the next night at Daisy's, and fill every minute in between.

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Chapter Nine

"I'm going to die," Arcineh said for the tenth time. "You know that, don't you?"

"You're going to be fine Sam lied, telling himself again that he was too old for this. He well remembered teaching Trevor to drive. It went smoothly. He was a natural. Arcineh on the other hand was more like Tiffany. The creative side of her did not allow for something as basic as the gas on one side and the brake on the other.

"I don't think I want to learn to drive. I don't mind walking."

"You're doing fine," Sam lied again, thinking that if she braked hard one more time, his head was going to go through the windshield.

"Did you have trouble like this when you started?"

"It was so long ago, I can't remember."

His tone was so dry Arcineh began to laugh, and because she was scared, it was nervous and high pitched.

"All right, Arcie," Sam said, trying to sound firm, thinking she sounded slightly hysterical. But he ended up laughing with her.

The lessons continued, and Sam's words actually ended being true. When all was said and done, Arcineh did fine. Those first few days

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out were a bit rough--they did almost die--but within two weeks, Arcineh was gaining competence and confidence. Sam kept her in what he called
her world,
simply having her drive to the school, the dance studio, Daisy's house, and home. There were no trips downtown or onto the interstate unless they were driving to Creve Coeur, and then he didn't let her take the wheel until they were well away from Chicago. Thankfully it was April so the snow and ice had abated and there was little of that to contend with.

It would be October before she could test for her license, and Sam believed she would pass. For the moment, however, Sam was certain he heard Chicago, and possibly the state of Illinois, give a collective sigh of relief.

A beginning-of-summer trip to Missouri Was unlike anything Arcineh had ever known. Sam wanted to visit Creve Coeur, and although Arcineh dreaded it, she found that life had altered. Both of her cousins had met people and gotten into relationships that changed the dynamic for her.

Austin was in his junior year, and Quinn was a sophomore. Austin's girlfriend was Lexa, and Arcineh genuinely liked her. It was a mystery as to what Lexa saw in her cousin, but at least she was nice.

Tayte, Quinn's boyfriend, was another matter. He was more in love with himself than Quinn, but the eyes of adoration that Quinn turned on him were blind to all else. Tayte never said or did anything inappropriate toward Arcineh--indeed he barely looked at her--but Quinn imagined that Arcineh was out to get him.

It made for some heated moments near the end of their visit. Arcineh simply avoided her cousin the rest of the time, and if the adults noticed, they kept their mouths shut. As usual, when Arcineh was able to drive away from the Rowan house, a peace filled her inside.

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"Have you noticed that we don't go on vacations?" Arcineh asked of Sam. Working again at Bryant Marble during the summer, Sam's granddaughter had learned from Carlee that no one was in his office and had gone in and made herself at home.

"Come in and get comfortable, Arcie," Sam said dryly as he watched her sprawl into a chair.

"Thanks, Sam, I will:'

"Now, what were you saying?"

"Just that we never go on vacation:'

"This coming from a girl who's crossed the Big Pond at least eight times:'

"That was always business, and you know it:'

Sam looked at her, thinking she had a good point but not willing to admit it.

"Where did you want to go?"

"Anywhere?"

"Anywhere?"
Sam pressed her.

"Not Chicago or Creve Coeur."

"So you're not thinking about something out of the country?" "It doesn't matter, as long as I don't have school and you don't have business:'