Authors: Maria E. Monteiro
“Austin, you coming?” Derek calls out sticking his head out of his truck.
“I better go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay.” I nod.
Without warning he leans forward and wraps his arms around me giving me a hug. Every muscle in my body becomes paralyzed for moment. I hope he can’t feel how fast my heart is beating. I finally pull away just in time to see Farrah and Logan approaching us with their jaws wide open.
My heart is beating so hard I swear it’s going to break free from my body. Did Austin just hug me? This is crazy. He can’t go around just hugging me. What was he thinking? He’s really making it impossible to build this fort around my heart.
“What was that all about?” Logan asks with his jaw tight.
“Nothing. He was just reminding me about the party tomorrow night.”
“But why did he hug you?” he questions me.
“I have no idea. I guess he’s a hugger.”
“Hmm. I guess the ride home the other day was better than you let on,” Farrah says getting excited.
“Whatever! I thought you were going out with Josh.”
She purses her lips. “No. He said he would meet me at the party tomorrow. I don’t wanna go to that party by myself. Please say we’re still going together.”
I look over at Logan who gives me a half smile, shrugging his shoulders. I know he’s upset about the whole Austin thing.
“Yes, we’re going. But you have to meet us at Delights.”
“No problem.”
“Are you guys ready to go?” Logan asks.
“Yes. By the way you were awesome tonight,” I say, giving him a hug.
“Why thank you. Yeah, I wish my mom or my stupid dad would’ve come.”
“Why didn’t they?” Farah asks opening the car door.
“My mom had a friend’s birthday to go to and my dad never shows up. At least my sister came. And of course you guys.”
I place my head on his shoulder and say, “I’m sorry. If it makes you feel any better my asshole father came to your game.”
He starts to laugh. “Yeah I saw that. Why was your dad here?”
“Come on, get in. I’ll fill you in on the way to his house. I promised him I would go home right after the game.”
Logan drives me to my father’s house, which is on the other side of town, while I fill him in on everything Farrah already knows.
“That really sucks,” Logan says, taking a hold of my hand.
“Wow, nice house,” Farrah observes, sitting up in the backseat. “Is it just as nice inside?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been in it.” I look at the huge light grey two-story house, and realize I don’t even know how many rooms are in there or anything.
When my dad first moved out he moved into Trisha’s small one bedroom apartment over a bakery. I only went over once when Trisha was out and only lasted a few minutes in there. I ran out crying hating my new reality. I vowed that day I would never step into a home my father shared with that woman. Little did I know I was going to be forced to a couple of months later.
I wonder what my bedroom looks like, if I have a bedroom, that is. It’s probably a small room with white walls and a twin size bed in the middle of it. My dad did say Trisha decorated it, and knowing her fashion sense it’s either going to look like a padded room or a strip club.
“Are you ok?” Farrah asks cupping her hand on my shoulder.
“I’m not sure.”
“Do you want me to take you somewhere else? I don’t mind. I’ll take you anywhere you want,” Logan says.
I want to tell him yes. Drive me to a place where I don’t have to worry about seeing my dad or the thing growing in his ugly idiotic girlfriend’s stomach. Drive me to a place where everything will feel like it’s normal again. But I know I can’t run away from this.
“Thank you, but I better get inside.”
“Kay, We’ll see you tomorrow.” I give them both a hug goodbye and get out of the car. This is going to suck!
I walk into my father’s new house in amazement. The foyer is huge. A wood-floating stairwell, kind of gives it the appearance of a loft. To the right there is a huge living room, which has a wall made up of French doors. I’m sure they lead to a pool. To the left is the dining room and there’s probably a huge kitchen that follows it.
“Do you want a tour?” Trisha asks with a bubbly smile.
“Actually I’m kind of tired. Where’s my room?” I ask looking at my dad who has the same goofy smile as the evil bitch.
“I’ll let Trisha show you. She’s been so excited to show you what she did,” my father proudly says putting his arm around her shoulders. Why does he always have to touch her? Do they even know what they look like together? She looks more like his daughter than his girlfriend. They really are ridiculous.
“Oh Dad, there’s a party tomorrow at Derek’s. Can I go?” I ask him, while he’s in such a good mood.
“Do I know this Derek?” Is he kidding? Why is he acting like he cares about me?
“I don’t know. But you do know his parents. The Mitchells.”
“Oh Barb and Ted. Are they going to be there?”
“What do you think?” I have no idea. I’m betting they’re not, but there’s no way I can tell him that if I want to go. I swear even my mother doesn’t ask me this many questions.
“I think I should call them.”
“Dad?!” Oh God, what have I done.
“Stewart, you can’t do that. Just let her go.” Here we go again. I can’t stand that Trisha has to be my hero once again. Maybe this is a sign I shouldn’t go. I didn’t really have a good time at the last party. At the same time there’s a little piece of me, which for some crazy reason, wants to see Austin there. I must be losing my mind.
“Fine, but you have to be home by midnight.”
“One. Please.”
“Twelve thirty and you have to spend the day with us,” my father states.
“But I have to work tomorrow. It’s my last day at Delights.”
“What time do you have to be at work?”
“Five.”
“Perfect. We’ll spend some time together until you have to go in and then you can head to the party and be home no later than one. Okay?”
“Okay. Thank you.” I run over and give him a hug. I quickly step back realizing what I just did. The last time I hugged my father was a few days before he left us.
The smile on his face sort of melts my heart, and for a minute I think he might actually want me here because he loves me and not because he’s trying to have some control over my mother.
“Are you ready to see your room?” Trisha asks, wrapping her arm around my dad’s arm reminding me he’s all hers now.
“I guess.” I wait for Trisha to go up the stairs, but to my surprise she walks into the living room. Ohmigod, do they want me to sleep on the couch? We walk through the very modern living room into a room just off a small hallway.
“I thought you would like your privacy,” Trisha says opening the door to my bedroom.
My jaw almost hits the floor when I see what she has put together for me. The walls are not plain white, but instead a beautiful shade of deep purple. One wall seems to have black and white velvet fabric on it. A curvy black iron headboard gives the king-size bed a gothic princess feel. It is adorned with the perfect black and white bedding. It’s beautiful. If it were at mom’s house it would be perfect.
I don’t want Trisha to know how impressed I am so I try to hide my smile. “Thank you,” I mumble.
“Do you like it?”
I nod, but inside I’m jumping up and down.
“I’m glad,” Trisha adds looking upset I’m not more thrilled. “Well I leave you to unwind. Have a good night.”
“Okay.”
I look around my new room and hate how much I love it. The best part is the double French doors that lead me to the pool in the backyard. I wish my parents lived in this house and not my dad and Trisha.
My father was not kidding when he said I would have to spend the whole day with him and Trisha. First we went out for some fancy breakfast. My father gushed about all the delicious food the restaurant has. He told me to order anything I want, so I did. I ordered plain cornflakes.
As thankful as I am for him letting me go to the party tonight I’m not happy to have to spend the day with him and his Barbie doll.
After breakfast I had to spend the next three hours with them at the baby store registering for things she wants her dumb friends to buy her for her baby shower. I don’t understand why they thought I would want to be part of this. I don’t even want to know that stupid baby.
At one point Trisha gave me the registering gun and told me to pick things I thought she might need. I tried to find a brain, but they didn’t seem to have any in stock. So I settled for some ugly cheap looking blankets and plastic bibs.
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse my father drops Trisha and me off at the bridal store and has the nerve to say, “Have fun.” Is this why he wanted me around? So I can be Trisha’s gopher.
This sucks. I look over at Point Park across the street and remember when I was little and my dad would bring Carrie and me there to play. We would both look over at Bella’s Bridal Boutique and dream about our own weddings. Who knew years later I would be walking into it with my father’s mistress, I mean fiancé.
“I can’t wait to see my dress. I had to make it big because I don’t know how huge I’ll be in April,” Trisha laughs as we walk into the very expensive bridal shop. My sister was looking at dresses at this store, but realized they were way out of her price range. “I have also picked out a dress for you.”
“What?” Why would she pick out a dress for me? I’m not planning on going to their stupid wedding. They can’t make me go.
“Well I was hoping you would agree to be my maid of honor.” She bats her eyes.
Is she fucking kidding me? “Don’t you have a friend that could do that for you?” Even Carrie didn’t ask me to be her maid of honor.
“Well, I wanted you to do it. I think your father should have his daughters involved.”
“So you asked Carrie to be part of this too?”
“Not yet. Your father told me to wait for her to have some more time to accept everything that is happening.” She smiles her perfect smile making me want to punch her in the face. She broke up my family and now wants me to be part of putting the final nail in the coffin.
“Is this her?” An older lady dressed in black with pearls around her neck asks.
“Yes,” Trisha says showing off her new teeth that are really starting to irritate me.
“Wait until you see the dress your stepmother has picked out for you,” the lady says, bringing me towards the back. My heart thumps loudly with anger. I need to get out of here. I don’t want to do this anymore.
The fancy lady brings me into a dressing room and unveils a lavender sweetheart silk chiffon gown. It’s twice as beautiful as the yellow one I’m wearing for Carrie’s wedding and three times as expensive.
“This color is going to look so good on your golden complexion and really bring out your green eyes,” the silver hair lady says unzipping the dress. “I’ll leave you to change.”
She walks out leaving my mind spinning. There is no way I can get into that dress. I lean against the mirror and slip down onto the carpeted floor. I grab a hold of my legs and pull them up tight against my chest as I fight the urge to cry.
If I accept trying on this dress I accept that I’m okay with what dad has done to all of us. I accept letting Trisha become my stepmother. This is not right. I can’t do this. I jump up and run out of the room.
I run out to Trisha standing in front of a three way mirror in her loose princess ball grown wedding dress with so many crystals I think they are beginning to blind me, or maybe it’s my tears that are causing it.
She is grinning from ear to ear disgusting me. “Where’s your dress?” She asks furrowing her perfectly shaped eyebrows.
“I’m sorry, but I can’ be part of this.” I run out before I have an emotional break down in the middle of the bridal store. Why would my father do this to me?
Without thinking I pull out my phone and dial Austin’s number. I have no idea why, but I need to hear his voice right now.
“Hello,” he answers.
I can’t say a word. All I do is sob. I try to say something but nothing comes out of my mouth but sniffles.
“Jade? Is that you?”
Sniffle.
“What’s wrong?”
More sniffles.
“Jade, you’re scaring me. Where are you?”
“Point Park,” I manage to utter.
“Stay right there. I’m on my way.”
“Okay.”
I cross the street to the park and sit on the stonewall staring at the store. I wait to see what reaction everyone is going to have. Just as I thought my father pulls up and tries to walk into the store, but the older lady stops him. I see him moving his arms all around and I can only guess he’s asking what happened. Maybe I should go talk to him.
He runs his hand through his wavy dark hair and takes a deep breath in. He slowly turns his head and his eyes widen when he sees me. I’m in trouble now. I quickly wipe my eyes. I refuse to let him see me cry. He crosses the street with his green eyes turning darker the closer he gets to me. “What happened in there?” He huffs out.
I shrug my shoulders while trying to hold my tears back.
“Trisha called me all upset. She said you ran out of the store. Why would you do that to her?”
I’m so scared my tears will come out that I don’t realize it’s my anger that’s about to explode. “How could you do that to me? I don’t want to be in your stupid wedding! I don’t even wanna be there as a guest!”
Pain enters his eyes. “I’m sorry you feel that way. I better go check on Trisha.” He turns around and walks away. I dig my head into my legs crying harder. Once again he’s chosen her. I wish I could go home to my plain bedroom and my mother.
I hear a car door slam, but I don’t look up. “What happened?” The voice I was waiting to hear says. I look up and see Austin standing in front of me. He looks so worried. I lean forward and begin to cry harder into his warm chest. Between sobs I explain it all to him.