Cumberland (Not A Dream Book 1) (3 page)

After school, the next day, I planned to sneak my car to go see my grandpa. When the bus dropped me off, I noticed my car was gone. I looked around the drive way, and in the garage to double-check. I sighed in frustration and said to me, “Carolyn had no right giving my car away to those weasel looking brats of hers.”

              I stood there debating what to do. My phone was still in the car, and so was the next days’ homework assignment. I looked at the front door, hesitant to go inside. I walked inside, even though it made me mad, and saw Carolyn at the table eating the rest of the left overs. As she looked up from her plate, I asked her, “Where is my car?”

              “Holly and Molly took it out to go see a movie, and grab a bite to eat,” she answered with a full mouth.

              The image of her chewed up food made me want to vomit. So I did not dare ask another question. She looked at me again, “What? Are you going to pout or something?”

              I shook my head and said, “No.” I really wanted to say, “
No, but having to look at you makes me want to vomit.”
But, I didn’t, for sake of argument.

              “Don’t forget to make dinner tonight.”

              “Why? You are eating right now, and you just said…”

              She cut me off and claimed, “I don’t care what your excuse is. Your chore is to cook dinner every night.”

              “And to clean the house, do the laundry, and the dishes as well?”

              “What are you getting at, Milly?”

              I shrugged my shoulders and rolled my eyes, “Never mind. Just forget it.”

              “Good,” she stated.

              “Where were you planning on going?” she asked firmly.

              I answered honestly, “I wanted to go see my grandpa before visiting hours were over.”

              “You’re grounded, remember?” she said, in what seemed to be in a hostel manner.

              I said, “Fine,” and then stormed out onto the porch. I sat outside, and waited for my cars’ arrival. I stared into the sky watching the clouds dissipate slowly, and glide across the sky peacefully.
A cloud is like one big happy family, until a fat wind comes and blows it to pieces,
I thought to myself.

              I watched the busy road, down the way, and listened. I kept hearing metal scraping across the pavement, and the occasional screeching sound of tires starting and stopping. I didn’t think much into it, until I found out what the sound was coming from. It was my car. The entire side front end had been crushed and falling off. My front bumper was half way hanging off, and I could feel my anger boiling into my face.

              I quickly got up, just barely missing Carolyn from tripping on me. She ran out frantically, “Oh my! My baby girls!” she gave them a big hug as they stood outside the car, and asked, “Are my babies okay?” I could tell, she was crying for real.
Hmm, so when she fakes crying, it sounds real; when she cries for real, it sounds fake. Seems legit,
I sarcastically shared with myself.

              My feet moved too fast for me to stop. Before I knew it I was standing next them, feeling the dent in my car. I slowly traced the outside of the dent with my finger. I gasped for air, to allow them the acknowledgement of my disappointment. I looked up at Molly and Holly, and all they could do was smile.

              “How could you?” I asked, raising my voice to high pitch squeal. “I mean, why would you do this to me? You guys are nothing but spoiled little brats that need to get a life!”

              They covered their mouths in shock, and Carolyn frowned at me while holding the girls closer. I could hear her whisper to them, “It is okay. Mommy is here.” I just wanted to slap them all, and get it all done with. I sighed with a growl, and said, “Screw you.”

              I forcefully opened my car door and grabbed my phone from underneath the seat. I continued to stare at them longer, and harder. Their blank expressions made it clear I was dealing with a bunch inbred, idiotic, distasteful mongrel’s. I even let them know that fact about themselves before walking up to my room.

              In the background I could hear Carolyn call up to me, “Get down here now and apologize!”

              “No!” I screamed back before slamming my door to my hot attic room closed. I sat at my desk thumbing through my contacts to retrieve the retirement home number. I was about to dial it when Carolyn and two twin imps pushed my door open abruptly.

              Carolyn yelled, “That was very disrespectful! My daughters could have been killed. They didn’t even get to go see their movie because you caused them to wreck!”

              “Me? How?”

              “You must have tampered with it because you were jealous. It is the only logical explanation.”

              “Are you sure it just isn’t because they don’t know how to drive?”

              She said, “Humph,” in anger and announced, “You are grounded for another week. And you have to fix the car now.”

              “Why would I fix it, if I can’t drive it?”

              “My daughters have places to be, Milly,” she said while folding her arms.

              I rolled my eyes and said, “I graduate in a couple days. You can’t tell me what to do.”

              She demanded, “Fix your car or else.”

              I narrowed my eyes and asked, “Or else what? Are you going to try to kill me also?”

              She stuck up her nose and walked out.

              I pushed the call button on my phone and the number rang three times. A lady on the other end picked up, “Hello. How may I direct your call?”

              I slowly asked, “Yes, can I please speak to Mr.

Bradford James?”

              She asked, “Who is speaking?”

              “This is his Granddaughter Milly James.”

              “Hold one second,” she paused and then said, “I am sorry. It is past our calling hours. Can you try again sometime between Monday and Friday during the times eight in the morning and four at night?”

              I sighed with a smile and said, “Yes, I will try later. What are your visiting hours?”

              “Same days, from nine in the morning to five at night.”

              I said, “Thank you,” and hung up.

              I sat back in my chair and pondered who to talk to. “Who should I talk to?” I paused, and then answered myself, “Olivia!”

              I looked at my phone and scrolled down to the bottom of my contact list to see her name highlighted. I pressed the call button once more, and again let the phone ring in my ear. A few seconds passed and Olivia answered, “Hello?”

              “Hey it’s me, Milly,” I said nervously.

              “Oh, hey, what is up with you? Did you go see your grandpa today?”

              I smiled and said, “Well, not exactly.”

              “Oh, I see. Would you like a ride next time?” she asked in a concerning tone.

              “Yeah, that would be great. But Carolyn is threatening me. She probably won’t let me graduate.”

              “You know Principle Jack Hall?”

              “Yeah, what about him?”

              “He is my dad, I will let him know.”

              “Thank you.”

              We said our goodbye’s and then hung up.

The next couple of dreadful days passed by, and before I knew it, it was the day of graduation. I awoke with a smile. This day, was to be my day of freedom. I watched the sun rise through the tiny attic window. The golden glow of its arrival gave me hope.

              The days did not pass by slow at all. The day after I called Olivia, Holly and Molly broke all of the china plates Carolyn saved over the years. They placed my shoe at the scene and I was again grounded.

              Then after that day, Carolyn took my car away to the scrap yard. She told me, “I know your grandfather wants you to go to Cumberland. Don’t!”

              “Why?” I asked confused.

              “Just don’t,” she simply answered before walking away.

              I jumped out of bed, and went straight to my closet. I opened it up, and where my cap and gown were hanging, was no more than an empty spot on the hook. I frantically went through my closet looking for them. I didn’t find it. I continued my search throughout the house, and still did not find any traces of it.

              I wanted to check my car, but I did not feel like letting Carolyn have the opportunity to ruin my day any more than it already had. But I decided that no one can ruin this day for me. I checked outside despite my better judgment. I walked past the dining room, on my way out of the house, and Carolyn stopped me with asking, “Where are you going?”

              “I am going to check out in
my
car to see if I had left my cap and gown outside,” I answered bluntly.

              She pursed her lips. It looked as if she lost her hand in her folds when she placed her hand on her hip and said, “Fine.”

              I was about to walk out the door, but decided I should ask her a question that I had been
dying
to know the answer to.
Why not?
I questioned myself. I turned to see her still standing in the doorway of the house my father had built with his own two hands. She looks displaced here. So I hesitantly asked, “Why? Why did you marry my father? Why are you trying to keep me from Cumberland? You always told me that it was a fake place. But if it was as fake as you say it is, then why keep me from trying to prove my grandfathers’ sanity?”

              She did not respond with words. Her eyes seemed to turn cold and reluctant. I know something was up, I just don’t know what. After I checked my car from top to bottom, I ran up the stairs to check the linen closet.

              I ran into the twins on my way up and tried not to laugh at their coordinating outfits for graduation pictures, but a little bit of laughter escaped my mouth. The twins began to giggle at me as I searched the hallway closet. I looked at them and then continued my search. Holly asked me, “What are you looking for?” Then Molly chortled.

              “My graduation cap and gown. Do you know where it may be?” I asked sincerely.

              They giggled again. I tried to be as nice as possible and then I demanded to know, “Please tell me.”

              “Yes, we know,” she smirked.

              “We could tell you, but what is the fun in that?” Molly rhetorically asked.

              “How would you like it if I took your cap and gown?” I counter asked.

              “Mom! Milly is threatening to hide our cap and gown!” Holly and Molly yelled together.

              “I did not!” I defended.

              Carolyn stomped up the stairs and with a heaviness in her breath she said, “Milly do not threaten my daughters.”

              “They hid my cap and gown!” I yelled.

              “My daughters would not do such a thing,” she said.

              “Oh right, because they are so perfect,” I sarcastically stated.

              “They are!” she defended.

              “Well, if they are so perfect, then how come I am still virgin?”

              She looked at them, from what seemed to be her look of ‘
you better tell me the truth now!’.

              I looked at my watch to see the time. Then I exclaimed, “Oh crap! I am going to miss the bus!”

              I grabbed my purse and ran outside to see the bus leaving. I knew it still had a few more stops before reaching the school, so I tried to run down a couple blocks to get there in time. But to my demise, the bus had been unusually fast today.

              I threw up my hands and growled at the sky, “Just my luck!”

              I took a seat on the curb of the road debating whether or not to call Carolyn. I decided to call her, despite my hatred for her right now, “Hey, I missed the bus. Can you give me a ride to school?”

              “Oh, sorry, I am already taking my girls to school,” she said before hanging up on me.

              “She must be taking a different route. I did not see her come this way,” I said to myself.

              I watched the ants on the ground and it reminded of when my grandpa told me how he rode on the back of a dragon that had the head of a dragon, wings like a bird, and a body of an ant. It made me wonder if I could the same, just with a thousand ants. I laughed at my own thoughts, and decided to walk to school.

              The sky started to get dark, and I looked up to see the dark clouds rolling in. I did not feel like getting my hair and make-up ruined, so I decided to bolt for school. I ran as fast as I could before the storm hit. I kept looking at my watch and seen it move faster than my feet.

              The clouds started to look heavier than ever. I felt as if I was in the race of my life. I kept running, and up behind I heard a car slow to a stop. I turned to see why, and noticed Mason. He came up beside me and rolled down his window. He leaned across the passenger seat and popped the door open, “Get in.”

              To me, it sounded more like a demand versus the polite way of saying
, “Would you like a ride?”
I let it pass, because I felt the sprinkle of rain begin. I quickly got in and said, “Thank you.”

              He just nodded in return. I stared out the window, listening to silence against the drops of rain. I could feel he was looking at me, so I turned to catch a glimpse of him stealing a glance of me.

              I smiled a little and asked, “What?”

              “Nothing,” he replied.

              “Oh,” I said discerningly.

              He sighed, and said, “Can I ask you a question?”

              I quickly turned to him and said with a smile, “Yeah, anything.”

              “Do you ever wonder if you were meant to do something meaningful in life?”

              “Yeah, all the time.”

              “I only ask because your face reminds me where my heart should be,” he smiled at me. I tightened my grip on the door handle, as he looked away from the road. He asked me, “Do you not trust my driving?”

              “No, I do. It is just; both of my parents were killed in car accidents.”

              His face softened, and he grabbed my hand closest to him, “You are safe with me.”

             
Safe
, I repeated in my head. To hear his voice say that made me forget the rain ever happened. His presence made it seem as if the world had just left us to stand together forever.

              “You are usually rude as hell to other people. Why are you nice to me?” I asked questionably.

              He just ignored the question and put the car in park. He then said, “We are here. Hurry up inside,” he reached his arm back. I felt nervous as he paused, inches from my face. I wanted to kiss him, and then he rose up a closed umbrella between us and grinned.

              I looked at the umbrella and asked, “Can we share this together?”

              “No.”

              “Oh,” I sadly said.

              He smiled bigger, “You can use it for the day. I wouldn’t want you get your hair and make-up messed up before graduation pictures.”

              “Thank you, but what about you?” I asked.

              “I don’t mind the rain.”

              “Well, thank you, again,” I smiled at him, knowing my face was blushing. So I quickly stepped out of the car before he could notice.

              I rushed inside the school, and walked fast to the auditorium. I almost tripped on my way up the stairs, trying to put the umbrella in my purse, but caught myself in time. I frantically looked for the rack of spare caps and gowns and found none. I thought to myself,
I wonder how many people just didn’t feel like using their own so they used the schools. I highly doubt their twin step sisters hid theirs away.

             
As I continued to search for a spare Olivia approached me, “Where is your cap and gown?”

              “Holly and Molly,” I plainly answered.

              “What are you going to do?” she asked.

              I looked at her all dressed for graduation, and I knew she is set to go five people ahead of me. Principle Hall stepped up beside us and he asked, “Are you guys ready?” Principle looked at me, as if he were directing the question to me.

              “Yeah, as soon as I find a cap and gown.”

              He looked at me with a stern face and said, “Find one.”

              He walked away, and Olivia looked at me, “I noticed you got a ride from Mr. Perfect.”

              I knew she was referring to Mason, and said, “Yeah, he is really nice.”

              “Did you ask him about Cumberland?” she asked in almost a whisper.

              “No, I forgot.”

              “Anyways, I can help with your cap and gown dilemma.”

              I shook my head and asked, “How?”

              She answered with a grin, “When I go across, I will come back up and take mine off and give it to you.”

              I gave her a big hug and then heard her name get called by the principle. She whispered,
“Wish me luck.”
I nodded my head as she waved. I watched her accept her diploma and walk off the other way. I turned around to await her arrival and bumped into Mason.

              “I’m sorry,” I apologized. I reached in my purse and pulled out his umbrella, “Here.”

              He nodded his head and put his hand on mine, “I told you that you could use it today.”

              I nervously smiled,
why am I smiling so much? He must think I am crazy or something,
I thought to myself. Then Olivia came up and handed me her cap and gown and said, “Hurry you are next.”

              Mason walked on the stage, then left.

              “Okay,” I told her. Then I threw it on as fast as I could and awaited my name to be called. Principle Hall then announced, “Milly James.”

              I walked onto the stage and seen him staring at me questionably. I just put a smirk smile on my face and took my diploma. I looked out at the audience and seen everyone’s parents were there, and their family members. I felt tears in my eyes as I did not have one family member sitting in the chairs with the rest of the family members. I looked down, and then walked off the stage.

              My mothers’ family had not shown, because they once told me, “You look too much like your mother, and it is too painful to see you.”               My fathers’ family had not shown, because Carolyn ran them off telling my father, “She and her daughters are the only family you need.”