Wishing Pearl (6 page)

“Ha. Nice try! You couldn’t fit into my jeans if your life depended on it.” Bailey crossed her arms in mock protest.

“Settle down, you two. Don’t make me come back there.” Jordyn peered into the rearview mirror. “We could take the top off, but October nights get really cold and it’s hard to put back on in the dark. I’ll just kick on the AC a little bit.”

“Yeah,” Tara piped up. “Can you see us five, totally buzzed, trying to get this top on at two in the morning?”

“Speaking of buzzed”—Jordyn peeked at Olivia—”we’re good for an ID.” She gestured her thumb at Emma. “But we’re counting on you for the funds. How did that go?”

“Well …” Olivia plastered on a sad face and reached into her pocket. “I could only get this.” She pulled out one crumpled bill and smoothed it on her leg before waving it in the air with a grin.

“A hundred bucks?” Bailey bounced on her seat.

“That will buy some great stuff. How much of it can we use?” Emma fished out a cigarette and tipped the pack toward Olivia.

“As much as you want. Use it up. Let’s have fun.” Might as well go all the way. If she got caught, Olivia wouldn’t be in any less trouble if they spent only half of it. She took a cigarette from Emma’s pack and pressed in the car lighter.

“Yeah, don’t forget we’re buying for Aaron and Brett, too.” Jordyn turned into the parking lot of Discount Liquors. The Jeep bounced as she ran one tire over the curb before pulling into a spot. Olivia scooted out and flipped the seat forward and held it while Emma unfolded her long legs from the backseat.

“You’d think you guys would show a little more respect to the one with the ID and let me sit in front.” Emma climbed over Bailey’s legs and wedged herself between the front seat and the door.

“Well, it’s my car. I have to drive.” Jordyn put up her hands. Olivia waved the money. “And I have the cash.”

“Point taken.” Emma snatched it from Olivia and straightened her clothes then set off toward the store.

“Don’t forget smokes!” Jordyn shouted.

“I hope they don’t give her any trouble.” Olivia shielded her eyes from the setting sun and watched Emma enter the store.

“She’ll be fine. Emma totally looks older than nineteen. Plus her ID is perfect.” Jordyn got back in her seat and took out a nail file.

Olivia nipped at a hangnail and tapped her feet on the floor mat. She turned down the radio—then Jordyn turned it up. The wait dragged on forever. “It’s been like fifteen minutes, you guys. Should we go in there?” Olivia didn’t understand how they could be so calm. She expected a police car to careen into the lot with lights blazing and sirens blaring any minute.

“No way! Are you nuts? They’ll definitely question her if we’re hanging around.” Bailey shook her head. “Besides, she’s never had any trouble before.”

“Here she comes.” Tara pointed at the front of the store, where Emma pushed a full shopping cart through the automatic doors.

“Phew. I was getting worried.” Olivia pretended to wipe sweat from above her eyebrow.

Jordyn chuckled. “You need to lighten up, girlie.”

The four girls scampered from the car. Jordyn yanked open the back hatch while they waited for Emma to navigate the heavy basket up the sloped parking lot.

With the shopping cart pressed against the Jeep’s bumper, they loaded the car. The four cases of beer barely fit in the tiny space behind the backseat. “We’ll never drink all of this.” Olivia shook her head at their stash. They’d bought way too much alcohol. What if someone got sick—or worse—like in those videos they showed at school?

Olivia bit her lower lip. What if she did something stupid? Maybe she should just back out now—before she did something she’d regret … before it was too late.

“Sure we will, or we’ll share. Best way to get reinvited to a party is to show up with extra booze.” Emma tossed a pack of cigarettes to each girl.

Olivia stared at the little box in her hand. It seemed much more serious to have her own pack rather than to bum a single cig off a friend now and then. Having her own sort of meant she’d crossed a line and become a real smoker. Did she want to be one? Money wasn’t really her concern. She got a nice allowance, and there seemed to be an endless supply of money in Mom’s purse—Olivia simply needed to help herself when her allowance ran out. Was it the health aspect? No. She didn’t care about that—having fun was all that mattered. Did she find smoking fun? Not exactly. It tasted gross and smelled horrible. So why did she do it? Olivia tapped the cigarette on the dashboard then raised it to her lips along with the lighter. She flicked the flame to life and drew a smoky breath into her lungs.

Because it felt good—that’s why. It felt good to go against the stream, do bad things—at least these days it did. Plus it calmed her down and gave her confidence. She felt cool with a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other. Leaning her head back on the seat, she let the wind from the half-open window blow onto her face and whip her hair around in swirls. She blew the smoke out into the wind and watched it disappear, wishing she could follow.

The security monitor beeped as it came out of hibernation mode, signaling a car had approached the front gate. Mom and Charles were gone for the day, so Olivia would have to get it. She groaned and leaned out from her bed to peek at the tiny display on her nightstand. She couldn’t quite make out the driver, so she squinted harder at the screen. She grabbed her head, hoping to quell the throbbing as the nausea rose in her stomach—a clear reminder of the party the night before.

Jodie Swinley? No mistaking her long brown 1980s permed hair with the poodle pouf on top. What was her former pastor’s wife doing here? Olivia hadn’t spoken to Jodie since the last time she attended youth group around Christmas three years ago. Mom said she’d run into her a week or so ago but hadn’t said anything about her coming by.

Ugh
. Perfect timing. Olivia pulled her pillow over her head. She could just ignore the beep.

But Jodie pressed the buzzer again. Then again. It appeared she wasn’t planning to go away.

Olivia groaned as she leaned from her bed to press the button to open the gate. She only had a minute or two while Jodie waited for the iron doors to creak open so she could squeeze her car through and then make the drive up the long, winding driveway.

What could Olivia do to make herself presentable in a couple of minutes? She slid from her bed and hurried to the bathroom. While she brushed her teeth, she ran a comb through her messy and most likely smoky hair. She fumbled in the medicine cabinet for aspirin, which she popped into her mouth and guzzled down with a full glass of water. Her skin looked ghostly, but that couldn’t be helped. She’d run out of time. A quick spritz of lavender body spray, and then Olivia slunk down the stairs just in time to hear Jodie’s knock.

“Hi, Olivia.” She reached out and pulled Olivia into a tight embrace.

Did Jodie actually stiffen at the sight and smell of her, or was that only Olivia’s imagination? “Hey, Jodie.” Olivia hugged her back, hoping it was still okay to call her Jodie. “I haven’t seen you in, like, forever. What brings you by Chez Whitford?” She stifled a yawn, which only made her head throb harder.
Come on, aspirin; do your trick
.

“Oh, I saw your mom out shopping the other day, and then we spoke on the phone yesterday. Didn’t she tell you? I thought I’d come by to visit with you for a little bit.” She raised her eyebrows. “Judging by the eye roll, it looks like things might not be going so well?”

Olivia stepped back to let her into the foyer. “Mom told you stuff about me, huh?” Her voice echoed across the marble floors and up the spiral staircase to the three-story ceiling.

“She’s a little concerned about you.” Jodie followed Olivia into the den and perched on the edge of a sofa.

“Trust me. She’s not worried about
me.”
Olivia whipped her head side to side. Her brain felt like it bounced inside her skull like a pinball. She fought the urge to rub her temples. “Mom just doesn’t know how to keep me from messing up her perfect world.”

“Olivia. Alcohol? Cigarettes? Lying? Come on. Of course your mother’s worried about you.” Jodie’s heavily made-up eyes darkened as she looked Olivia over from head to toe.

“If she’s so concerned, why hasn’t she talked to me about any of it herself?” When Jake told her about that party, she just blew it off. Never brought it up again. “This is the first I’ve heard about this.”

Jodie raised her shoulders. “I don’t know, hon.”

“She can’t be bothered to deal with me herself, apparently. Instead, she called for reinforcements so she can dump it on you.” But at least Mom hadn’t told Charles. Though that could change at any moment.

Jodie’s eyes narrowed. “What’s going on with you? This isn’t the Olivia I once knew.”

“It’s been awhile since you’ve been around. How do you know this isn’t the real me?” Her eyes burned with that telltale sting.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry
. “What does it matter anyway?”

“Oh, hon. It does matter. You’re so important to a lot of people. And the reason I know this isn’t the real you is that God doesn’t break His promises.” Jodie squeezed her eyes shut, her lips moving.

Olivia rolled her eyes. “Prayer isn’t going to help things, Jodie. Sure won’t bring my dad back. He prayed to God with his very last breath—I heard him. Look what it got him. Prayer isn’t going to wake my mom up. And it sure won’t get rid of
Chuck.”
Olivia walked to the window, her back to Jodie. “So, if you don’t mind, I’ll just keep doing what comes naturally. Then we’ll all get to see who the real me is.”

The floor creaked when Jodie stood and stepped behind Olivia. She put her hands on Olivia’s upper arms, making her flinch. “I think you’re hurting. I think you want someone to fight for you. Will you let me in? Let me be your friend?”

I’ve got friends—ones who understand me
. Olivia sighed. “You and Pastor Tom are still my friends. But there’s nothing you can do. I’ll be all right. It’s really not as bad as Mom made it out to be, I’m sure. Just normal teenage stuff—you know, everyone experiments with that stuff. No big deal.” Olivia shrugged. “But I’ve got homework to do and a band concert tonight.”
And a nap to take
. She stepped toward the door.

“Hang on. I’ll leave you to your homework in just a second.” Jodie reached into her bag and pulled out a glossy pamphlet. “Would you do me a favor and take a quick look at this?” She handed it to Olivia.

“Diamond Estates? What’s that?” The front-page picture of an old stone building nestled in the mountains was kind of cool—might be a haunted house. Olivia turned the booklet over in her hands to read the back. “Colorado? It says they help troubled girls.”
Ah, so that’s it
. She held Jodie’s gaze with fire in her eyes. “You’re trying to say
I
need to go to a place like this?”

“I’m only making sure you know your options. That you do have choices.” Jodie held her hands up, palms out. “No need to get riled up. It’s just that sometimes it’s good to completely remove yourself from your current situation in order to make a fresh start.”

“Fresh start? My whole life has been one fresh start after another.” Olivia shook her head and strode to the front door. “I’m certainly not going to go looking for another one anytime soon.” She flipped the page over and looked at the front again. “Besides, Charles would never agree to pay for something like this.” He’d be paranoid that they’d uncover his deep, dark secrets. She tried to give Jodie back the brochure.

“Well, just hang on to it—you never know. It’s a good place—totally subsidized by donations from people and churches all over the country. Charles wouldn’t have to pay a dime unless he wanted to contribute.” Jodie stepped onto the porch. “I’ll be praying for you, hon.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate your concern, and I know you mean well. But this sort of thing isn’t for me.”

“Okay. Call me if you need me. Anytime.” Jodie squinted from the sun. She opened her mouth like she had more to say, but turned and went to her car without another word.

Olivia closed the front door and glanced at the pamphlet she clutched in her hand. Shaking her head, she crumpled it and dropped it into the trash can on the way to her room. Yeah right. Like she’d go to Diamond Estates. She hadn’t done anything to deserve kiddie jail.

It would take an act of God to get me to that place
.

H
er symphonic band concert in an hour, Olivia tore through her jam-packed closet for something to wear. She thought back to how desperate she’d been to try out for the elite band. Then to make it—what an honor that had been. Now she didn’t even want to go to the first concert of the year. She wondered what would happen if she skipped it to hang out with her friends instead. She’d get kicked out most likely, and that wouldn’t take her very far in her dream of music school scholarships and orchestras. But did she even care about those things anymore?

A one-hundred-dollar bill, fresh from Mom’s purse, burned a hole in the pocket of her jeans. That along with her fifty-dollar allowance were the makings of a pretty great party, plus a week of smokes for her
and
her friends.