“I’ll clean up as soon as I finish,” I told Daisy who smiled back. I forgot about my plan for the evening while I lost myself in a world that was completely different from my own. A world with dragons and sorcerers and one brave girl who held the key to saving the kingdom. The story was layered and intense and I felt a great loss when I turned the last page.
I sat on the couch after I closed the book. “Can you believe that, Daisy?” I asked, reliving the ending in my mind. I was so lost in thought I completely lost track of time until the sound of the lowering dumbwaiter jerked me out of my reverie. Fear sliced through me as I scanned my room. My schoolbooks were still laid out on the couch, Daisy was smiling beside me, and my book still sat in my hands. I scrambled to my feet and stacked my books quickly, placing them on my desk. I heard the locks above me being disengaged just as I picked up my mess from lunch and rushed it across the room to the trash can. Glancing around the room one last time, I felt confident everything was where it should be. The door opened at the top of the stairs and my heart dropped to my toes when I spotted Daisy on the floor in front of the couch.
Mother was coming. I could hear her footsteps. She would see Daisy and punish me. Racing across the room, I scooped Daisy up and leapt onto the couch, shoving her deep into the cushions just as Mother reached the last step. A thin line of sweat trickled from my neck and down the back of my shirt. My breath was slightly labored, but I forced myself to breath evenly. I wasn’t used to so much exertion.
“Leah?” Mother questioned critically as she rounded the staircase and looked at me.
I didn’t need a mirror to know that my face was flushed. My heart raced from the adrenaline pumping through my veins. Mother was sure to suspect I was up to something. “Yes, ma’am,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. My shoulders tensed, knowing how angry she would get if she thought I was hiding something.
“Are you feeling okay? You look peaked.”
Peaked? I thought, relieved. That would work. I could do sick. It wouldn’t even be a lie. At the moment I felt sick. My stomach was twisted in knots and my skin felt clammy. Even my head felt fuzzy. Maybe I really was sick. “Not really,” I answered, lying back against the couch cushions. The dizzy feeling abated and the churning in my stomach loosened slightly.
“Damn. The flu is going around at the hospital. I might have brought it home with me. You should get in bed,” she instructed, squirting sanitizer in her hands before placing her wrist on my forehead. “You’re not warm, but you feel clammy. It’s probably the flu. Bed,” she instructed.
I nodded, sagging with relief. As I stood up the room spun slightly and I almost believed that I was really sick.
Mother clucked over me as I climbed into bed. “My poor girl,” she said, smoothing a hand over my hair. I sighed with pleasure. “I’m going to go make you some soup.”
“Thank you.” I made my voice sound pitiful, almost fooling myself. Her footsteps faded as she climbed the steps. The locks were engaged and I could hear the dumbwaiter rising. Only when I heard her rustling around in the kitchen above did my heartbeat return to its normal rhythm. That was a close call that had the potential of going so much differently. My mistake today could never be repeated. What if Mother would have suspected something more? What if she had decided to search my room? I worked hard to cover all traces of what I’d been up to, but she could figure it out. I could not be so stupid again.
Mother returned shortly with a bowl of chicken noodle soup. I obediently opened my mouth as she spooned the hot soup into my mouth. I could have fed myself, but I knew it brought her pleasure to take care of me. Considering the close call I’d narrowly escaped, I accepted the soup without complaint.
“I knew I should have brought home a flu shot for you,” Mother commented, catching a drop of the soup with the spoon.
“That’s okay,” I answered. “It’s not too bad.”
“You should stay in bed and rest tonight and tomorrow,” she instructed, giving me a sip of juice.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good girl. I’ll check on you in the morning.”
“Thank you, Mother,” I said, closing my eyes, hoping maybe she had forgotten about the little white pill. Chances were I was setting myself up for disappointment.
I felt the bed dip as she stood up and I forced myself to breathe evenly. She probably just left the pill upstairs and planned to return with it. I wasn’t in the clear yet. Her steps paused on the stairs. She could have been listening, waiting to catch me faking. I had no way of knowing for sure. The lock on the door upstairs disengaged and the lights went out to the sound of the door being closed and locked. My eyelids flew open. Either she really had forgotten or she thought my sickness would make me sleep without the assistance of the pill. I decided to do things differently. I needed to make myself stronger. Continuing to be weak would only hurt me in the long run. My other plans would have to be pushed to the side.
The darkness held me in its embrace while I waited for the sound of Mother leaving for work. The wait would be longer since I’d gone to bed earlier than usual. I was patient though. Without the effects of the pills, I could wait all night if that’s what it took. Tonight I would start the process of becoming someone else.
5
MIA
“COME ON, Mia. Don’t be a wuss,” Amber said in a loud whisper.
I jerked my head around to make sure the house was still dark behind me. “I’m not. Can a girl even be a wuss?” I muttered, eyeing the pile of clothes at my feet. This was a ridiculous idea. We’d be in a shitload of trouble if we got caught. I should have vetoed the idea immediately after Amber suggested it, but we were all still riding high from our victory. The Winter Park football team was sent home with their asses handed to them after Luke scored two more touchdowns, winning us the game.
We were all trying to come up with an epic way to celebrate when Amber suggested skinny-dipping in Principal Trout’s swimming pool. It sounded like a brilliant idea at Steak ’n Shake, but once we actually got to his house, common sense took over, for me at least. The house was dark, but the two cars in the driveway were a clear indicator that it wasn’t empty. Luke and Anthony boosted us up over the wooden fence even though I was starting to balk.
“Come on, Mia. The water feels great,” Luke said, quietly swimming to the edge where I stood. Thankfully the pool was dark, hiding the fact that he was completely nude. Luke and I hadn’t taken our relationship to the next level yet and I wasn’t ready to change that any time soon.
“Fine, but you guys have to turn around until I get in,” I instructed.
His white teeth seemed to glow in the dark as he beamed up at me. “Done,” he said, giving Anthony the same instruction.
Feeling like a fool, I shimmied out of my shorts and panties at the same time. Taking a peek over my shoulder at the house behind me, I pulled my T-shirt off up over my head and unclasped my bra, tossing them both on the stack of clothes at my feet. Suddenly I was out there, more than I had ever been. Goose bumps formed on my arms from the cool nighttime air. With my arms folded across my chest, I stepped into the shallow end of the pool. The water was warmer than the air outside as I waded in up to my chin.
“Okay, you can turn around” I whispered, treading water.