First Kiss (6 page)

“What? What phone?” He moans and opens a grey eye.

"Your phone."

“My what? Oh yes.” He winces and reaches into his pocket.
"Yes."

I can hear a girl’s voice.

"No. I'm with Lynnie right now. No, not like that. She
was upset. Yes. No, she's fine now." He sighs and stretches, nodding,
"Okay. I'll call when I get home.
Of course.
Goodbye." He hangs up the phone and I shoot daggers at him with my glare.

"What is that
look
for?"

I close my eyes and sigh, "Just get out."

He reaches for me, his fingers bite into my arms,
"Lynnie. What is happening here?"

Tears sting my eyes. I refuse to look at him and let them
free.

"What's wrong? You're doing that thing again with your
face."

I open my eyes and a flood of tears drip down my cheeks,
"What are you doing here?"

He looks confused, "I was worried. I mean . . . I thought
Mary would come and hurt you again. So I stayed. I still think we should leave
though. You should come with me."

I shake my head, "Who was the girl on the phone?”

He scowls, “Your friend, Sarah. She phoned to ask me a favor.”

I roll my eyes, “She likes you, you idiot. Are you asking her
out and sleeping in my room at the same time?”

He pulls back, "What? No.
Of course
not.
I wouldn’t date a girl like Sarah, for starters. Secondly, you and I
are friends, just friends. Nothing happened."

"And it never will. Now get out."

Anger dances across his face with amusement, "No. You're
being ridiculous. You're jealous and being crazy. I'm not leaving. I thought
Sarah wanted help with her math. If that’s not the case, then I'm not
interested in being anything else."

I roll my eyes and turn away from him, "Whatever."

I hear him playing with his phone. "Hi. Can I get a pizza
delivered? What's the address here, Lynnie? Erralynn? Address?"

I give him the finger behind my back.

"Mature." He frowns and talks to the person on the
phone again, "Yes, Lynnie Lake's house. Yes. That’s the one. What kind of
pizza do you have?
Pepperoni, loaded, or Hawaiian?
That’s it?" He sighs, "Okay Pepperoni, I guess. Certainly. Thanks."

I laugh.

"Wow, none of the pizza places have anything but that? I
had a chicken pizza once in Bangor—that was delicious." His eyes
drift, “A friend and I went there,
it
was interesting.
I love pizza. I get it as often as I can.”

“You are so weird.” I’m not as angry as I would like to be.

"Do you have a phone?" he asks.

I shake my head, "Mary won't pay for one and I save
everything to pay for New York."

"You don’t message?" he sounds dumbfounded.

I shake my head.

"Wow. How do you communicate with your friends? Seems
everyone is addicted to these things. I never see anyone who doesn’t have one
in
their
hands at all times. They do make life
easier."

I laugh, “You sound so weird sometimes.”

“I was raised very formally.”

“Cool.” I shake my head, "Anyway, I don’t need a phone.
The whole town is three miles squared, and I have a house phone. Pretty sure I
can walk that far if I have to."

He grimaces, "But how do you survive without instant
access to it all? All the kids these days have a phone. It’s all the rage on
TV. Brandon lent me this one. It’s his old one. He insisted."

The way he talks is crazy, like he is an old man. I don’t care
about phones. Not right now. Sam is hurt because of me. I know it is
me, me
and the curse.

I feel Bastion's body weight on the bed as he sits next to me.
"Are you truly angry with me, over helping your friend with math?"

I blush, "I just figured, you were being nice to me for .
. . you know."

He shakes his head, "I don’t."

"For, like, sex." I feel worse.

He laughs and rubs his hands through his thick hair,
"Wow, you really have a wicked opinion of me."

I blush, "No. But you were all over her and laughing and
stuff. She was into you, for sure."

He shakes his head, "No, I wasn't. I was being nice. I
thought she was your friend."

"She is." I nod, "She likes you. I don’t want
to talk about it. How did you know where to find me, anyway?"

He looks tired and annoyed, "Well, I heard about the jock
and the allergies from your dear friend Sarah. She got a text in class. She
told me all about how everyone would think it was somehow your fault and I ran
looking for you. I saw the people lined up outside the bathroom and I knew you
were there. I panicked. I thought for sure they were being mean to you. I heard
you crying and I acted like a psychotic. I kicked the door in, grabbed you, and
ran from the school. I think your friends probably think I'm insane."

I laugh,
 
"They do, but not for the reason you think. They think you're nuts
for touching
me and being
near me. Look at Sam."
My voice drops off.

He leans into me a little, "That’s not your fault. I
swear he had an allergic reaction. I will actually prove it to you."

I sigh and listen to my stomach gurgle.

“Watch.” He leans forward and presses his lips against my
forehead. The heat from his breath startles me. I try to pull back but his arms
have encircled me. He kisses my cheekbone and then down beside my lips. His
phone rings again. He sighs and pulls it out, freeing me to move back and get
some space between us. My heart is pounding. He looks at it and sighs,
"Yes."

I can hear a girl's voice.

He rolls his eyes, "Look Sarah, I must have given you the
wrong impression and I'm truly sorry for that. I was trying to be polite, not
lead you to believe I'm interested in you."

My eyes widen. I can imagine exactly how her face looks as his
words hit her. I put a hand up to my mouth.

"No problem. Okay . . . goodbye." He hangs up.
"Well, that was awkward."

I wince, "Oh, my God. You were so mean to her."

He frowns, "What? Should I have let her think I was
interested in her in that way?"

I shake my head, "No, but that was so mean. She’s
probably super upset right now."

He shrugs, "Better for her to know I'm not interested in
her, than to let it drag out. Have you not seen the movie? I saw it yesterday
at Brandon’s. He has it on Netflix. What a wonder Netflix is."

I shake my head, lost in what he’s talking about.

“Lucky I borrowed Brandon’s computer.” He gets up and goes to
his backpack and pulls out his laptop, just as the doorbell rings. He runs down
the stairs and gets the door.

"What's that?" Mary shouts from her room.

"I ordered some pizza, Mary, it's fine," he shouts
back.

"You sleeping here?" she wheezes angrily.

"Maybe," he shouts again.

I don’t know what to think. We've known each other for two days.

It’s all crazy. He comes back in with the pizza after a few
minutes.

He tosses it on the bed and leaves the room again. My mouth
waters as the smell of the pizza fills my room. He comes back after a few more
minutes with plates, paper towels, and two cans of Coke. He tosses it all on my
bed and pulls the laptop to him.

"Do you have the Wi-Fi?"

I frown, "No. Just dial up.” Who says the Wi-Fi?

He pinches the bridge of his nose and nods, "Okay, I
don’t know what that means, but I can probably get the Wi-Fi from your
neighbors.” He types, and after a couple seconds, he smiles, "Ha. Got it.
Brandon showed me how to get it at the library. Very useful."

I sort of like that he is as bad at technology as I am. I
don’t feel as weird around him about it. Lune always makes fun of me.

We sit on the bed with pizza and soda, and watch something
called
He's
Just Not That Into You.
I cry harder than I laugh and discover a million
things I didn’t know about boys. One being, that when they like you, they will
always find a way to make your love happen. I glance over at the boy taking a
plate of food to Mary and shake my head. He is exactly like the good guys in
the movie.

Chapter Four

Mrs. Hamilton meets me at the front door to the school. She
looks funny—cut off from me, like she doesn’t even know
who
I am. She folds her arms and speaks with no emotions at
all. “Here are your grades, Lynnie, for your courses. You passed.”

I look down at the paper, “But I never even took my finals
yet.”

She smiles but it’s hollow, “I know, but they were allowed to
base it on your work. You got A’s. You should be happy with that. Any college
will let you transfer with these for credits.” She passes me the paper, but
when I put my hand out, she drops it. I pick it up. She offers me another fake
smile, “Sorry.”

I look past her at the front door, “Why are you meeting me
outside?”

She shakes her head, “We don’t think it’s a good idea for you
to work here. We all agree that you should probably just find another job. Or
head out of town now.”

I nod. Sam is in the hospital still and I am the Lake monster.
“Okay.” I wrap my arms
around myself and turn to walk down
the stairs
.

“Good luck, Lynnie. If you ever need a reference, I would be
happy to give one. I think in a new town you would probably do fine, if no one
knew about your situation.”

I don’t look back
,
I
walk home
. When I get inside, Mary gives me a disdainful look, but she
doesn’t touch me. I walk up to my room and curl up on my bed.

I hate myself. I hate everything. I glance at the scissors on
my desk and think the worst thought I have ever had. I close my eyes and
imagine Rosie’s face. She wouldn’t have wanted me to give up so easily, and
yet, she wouldn’t have understood how bad it could really get. She was so young
when she died. Worst of all, I can't even wish she were here with me, because I
would never want her to know what this is like.

I wish Lune would come and see me, but I know she thinks I am
a monster. I wish Bash had walked me to school instead of agreeing to see me
there.

I
lay
there and wish it were just
over—everything. I close my eyes and pray for death.

Two days later and I cannot get over Sam. I know I can’t leave
the house without wondering if he has died. No one has come to see me. No one
has talked to me. Lune hasn’t even tried. I have a terrible feeling that Sam
has died, and soon the villagers will come with pitchforks and demand my life
for his. I will gladly give it.

The days turn to nights and then days again. My mind floats as
I stare at the ceiling, moving only for food and water. I lay in bed, waiting
for Mary to come and kill me or let the townsfolk do it. Unfortunately, Bastion
has scared her badly enough that she avoids me.

I get up when I can’t stand myself anymore and walk down the
stairs. The old habit of looking out for Mary has died inside of me. I don’t
care if she does push me down the stairs. When I
get
into the kitchen, I notice how clean it is. The house looks
different—smells different too. I grab a glass of water and ignore my
aching belly. I have barely eaten in days.

Mary isn’t there.

I walk to the front door, assuming she is in the garden. She
isn’t, but a bright, shiny red car is at the front gate. I look around for the
owner, but I don’t see anyone, not even angry townsfolk.

I glance around, confused. When I turn back to walk into the
house, Mary is there, suddenly. She smiles at me, but I can see the wickedness
in her eyes.

She nods at the car, “You like my new car?”

I narrow my eyes, “How did you afford that? You can't even buy
food.”

She crosses her arms and I notice she is wearing normal
clothes. No muumuu. She has on a light blouse and a skirt. They look new and
she has her hair brushed. Is that
lip gloss
? I scowl
at her but she gives me a wider grin, “Well, I discovered a certain someone has
been hoarding her money in the floorboards. A little birdie told me how much
you had saved.”

My stomach falls.

I push past her and run for my room.

I push the bed and look at the spot on the carpet where a cut
has been made. It is pulled back, revealing the floorboards. I drop to my
knees, and with trembling hands, lift the old board. There, in the hole is an
empty plastic baggie. I can see all the bills are gone. My savings are gone.
She must have taken it when I was at the school the other day. I feel instantly
dizzy.

“You sneaky little bitch. You thought I would never find out
how much money you were really making? To think I let you stay here with me and
this is the thanks I get. I’ve been beyond broke taking care of you. You are a
sponge and you suck the life out of everything you touch. I used to have a
beautiful garden and now look at it. You are evil. No matter how hard I tried,
I could never get rid of you.”

I see red.

I scream as I turn and run to her. I grab her face and plant
the biggest kiss I can on her lips, “I LOVE YOU, MARY! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!” My
first kiss is with an evil old woman.

She pushes me back. Her face contorts into the vile thing it
usually is around me. I see it then, she has fear in her eyes. “You have five
minutes to get the hell out of my house, demon spawn. You’re over eighteen now
;
I don’t have to let you stay with me. I don’t care what
the townspeople say.” She turns and runs away from me, leaving me to cry alone.

I don’t need five minutes to grab anything. I have nothing of
value but a small bag of clothes. But I need five minutes to say goodbye to my
sister.

I sit on the window ledge and sigh, “Rosie, I love you! I
should have saved you.” I hate myself more today. I look down at the floor, “I
never should have gone. I will always regret that. I love you, little sister.”
A tear drops from my eyes, splashing on the sill. I close my eyes and wait for
it but she doesn’t come. I don’t get the feeling, at all. I hate that this
could be the last time I feel her. I will her to come to me and say goodbye but
she doesn’t come. Maybe she never did
come,
maybe it
was always my imagination.

I get up, grabbing my small bag, and leave the room forever. I
don’t look back. I walk down the stairs and leave through the front door. I
walk out of the gate and past the car I bought for Mary with my blood, sweat,
and tears.

A single teardrop forms in my eye and trails down my cheek,
splashing onto the broken cement. I don’t look back.

My heart doesn’t take me to Lune or Sarah. I walk to Brandon’s
dad’s store, where Brandon is outside washing some buckets. When he sees me, he
looks sad, maybe feeling sorry for me. I imagine it’s more like he’s dreading
talking to me. He nods, “Hey, Lynnie.”

“Hey. Uhm, is Bastion here?”

He shakes his head, “No. He left yesterday.
Really
suddenly.
He tried to come and say bye to you, but Mary wouldn’t let him
in. Said he even tried your window but he couldn’t get past Mary. He found a
place to live for the summer, in the city. More his speed, ya know? Plus, he
can stay there when he goes to college at the end of the summer. He seemed
really bummed that he had to go, but he said he didn’t want to miss his
chance.”

I feel like I am dying inside.
 
I don’t know what bothers me
more—the fact I am homeless, or that I never got to say goodbye to him, a
boy I met less than a week ago. I am an idiot.

I nod, “Thanks. If you hear from him, can you tell him goodbye
for me?”

He nods once, “You leaving?”

I almost cry when I nod, but I keep it together, "I have
to."

He scowls, "Haven't you heard? Sam’s fine. It wasn’t you,
Lynnie. That stupid old curse is nonsense. No one with half a brain cell
thought it was you. His mom found sesame seeds in his food. They tested him and
he’s deathly allergic. They used to make his lips tingle before when we were
kids, but I guess the allergy got worse. It wasn’t you. Sam knows it wasn’t
you. He actually was hoping you would come and see him. I tried calling but
Mary wouldn’t put you on. She's in a real mood lately, huh?”

I could kiss him but I don’t. I would hate to nearly kill him
too. I just smile, taking a huge breath, “Thank you for telling me that. I
don’t think it changes anything though. The rest of the town still thinks it’s
me and you know it.”

“They’re idiots. You know what this place is like. It’s why we
all leave.” He stands there, looking lost when he sees I’m not agreeing with
him. “Where are you gonna go?”

I shake my head, “I don’t know. I need to find a job.”

A man walking out of the store gives me an odd look. He
smiles, “Did I hear ya right? Do you need a job? I’ve actually just come
looking for someone to work at the mansion I work at.” He walks towards me but
glances back at Brandon over his shoulder. Brandon doesn’t seem to be paying
attention to
me or the man
.

I sigh and nod.

He points at his fancy black car with dark windows, “I’m just
about to head back there now. The owner is looking for a maid. Told me to post
this flyer to see if we couldn’t find one. Just moved in and need some help
getting it back in shape.” He holds out a flyer. It has an address, a phone
number, and help wanted in bold lettering at the top.

Brandon sighs and starts washing the buckets again, “You
really think leaving is a good idea, Lynnie? I think you should find somewhere
to stay and get a job here. Someone will hire you. My dad probably would.”

“I doubt it.” I say to Brandon. I look at the flyer and the
man holding it one more time. “Yeah, okay.” My stomach aches and the wind
pushes against me.

Brandon gets up, “What? I just think it's a bad idea. I think
you should stay here.”

I shake my head, “Brandon, are your parents going to let me
stay with you? Mary kicked me out. She took all my savings and bought a car. I
have nowhere to go, and I don’t even have five dollars to get a sandwich. I
have no money for New York now. I need a real summer job and preferably one
with room and board.”

He looks pained, “Go to Lune’s.”

“For what? She hasn’t even tried to talk to me in almost a
week. She believes it was me.” I look at the man, “I need to go now.” He looks
at Brandon, as if he is checking to make sure it’s okay for me to go. Brandon
puts his head down to the buckets again, “You should think this through.”

“In the meantime, I think this is a good idea.” I ignore them
both and go climb into the back seat of the car, "See ya later."

Brandon continues to look down, muttering something. I look
away from him and stare at the headrest as I close the door. It feels like the
wrong choice, but I don’t see another. Not an immediate fix like this is. This
is an instant job. I need a bed and food. I need to earn back my savings.

The man gets into the car, “I’m Lance, the driver. The master
hired me out of Portland yesterday.” He reaches back, offering me his hand. His
face is old and weathered. He makes me uneasy but the flyer was too random to
be faked. I stare down at it and then back at him.

I take his hand, shaking it lightly, “I’m Erralynn Lake.” Did
he say master?

“Nice to meet you.” He nods. He has no idea what that name
means. He doesn’t know me.

He starts the car, and as he drives away, I watch Brandon
through the tinted glass. He doesn’t wave goodbye. He doesn’t even look up to
watch me go. I wave, but I don’t know if he can see me.

We drive up the hill to the estate houses on the lakeside. My
family’s homestead is up here. It is a haunted old mansion now. No one has
lived there in ages.
 
So to say I am
stunned and slightly scared when he takes the turn into the old Lachlan
mansion, would be a huge understatement. The estate was my family’s home up
until fifty years ago. My grandfather lost the house gambling, right before he
died. He left Mary to raise their small kids alone, destitute and bitter. It
really is no wonder she is as mean as she is. The curse has been awful for
her—both her sons and her husband have died. She and I are all that is
left of the Lachlan family.

When he gets halfway down the scary driveway, I shudder. I
always hated it here. I have only been here a handful of times, but I have
always thought it was the kind of driveway you don’t go down unless you have to.
I look out the back window, wondering if it’s too late to run back to Mary’s
and beg her to take me back.

“Creepy, huh?” Lance asks.

I nod, “Creepy.”

He is older, maybe fifty and skinny. His face suits the
driveway, kind of scary. He pulls up to the mansion and parks. The place
doesn’t look much better than it did the last time I saw it, when I was ten and
my mother brought me to see it.

Maybe Lance does know me. Maybe he’s one of the crazy
townspeople who
has
come to sacrifice me at the
Lachlan mansion. I shudder when I open the door, ready to run. The wind pushes
on it, like it’s trying to tell me not to get out of the car. Lance comes and
grabs the door, “Windy here on the hill.” He holds on to the driver’s hat on
his head. He doesn’t know the half of it, when it comes to the wind.

I climb out, gripping my bag, and follow him to the front
door. A lady in a maid’s uniform answers the door, giving me a sweet but
uncertain look. Lance points to her, “This is Heidi. She runs the house for
Master Monstreau.” A young boy, maybe ten years old, peeks around the side of
her shoulder, as if hiding from me. It’s not the first time someone has. He has
dark hair like hers and dark eyes. Heidi gives me a kind smile, “This is Tim,
my son.”

I smile, “Hi. I’m Erralynn Lake.”

None of them bat an
eyelash,
they are
clearly not from here. The name Lake doesn’t make them uneasy. They seem more
surprised I am here. It makes me uncomfortable, and I can’t help but wonder if
I have been lured here. I am ready to run when she steps aside, welcoming me to
the house. Lance nods at Tim, “Come help with the things I bought; I have them
in the back. We have to hurry before it gets dark.”