Mirror in the Forest: Book One (15 page)

“She’s diabetic. Remember she mentioned it in the department store?” Jessica reminded him.  

Mark remembered when they were there, and Jessica’s friend was giggling over him. Mark almost smiled at the memory, though he still didn’t like Jessica’s lie or her friend covering for her. “Ok, I remember now.”

Jessica took a sip of the soda Linda set down in front of her, and Mark could see she was still a little nervous around him.

Mark finally leaned forward and said, “I wanted to see how you were doing.”

Jessica sat back and waved a hand in dismissal. “Besides the tormenting I’ve been getting all week, everything’s fine. It’s nothing really.”

Mark gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry. I know kids can be cruel, and yes, it is something.”

“I have less than a year. I can’t wait to get the hell out of here,” she said more to herself than to him.

“Oh yeah? Where are you planning on going?” He asked, genuinely interested.

“Some place outside of Leon’s Crossing,” she answered vaguely.

“Seattle? Tacoma? Portland?” He prodded. “I heard Portland should be growing within the next few years.”

“New York,” she answered, seriously. Her eyes were steady, so Mark knew she was not joking.

Mark blinked, taken aback by her answer. “New York? That’s pretty ambitious.”

“I have been planning this for a while. I am going over the paperwork for New York University,” she answered.

“Well, from the looks of things. I have no doubt you’ll be accepted,” he said sincerely.

Jessica smiled. “I wish my parents cared more for my grades than my social life.”

“I kind of got that from your mother the other day,” he said, carefully. He didn’t want to insult Jessica’s mother, but couldn’t help himself.

Jessica suddenly looked sad. “I never wanted a friend, I wanted a mother.”

Jessica thought for a moment and then said, “You know, I know my Mom and Dad work hard to provide for me, but just once I would love for them to be parents. I did go to that party for them, and look what happened.”

Mark could see her body tense up talking about the night of the party. She was obviously still suffering from the humiliation of what happened to her.

Mark thought for a moment about his words.

“I was raised by a single mother, and she made it clear to me from the time I could remember that she was my mother first, and that I would get my ass beat if I got out of line,” he said, smiling at the memories. “I appreciate that now.”

“Does she still do that to you?” Jessica asked with a wide smile. She had a pretty smile, Mark thought, but tried to push it away.  

Mark chuckled at the memories. “All the way up to the end, and I’m twenty-five.”

Jessica’s face dropped from the revelation.

“Oh My God, I’m so sorry,” she said, red-faced, and taking a nervous sip of her soda.

Mark smiled in reassurance. “Thank you. She had cancer, Jessica. She suffered for a long time, and now she is with my Dad.”

“So, you’re an only child too?” She asked, her big doe eyes widening in surprise.

“Yes, I am,” he answered with a slight nod.

He could see the emotions playing on Jessica’s face, and Mark knew she was starting to trust him a little more. She always showed her emotions, but she was more relaxed around him now.

“Listen to me, okay?” He asked seriously, almost taking her hand in his, but held back.

Jessica blinked, but listened.

“I know people like your Mom and Dad. They live this past life, and never really get over it. However, they’re the only parents you will ever have, and believe me they can be gone just like that,” he said snapping his fingers in emphasis.

Before Jessica could interrupt Mark continued. “They have provided for you, and taken good care of you. It sucks for now, but once you get older you will understand better. Hell, there might be a day that you will find common ground with them.”

Linda set down the food and asked if they needed anything else right now.  Mark crinkled his nose at the meatloaf and potatoes, making Jessica giggle.

Jessica shook her head, and Mark said he was fine.

“Thanks for the advice, but I already have a father,” Jessica teased as she moved her books aside and put ketchup on her burger.

Mark laughed. “Sorry, being a Sheriff makes you older than you want to be.”

Jessica laughed too, and Mark looked at her Biology book.

“I wouldn’t want your job,” she said smiling.

“Eh, this is a small town, and not much goes on, but there are those days. Is this still Mr. Jackson?” He asked, picking one of her books.

Jessica lit up. “Yes!”

“Does he still smell like fertilizer?” Mark asked laughing.

Jessica laughed with Mark and almost choked on her first bite of her burger.

“Horribly,” she said, still laughing.  

“He knows his stuff though,” Mark said, carefully setting the book down on the table so Jessica wouldn’t lose her page.

“I take in every word, because I think I want to major in either Botany or Biology in New York,” she said excitedly.

Mark raised an eyebrow impressed. “Really? Is that why you’re always in the woods?”

Jessica blushed profusely and Mark could see she became a little uncomfortable. “I don’t know what it is, but I’ve always felt a certain connection to nature.” She put a finger to her chin. “It makes me feel at peace when I’m out there. Just me, and the trees.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you, but some people have a gift, and if they can turn that gift into a career they will never be unhappy,” he said, trying to make her feel better.

“No, no. That’s okay. I’ve been told that by several people, and hope to make a career of it,” she answered.  

“I tried plants, but they always die on me, but I love books,” he said.

Jessica giggled. “You probably don’t have them in the right light. My favorite is
Keri Hulme
,” she said smiling again.

“
Keri Hulme
, deep,” Mark said impressed.  

They talked about books as they ate, and Mark hadn’t had a nice relaxed conversation like this in a long time with a girl. Most he had met in bars, and that never worked. They found out they both loved the same music, and Jessica refused to get caught up in the Madonna craze.

She really loved
Stevie Nicks
, and was able to quote some of her songs.

Fleetwood Mac
was one of Mark’s favorite bands.

Mark knew he had to hit the road again, and hated to leave this conversation. Jessica’s face was now completely relaxed, her body no longer tense. He could tell she was having a good time like him, and didn’t want it to end. She tried to hide her disappointment when he told her he had to leave, but she thanked him for keeping her company.

Getting serious again, he said, “Jessica, I just want to let you know that I am going to do everything in my power to see Mandy Cooper punished for the things she allowed to happen at her party.”

“I didn’t want to press charges,” she answered, puzzled by his admission.

Mark shook his head. “No, but people like her and her father need to realize they just can’t buy their way out of everything.”

“She is going to get what’s coming to her,” Jessica suddenly muttered.

“What?”

Jessica blushed again, and Mark knew she had let something slip, but tried to cover herself.

“I meant….karma…..” she said with huge eyes.

Mark gave her a suspicious look, but she smiled, trying to cover her nervousness again.

Linda came over with the check asking if they needed anything else, and Jessica reached for it, but Mark got it first.

“Jessica, are you alright?” He asked again, since she suddenly tensed up again.

Jessica hesitated, but nodded finally.

“Sure, Sheriff….I mean Mark,” she answered, with a slight stammer.

He noticed a look in her brown eyes that he could not read. He decided to dismiss it for now.

“Okay. I have to go, duty calls,” he said putting the money down on the table.

“Thanks for dinner,” she said, with that look in her eyes.

“Will you be at the homecoming game?” He asked seeing if he could bait her.

Jessica nodded and said, “Sure will. I am meeting with…..a…..friend there.” She looked down towards the table a little embarrassed now.

A friend, huh?

He wondered if it was that boy who ran after her that night.

Mark hid his disappointment, even though he had no right to. She should be with a boy her age, he thought.

He finally said goodbye to her.

Even though he was disappointed in her seeing another guy, he was still harboring suspicions on what she meant in her comment.

He could only hope she was talking like a teenage girl who had been humiliated in front of her peers, and would drop it soon.

Jessica looked around as the stands began to fill up for the big homecoming game.

Leon’s Crossing needed this win tonight to put them ahead for the championships.

Mary had helped Jessica crimp her hair, and Jessica was wearing acid wash jeans covered by leg warmers, and jacket with a sweatshirt with the school logo on it underneath.

It was actually a beautiful clear night in Washington, and Jessica was grateful for that.

She still refused the makeup that Mary offered.

Madonna’s
style was really popular right now, and most of the girls dressed like her.

However, Jessica was not in a festive mood.

All week she waited for Mandy to be humiliated like The Spirit of the Mirror promised and all week she was sadly disappointed when nothing happened.

Mandy and her friends continued to tease Jessica, and Jessica could feel her anger rising just thinking about it.

She knew tomorrow she was planning on taking a walk to the woods and give The Spirit hell for not keeping his promise, and she would never see him again.

She could not believe she had slipped up when she said about Mandy getting what was coming to her to the Sheriff, but he didn’t seem to do anything about it.

Jessica hoped he thought she was just talking out of her ass.

Also, she felt horrible. She could not get the Sheriff out of her mind, and she was going to meet with Danny tonight after the game.

She could not believe how much she and Sheriff had in common, and it bothered her, because she waited for years for this opportunity for Danny to be in her life. The conversation in the diner had gone so smoothly that Jessica practically drove home in a trance. A good one, that is.

Now, here she sat with Danny finally in her life, and she was thinking of someone else.

Danny and Jessica had spoken on the phone and at school all week whenever they could get close to each other, but Jessica just wasn’t feeling it anymore.

He was so sweet and generous, and had defended her several times, but deep down she knew he just wasn’t for her.

Tomorrow night, they would be going on their first date, but Jessica wasn’t really into it anymore.

She felt horrible feeling this way, but it was bothering her.

She tried to tell herself the Sheriff was just being nice, because he was the Sheriff, and he saw her that night of the party, and tried to help.

But, she was having some major doubts, and could not stop thinking about him.

The crowds were getting louder and more excited for the game. All the families were there that night including her parents, though she came with Tessa.

She was happy to see her dad when he came home this afternoon, and tried to take the Sheriff’s words to heart.

Don had said he wouldn’t miss this game for the world. It was with the school’s biggest rival, and her parents were anxious to cheer along with other alumni.

Jessica looked around trying to spot Danny, but didn’t see him yet. Instead, she caught a glimpse of the Sheriff cruiser sitting in the street and wondered if it was Mark in that one. It was too dark for her to tell.

The school band was playing, and Jessica caught a glimpse of the cheerleaders entertaining the crowd before the game started.

She had to admit the thumping of the drums from the school band was giving her a headache.

Jessica was still upset The Spirit of the Mirror hadn’t done anything to help her. She had stolen her mother’s prized necklace, and now it was for nothing it seemed.

“You okay, Jess?” Tessa asked over the music of the school band, seeing a strange look on Jessica’s face.

Jessica turned sharply and tried to calm down. “Yeah….sorry.”

“Just ignore anyone who says anything to you, okay?”

Jessica just shrugged her shoulders as they made their way through the crowds back to the seats.

She scanned the crowd and still did not see Danny anywhere, and wondered if he had gotten there yet.

“You didn’t spot Danny, did you?” Jessica finally asked.

Tessa shook her head in response.

“We better get a seat. He is probably with the team to support them,” Tessa said.

Jessica nodded and they made their way to the stands, but not before getting some hot chocolate, because it was getting chilly.

Alex was with his group of friends from his basketball team, and waved to them as they made their way up to bleacher seats.

Jessica spotted her parents. They were both wearing their old alumni shirts for support, and they waved to her.

Tessa’s parents were somewhere in the crowd, but Tessa didn’t see them.

Jessica couldn’t help but continue to fume as the game started and the players were introduced.

The cheerleading squad would cheer each players name as they entered the field.

She tried to relax, but it wasn’t working. She couldn’t wait for this night to be over. She needed to go see The Spirit of the Mirror tomorrow, and ask what happened, or why nothing happened to Mandy Cooper yet.  

“Jessica?”

Jessica just looked around as their school punted the ball after four downs.

“Jessica!”

“What!?” She turned sharply to Tessa.

Tessa blinked in surprise at the look on Jessica’s face.

“I was just going to tell you I spotted Danny. I think he’s looking for you, Jeez, you didn’t have to be so nasty,” Tessa said, insulted.

Jessica took a deep breath, scolding herself. She needed to have some patience. It wasn’t Tessa’s fault that nothing happened yet.

“I’m sorry. I was thinking,” Jessica said, trying to manage a smile.

Tessa gave her friend another funny look, then stood waving someone over to them.

Danny spotted Tessa and waved back.

Jessica stood finally smiling sincerely, and waved to him as well.  

He smiled and climbed the steps to where they were sitting.

Jessica and Tessa made room for him, and sat between them to Jessica’s right.

Tessa gave her a knowing look making Jessica blush.

“Hey ladies,” he said, cheerfully.

“Hi Danny,” Tessa answered with a grin.  

“Hey,” Jessica said, starting to feel her palms sweat.

She made sure she did not let her nervousness get to her, and swore she would not vomit on him again.

She was still fuming at The Spirit of the Mirror, but calmed down now that she was with Danny. Though a certain handsome cop was on her mind, too.

The game continued, and they all talked about it, and the other things going on.

Jessica felt her mood lighten over the course of the night.

Then she sighed when Danny slipped his hand over hers, and she leaned into him.

He smiled down at her, and she back up to him.

Their faces became closer and closer. Jessica could almost feel the heat of his breath on her face. She cocked her head, and waited for him to lean in and kiss her.

That never happened.

The crowd suddenly cheered, and they both pulled away to see what happened.

The football team had pulled a fourteen-point lead going into halftime.

Tessa looked between Danny and Jessica taking the hint, and said, “Do you guys want more hot chocolate?”

The band came into the field to get ready to do their routine.

They were doing a big show this year. Apparently, the cheerleaders were supposed to do some amazing stunts this year in sync with the band.

“That would be great,” Danny said.

Jessica smiled at her friend grateful for what she was doing.

“Thanks Tessa!”

Tessa and Jessica shared knowing looks, and Tessa went to go to the concession stands.

Danny leaned into Jessica and said, “We don’t have to watch this if you don’t want to. It will be our little rebellion.”

Jessica smiled at him. He was so sweet; she hated it that she didn’t really want him around anymore, though she tried to fight it.

“No, I want to see it. I want everyone to know I am not going to be beaten down,” she answered.

“You won’t be. I am putting a stop to it as we go,” Danny said seriously.

“Danny, I’m a big girl, I can take of myself,” she said, giving his hand a slight squeeze.

“No one messes with my girl,” he suddenly said smiling.

Jessica could only stare at him for a moment as the shock of what he said to her.

Was she really his girl? Did he really like her? Was this really happening?

Suddenly, all of the feelings of doubt, and fear fell away as he took her hand raised her hand to his lips, and kissed it.  

Jessica was so caught up in his words; she hadn’t noticed the cheerleaders getting ready to do their pyramid routine. She came out of her trance, and noticed the cheerleaders dancing around the field as each one was getting into their assigned position.

Of course, Mandy would be at the top, Jessica thought rolling her eyes.

“Maybe it’ll fail,” Danny said, “Then they will all fall on their asses.”

“Hopefully,” Jessica said laughing back.

The cheerleaders were in place, and getting ready to do their stunts when something went terribly wrong that made Jessica just stare.

Jessica focused on Mandy at that moment, and she didn’t know why.

Mandy was on top keeping her balance getting ready to do her flip when she looked up.

Jessica noticed Mandy’s face changed from determination to outright fear.

Then Mandy began to scream, and Jessica could only watch in horror as she put up her arms in a defensive position.

Something made Mandy lose her balance, but Jessica wasn't sure what.

There were audible gasps through the crowd as the pyramid of cheerleaders began to tumble on top of each other, with Mandy being the first to fall.

Jessica was the first one in the crowd to stand up in shock as Mandy fell head first into ground, some of the other cheerleaders landing on top of her.

Then the screams and the chaos began.

Every single person in the home team stands and the opposing team stands stood up to see what happened.

The cheerleading coach ran out to his team, and they began to call for medical help.

Jessica looked around as the volunteer emergency personnel went running onto the football field to give immediate medical attention to the injured cheerleaders.

Something told Jessica to turn and look up.