The Sound of Shooting Stars (12 page)

I push myself up to a sitting position and notice that I’m still dressed in the black shorts and teal tank top from last night. My shirt has seen better days.  My hands rush to grab the pink flowered blanket and pull it up over my wrinkled attire. Judging by the smirk on his face I must look lovely.
Great!

“Um, you weren’t a jerk. I’m the one who should apologize. Samantha is mad at you, isn’t she? I’m sure that’s my fault.”

He moves closer to the bed causing my hands to clench the blanket in a death grip. He doesn’t seem to notice or if he does, he shows no recognition. He adjusts  his weight from one foot to the other. As he stands there I take in his damp hair messy from running his hands through it. He’s dressed in fitted jeans with a white Billabong t-shirt. Before I know it, he’s closed the distance between the door and my bed. He asks, “Can I sit down?”

I nod afraid my voice will give away the erratic beating of my heart. Jamie sinks slowly onto the edge of my bed. He looks down to my hands that have tightened around the blanket causing my knuckles to turn white. His lips turn up in a wide grin as he asks, “Do I make you nervous?”

What? Where did that come from
? I loosen my grip on the blanket, finally throwing it down to my lap. I glare at him shocked that he would ask me such a question. I’m about to let him have it but he starts laughing. My brows knit in confusion, frowning at the humor that I am failing to understand.

He chuckles after a moment, “Beckett, do you know the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?”

My arms move across my chest in a defensive position and I nod.

 He chuckles as a small dimple creases his right cheek. I lower my chin and glare not knowing why he’s making a reference to a horror story.

“Sometimes you remind me of the characters from that book. One minute you are nice and caring like Dr. Jekyll and the next you are a totally different person almost um, evil, like Mr. Hyde.”

I scoot back against the padded headboard surprised by his blunt accusation. I open my mouth to protest but he grabs my hand. My face turns crimson as he looks straight at me, his stare suddenly serious.

“I came in here to tell you that I really am sorry about last night. You don’t deserve what happened and I should have been more understanding. Yes, Sam is mad at me but that is between us. It has nothing to do with you.”

His hand leaves mine and settles on his knee as he takes in my room. The sun is shining brighter making my skin sticky and clammy. I wish I had remembered to lower the shade before bed last night.

His eyes lower to his feet as he takes a deep breath. His voice is unwavering when he murmurs, “I need to keep that truce with you.”

His glance meets my stare with an unspoken question. I have such an urge to lean in and move my hands over his arms. I want to pull him over to me and kiss those lips that seem to be taunting me but I know what he is asking and it isn’t that.

“The truce still stands.” My voice comes out stronger than I had intended.

Relief spreads through his expression as he rises to his feet. He runs his hand through his hair and tells me, “Okay, well I should go.”

He doesn’t give me a chance to answer before he’s back out onto the deck and softly closing the door behind him. I throw myself back into the mattress and move my arm, the crook of my elbow resting over my eyes. Maybe going back to sleep is a good option right now. Rejection is not something I am accustomed to and damn, it sucks, especially when it’s from someone like Jamie.

***

I ended up falling back to sleep. This time it wasn’t the gorgeous Jamie Grey waking me up. It was an impatient banging on my bedroom door from Marla. I glance at the clock as she enters. She checks her watch and asks unimpressed, “Are you planning on getting up today?”

“Yes, mother. I’m up, alright.”

“You need to get cleaned up and come downstairs. Michelle is coming over for an early cook out.”

I moan, “Really Marla, do I have to be there?”

“Yes Beckett. I’m not in the mood for this today. She’ll be here in an hour and I expect you to be nice for a change.”

She turns and struts back out before I can respond. What is this, attack Beckett day?

An hour later, I climb down the stairs to find Marla and Michelle out on the stone deck that surrounds the pool. The waterfall built into the corner of the pool cascades down perfectly placed rocks creating a steady tranquil sound. Michelle greets me as I approach the tiled table set for five.

“Beckett, it’s so good to see you again. How is everything?”

I cement my best smile and reply, “Besides my best friends hating me and having to share my life with the infuriating boy that you left here, everything is great.”

Her mouth drops in astonishment but she quickly regains her composure as Marla steps up giving me an eye of disappointment. She explains nervously, “Oh, don’t pay any attention to Beckett. She just woke up an hour ago.  It takes her a while to come back to the land of the living.” She finishes with a warning glare in my direction.

I shrug my shoulders and mutter as I skirt around the pool, “It’s true.”

It really
is
true. Since waking up for the second time today, I replayed my conversation with Jamie from this morning over and over.  I realized that Trina and Dani wouldn’t be mad at me if he never would have come here. It really
is
his fault. He wants nothing to do with me except to bask in this life of privilege that he’s never known. I came to the same conclusion that I had originally reached the night I met him; that he’s invading my life and I refuse to let him ruin everything. The damage is done but I don’t have to play nice.
Truce my ass. If Jamie Grey thinks he’s going to have it made now that he’s living here, he’s sadly mistaken.

Marla calls out to me but I continue on my trek to the wooden planked dock suspended over the gleaming water. The sun’s rays reflect off of the slight movement underneath. I rush to the end ignoring her further rant and lower myself to a sitting position. I can see the flitting migration of fish around the wooden posts holding the planks up. An obscure existence like those fish would be nice right about now.

A few minutes sitting in the intense heat urges me to strip down to my baby blue bikini. I lie back on the hard floor and close my eyes enjoying the heat that sinks into my skin. I try so hard not to think about anything, but the hurt in Trina and Dani’s faces keeps flashing before my lowered eyelids. I have to come up with something to regain their trust.

Chapter Seventeen

Jamie Grey

Corvus – The Raven

The raven originally had white feathers. Apollo told the bird to watch over Coronis, one of his lovers, who was pregnant at the time. Coronis gradually lost interest in Apollo and fell in love with a mortal man, Ischys. When the raven reported the affair to Apollo, the god was so enraged that the bird did nothing to stop it that he flung a curse on it, scorching the raven’s feathers.

~*~

I don’t know what I was thinking going to Beckett’s room this morning but I had to make sure we are still cool. She seemed okay with everything. I’m not sure how things will go tomorrow at school but as long as we can be civil to each other while I’m here, I’ll be able to handle things.

It pissed me off when Marla came to tell me that she invited Michelle over for a cook out. That is one person I don’t need around me right now. She’ s going to ask a thousand questions and the last thing I want to do is put on a show for her. It’s not something I do. What you see is what you get. I was about to ask if I could skip it, but I saw in the set look on Marla’s face and knew that she wouldn’t be willing to budge.

I dress in my baggies and a grey t-shirt. The heat lately is unbearable. I’ve been eying the pool since I got here. Today might be the perfect opportunity to take advantage of it, offering me a chance to avoid Michelle. When I step down onto the stone floor, my eyes catch the water in the distance and the lean body splayed out on the dock.
Dammit Beckett.

Michelle’s voice brings me back, “Hey Jamie, it’s so good to see you.”

She stands pushing the wrought iron chair out from under her and skirts around the table to embrace me in a tight hug. My body relaxes with her intentions. I know I shouldn’t give her a hard time because she always means well, but right now I’m considering my current predicament and I’m perturbed at her for placing me here. My eyes are drawn to the dock again as Beckett shifts in the sun.

Michelle’s voice takes on a questioning quality as she sits back down, “Beckett was just filling me in on how rough things are now that you’re here.”

I move from one foot to the other and avert my gaze to find a smooth smile across her face. Her words finally register and a frown creases my brows.

“What? Things are fine.”

Marla walks up and places her hands on my shoulders urging me to sit across from Michelle. She assures, “Really Michelle, things are fine. Like I said, Beckett can be difficult when she’s tired.”

I look up at Marla’s uncomfortable stance.
What the hell did Beckett say?
I look down to the water again and meet Beckett’s stare. She’s flipped over onto her belly and her chin is resting on her arms splayed out in front of her. A slow smile spreads as I look on worried about what Michelle is talking about. I put my hands on the arms of the chair ready to get up and let her have it but David walks up with a platter of meat from the grill. He exclaims, “Are we ready to eat?”

I place my hands back in my lap and look up to meet Michelle’s smile. She is amused by the whole scenario. Then I hear Marla call out to the water, “Come on up Beckett, it’s time to eat.”

When she turns her back Michelle leans forward and whispers, “Jamie, I have never seen you so emotional over anything. This girl must be something.”

I glare across at her as Beckett strides up to the porch. She has covered herself with a pair of white shorts and a pink tank top. I move my eyes to the food as Marla and David take their seats. When I meet Beckett’s stare across the table she is scowling at me. Yep, she is definitely channeling her inner Hyde. A truce might not even be a possibility for this chick. I have nothing but contempt for her in that moment.

Dinner passes without a word from Beckett or myself but that’s not to say Michelle doesn’t try. She asks each of us questions with no response finally giving up after Marla takes over the conversation each time. The air is charged with tension to say the least. When her plate is hardly touched Beckett sets her fork down and requests, “May I please be excused? I have tons of homework to finish before tomorrow.”

David answers oblivious to what has been happening with pride shining through his voice, “Beckett, that is great initiative. Yes, go finish that homework.”

She looks my way one more time, her lips turning up to show her perfectly straight teeth. I look away disgusted that I even entertained the idea that she could be nice. When she’s gone and David excuses himself to his office, Michelle lays into me.

“Jamie, what is going on? Did you do something to Beckett?”

She turns to Marla and asks, “Is there a problem Marla? I would hate for Jamie to have to leave. You already know that he’s been through so much.”

My anger pulses as I state, “Stop it Michelle. I am not a charity case. Maybe it
would
be better if you find somewhere else.”

Her eyes look downward suddenly full of sadness.
Shit, I knew this was it.
If I leave here, I go back to the group home filled with other kids not placed. I’ve been lucky enough to avoid it for a while now. I know that is the last thing Michelle wants too.

Marla pipes up, “No, Michelle, that won’t be necessary. I know I told you before, Beckett has  difficulty adjusting to change. She just needs some more time.”

Her glance turns toward me with finality. I shake my head and push my chair back. Michelle calls out to my back as I walk toward the house, “Jamie, let me know how things are going in a couple of days.”

I continue walking not acknowledging her. It’s been barely a week. How in the hell am I going to make it through nine more months?

***

My alarm blares alerting me that it’s Monday and I have to go to school. My outlook has suddenly changed about the snobby place I must spend my long days. As long as it’s far away from Beckett, I’m in good shape. And today I have an apology to make. Sam deserves more credit than I have given her. She warned me about Beckett and I refused to listen to her. As I roll over to hit the button on my alarm I grab my phone and text her to see if she can find it in her heart to pick me up for school. There is no way I’m riding with Beckett, better known as Hyde these days.

When I step out of the shower a beep rings through the air alerting me that I’ve received a text. Sam is on her way.
Good.

My first step into the kitchen reveals a flushed Beckett sitting at the table. She stands, pulling at her already short skirt when I approach the table and calls out, “Sasha, thank you for breakfast. I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.”