Throw Away Teen (15 page)

The bell rang and the doors flew open. Students hustled from room to room, hurrying through the corridors. As I watched, teachers came out in the hall. They stood by their classrooms, talking to each other while they obviously waited for the next set of victims. And all the kids wore the same outfit as Vonnie.

Uniforms? I was coming to a school where everybody dressed alike? I didn’t know whether to be happy or pissed off.

I met Liz in the office a few minutes later and we headed for the car. Once we were on the road, I leaned back in my seat. “Liz, please tell me there’s another school around here. One for real people.”

She laughed. “Honey, you’re going to Stewart Falls Academy. It’s a wonderful facility, one of the top-ranked schools in the state. They have the best test scores in the county.”

I shook my head and sighed. “Yeah, but it’s going to be tough. The headmaster already said I’ll need a tutor. And we never mentioned to him that I’d need to be on the free breakfast and lunch programs.”

“It’s a private school so it doesn’t offer that.” Liz slowed at the corner, giving me a sideways look. “You can pack your lunch or buy one. Most days your classes don’t start until almost eight, so you’ll have time for breakfast at home with me and Ted.”

I didn’t say anything for a little while and she kept driving. Was I supposed to believe that crap? Come on! I knew better. Foster kids don’t get to eat like real people. I’d lived in a lot of places where the only meals I had were at school. Gabe taught me to rat-hole enough leftovers so I could have them for supper. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time I’d hidden food in my backpack or my room and it wouldn’t be the last.

“Did Jessie and Jocelyn pack their lunches?” I asked.

“Yes,” Liz said, “but they didn’t go to the Academy because it only opened fifteen years ago. Jessie did it because she wanted to save her money and Jocelyn complained because there weren’t any salad bars back in the day at her school.”

Further down the block, I saw a sign designating the spot as a city transit bus stop, and a part of me relaxed. It was within walking distance of the academy. If things got bad, I could take the bus to Everett and then get another one to Seattle. Of course, I’d need money for that, but when I didn’t have any, I’d hitched a ride or two or ten which always pissed off Gabe. I knew how to survive.

Liz pulled through an espresso stand and introduced me as her daughter again before ordering a mocha for herself and a hot chocolate for me. Once we had our drinks, she got on the freeway heading south.

“Where are we going?” I asked. Was she going to return me to the center? Had I done something wrong while we were at the school? And all of my stuff was still at her house. It might not be fancy, but it was mine.

“Shopping,” Liz said. “I talked to Sarah and she told me to take you to the Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood. You need new clothes and a set of uniforms before you start school tomorrow.”

“Hey, I’m cool,” I said. “Uniforms aren’t really my thing. I’ve got a ton of jeans and T-shirts I can wear.”

Liz gave me one of her quick, solid looks. “I don’t think so, young lady. The academy requires a uniform be worn by every student. Besides, I’ve seen your jeans. They’re old, faded and nasty. You can wear them at home, or if you go riding at Evelyn’s, but you’re not wearing them elsewhere. Sarah told me to get you some of those brand name tops the other girls like to wear, too.”

I felt my mouth fall open and thought I’d have to scrape it off the dashboard. “Liz, that kind of stuff costs major bucks. I don’t need it. Really!”

“Sorry.” Liz kept driving. “There is no way I’m letting you get me in trouble with Sarah. And if I have to listen to Evelyn lecture me about not fulfilling your needs...” She shook her head. “You’re just going to have to suffer with new clothes, B.J. My little sister is vicious. And Cathy is just like her. I never win when we fight.”

“Who could?” I took a deep breath, trying to remember who Cathy was. Then I remembered she was a vet, and Jessie’s sister, which made her another daughter of Evelyn’s, but she obviously wasn’t Sarah’s mom or somebody would have said so. “What about Ted? He’ll freak when he sees the bills. I’m a foster kid. We don’t get extras, Liz. Honest. Let’s just do what everybody else does with kids like me. Stop at a couple thrift stores.”

“No way.” Liz continued south on the freeway. “Ted and I have been married a long time and we agreed you’d attend the Academy. He also wouldn’t want his daughter running around in tattered clothes and worn out shoes. So you’re getting decent clothes, all right?”

“But Ted—” I started to protest again.

“B.J.,” Liz said. “Stop worrying. He’s a wonderful husband. He’d be devastated if I took you to a thrift store, unless it was in fun. He has his pride, B.J., so quit whining. We’ll have a great time.”

“Yeah, until the debt collectors start calling.” At another of her looks, I slunk down in the passenger seat.

Regardless of her assurance, I knew who Ted would blame for the shopping expedition and it wouldn’t be Liz. I’d be on my way back to the center first thing tomorrow, if he didn’t return me to sender tonight.

She drove around the mall looking for a parking spot and I suggested one of the close-by cheaper department stores. Liz sighed and shook her head. She finally parked in front of Macy’s
.
When we got out of the car
,
she said, “You have a lot to learn, B.J. A lady never skimps on undergarments, or buys less than the best lingerie.”

No matter what I told her, she wouldn’t listen and I ended up with six new bras. Since they were different colors, Liz decided I needed panties to match. After that, it was other fancy stuff that I didn’t even know what to do with, like camisoles and slips and sleep-shirts. She dropped nearly two hundred bucks at Macy’s, before she was ready to head into what she called the mall proper for regular clothes.

Shopping with her was a real trip. She loaded me up with sweatshirts from Old Navy, jeans from J.C. Penney’s and T-shirts from Abercrombie and Fitch. She found more tops at other shops in the mall, stores I’d never heard of or been to before, much less even considered buying clothes from—or, to be more honest, shoplifting from.

“I’m ready for coffee.” Liz led the way to a small café. “Let’s take a break. Then, we’ll put these bags in the car.”

“And go home?” I suggested. “I have more clothes than I’ll wear in a million years.”

“Don’t be silly. We still need to go to Artemis and Iphigenia’s to find your dress clothes and a swimsuit for PE. And that’s where we’ll pick up your uniforms for the Academy, too. And what about shoes? No, we’ve barely started, B.J.”

“I’m a dead woman as soon as Ted sees those credit card bills,” I groaned and flopped into a chair. “Liz, don’t they have a self-help group for you? Shop-a-holics Anonymous?”

She laughed and pointed to a booth. “Wait here and watch our bags. You obviously need a cinnamon roll with extra frosting.”

Ten minutes into coffee and pastries, I tried again. “Liz, these are the best clothes I ever had, but the state doesn’t pay for me to dress like a normal kid. You’ll never be reimbursed for all of this and when Carol sees the receipts, she’ll go ballistic. Why don’t we take this stuff back? You can get a lot of good stuff at thrift stores for much less.”

“B.J., stop worrying about the money.” Liz pushed back her silver and black hair. “Believe me. We can afford to care for you the same way we did Jocelyn and Jessica. I always took Jessica’s sisters Cathy and Laurie for shopping trips on their birthdays as well, and Ted was fine with it. Besides, Ted and I won’t make a cent on you after the adoption”

“So, you’re not taking me for the money, Liz?”

“
What
? No, B.J.! Of course not. We’re taking you because we want you. Got it?”

“Okay,” I said. I still wasn’t sure. Was this real or was Liz just trying to buy me off?

After we locked the bags in the car, we went in the other end of the mall to a huge store. Liz seemed to know her way around and she led the way to the teen department. A dark-haired, thirty-something woman in a white dress smiled and came around the cash register station to greet us, giving Liz a quick hug.

“Hi there. What a surprise. Jocelyn didn’t tell me you were coming in today.”

I stiffened, dread sweeping through me. Wait a second. Jocelyn? I glanced around, but didn’t see the witch.

“Iphigenia, this is my new daughter, B.J.,” Liz said. “And we’re here to get her uniforms for the Academy as well as a few dresses for the spring dances and church.”

“What fun.” The woman beamed at me. “I love shopping, don’t you? Call me Genny. Now, let’s get started. And you’ll use Jocelyn’s discount of course.”

I scanned the area again. “Does she work here?”

“Yes, she’s our buyer.” Genny hooked her arm through mine. “We went to college together. Don’t you just love her? She’s so much fun.”

“Yeah, loads,” I said. “I don’t know what I’d do without her.” But I’d love to find out.

CHAPTER 9

When we finally got home, Guard had destroyed the bathroom. He’d strung toilet paper all over the room and the dog-shampoo bottle had suffered a serious attack. It leaked green goop from puppy teeth sized holes. Guard had tracked shampoo across the bath mat, into the tub and out again. Three huge, ripe piles of poop were in the middle of the room, along with several puddles. One saturated the second small rug Liz kept in front of the vanity.

Guard sat by my foot, wagging his tail. When I looked at him, his mouth dropped open into a grin. “Yuck! This is disgusting. What were you thinking?”

“He’s a puppy, B.J.” Standing behind me, Liz eyed the mess. “He wasn’t thinking. He was playing.”

“Where do I start cleaning?”

“You start by taking him outside, honey. He needs to learn the proper place to do his stuff. Outside. I wouldn’t believe he had anything left inside him, but puppies are unpredictable. And now you know why you need to put his crate together.”

I didn’t tell her that wasn’t happening. I’d been locked in enough closets myself. I wasn’t locking Guard in a cage. Besides, if he pooped in a cage, he’d be locked in with it. Gross! “I’ll clean this up as soon as we’re back.”

I took him out to the yard and even after the mess he’d left me, Guard still had to do his thing. He piddled a couple dozen times and took another dump, then he trotted over to me.

He plunked down in front of me, looking like he wanted me to scoop him up for a hug. So, not happening. After the mess he’d made playing in the shampoo and messing on the floor, he needed a bath. “Don’t worry. I’ll take the fall, Stinkpot,” I told him. “I’m gonna tell her all this was my fault, but you gotta watch it. If you aren’t careful, you’ll get locked in a cage or thrown out of here and I’ve gotta tell you, dog, most places aren’t like this.”

Guard barely listened. He just wagged his tail and wriggled all over, thrilled to have his playmate back. When I bent down to pet him, he swiped my cheek with his tongue and tried to nip my nose. Brat!

Inside, I found Liz mopping the floor. She’d already dealt with the puddles and poop. Even the rug was gone. Hadn’t she told me countless times that I had to clean up behind him? I started collecting the toilet paper. “He didn’t mean to, Liz. Don’t send him away. I’ll watch him closer from now on. I’ll take him outside more often. I’ll...”

“As Sarah would say,
Chill out
.” Liz stopped mopping long enough to pat my shoulder. “B.J., he’s a puppy. This is as much my fault as it is yours. We were away too long and he got bored. Puppies make messes. It’s a fact of life. If you don’t want to clean up behind one, you don’t get one. Okay?”

“I guess so.” I heard a growl and glanced out at the kitchen. Guard rolled and tumbled with Samson. “He’s not the least bit upset.”

“Why would he be?” Liz asked. “You’re more worried than he is, sweetheart. Believe me, when he gets older, he’ll have more control. I’m glad he didn’t make a mess on your new carpet.” She laughed. “Once Bull threw up on Ted’s favorite chair.”

“Oh no!” But in spite of that, Bull was still here and he still slept inside wherever he wanted. “What happened? Did you beat him?”

“Of course not.” Liz gave me an indignant look. “He’d been sick. I knew it and I told Jocelyn to lock him in this bathroom. She hadn’t gotten around to it. I really wanted to slap her, but it wouldn’t have done a bit of good. Even though Bull was her dog, she never was very responsible with animals. I cleaned up behind him, kept giving Bull the medication the vet prescribed, and had the recliner professionally reupholstered.”

“Wow. What did you do to Jocelyn?”

Liz put the mop in the bucket. “There’s always a way to reach someone, B.J. I gave Jocelyn the bill for her father’s chair and Ted took the cost out of her allowance. It got her attention.”

I tried hard not to laugh. After what I’d seen and experienced at my other foster homes, it didn’t sound like much of a punishment. “Okay, Liz. When I get some money, I’ll buy a new bottle of dog shampoo and some toilet paper and a new rug.”

“The rug is in the washer,” Liz told me. “You can hang it outside to dry when the cycle finishes so you don’t have to buy a replacement. But you can buy toilet paper and shampoo.”

Before I thought about it, I asked, “If Bull belongs to Jocelyn, why does he live here?”

Liz wrung out the mop. “Jocelyn gave Bull to Ted. Dogs can be a lot of work, especially when they get older and with the store, and her family, Jocelyn said she was totally overwhelmed by Bull’s needs so Ted offered to take him.”

“That was nice of him,” I said, but I had doubts. Secretly, I knew I’d never give Guard to anybody. I’d keep him forever, or as long as I lived here. But I started to wonder about his bills. Until Liz brought up Jocelyn paying the vet bill, the cost of a dog had never occurred to me.

“Liz, am I supposed to be paying for Guard’s food? I will as soon as I find a way to earn money.”

She stopped mopping and slowly turned to face me. “Honey, we gave him to you so we’ll pay for his needs. If you do something that causes him to get in trouble, then you’ll pay for the expenses. It’s part of learning to be responsible. Okay?”