Who is Perri West?

Chapter 1

As I sit gazing out at the vast ocean in front of me, I remember the day mom brought me to our new home. Sometimes those are good memories, and sometimes the memories are too painful to dwell on for too long. After my dad was mysteriously murdered my mom never felt safe in our condo in L.A. I mean I don't blame her. I've had a growing sense of anxiety ever since mom and I found his body in our east L.A home. It's better now that we moved to the small town of Camden, Maine.

"Perri!" I would know that voice anywhere.

"Over here, Mallory," I yelled back.

Only Mallory knew where to find me when I disappeared. Sometimes I would take my sketchbook and disappear for hours on end. Mom would always send Mallory to find me. As I watch Mallory approach, I am reminded again how different in appearance we are. We are like night and day. Me with my light skin, straight blond hair, and hazel eyes. Her with her brown bouncing curls, caramel skin, and deep brown eyes. I have always been summed up as the quiet, cautious one while Mal was outgoing and carefree. But we completed each other in the best ways. She knew how to get me out of my shell and when her ideas were more on the outlandish side, I could bring her back down to reality.

"Why do you always sneak away to draw? And why do you still refuse to let your mom know about your secret place? I thought you two were close." Mallory asked me with a look of confusion on her face.

"We are close, Mal, it's just something I can't explain really. I like having a space that's just mine where I can let my creativity flow without the constant interruptions from her. And the millions of questions. She would come here and be like 'Are you warm enough?' 'Did you pack a snack?' 'Are you hungry?' 'Has anybody bothered you?' You get it, Mal, you have seen how overprotective she is," I replied with a sigh.

"Yea I get it. Anyway, she wanted me to let you know that dinner is done," she said with a laugh.

"O.k. I'm going." I reached around me gathering my supplies and put them inside my F.R.I.E.N.D.S backpack. I turned to Mallory, and we started on our 15-minute walk home.

"So, are you excited, Perri? I mean come on senior year! I can't wait to get through this year then off to college. I still haven't decided if I want to stay close to home or head across to the west coast. What about you, Perri?" She looked at me with such excitement in her beautiful brown eyes.

"You know I want to stay close. I really want to go to Maine Media and get my degree in fine arts. I thought you were coming with me. Didn't you say you wanted to be close so you could stay home on the weekends and help your mom run the bakery? We were supposed to both have jobs there remember?" I said the last part a little on the sarcastic side knowing she loved the bakery just as much as her mom does. She acts like she wants to leave but deep down I know her heart is here.

"Yea, I guess you're right. Besides, if I ever left you nobody would ever find your sorry rear end and you would be in that cave until the end of your days. Probably never even finishing college and your amazing talent would never be seen by anyone else besides the creatures at the bottom of the ocean." She looked over at me with a glint in her eyes.

"Well, isn't that a cheery disposition you have there. Golly, you make it sound like I can't survive without you, M&M," I said, noticing how she abruptly stops to glare at me.

"Oh no, you did not just call me an M&M again. We had this talk, girl. That better be the last time that name comes out of your mouth unless you are referring to the chocolaty goodness of the actual M&M's and you plan on having them readily available for me." She was trying so hard to keep the glare on her face and she probably would have succeeded if I hadn't broken out into a fit of giggles. Anyone who walked past us at this moment would think we were losing our minds. I swear our laughter echoed around us for several blocks.

As we reached my house, we said our goodbyes. She headed to the blue house next door as I walked up the sidewalk to my white house. My mom was standing waiting on the porch with a look between anger, concern, and relief written on her face. I knew at that point I had been gone unintentionally longer than I normally would.

"Perri Lynn!" she said sternly. "Where in the world have you been? You scared me half to death. I shouldn't have to send Mallory out to look for you every time I need you. The least you could do is turn your ringer on your damn phone and answer when I call you. You have no excuse young lady. If this happens again you will find yourself grounded and without a phone since its obvious you don't know how to use it anyway."

"Sorry, Mom. I get so caught up in my drawings I tend to lose track of time. And I'm sorry I forgot to turn my ringer back on. I can't promise I'll always remember to have my volume up, but I'll try," I said sincerely.

"Oh, Baby girl," she exclaimed as she wrapped me in a hug. "I just worry so much. What if something were to happen to you? I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I ever lost you."

"You're not going to lose me, Mom. Come on let's go eat."

We headed back into the house. It's overwhelming and almost smothering sometimes how overprotective she can be. Heading to the kitchen I passed by the fireplace in the living room. Glancing at the pictures on the mantel I am stunned again as I realize just how different my mom and I are. Her hair is raven black and her eyes are the deepest brown. Darker even than Mallory's. The only thing we have in common is our pale skin, even our facial structures are different. Mine is more round as hers is long and thin. Whenever I asked about our differences, she always says I must get my looks from my father. However, I don't remember him. And when I ask about him or what he looked like she always avoids the topic.