“Surprise!” Mrs. Clemons cheered as she flicked on the light to the walk-in closet in my room.
No way… I thought as I stared at my once vacant spaced closet, now filled from top to bottom with vibrant colors of shoes and clothing.
Today was the second day of school and I had just come home when Mrs. Clemons appeared out of nowhere saying she had something to show me.
My high school experience wasn’t much of an improvement from the first day. James Randy High is just another name to add to my list of high schools that I’ve went to, but who knew this would be the one to have the biggest amount of pricks.
“I expected you to spend all of that money, Violet,” Mrs. Clemons said. I felt her gaze towards me, but was too distracted by the soft silky fabric that I held in my hands to look at her at the moment. It was a dark velvet red dress, but was sparkly in a way. There was something poking out near the top of the dress and I couldn’t help but glance at it.
I broke out of my mini-trance and stared at Susan with shock. “That dress… It costs th-three hundred dollars."
“I didn’t really know what you liked so I called in some help from a woman who said she knew all about what teen girls liked in fashion. What’s wrong dear? We could always exchange it.”
What have I become…
“Dear?”
I had to get out of there and before I knew it, I was frantically running out of the place before Mrs. Clemons could utter another word. Once I rushed through the living room and out the entrance, I smacked the elevator button many times. Seconds felt like hours and the sign told me that the damn thing was still on level nine. I could already hear Mrs. Clemons footsteps nearing me.
Fuck it. Busting through the staircase doors, I hastily ran down the stairs, skipping almost three steps at a time. Finally reaching the lobby, I dashed across the room towards the exit and bumped into a few people on the way out.
I ran as far away from Rockwell as I possibly could, not really caring where I was headed. Sooner rather than later, my legs gave out and I had to rest on a bench, in front of some coffee shop.
What am I doing here? Living in a rich penthouse, going to a rich school with snobby rich peers, and now expensive clothing. Heck, I even have my own chauffer. I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to snap in fact. Sure, it’s true that I have no need to run away back to the orphanage because Kaylee is no longer there, but I can’t believe I went against my own word of how nobody could replace my mother. Even the richest of people…
But this brings back a new topic that I’ve been struggling about ever since I was brought here. Where is Kaylee? I told Carrie to give her the number here at Rockwell if she ever decided to call. But of course, no luck. How could she not have called yet? Surely Kaylee wouldn’t forget to call me after she settled into her new home. Maybe she forg-
I was abruptly pulled from my thoughts as I felt two large hands suddenly grip my shoulders from. Going into survival mode once more I jerked my elbow backwards as hard as I could.
Standing up to take a good look at the person, I noticed a familiar looking mop of blonde curls. “Paul?”
“Note… to self,” he said in between groans. “Never try to scare Violet.” He was still lying on the sidewalk while holding onto his stomach. It was kind of weird not to see him with his usual lively grin –which is in fact my fault, but hey he snuck up on me- but I could still recognize his surfer physique anywhere.
“Are you okay?” I asked as I gave him my hand to pull him off the ground as the crowd of people milling around were almost trampling over him.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he said standing up. I could tell he was trying to show me his usual bright smile but I still caught the mini grimace he made while I lifted him.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized. I actually meant that.
“No, no, no. It’s my fault in the first place,” he smiled, showing some dimples I haven’t really paid attention to till’ now.
“You sure? My elbows are quite the weapon.”
“Even elbows as pointy as yours could never really damage this,” he replied while hitting his chest like King Kong.
I smiled at that.
“Did Violet Parker just give me her first smile?” he said astonishingly. “Alert the press! Alert the press!” He started waving his hands in the air like a lunatic, making some people give him weird looks.
I went back to my perfected poker face. “I have to go.” I was about to leave before Pauls’ words stopped me.
“Aw come on Violet, don’t leave because of me. Where do you have to go that’s so important anyways?”
He had a point. I slowly turned around and faced him, staring at nothing in particular. “I don’t know,” I said, more to myself than to him.
“You okay?” he asked, concern laced in his voice.
I don’t deserve to go back to Rockwell. It’s not my place and never will be. I can never allow my self any luxury after what happened to my mother. At what I could have prevented.
“Let me buy you some coffee,” he said lightly tugging me towards the coffee place. I didn’t really struggle much because the next thing I know is that I’m sitting in a booth with a warm mug of coffee in my hand.
I was staring out the window and looking at the ongoing passing of crowds through the sidewalk until I felt someone tap my shoulder. Turning around, I saw Paul holding out a cookie towards me.
“Cookie’s always makes me feel better,” he cheered handing me the large chocolate chip cookie.
“Thanks,” I said as I gave him a small smile. He actually was a really nice guy come to think about it.
“No problemo, I’ll be right back; I have to get back to work at the cashier. I spent my whole break on you,” he joked. So that’s why he was wearing some sort of apron.
I lightly nodded my head before he smiled and walked back to the counter and I resumed my people watch, wondering what type of lives they’re living. I have no more energy to think about my own problems at the moment. The sky was now dark and New York’s bright fiery shown throughout the city.
“Hey, sorry I took a while. The coffee machine broke down and I had to fix it,” he said as he took a seat across from me in the booth.
“Its fine,” I said, staring at my half filled cup of coffee. The cookie was nowhere in sight, but then I realized that I had skipped dinner and had devoured it earlier. “So your family owns this place?” I’m not really one to chat, but curiosity took the better of me.
“Yeah, it’s been passed down from generation to generation. This place has been here since New York City was just a farm basically.” I nodded in response, spinning the coffee in my mug with a straw that I took from the holder on the table. “So… Do you want to talk about it?” he questioned.
I sighed, “Actually, I just want to crawl into bed right now.”
“Oh, well I can give you a ride-”
“It’s fine Paul. You’ve done too much for me already.”
“Hey. I’m just giving you some New Yorken hospitality,” he smiled with his dimples showing again.
“Which doesn’t exist.” I rolled my eyes.
“Not unless you’re Paul Ruther,” he answered standing up, “Now let’s go get you a taxi.”
We got outside of the shop and I tried to convince Paul that I could just walk back to my place, but he said there were some dangerous monsters here at night and wasn’t going to take a chance. With my experience from the pass in the alley, I could pretty much say lesson learned and so he didn’t have to convince me twice.
Paul waved down a taxi that he actually struggled a bit to get, but still nonetheless could do better than what I could’ve attempted to accomplish.
I got inside the taxi car, but before I closed the door I looked at Paul. “Thank you and all, but this doesn’t mean we’re friends.”
“Sure it doesn’t,” he smiled his pearly whites once more before closing the car door for me.
When I arrived back to Rockwell and paid the driver my whole ten, I could only wonder what I was going to tell to Mrs. And Mr. Clemons. Maybe I should just leave. Start fresh somewhere. That somewhere may be a dump, but that’s where I belong. But then there’s that part of me that doesn’t want to disappoint the Clemons.
Sighing, I realized that not only my brain was exhausted, but the rest of my body as well. Either go back to the penthouse and sleep on the bed that’s bedding was made from heavens clouds, or sleep on that nearby iron bench.
***
The elevator ride up the huge building was really time consuming. Once I finally reached the top floor I could actually feel some remorse for leaving like that. Which is new to me, because I don’t feel guilty for anybody.
Ding.
Sighing I exited the elevator and headed into the penthouse living room. There sat Mr. And Mrs. Clemons with both troubled faces. Mr. Clemons had his arm around her while she contently leaned her head on his shoulder. It was kind of nice –and shocking, but still nice- to see that a couple could still be together for so long.
When they finally saw me at the entrance, I thought that they would give me scolding looks, but when I looked back at them, the only type of emotion that shone on their faces was relief.
“Oh dear, where have you been?” Mrs. Clemons said while standing up to put me in a bone crushing hug. After she released her strong hold on me she began inspecting me somewhat. “Are you okay? Any bumps or broken bones?”
“Susan, honey, don’t suffocate the girl,” Mr. Clemons said from the couch.
“Right,” she said almost lost in thought, “As long as you’re here and safe is all that matters.”
Ouch, talk about actually being hit with guilt.
“Come take a seat,” she said dragging me to the armchair across the vintage sofa. “What happened Violet? Did we do something to upset you?”
“You guys didn’t do anything… It’s just- I couldn’t-… I need to go to bed.” I stood up from the chair and headed towards my room, not taking a single glance at them.
I was too exhausted to change and brush my teeth but I still had to force myself to do it and once I was in my baggy tee I finally let myself feel somewhat relaxed and jumped into my bed. That is until I heard a knock on the door.
“May I come come in?” I heard Mr. Clemons deep sophisticated voice through the door.
“Uh yeah.”
He came in slowly and sat at the end of the bed, which seemed to be quite a painful task for him. He looked quite sad at that moment and was staring at his hands.
“Me and Susan had our first son, John, thirty years ago,” he started, taking a deep a breathe before continuing, “Susan and I always had a problem with creating children and so when John was born it felt like the luckiest day of our lives. He grew up into his teens and was a bright smart child. He was quite the charmer as well I might add.
“He died at fifteen,” he sighed closing his eyes. “John was catching a ride with one of his older friends when an oil shipping truck was going out of control. They happened to be in its path.”
A long silence had come from both of us. Not really the awkward type, but the one where people are just thinking to themselves. It took me a while to process all of this.
“I’m sorry,” I said almost a whisper, breaking the silence.
He inhaled deeply before replying, “No need for apologies, just the way Earth deals its cards. It just happens that we didn’t get much of a good hand.”
“For worrying you guys as well.”
“It’s going to be fine. Susan just tends to overly think at times,” he said as he stood up, a short look of pain on his face, “Darn arthritis.”
“You guys have a right to, ya’ know… To over think things,” I admitted right when he was about to close my door.
“Warn us next time dear?”
“Okay.”
____________________________________________________________________________
Authors Note
"The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving."
-Oliver Wendell Holmes