Chapter Three

 

Tuesday, November 12th, 5:30 p.m.

 

Shunning us was my mother’s favorite punishment since she didn’t believe in hitting us. Being alone used to really bother me when I was younger. I hated being sent off by myself to sit in my room while the rest of the family talked, ate, played games, and hung out together. That was before the divorce. In the past six months, privacy was rare. I didn’t even have a room of my own anymore. I shared with my little sisters. Mom moved into my old room with the idea of fixing up and renting out the master suite. So far, this switcheroo was still in the testing phase, and I figured it sucked.

I stopped in the bedroom I shared with the girls to grab my nightgown, robe, slippers, and the cheer outfit I needed for school tomorrow. I paused in the kitchen for snacks and one of the frozen pizzas Mom bought for easy dinners. She wouldn’t miss it, and I wasn’t about to starve. We kept sodas downstairs so the kids wouldn’t drink all of them in a couple days. And I was off to my new favorite place. I didn’t need The Magic Kingdom. Our daylight basement was enough of a wonderland for me.

I shut the door at the bottom of the stairs and locked it. I went across to the door that opened into the garage and locked it too. Alone at last. Yippee! I looked around the studio apartment. What did I want to do first? TV? Homework? A shower? Dinner? Wow, it had to be paradise. I wasn’t in charge of preparing a meal from start to finish that Kevin would complain about and Cathy would refuse to eat because there were too many veggies and not enough chocolate. I didn’t have to supervise bath time for the twins or scrub out the dirty cloth diapers that Penny, the daycare lady insisted Chrissy use. Yay, me!

I put my food on the counter in the little kitchenette when I heard the ringtone on my phone. I pulled it out and answered cautiously in case Dad had finally decided to get back to me. “Hello.”

“Hey, Vicky. It’s me, Tom. Are you okay?”

Tears sprang into my eyes, and I blinked hard. “What?”

“I heard your mom.” He paused. “Okay, that was dumb. I think everybody at school heard your mom. Well, maybe not the basketball team. They were in the gym.”

He obviously meant to cheer me up, but I couldn’t laugh, not yet. I sniffed and swallowed the sob in my throat, wondering why I wanted to cry now. I could deal with Mom dumping on me. What was so upsetting about kindness? “I’m okay. It’s not like it’s the first time she’s had a raging fit.”

“Yeah, well, what’s she so pissed about? You weren’t out getting high or drunk or selling yourself on a street corner. You were going all out so we could feed hungry people.”

I walked over to the bar stool and hitched up on it. “I also wasn’t available to take care of my younger brothers and sisters when she needed a babysitter.”

Silence and then he said, “Yeah, well, some bosses are like that.”

“She’s my mom, not my boss, although sometimes it’s hard to know the difference.” I shifted around and got more comfortable on the stool. “It’s not like I get paid or anything. She says I have to ‘pitch in’ because it’s family.”

“So, what would happen if you got a job and paid rent?” Tom asked. “Would it make things easier or harder for you? If you ‘pitched in’ with some bucks, would that cover it for her, or does it have to be slave labor?”

“I never thought of that.” I wiped at my nose with my sweatshirt sleeve and suddenly realized I didn’t feel like crying. Not anymore. “Rocky offered me a place to live at her stable when I turn eighteen. I bet she’d hire me as a barn manager now. She always needs help that can muck stalls, feed, water, and train horses.”

“Gross. If you’d rather sling burgers, I can get you a job at the restaurant where I work,” Tom said. “They let me bring home leftovers, and that saves me on my groceries.”

“Why do you have to buy your own food?” I asked.

“My old man split when I was a kid, and my stepdad kicked me out right after my eighteenth birthday last summer,” Tom said. “I’m okay. I have a one-bedroom apartment now. It’s better than when I was sleeping in my car.”

“Didn’t your mom stand up for you?”

“No. She could choose me or him. My stepdad works for Boeing. I only make minimum wage, and I can’t pay the mortgage on the house or for her new car or cover her Visa.”

“Wow, that sucks.”

He laughed. “Got that right.”

We talked a while longer and then his dinner break was over. I headed for the shower. What would it cost for me to rent the downstairs? I could so live down here forever. My own kitchen, bath, and the living room couch that doubled as a bed. After my shower, I put on my flannel nightgown and robe. I dried my hair and checked the clock. It was late enough for Rocky to be in from the barn, so I called Shamrock Stable.

I heard Sierra rattling pans in the background as Rocky and I discussed a job. “I know what needs to be done every day,” I told her. “And I’ve ridden there long enough that I also know the way you want the barns mucked. What would it take for me to work there after school and on weekends?”

“A permission slip from your parents,” Rocky said. “You’re under eighteen, and I don’t need a hassle from my insurance agent. I can’t give you a lot of hours at this time of year, Vicky. Things are quiet in the winter and pick up in the spring and summer. During day camp, I can give you forty hours a week.”

“How many hours can I get now?”

“About twenty outside of your Saturday internship,” Rocky said. “And you’ll have to talk to your school counselor so we don’t mess that up.”

“Okay, I will tomorrow, and I’ll tell you at my lesson.”

“No worries,” Rocky said. “I’d love to have you here if we can make all this work, honey. You have a talent when it comes to horses and that’s rare. If it doesn’t happen right away, we’ll do it after you graduate from high school. Deal?”

“You bet,” I said. “Deal. Thanks, Rocky.”

There was time for one more call before I hit my algebra, so I called Robin and brought her up to speed. She listened while I told her about Tom’s suggestion and then what Rocky had said when I applied for the barn manager position. When I finished, the pause lasted a bit too long. “Well?” I demanded. “What’s on your mind?”

“I think all of it is totally great,” Robin said. “A real job and money is fab. I love mine. Washing cars for Brenna is amazing, but I don’t see your mom going for it. Who would she get to take care of the kids? How are we going to make this happen?”

“What do you mean, ‘we’? It’s my problem.”

“No, it’s ours,” Robin said. “We’ve been together since kindergarten. Olivia was majorly pissed when you left today. I had to grab her arm so she wouldn’t charge after your mom and kick her ‘mean old-lady butt.’ And Cedar and Kanisha were ready to give Olivia all the back-up she needed.”

I laughed. “I’ll have to be nicer to them. That’s incredible. I think I’ll start by talking to Dr. Danvers tomorrow and make sure that a job at Shamrock doesn’t mess up my internship. When I go to counseling with my family on Thursday night, I’ll bring up the job during the session. Mom always complains about never having enough money when we’re there.”

“Sounds good.”

We sniveled about homework for a while and then I turned off my phone. I was in the middle of my pizza and algebra when I realized I hadn’t asked to talk to Jack. Oh well. Robin would let him know I called, and for once, it hadn’t been to whine at my poor boyfriend. He never quite knew what to tell me when my life was in the proverbial toilet. He was always great about listening, but it was tough for him. He wanted to slay all the dragons for me. How could he when they were members of my family?

* * * *

Wednesday, November 13th, 6:00 a.m.

 

The next morning I woke up late…well, it was late for me. Normally, I had to be up by five to get the kids up, dressed, and fed so we could leave by quarter to seven and walk to the daycare. I’d drop them off and run for Lincoln High. Today, I wasn’t doing it. Let Mom handle them.

I took another hot shower and dried my hair. I put on my blue cheer skirt and sweater and tied blue and gold ribbons in my French braid. I had plenty of time to do my make-up. When I glanced at my watch, it was six-forty, time to go. I paused long enough to fold up the bed and pile up the throw pillows on the couch. I collected my completed homework and tucked the pages in the copy of Winds of Fate, one of my all-time faves by Mercedes Lackey. I needed the novel for SSR Wednesday in Mrs. Weaver’s class.

There was a knock on the door to the upstairs. “Who is it?”

“Me. Kevin. Are you coming up for breakfast?”

“Sorry.” I walked over, unlocked the door, and looked down at the demon child still in his pajamas. “You’ll have to get somebody else to mop up the milk you spilled on the floor, sweep up the toaster crumbs, and wipe down the slimy walls from where you threw a raw egg at Cathy. I have to go to school.”

“I didn’t make a mess this time,” Kevin said. “Mom’s making breakfast. Real waffles, and yours is ready.”

“That’s different.” I closed the door behind me and headed up the stairs. “Too bad I don’t have time to eat it.”

When I reached the kitchen, Linda was setting the table. Lance ferried supplies back and forth for Cathy who packed lunches. Chrissy was in her high chair with a sippie cup of apple juice.

Mom measured batter into the waffle iron. She smiled at me. “Good morning, Vicky.”

“Hey.” I went into the pantry to the washer and dryer. Surprise of surprise, my jeans were neatly folded on the top of my clean laundry. How had that happened? I’d switched the load to the dryer yesterday morning, but I forgot to finish it last night, thanks to Mom’s fit. I picked up my clean Levis, added a pair of boot socks, my Shamrock Stable T-shirt, and a sweatshirt. Carrying my riding outfit, I returned to the kitchen. “How are you?”

“Fine.” Mom pointed to the waffle steaming on a plate at the table. “Your breakfast is ready.”

I glanced at the clock. Six-fifty. “Sorry. Gotta go. It takes me a half hour to walk to school, and I don’t want to be late.”

“I thought you rode with Jack.”

I shook my head. “No. Him taking me to school ended last May. He can’t get all the kids in his pickup. You know that we walk every day.” I shrugged like I didn’t care, although I missed the time with him, not that I’d ever share the info with her. “Anyway, I really don’t have time for a boyfriend anymore.”

“But, didn’t you go with him to Homecoming?” Mom asked, still staring like I was a stranger in her house.

“No thanks to you or Dad,” I said. “You called me at school and said I couldn’t cheer at the game. Dad refused to pick up the kids. When I tried to explain that Homecoming was a big deal for us and the school, both of you said I should break up with Jack, like he had anything to do with me being a cheerleader.”

“You arranged for the kids to be dropped off at your dad’s work,” Mom said. “It was very stressful for all of us.”

“And again, what does that have to do with me? I did what you said I had to do. I always do what you say I have to do. I told Jack that you and Dad want us to break up.” I stuffed my clothes into a cloth grocery bag, dropping my book and purse on top. “Gotta go. See you tonight after my internship.”

Mom followed me to the hall door. “Honey, I like Jack. I don’t want you telling everyone in town that we want you to break up because…”

“Look, if I can’t be on the cheer squad or Sophomore Class Prez, how can I have time for a guy?” I opened the closet door, grabbed Jack’s letterman jacket, and slung it around my shoulders. “It caused World War Three around here when he took me to Homecoming. You and Dad had a big fight because I spent Saturday with my friends to prep for the dance instead of babysitting. It wasn’t fair because the kids are supposed to be with Dad both days on the weekend and he is supposed to pick them up at school on Fridays, but what else is new? Life isn’t fair. You better go watch your waffle before it burns.”

I was out of the house and down the steps to the sidewalk before she came up with an answer. Okay, so I was still being snarky and lying to my mother. No, Jack and I weren’t breaking up. Regardless of what I’d said to her, I hadn’t even talked about it with him. He’d pretty much stopped coming to the house when she was there. He wasn’t the kind of guy who’d put up with her screaming at me.

As I hurried toward the corner, I fished out my phone and texted him. He answered almost immediately. By the time I made the corner near Safeway, he was waiting in the parking lot. He waved, and I jogged to him.

He picked me up, swung me around, and kissed me. I laced my arms around his neck, sliding my fingers into his night-dark hair. A heartbeat later, it was my turn to kiss him. Fireworks sparkled inside me. I could kiss him forever.

He finally lifted his head. “So, what did you do with the munchkins?”

“My mom’s pissed at me. She’s looking after them today.”

“All right!” Jack ushered me to his truck and ceremoniously opened the door. “So, how long are you going to keep this up?”

“Days, I hope!”

As he drove us to school with a brief stop at the neighborhood espresso stand for coffee, I told him about Tom’s idea of paying rent and what Rocky said about a barn manager job. “I’d have more time for a life if I worked at Shamrock.”

“I could take you there after school most of the time since our practices end at the same time.” Jack signaled for the turn and pulled into the student parking lot at Lincoln High. “Let me know when the job starts.”

“I will,” I said, sipping my latte.

* * * *

Wednesday, November 13th, 2:15 p.m.

 

I had a great day at school. Everybody was nice to me. Olivia hung out with me after the assembly, and nobody said a word about Mom’s raging fit. At the end of the day, I changed from my cheer uniform to riding clothes and then hustled out to the parking lot to meet Jack. Robin was already at the truck when I arrived.

I slipped into the middle of the bench seat, and she sat on the other side of me next to the door. Jack slid the key in the ignition. He grinned at me. “Want a burger on the way to your lesson?”

“I’m fine,” I said. “After I work with Aladdin, I definitely want one.”

“Sounds like a great idea,” Robin said. “Ride first, then food.”

My phone went off and she grabbed my purse off the floor and handed it to me. “Who can that be? We’re all here.”

“I have no idea.” I glanced at the tiny screen. “My dad. What does he want?” There was only one way to find out, so I answered. “Hello.”

“Hi, honey. How are you?”

“Fine,” I said. “I’m on my way to do my internship. What’s up?”

“Oh, is that today? I forgot.”

“It’s every Wednesday until June.” I said. “What’s going on? Do you have time to come see me ride?”

“No. And to be honest with you, there’s no way you can go to the barn today. You need to pick up the kids at school. I can’t get off work to do it.”

“What?” I gaped at the phone. “No way, Dad. If I don’t do my internship, then I fail three classes. I know you and Mom say that you don’t want me to drop out or get kicked out of high school.”

“Of course, we don’t.” He took a deep breath. “What would happen if you were sick?”

“I’m not sick,” I told him. “Why didn’t you call me back yesterday? I needed you to get the kids then so I could do the food drive.”

“I was busy,” Dad said. “And taking care of the kids is your responsibility on weekdays.”

I nearly asked him why I had to do it when he was their father. I changed my mind. It would just turn into a big fight, and I had better things to do today. I wasn’t about to blow off my lesson, not when I wanted Rocky to hire me to work at the stable.

“Sorry, Dad. They’re your kids. You and Mom made them. I didn’t, and I gotta go.”