Dex puts his hand on the door handle and pauses. He takes a deep breath and I can tell he’s not looking forward to telling my mom.
“Good luck,” I say.
“Thanks. Are you going to bed?”
I open my mouth to answer, but instead I have to stifle a yawn. Today was a long day and it didn’t help that I barely slept last night. I really hope that tonight I can push any thoughts of Logan out of my mind and get a good night’s rest.
“I guess so.”
Dex cracks a halfhearted smile, but I can tell that he’s already distracted by what he’s going to tell my mom. I feel a little twinge of guilt, like I should be the one to tell her, but he said that he would.
“Alright… I’ll see you down here tomorrow, at seven.”
“Sounds good.”
He flashes me another smile, this one seems a little more real, before he heads toward the kitchen. I slowly make my way up the stairs and let out a sigh of relief when I finally collapse onto my bed. My body is feeling the lack of sleep and the long day on set. I’ve gotta get a good night of sleep or I’m going to be in even worse shape tomorrow.
I take my cheap prepaid phone out of my purse and turn it on. I make a mental note to tell Dex that I broke the phone he gave me. There’s a text from Jess waiting for me and I quickly pull it up.
Hey, I haven’t heard from you lately and you didn’t respond to my texts… so I figured I would give this number a try. Hopefully everything is good. Talk to you soon. Muah.
It’s nice to get a text from her… it puts a smile on my face. I have no idea how long the text has been sitting there.
Sorry! I meant to text you back, but a lot has happened since we last talked. I broke my other phone, so it’s back to this one.
I hesitate as I think about whether or not to say anything about Logan to Jess in the first message I sent her. I decide not to, in case she’s busy or can’t respond, and hit send. My phone chirps almost instantly with a reply from her.
Lol, how did you break your phone?
I take a deep breath and type out the message I’ve been dreading.
Logan… he broke up with me so I threw my phone on the floor and it basically exploded.
It hurts my heart to see the words. I hit send and look away from the phone. I’m still finding it hard to believe that my time with Logan was cut short first by my mom and now by him. I still wish he would have let me explain… I know I would have been able to change his mind. I look back at my phone as I get a reply from Jess.
Oh, I’m so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?
I feel like I’ve already talked about it more than I ever wanted to, but I have a feeling Jess will be able to offer some kind words, which I could definitely use now… especially since I’ll have to face my mom at some point.
Logan saw a clip on YouTube of an entertainment show. It was a segment about Spencer and how he was spotted around town with his ‘new girlfriend’, which was me. He wouldn’t answer my texts and when he finally did… that was when he broke up with me.
Wait… why were you hanging out with Spencer?
She has a point… I probably never should have gone out to coffee with him.
I got a job as Dex’s assistant, so I saw Spencer on the movie set… when I got home at night my mom was there. Spencer texted to see if I would join him for coffee because he wanted to talk. I wanted to avoid my mom, so I agreed, and paparazzi spotted us when we were out. Logan accused me of cheating on him with Spencer.
Texting it to Jess brings all my emotions back to the surface. I really just want to curl up in bed and cry for a few weeks, but I don’t have that luxury. I stare at my phone and wait for her to reply, but nothing comes. I wonder if she doesn’t want to talk to me either.
I stand up and walk over to the window. I’ll take any sort of distraction I can get at this point. The lights in the pool are already on and they shift to purple as I watch. It’s still hard to believe this is where I live. I know it’s not permanent, but I shouldn’t take it for granted while I’m here. I have a feeling I’m going to miss this view once I’m back in Salem. My phone chirps and I look down.
I’m assuming, based on our last conversation about Spencer, that you were faithful to Logan. I just find it hard to believe that after everything you two went through, in such a short amount of time that he wouldn’t even let you explain. I’m disappointed in him. If I see him on one of my runs, I’m going to talk to him about it.
I can’t help but smile. Jess is so cute and protective of me. I wish that I had been able to spend more time with her when I was in Salem and I hope that we can hang out when I move back.
Don’t worry about it. I’ll just talk to him when I get back, if he wants anything to do with me. I’m still trying to process everything that happened and figure out what I’m doing next.
I take a deep breath and sit back down on my bed. I really hope that things will start to get easier, but I have a feeling that once I go back to Salem, and see Logan, they are going to be hard.
Are you sure? I really don’t mind. I’ll tell him to get his act together and listen to what you have to say.
I smile as I read her text. There’s no doubt in my mind that she would do exactly that… which is not what I want. I do want to talk to Logan when I go back to Salem, I know that now, but I don’t want him to talk to Jess because it might make things worse.
If you change your mind, let me know, or if you want I could go beat him up. Do you think that he’ll actually talk to you once you get back?
Jess never fails to bring a smile to my face. I wish I could hang out with her right now. Even though I’ve been busy, working on the movie, it would still be nice to have a girlfriend to hang out with when I do get some free time. I guess it’s just wishful thinking because I don’t even have time to meet any friends. I text Jess back and hit send.
I’ll let you know. I really hope that he’ll talk to me… I got that impression, but who knows?
I realize, while waiting for a reply from Jess, who I could hang out with when I get some time off—Ron, the driving instructor, gave me his daughter’s number and I put it in the crappy phone I’m using now. As I look at my contacts, to make sure it’s still there, my phone chirps with another message from Jess.
Alright. Well, I guess waiting a couple of weeks to talk to him isn’t going to kill you. You’re still planning on coming back after your birthday, right? I miss my roomie.
Crap. I got so wrapped up in telling Jess about Logan that I totally forgot about telling her that I was cast in a movie and that I wasn’t going back to Salem until we were done shooting.
Actually… that was the exciting news I didn’t tell you because I was waiting to tell Logan first. Spencer sort of tricked me into auditioning for Dex’s new movie… and I got the part. I’m the lead female and we are shooting it right now. The problem though is that I’m going to miss the start of school and I won’t be back in Salem for a couple of months.
I get a response from Jess almost immediately.
OMG!!! That’s so amazing! I can’t believe you were holding out on me!
There’s a knock on my door and it steals my attention away from my phone before I can respond to Jess. I set my phone on my pillow as I stand up and walk over to the door. Hopefully it’s not my mom… there didn’t seem to be anger seeping through the door. I still brace for the worst and turn the handle.
To my surprise, Dex is standing in the hall with a smile on his face when I open the door.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hi.”
I thought he would be in a bad mood after telling my mom… maybe by some miracle she was accepting of the fact that he cast me in his movie.
“So… your mom isn’t home.”
Dex looks relieved and I crack a smile.
“Where is she?”
“I have no idea, but I texted her and she said she’d be home in an hour or so.”
I nod and look at him. He looks happy that he didn’t have to tell her yet, but I can also see a hint of worry on his face.
“Do you want me to tell her?” I say.
He instantly shakes his head. I’m glad that he doesn’t, but it didn’t seem right if I didn’t offer.
“No. It was my decision to cast you, so I’m going to tell her. Are you worried about how she’s going to react?”
“Yeah… I have a pretty good idea of how she’s going to react and I’m not looking forward to it. When she found out I didn’t get into State and I tried to hide it, while I figured out a way to explain it to her, she flipped out.”
Dex shakes his head, which describes my exact feeling about this entire situation. My life would be so much simpler without her in it. I’m really looking forward to the day when I never have to see her or talk to her again. I know it’s awful of me to think that, but I really can’t help it… not after everything she’s done.
“Crazy,” he says, “the whole situation is crazy. However, she reacts is going to be what it is. I’m getting myself worked up over something I have no control over.”
My phone chirps and I turn around, more out of habit than anything else.
“Do you need to get that?”
“No… I’m sure it’s just my friend Jess. I can text her back whenever.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, it’s totally fine.”
Dex pulls his phone out of his pocket and looks at it. Crap. That reminds me… I still have to tell him about the phone I broke, but I don’t think this is the right time. I’ll wait until things calm back down after he tells my mom about my role in the movie.
“I… I should make a call before your mom gets back.”
He smiles at me and I nod. He turns and walks down the hall toward his bedroom. I slowly close the door and walk back to my bed. I’m so glad that we cleared the air last night about my mom… it makes me feel better about being around Dex. I still feel a little bad about being rude and mean to him, but I know that if I do a good job on his movie he will forgive some of that.
I pick up my phone and read the text, which is from Jess.
I’ve gotta go to work, but text me later if you feel like it.
I’m glad that I got a chance to catch up with her a little, it was nice. I’m really starting to miss her… even enough that I would go on a run with her. Maybe.
I pull up Jen’s number on my phone, Ron’s daughter, and type out a text to her.
Hey… I hope this doesn’t sound weird or anything, my name is Amy and your dad gave me your phone number because I’m new in town and he said that you could show me around. If you don’t have the time, don’t worry about it. I just thought I would check. Hope to hear from you.
I read the text again and hit send. Most of my friends have come from school, so it’s a little strange for me to do this, but I hope she replies. It’s more about having some time away from the movie, to relax, than really getting to know the area—there’s not really any point to that since I plan to move back to Salem as soon as we’re done shooting the movie.
To my surprise, I don’t have to wait long for a reply from Jen. My phone chirps as I go to set it down on my nightstand.
Hi Amy, my dad told me about you. He said you were living with Dex? That’s gotta be pretty cool. I could definitely show you around town, if you want. I don’t know that I’m an expert or anything, but we could hang out and go to a club or something. My schedule is pretty open right now, so just let me know when’s good for you.
That’s what I have no idea about… I don’t know when I’ll have some free time. I guess maybe I can ask him tomorrow, depending on how the talk goes with my mom tonight.
That sounds great, thanks. Work is a little hectic with me right now, but when I get a day or night off, I’ll text you and let you know.
My phone chirps a few seconds later.
Sounds good.
A smile crosses my face as I set my phone down and stand up. I yawn and stretch as I head to the bathroom. I freeze mid-stride while walking back into my room. Somewhere in the house someone is yelling at the top of their lungs. I guess my mom got home and Dex is telling her right now.
I walk over to my bedroom door and unlock it, since I’m sure she’ll come barging through it at any moment. I sit down on my bed and take a deep breath. Part of me wants to go out into the hallway and try to listen to what’s being said, but I don’t want to get caught eavesdropping and I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough.
The screaming finally stops and I feel like I can breathe again. I wonder what could have happened that caused her to calm down. The only thing that comes to mind is that maybe Dex told her that there was no use in arguing because filming has already started and it’s too late to do anything about it now.
My door swings open just as the anxious feeling is starting to fade. I turn and see a look of rage on her face… it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Her eyes burn with hate and it feels like it’s penetrating the deepest parts of my soul.
“You little bitch!”
She rushes toward me, pulls her right hand back, and before I can move she swings her arm and slaps my cheek. The force of the blow knocks me over and I fall off the bed. My head hits the floor and I put my hands on the back of my head in anticipation of another slap.
“Get up, right now.”
I thought that I had seen my mom mad before, but this is a million times worse than when I didn’t get into State. Nothing comes out of my mouth when I open it and try to scream for help.
“Get up!”
I put my hands on the floor and push myself to a kneeling position. She grabs my shirt and pulls me to my feet. A dizzy feeling fills my head and I barely stumble back onto the bed.
“How dare you? I can’t believe you would do this to me.”
I knew she was going to be mad, but I had no idea it would be this bad. She threatened to spank me once, many years ago, but she never did. I never imagined that she would hit me. The shock of it is almost as bad as the physical pain.
“What? You’ve got nothing to say for yourself?”
My cheek is still burning from the slap and my head is throbbing from hitting the floor. Is this who she’s become? Is this what Hollywood has made of my school teacher mom?
I watch in horror as she draws her hand back. My world slows, but there’s nothing I can do about it… I can’t move. Her hand crashes into my face, harder this time, and pain shoots through my body. I can feel tears starting to form in my eyes as I put my hands up to block my face.
“Say something!”
“I’m sorry.”
I’m not sorry, but it’s the only thing I could think to say that would stop her.
“You’re sorry? You’re sorry? Maybe you should have thought about the consequences before you continued to disobey me… I was already angry with you working as Dex’s assistant, but you somehow thought this would be fine?”
“I don’t know,” I say, my words barely a whisper.
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s your problem, Amy. You don’t think. Think about how this has changed my life… I didn’t want you here in the first place and now Dex cast you in his movie. Do you have any idea how bad this is? You’re going to be awful and he’s going to lose millions. You know that, right?”
“Dex… he said that I’m perfect for the role.”
My mom huffs and walks over to the window. She crosses her arms and glares at me as she turns around. Her eyes are still filled with hate. It makes me wish I could close my eyes and disappear.
“I’m sure he did. Once again, just like with the first job he gave you, he felt obligated because you’re my daughter. Come on, get real… did you actually think you could be an actress?”
I hadn’t really even thought about it, but now doubt is starting to fill my head. Is she right about Dex? Would he really do that? I don’t think he would, but she seems so convinced that it’s hard to not agree with her.
“I don’t think so,” I say, “Dex wouldn’t do that. You don’t spend enough time around him to know how much he really cares about this movie.”
The instant the words leave my lips I regret ever thinking them. The rage in her face flares up and she pulls her hand back.
“Stop it!”
She freezes. We both turn and look at Dex, who is standing in the doorframe.
“Don’t tell me how to raise my daughter.”
“This is my house… you don’t get to physically abuse her.”
My mom lets out a heavy sigh and walks toward the door. I think for a moment that she’s going to slap him too, but she wouldn’t dare. Dex backs out of the room and stands aside as she walks by him. She mumbles something that I can’t make out, but I see the look on Dex’s face and he looks furious.
Dex watches her walk down the hall toward their bedroom and then comes in my room. He sits down next to me and lifts his hand to my chin. I look away, but he turns my head toward him so he can inspect what she’s done.
“Jesus.”
I wince as he brushes his fingertips across my cheek. It’s still throbbing and I have a feeling it’s not going to stop anytime soon. I’m still in a state of shock—not like when my dad died, but it’s still hard to come to terms with what just happened.
“Are you alright?”
I nod even though I’m not. I’m not alright at all.
“You sure?”
I nod again as the guilt of not telling him the truth starts to fill me. Dex stands up and walks toward the door. He turns around and forces himself to smile at me, but I can see the disdain on his face.
“Wait here… I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
I turn away from Dex as he walks down the hall. Even though I’m angry and upset by what my mom just did, I hope that Dex doesn’t do anything he’ll regret. I brace for yelling to start again, but then I hear… sirens. I’ve heard them a few times since I’ve been here, but these ones are growing louder and louder with each passing moment. The sirens abruptly spot. I wonder what it was? I assumed that this was a safe neighborhood, but maybe Dex was right about me not walking around at night.
I hold my breath, again, waiting for the yelling to commence. The doorbell rings and I freeze. Who could be here? Maybe it’s a good thing… maybe this person showing up will distract Dex and my mom from fighting. I know it’s only a temporary solution, but it’s better than nothing.
The doorbell rings again. I walk over to my door and ease it open. I hear someone walking down the other set of steps. I guess Dex must be going to get the door. The house is quiet enough that I can hear voices, but they are muffled. They start to get clearer… it sounds like whoever is here is walking up the stairs.
“Yes… just right up here,” Dex says.
I wonder who he could be talking to.
“Has this happened before?”
I wrack my brain, trying to think if I’ve heard his voice before, but he doesn’t sound familiar.
“No,” Dex says, “but she’s only been living here a short time.”
I really want to go out in the hall and see who it is, but I’m afraid that if I do my mom will see me. I close my door until it’s open just a crack and strain to listen.
“I’m going to talk to the girl and my partner will talk to the mom.”
It finally hits me… the sirens, this guy saying his partner… it had to be the police. I wonder who called them? The only thing that I can think is that maybe the neighbor heard my mom and Dex yelling. That’s the only possibility.
“Sure… my room is here… and her daughter is in that room at the end of the hall.”
“Thanks. If you could just wait downstairs, Sir, we will come and get you when we are done.”
“Sure thing, Officer.”
I close my door and release the handle slowly. I take a deep breath and stand back a few steps. The last time I spoke to the Police was when my dad died and now… now it’s because of my mom.
There is a gentle knock on the door, not what I was expecting from a policeman.
“Miss, if you could please open your door… I need to talk to you.”
I take another deep breath and turn the handle. I open the door and standing in front of me is a policeman whose badge identifies him as part of the LAPD.
“Do you mind if I come in?”
I nod and stand to the side. He walks a few feet into my room and turns around to look at me.
“Why don’t you take a seat on the bed?”
I sit on the bed and look out the window.
“I’m Officer Brandt, my partner… Officer McElroy is talking to your mother right now. Do you want to tell me what happened?”
I clear my throat and look at him. He has kind eyes… they are hidden behind the masculine exterior of an LAPD officer, but it’s obvious behind all of that he’s a good guy. He takes a pen and pad of paper out of his front pocket.
“My mom… she hit me a few times. She thinks… she thinks I’m trying to mess up her life, I guess. She says that Dex only hired me and cast me because… because he felt obligated.”
I look up and see him writing down everything I’ve said so far. He stops writing and looks at me and nods.
“That was kind of it.”
“Has she ever hit you before?”
I think back… trying to remember a time when she hit me before. She has been mad plenty of times, but I don’t remember her ever being as mad as tonight.
“No… she never hit me.”
He looks at me for a few seconds and then goes back to writing on his pad.
“Not even a spanking?” he says, without looking up.
“Well… I mean, yeah… she spanked me a few times when I was younger, but I’m sure that I did something to deserve it.”
He stops writing and looks at me for a few moments. He looks confused… and sad by what I just said. He puts his pad and pen back in his pocket and clears his throat.
“Hang tight, I’m going to go check with my partner and then I’ll be back.”
I nod in response. He turns and walks out of my room, leaving the door open. I sit on my bed until I see him turn down the hall toward the master and I jump up. I walk down the hall, as quietly as possible, but I hear the door to the master close. I sigh and head back to my room. I was hoping to listen to what they were saying to my mom, but no such luck.
I sigh as I sit back down on my bed and wait. I grab my phone as a distraction, and I scroll through the sparse settings, while I wait.
“Noooo!”
I look up from my phone as my mom screams.
“You can’t do this!”
I stand up and walk to the door. The officers walk into the hallway on either side of my mom. Her hands are behind her back in handcuffs and she’s dragging her feet. I can’t believe they are arresting her… this is crazy.
“Dex! Tell them to stop!”
She looks over her shoulder at Dex as he walks into the hallway, but he doesn’t respond. He just shakes his head and watches them walk down the stairs. Dex turns and walks toward the master and I hear the door close.
I wait for a few minutes… expecting Dex to come out of his room or for my mom to come back in the house, but neither happens. I eventually get up and close my bedroom door.
What a crazy twenty-four hours… and I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a challenge.