I gawk at the pink that threw up in the room and make a note not to spend a lot of time in there. I hope my room isn’t similar.
She continues down the hall, this time not pulling me as I follow her. When she reaches the door at the end of the hall, she stops in front of it.
“Mom and Dad are on the other side of the house, so you don’t have to worry about them. If you plan to sneak out or anything, let me know so I can show you the best way.” She gestures to the door. “This is your room. I hope you love it. Mom tried to decorate it for you, but we didn’t know what you liked, so if you don’t like anything just let us know and we’ll bring the decorator back to change it.”
When she stops, she sucks in a breath. She’s talking so fast she’s not even taking time to breathe.
“It’s just a room.” Her face falls slightly so I add, “But I bet I’ll love it. Show it to me.”
She smiles brightly again. She reminds me of a puppy. Easily entertained, but also sensitive. Then I feel bad for comparing her to a puppy.
You’re going soft, Miller.
She opens the door, and I prepare to be assaulted with a ton of pink but am surprised to find the walls painted a light grey. The bedspread is white and brown with some floral design on it. The room is sparsely decorated, with flowers on an end table, a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall, and a couple of art pieces on the walls. What surprises me most is the vanity with a mirror positioned over it. Glancing around, I note there’s no dresser.
“So, this is a California king. Mom believes everyone should have a comfy bed to sleep in. We made sure the TV is set up with cable and all the normal apps for you to watch. You can order any movies or whatever you want. Mom doesn’t care. They don’t look at the bill either, so no judgement,” She gives me a wink. “Through here is your bathroom.” She gestures to the door on the left. “It’s private, so keep whatever you want in here. The maids will restock anything you use. If you have any soap preferences, let them know and they’ll make sure to get it for you. Mom had the vanity filled with makeup for you. We weren’t sure if you wore it or not. Through this door is your closet.” She goes to the door on the right side of the room and opens it, gesturing for me to go inside in front of her.
When she said closet, she really meant a whole other room. There’s even a couch in the middle. Along one wall a place to hang up clothes, while the wall opposite it is full of shelves. The walls connecting them each are floor-to-ceiling mirrors.
“I wanted to stock it for you, but Mom said we didn’t know your sizes. I did go ahead and grab some bags and stuff for you.” She walks over to one of the mirrors and pushes on it. A section of the mirror pops out and opens, showing an alcove on the inside with more shelves. “This is where the purses go. There’s another one on that mirror.” She indicates the opposite wall. “It holds all the jewelry. Mom put a couple of pieces that belonged to Aunt Abagail in there for you. We can unpack your stuff, then go shopping if you want.”
Her voice sounds so hopeful.
“Sure. Hey, what’s up with all the shelves?” I point to the wall to my right.
“For your shoes, of course.” She says it like it’s the most ridiculous question she has ever heard.
I quickly count the bottom row and note that there are at least fifteen spots for shoes per shelf, and they go floor to ceiling, just like the mirror. I want to ask who needs so many shoes, but the look on her face stops me.
“I’m so glad you’re here, Sage. I always told Mom we needed more girls in the family. This is going to be so much fun. You’ll see.”
I force a smile. I don’t think this will be much fun at all, but her perky personality keeps me from voicing my thoughts.
We walk back into the room to find a man placing my plastic bag on the bed.
“Thank you, Thomas.” Victoria turns to me. “Is this all you have?” She seems surprised by my lone bag of clothes.
“In foster care, they don’t let you keep much. Anything you do keep usually ends up stolen. Besides, a lot of times you move at a moment’s notice. You learn to pack light.”
Hell, the only things I kept were some things of my mom’s, and they’re safely packed within my backpack.
I look to Victoria and see tears in her eyes. “That’s so sad. But you don’t have to worry about that anymore. You have a forever home here.”
Her sincerity threatens to warm my heart, but I squash it. She doesn’t know that this arrangement has an expiration date. Watching her become emotional over my past reminds me that she’s lived a life of privilege. She doesn’t know pain or loss.
“Thank you, Victoria.” I hesitate to ask her to leave. I want some time alone, but I don’t want to hurt her feelings any more than I already have. “Do you think I could take a shower? Are there towels in there?”
Instantly her smile is back. “Of course.”
She walks into the bathroom and teaches me how to use the shower, then pulls out two towels for me and shows me where the hair dryer is. By the time she’s done, I know what each product is and how to use them. I know she’s trying to be helpful, but I can’t help but feel relieved when she finally closes my bedroom door behind her.
Chapter Two
A knock on the door the next morning pulls me from sleep. Opening the door, I find Alice standing on the other side. She hands me a garment bag.
"What’s this?" I ask while hesitantly taking the bag from her.
"Your uniform."
"Uniform?"
"Yes, Brighton Academy has a strict dress code. White dress shirt with the school blazer over top and tie. Either the skirt or slacks on the bottom.”
"You’re serious?"
Alice shrugs. "It's always been this way."
"Anything else?"
"You’re supposed to do something with your hair, whether it’s straightening it or putting it up in something more than a plain ponytail, and then makeup. And no abnormal-colored hair."
"So, they want us to all look alike...."
"It is what it is." She shrugs. “Meet us downstairs.”
∞∞∞
“Come on. You’ll be riding with me.” Victoria waves me forward.
A bright yellow convertible sits in the driveway as Thomas hands her the keys, and I can’t help but cringe.
“Isn’t she a beauty? It’s a Lexus LFA. Mom bought it for me for my birthday.”
An expensive car like this for her birthday? I definitely do not fit in here. I have a hard time spending ten dollars on a haircut, let alone however much on a car like this.
“It’s something, that’s for sure,” I mumble to myself as we climb into the car.
“I usually have the top down, but I curled my hair today. Can’t have it looking like a bird’s nest by the time we get to school.”
“No worries,” I numbly respond as she pulls out of the drive.
This time, I pay closer attention to the scenery around me. It’s obvious this is some rich neighborhood. As we’re waved through the property gate, I take a moment to look at the homes on either side. Each as flashy as the next. Another reminder I don’t belong here.