“Where do you think you’re going? We’ve only begun.”
Chatter surrounding me draws my eyes from Reed’s. My head swivels from left to right over and over until hands on my shoulders stop me.
“Baby girl, breathe.”
My mother's calming voice washes over me.
“You can’t trust any of these people. Keep your head about you. Get out as soon as you can.”
A voice in my ear pulls my attention from my mom.
“Little fox, are you ready?” Keaton’s voice calls.
I look back to my mom, only to find her gone. Vanished into thin air.
“Mom? Mom!” I begin shouting at the space where she was just standing.
“Mommy dearest can’t save you now. Now you’re in my world. You belong to me.”
A knock on my door pulls me from the dark place my mind had gone.
“You ready for breakfast?” Victoria calls out.
“Not yet. I’m hopping in the shower. Be down in a couple of minutes,” I call back as I shake off the lingering chill in my body.
Getting up, I hurry through a shower. Dressing in the school uniform, I sigh. Wearing skirts or slacks daily is really going to damper my mood. My only saving grace is the shoes. I found out yesterday that while black heels are common, they aren’t required. Some of the girls wore black flats. While I don’t own a pair of black flats, I plan to buy some on our shopping trip today.
Reminding myself that I only have one more day in these awful heels, I slip them on before turning to the mirror.
My eyes look tired, and there’s a slight darkening around them, but otherwise I look fine. Brushing my wet hair, I pull it up into a pony before twisting it in a bun. Victoria informed me yesterday that as long as our hair looked clean and well maintained, they didn’t care how we wore it, though she also said that a messy bun, aka my normal hairstyle, is looked down upon.
I take one last glance in the mirror. I look passable, but part of me still regrets having to conform.
It’s only day two.
I groan inwardly. Grabbing my old, tattered backpack, I leave my room. Walking into the kitchen, I smile when I notice the small breakfast laid out. I actually expected them to be in the connected dining room, but I’m glad they’re in here.
“There you are. Grab something to eat.” Alice smiles as she looks up from her newspaper.
“Thank you.” I make a plate before sitting next to her and Victoria at the table.
I nibble on my bacon before speaking. “Why are you eating in here?”
Victoria looks up from her phone as Alice sets down her paper. “We always eat in here. Mom says it’s more personal and homier.”
“Would you prefer to eat in the dining room?” Alice asks.
“No, I actually prefer eating here. My mom and I used to eat in the kitchen all the time. I mean, we didn’t have a formal dining room, but she always said she loved eating at the kitchen table.”
A warm smile fills Alice’s face. “Abagail and I used to eat in the kitchen for every meal we could get away with when we were kids. Father insisted on the formal dining room, but when he was gone? We would eat with the kitchen staff and sometimes the maids. It always felt more personal than when we would eat in the dining room. I wanted that same feeling for Victoria. When Richard’s home, we eat in the dining room sometimes, but most of the time we still eat in here.”
The fondness in her tone when she speaks about my mom brings a smile to my face. “Maybe that’s why she always preferred it too. She never really said, and I never asked. We had some of our best talks at the kitchen table.”
Alice’s eyes shine with unshed tears. “I’m happy to hear that.”
Victoria, noticing the emotion in her mother’s voice, changes the subject. “Are you ready for your second day of school?”
My nightmare flashes in my mind, but I push it away. “Yep.”
Victoria gives me a sly smile. “What about shopping afterward? I thought we could go to the mall.”
I mentally count the small amount of money I’d saved up. Enough to buy a pair of flats. Hopefully, I can find a job while there too. A mall is much better than what I thought they’d meant. I figured we’d be going to expensive stores that wouldn’t hire me based on looks alone.
“Yeah. I want to pick up a couple of things too.” I stand up and take my empty plate to the sink. “Do you think we can head out a bit early, Victoria? I want to go to the library before class.”
“Sure.” She stands up and goes around the table to kiss her mom on the cheek. “I’m going to take her to the mall right after school. We’ll probably grab dinner there. Don’t wait up.”
Alice rolls her eyes at her daughter. “Be home by ten. It’s a school night.”
“Yes, Mom.” Victoria winks at me. “Let’s go.”
Once in the car, Victoria turns down the music. “So, now that momma bear’s not around, tell me really. How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. “
“Bullshit. You look like you didn’t sleep. Listen, you don’t have to open up to me or anything, but don’t tell me you’re fine when you’re obviously not.”
She hadn’t taken her eyes from the road, but her words offered no room for argument. She’s sweet, like my first impression of her suggested, but now I can detect a little fire in her. I smile at the idea that maybe there’s more to her than I thought.
“I didn’t sleep well. That’s all I want to say.” I would give her the truth, but that didn’t mean I trusted her enough to tell her about my dreams.
“Very well, then. Are you excited about today?”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Sure. Ecstatic. I cannot wait to take bullshit classes to earn a high school diploma from a school that breeds politicians and celebrities only to use said diploma to work at a shithole diner. “
She chuckles. “That’s the spirit. Stay positive. Remember the future you have to look forward to.”
I give her a sideways glance. “You’re a bit fucked in the head, aren’t you?”
I didn’t mean to say the statement aloud, but my mouth worked faster than my mind.
Instead of anger, Victoria lets out a boisterous laugh. “Aren’t we all?”
I can’t argue with her there.
We both fall silent as we make our way to school. Victoria doesn’t speak again until she’s pulling into her parking spot. Before she turns off the car, she looks at me.
“Would it be foolish of me to ask you to try and stay out of trouble today?”
“Is that even a question?” I ask as if we’ve known each other for years instead of days.
She lets out a heavy sigh. “I figured as much, but thought I would give it a valiant effort.” She shrugs before smiling at me. “Well, let’s go fuck shit up, then. If we’re going to do this, we do it together.”
“Victoria.” I grab her hand before she can slide out. “You don’t have to get involved in my shit. I can promise you I won’t purposefully start something, but I won’t bite my tongue if someone else does. I’m not built that way. It doesn’t have to be who you are though. This is your home. This is just a stopping point for me.”