Heiress to Waitress Page 3

  “Get back, Paulie!” A man shouted. Another set of heavy footsteps came nearer. Panic gripped my heart as I lay on the gravelly ground. Pushing with my elbows, I raised my body and came face to face with a strange guy who was kneeling beside me.

  “Are you all right?” he asked. Half his face was hidden in shadows because of the long strands of hair covering his forehead.

  Before I could reply, a heavyset man stomped by, shouting for “Paulie”.

  I stared after the man and heard a distant bark.

  The guy before me came nearer, peering at me. My heart thudded with trepidation at our close proximity. Who was he? Did he want to hurt me? The thoughts whirred through my mind.

  My eyes widened as he came into sharper focus. He appeared to be a few years older than me. A breeze blew away his hair away, revealing striking blue eyes that were fixed on me. Thin black headphone cords were visible around his neck.

  “Hello? Can you talk?”

  I swallowed before answering. “Yes. Please move away.”

  He stood up and took a step back. Bending down, he offered a hand.

  I ignored it, still unsure whether he wanted to help me or lure me into some trap. I was quite a distance away from the house. The dog and his owner had long disappeared, leaving me alone in the unknown woods with this stranger. Suddenly, all my daring vanished.

  After an effort, I pulled myself to my feet. My ankles hurt, but to my luck, I was able to put my weight on them.

  “I’ve never seen you around here before,” the guy said.

  Now that I stood beside him, I could see he was tall too. He wore a black t-shirt and khaki shorts that extended below his knees. There was a black sweatband on his left wrist. His thick sneakers were made for running. His sweaty face combined with the damp shirt told me he’d been jogging.

  “I live here,” I said, making my voice as confident as I could.

  “You mean in the woods? Like a fairy?” He smiled at his own silly joke.

  I frowned and walked past him. All of a sudden, I felt fingers gripping my arm.

  “Let go!” I hissed, twisting my arm to get out of his hold.

  “Wait a second,” he said. His shadowed face hovered over mine. “You’re bleeding.”

  “I don’t care,” I shouted, jerking my hand out of his grip. “Stay back!” Blood pounded in my ears as I stepped away from him and broke into a run.

  “Wait,” he called out.

  I ran at top speed even though my ankles ached with each stride. The skin on my arm burned, but I did not stop running until I had reached the tree-bridge. This time, however, I went around it, not wanting to gamble falling into the stream and risk getting caught again.

  I was panting heavily by the time the cluster of trees began thinning. The slanted roof of the house came into view. With my hope renewed, I ran the short distance until the small rusty gate appeared among the hedges.

  Entering through the gate, I pulled at the vines to cover it. If the boy was following me, I would make it difficult for him to find me.

  I collapsed on the grass, looking up at the blue sky. My chest heaved as I struggled to breathe. However, a feeling of safety stole through me as I stared up at the house.

  As my heart rate dropped to normal, I finally felt at home.

  What a strange thing to think.

  Chapter 3

  I didn’t tell Sarah about the incident in the woods. By the time I got back inside the house, she was nowhere to be found. Tiptoeing upstairs, I peered through the door of James’s room. He had headphones over his head, reading something on his I-pad. Without making a sound, I headed towards the bathroom to inspect my injuries.

  The fall had torn the sleeves of my shirt and scraped my elbow. The guy wasn’t lying about me bleeding, but I was glad to be away from him. There was a first-aid kit in the cabinet over the sink. Using the antiseptic solution I cleaned the wound and slapped a band-aid over it. The only thing that made me regret the whole incident was ruining a good shirt. There were just a few more left in my suitcase.

  I went back to my room and got another shirt out. Putting it on, I made sure it covered my elbows. Hiding the torn one under my mattress, I went downstairs.

  A noise at the door stopped me at the foot of the stairs. Fear gripped me, rooting to the spot. Had the strange guy followed me home after all? No one knocked, but a scratching noise could be heard coming from outside.

  Suddenly, I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. With a shriek, I jumped away. With my heart pounding painfully, I made a slow turn towards the staircase.

  James stood there with eyebrows raised at me.

  “What?”

  I shook my head, calming myself. James’s presence calmed me. Even though he was younger, he was taller than me and well-built. He inherited our father’s height and his years of playing sport at the Academy had built up his muscles. He could be intimidating if he wiped away the goofiness from his face.

  Going towards him, I pointed at the door at the end of the hall.

  “What?” he said again.

  “Listen,” I urged.

  He gave me another curious look but looked towards the door. Signaling me to stay back, he edged towards the end of the hall.

  “Who is it?” he said in his gravest tone.

  “James? Is that you?”

  From the voice coming, we knew it was our mother. Turning to take a look at me, James opened the door.

  “Oh good! My hands were so full, I couldn’t even ring the bell,” said Sarah, balancing four dishes in her arms.

  James moved forward to take off the load, while she stepped indoors.

  Hiding my relief, I went towards her. “What’s all this?”

  “I went out to look for the supermarket and met Mrs. Abernathy. She called me in for tea. Martha and Ann saw me enter her house and called Janet to join us at Mrs. Abernathy’s home.” She must have noticed our incredulous looks, before chuckling and saying, “They are old friends of mine. They would have all come over to deliver the pies, but decided to meet me at Mrs. Abernathy’s for a long chat.”

  “They brought all this food just to say hello?” James asked, placing the dishes on the table in the kitchen.

  “It’s what people do here. When someone new moves in, people welcome them with pies and food. It’s a helpful gesture. People help out with food when a family is going through tough times. It was thoughtful of them. I have not cooked in ages, so we should be grateful for the homemade meals that come in.”

  “There seems to be enough to feed us for a week,” said James, removing the covers from the dishes. “Can we eat this lasagna for dinner, Mother?”

  “Not today, dear. Jonathan will be coming over with pizza this evening.”

  “Won’t it all go bad though?” I asked.

  “I will freeze them. That way, we just reheat the food whenever we are ready to eat.”

  “Let me at least have a bite of this crumble,” said James in his drawling voice. “It’s lunchtime.”

  “Fine,” said Sarah, going to the sink to fill a glass of water. “Also, they call those a cobbler here.”

  “Well, this apple cobbler smells delicious,” declared James.

  Sarah smiled. “It’s Janet’s superpower.”

  “Want some?” asked James, glancing towards me.

  I nodded, watching him cut out two generous portions of the cobbler.

  Pulling the plate towards me, I spooned some and put it in my mouth. No matter what people called a crumble here, it was delectable. The apples were sweet with an underlying tartness. The combined fragrance of cinnamon and apple was delicious. The filling was still warm.

  “Do we have ice cream?” James asked, speaking my thought.

  “Let me check,” said Sarah, opening the freezer door. “We do. I’ll get it.”

  After a minute, she scooped vanilla ice cream on the side of our plates. The combination was truly divine.

  “So good,” I murmured.

  From th
e corner of my eyes, I noticed Sarah watching us intently. Her soft brown eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

  Turning towards her, I said, “Mother, are you all right?”

  “Yes,” she said with a quiver in her voice. “I’m just happy to see you guys adapting so well here. I wasn’t sure how things would be, but looks like we’re going to be okay.”

  I nodded, diving back for some more of the luscious apple cobbler.

  Later that evening, Jonathan Brown came to the house with a large box of pizza and a bottle of wine. That day, he was dressed more casually in jeans and a navy blue shirt. For the first half hour after his arrival, we bustled around the kitchen to set up places at the dining table. It took us longer than normal because neither James nor I were used to such simple tasks. We got in each other’s way, bickered and got Sarah to join in to break the squabbles. Fortunately, the enticing aroma of baked pepperoni and cheese brought back our good humor.

  Once we settled down, Sarah served us all a slice of pizza while Jonathan filled his glass and hers with wine. James and I got fizzy drinks.

  “Thank you for bringing us dinner,” said Sarah.

  “You’re welcome,” he said with a smile. Then his gaze slid over to us. “I have some news for you guys.”

  James and I looked up.

  “Your mother sent me and the school all your information and transcripts. So, I was able to see to it that both of you got enrolled at Knightswood High,” announced Jonathan. “You start on Monday.”

  I stared at him. We had just arrived there. Surely, it took longer to find a good school that catered to our interests.

  “We haven’t even seen the place,” said James in his drawl. It told me he wasn’t happy about being enrolled in a strange school either.

  “There’s nothing to see,” said Sarah. “It’s the closest public school. Every kid in Knightswood goes there.”

  “Public school?” James scoffed.

  “James,” said Sarah in her low, warning tone. “It is what we can afford.”

  James’s face soured. He began stuffing pizza into his mouth as fast as he could. I simply sat back in my chair, too anxious at the prospect of joining a new school. A loud noise broke me from my thoughts.

  James had brought down his glass on the table. “I am done. Excuse me.”

  Without waiting for a reply, he got up and left the kitchen.

  “I’m sorry about him,” said Sarah in a worried tone. “He’ll come around.”

  “It’s fine,” said Jonathan. “They have been through a lot in a very short span of time. They are searching for familiarity and a new school offers anything, but that.”

  “You’re not angry too?” Sarah asked, glancing at me. Even if I was, I would have lied. She looked close to the brink of tears.

  “I’m not angry, Mother. Just worried. The school system must be quite different to what we are used to back home.”

  “I will help,” said Jonathan. “If you would allow me,” he added.

  “How?”

  “I teach at Knightswood High. I can tell you everything you need to know about the education system in the state. It will help you settle in better. What do you say?”

  “That would be helpful. Thanks,” I said. “What do you teach, Mr. Brown?”

  “I am a math teacher for the higher grades. Calculus, Trigonometry and Geometry are my specialties.”

  “Do they teach music or drama at the school?” asked Sarah. “Olivia loves the arts.”

  “They don’t teach them as subjects, but there are drama and music clubs at the school that are active. Few years ago, one of our students made it to Julliard.”

  “That’s wonderful,” said Sarah. “That’s not too bad, is it?”

  “No,” I said, hesitating a little. “Not at all.”

  “How about you give me a list of subjects that interest you most? I will get you registered for the classes. It would be good if you could get your brother to do the same.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Brown. I appreciate it.” I glanced at Sarah. “Mother, may I be excused?”

  The slice of pizza on my plate was still only half finished, but I had lost all my appetite. There were things to consider and not much time left. I hoped my mother would not make me stay back to finish the rest of my food. I was at least polite to Jonathan, unlike James.

  “Fine,” she said after a moment’s consideration.

  “Goodbye, Mr. Brown.”

  “Bye,” he said with a small smile.

  James’s door was completely closed. I entered my room and shut myself in as well. The room barely looked familiar. As I sat on the bed, it seemed almost ridiculous to think of starting a new school. Back home, we could opt out to start college at my age. I had remained in the Academy to gain sufficient years of academic studies so that I could start with university. Things were obviously different in the States.

  Before life took an unexpected turn, I had planned to study law along with pursuing music. Father had bought me a grand piano when I was four years old. He began teaching me right then. We bonded over our love for music and since then, it had been an integral part of my life. However, circumstances had changed now. I needed to think of subjects that were more practical and would help me get a job in the near future.

  Going over to the desk, I checked the three drawers attached under it. One of them contained stationary items. I took a pen and notepad from inside it and made a list. The subjects mostly involved Math, English and Social Sciences. I wrote down the advanced topics mentioned in my Academy’s curriculum and hoped Jonathan would be able to figure out the classes I needed to take.

  Some of these were integral for the law entrance exams. I had already begun going through the prescribed books back at the Academy to plan my future terms. Hoping the new school would allow me to take up the subjects, I went downstairs.

  Sarah and Jonathan had left off their pizzas too and taken up their glasses of wine. They spoke in low voices. They both looked surprised to see me.

  “Are you still hungry, Olivia?” asked Sarah.

  “No, Mother. I wanted to see Mr. Brown.”

  I walked forward and handed him the sheet of paper. After taking a quick look, he nodded.

  “I can definitely sign you up for these,” he said.

  Sarah went to stand behind his chair and peered over his shoulder.

  “There’s no mention of the music club here,” she said, glancing up at me. “We should sign you up for it too.”

  “I don’t know yet, Mother. I wouldn’t know anyone there.”

  “How would you know them if you don’t sign for the club and participate with the others?”

  “It’s more than I can handle. I need time to adjust there,” I said, trying to explain to her.

  “But-”

  “Let it be for now,” interrupted Jonathan. “The club’s not going anywhere and they allow sign-ups all through the year. Besides, it’s the first time for them in this town…unlike you.”

  Sarah’s eyes widened as she slowly nodded. “I’m sorry for pressuring you, honey. Just because we are no longer in Scotland, doesn’t mean we can’t be happy. I want you to take hold of every opportunity.”

  “I’ll confirm with the administrative office tomorrow and let you know,” said Jonathan. He smiled. “Looks like I’ll get to be your teacher after all.”

  I tried to smile back. It was already awkward to have a would-be teacher drinking wine from coffee mugs with Mother.

  “Later,” I said and went back to my room.

  With a mind to going to bed, I changed into my pajamas. I went to brush my teeth and was glad to find the bathroom empty. James was still locked inside his room, but I could see light flooding onto the carpet from the gap in the lower end of the door. I went inside my room and sat in front of the old dressing table. Taking my own hairbrush, I began combing out the knots from my blond locks. For a moment, my gaze fixed on my reflection. I need sleep, I decided after surveying the dark circles. It ma
de my green eyes look ghostly.

  Before going to bed, I stopped at the window. Parting the curtain, I peered into the darkness outside. All was quiet and stationary, except for the distant treetops that swayed gently in a light breeze. The night air was cold. Before moving away, I closed the window and secured the drapes over it.

  Chapter 4

  The next few days flew by without any incident. It was probably because I avoided going into the woods behind the house. Even though I had to endure the neighbors staring at me, it was safer to explore Willow Lane. During this time, James and I discovered the route to Knightswood High as well. Neither of us wanted to travel by the school bus. To our luck, the school was just under a mile from where we lived.

  My suitcase was unpacked and most of its contents were placed in the cupboard in my room. Even though it was small and old, there was a lot of empty space still remaining. Jonathan told me there were no uniforms required at the school. Students dressed as they wished. Being used to wearing fixed uniforms all my life, this new freedom seemed quite daunting. Suddenly, none of my dresses looked smart enough to be worn.

  I went downstairs to look for my mother. I found her in the living room, reading an old diary. She wore another of her old dress and sat with her feet up on the sofa. If it weren’t for the crow’s feet around her eyes, she could pass for a teenager. She had changed over the past week. Her accent began sounding more American than Scottish. She no longer wore formal dresses or put her hair in elegant chignons. I suppose she was gradually going back to the person she had been before marrying my father.

  “What’s up, Olivia?” she asked, putting aside the diary.

  “I wanted to talk to you about something,” I said. “Are you busy with that?” I asked, glancing at the book beside her.

  “No. Come here,” she said, patting the seat beside her. “I’ll show you what it is.”

  When I sat next to her, she picked up the diary and put it in my hand. “This is your grandmother’s recipe book. We can’t rely on others for food all the time.”