Shattered (Book Four)

Chapter 3: Marry The Night

After my encounter with Mrs. Clayton, I began taking the food out of the cupboards and started prepping for dinner.

I poured a quart of milk into a huge pot and shook the box of mash potato mix until the flakes showered on top of the liquid. I stirred it very well then focused my efforts at frozen corn sitting on the plate.

With water boiling in another small pot, I dumped the frozen corn into the water and fixed the roast beef. While I flipped the beef countless times in a frying pan, I started thinking about Mrs. Clayton's idea.

Maybe going to the spa wouldn't be such a bad idea, I thought to myself. I plopped four pieces of meat onto the plates and took a bottle of dark brown sauce.

Next, I slid the clouds of potatoes besides meat. The white steam floated from the meat then invaded my nose. Taking a deep breath, I finally set the corn on each of the plates.

One by one, I took two of the heaping plates of food and placed them on the corners of the dining table. I hastily set the table and filled the cups with water. All of a sudden, Uncle Seth came downstairs with a tired look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Clients giving you a hard time?" Because he was influenced by my father, Uncle Seth was inspired to work as a private investigator for twenty dollars an hour. But since Washington pays more attention to my parents, Uncle Seth does thankless tasks to his clients.

I think maybe it's the reason why he lives in the attic. He placed his hand over his eyes then let out a moan. "Yeah," he groaned. I gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry," I reassured. "I am sure things will get better." I pointed my finger at the steaming plate of food then back at Uncle Seth. His eyes were as big as diamonds. "Is that plate for me?" he asked.

I nodded very slowly. "It's all yours." He gave an eager kiss on the cheek then raced over to the dining table to eat his food. "This is amazing!" he swooned. "You cooked this meal?" I nodded again.

As soon as Mom and Dad came home from work, the potatoes, corn, and roast beef were already cooled down. "Wow," Dad whistled. "What is this?" I sucked my cheeks in embarrassment then stared at him in the eyes.

"Dinner," I explained. "Cleo," Mom breathed as she looked at the food. "This is amazing. You cooked this for us?" "Yeah," I answered. "But if you want, I could heat it up." Dad patted my shoulder gently then volunteered for the job.

"Just sit down and wait," he insisted. "I'll heat up the dinner." I sat down nervously then watched Uncle Seth as he sank his teeth into his corn. Mom slid her black trench coat from her shoulders and placed it on the living room couch. I watched as she swept the hair out of her eyes then headed over to the table.

As soon as I heard a loud ding, Dad placed the food in front of Mom and me then set his across from me. As we began eating, I brought up the spa topic to Mom.

"Mrs. Clayton is taking us to the spa?" Mom asked. I nodded in response. "I think it's expensive," she sighed. "Too expensive." "Maybe take your credit card," Dad suggested. "Just in case something bad happens."

"I can take my money with me," I offered. With the money I saved from bookkeeping and babysitting, I now have a total of two hundred and thirty-five dollars. "It's fine," Mom began. "You don't have to take all of your money, but just leave some in your pocket."

"Okay," I said, picking out the small pieces of corn out of the cob. After dinner, I scrubbed the plates with a worn sponge then set them on dish racks. After I dried my hands with a towel, Mom told me to go upstairs and to get dressed for the occasion.

Storming up to my bedroom, I replaced my house clothes with my periwinkle blouse, a blue plaid shirt, jeans, and black sneakers. After I combed my hair, I took a woolen gray cap out of the drawer and snagged it on top of my head.

The next thing I did was, packing my taser gun, two bottles of pepper spray, my flashlight, cellphone, fifty dollars, and tablet. I knew this wasn't what girls take to go to the spa, but I wanted to protect myself and others from danger.

I'm sure that Paige and her mother would understand. I applied small cat eyeliner and lip gloss, slung my knapsack over my shoulder, then hurried over to the living room. Mom sat on the sofa, staring at the clock with anticipation.

She wore her brown trench coat, a beautiful black dress, and Bob shoes. Her exuberant black hair simmered down her back. She didn't carry her purse or anything for that matter; although, I could see the outlines of her credit card secured nicely in her breast coat pocket.

Her wedding ring shimmered against her index finger. As Uncle Seth and Dad walked out of the rooms wearing matching suits, Dad easily noticed her beauty. "Wow," he breathed. "You look stunning. Mom smiled at him as she rose up to wrap her arms around his neck. "I bet you say that to all the pretty women." She teased.

He kissed her on the cheek and forehead then looked at Mom. "The only pretty women I see, are you and Cleo." Dad chuckled softly. I saw Mom blushed fiercely at his complement.

All of a sudden, a knock came on the door, but this time, Uncle Seth answered it. As it turns out, it was Paige and her family standing in front of the door.

They wore their evening clothes and accessories around their necks and wrists. Paige noticed me staring and waved. She had a pink top on with skinny jeans and high heels.

Her dirty blond hair was now in curls, makeup stained her face, and around her shoulder she carried her purse. It was the first time I saw her wearing girly clothes. I am starting to wonder if Ms. Clayton had something to do with it.

She wore a glittering red dress, which reminded me of Katniss' Girl On Fire outfit, red nails, and matching crimson heels. Like Paige, her curly blond hair reached down to her shoulders and wore red lipstick.

As Uncle Seth and Dad joined the boys, Mom and I walked over to the girls to discuss what our plans were. Since the spa is already closed, Ms. Clayton decided that we should go to a seafood restaurant.

"It sounds like a good idea," Mom beamed. "After dinner, we should do some shopping." Ms. Clayton said, looking at Paige. "I am sure there will be some cuter clothes for our girls."

"Ugh, Mom." I heard Paige moan. Ignoring her, she followed us out of the house. While Paige and her mother hurried into their red Hyundai, Mom and I got into our black Suburban.

Turning on the ignition, Mom turned to face me. "Are you ready?" she asked. I nodded with reluctance. Smiling, Mom pulled the car off of the driveway then trailed the beautiful Hyundai into the night.