Hidden Away

Looking into the mirror, checking my outfit and make-up before leaving my room. My name is Jessica Lindsay and I am nothing but an average teenage girl. At five feet seven inches, I am taller than my friends, but shorter than the guys. Dressed in my normal blue jeans and short shelved tie-dyed tee shirt that Dee Dee made, and white tennis shoes. My hair is brown with blond highlights that fall in soft curls half way down my back. I keep my make-up simple, making my brown eyes stand out. Now that I am ready to start this day, it is time to head to the kitchen to get breakfast. Tina is in the kitchen fixing breakfast like she does every morning as long as I can remember. Tina is my stepmother who came into my life when I was two years old. She stands just over five feet tall, with short black hair, green eyes, an amazing hour-glass figure and always wearing a knee-length maxi dress. My mother died from cancer when I was six months old, so she is my mother and all I have ever known. I was told by Tina that my father, Alston, had taken my birth mother's death hard as she was the other part of his soul. She was working that night, as a waitress, at the town diner when dad had to stop to eat. She always smiles when telling anyone about the night she met us. How dad walked in with me wrapped up in a pink blanket and carried me in a shoulder sling. He stood six feet five inches, with dark brown eyes, a strong jaw line, and muscles from head to toe. Tina had moved to Wilson four months earlier with the help of some friends. Her ex-boyfriend was an abusive narcissist that sometimes got physically abusive. She said she knew she had to leave when she found out she was pregnant. After two months in Wilson, she had a miscarriage. She tells me that she thought it was faith that we came into her life that night. It was a slow night, so after she brought dad his food she sat down and offered to help him with me while he ate. He told her he had been on the road for weeks looking for the right place to raise me. He bought a house there a few days later, and opened his own Architect's Company. I do not have all the details about Tina and dad's marriage. I do know she has told me that it was an agreed understanding. That she wanted nothing more than to be a mother and did not want the heart to lose a child again. That she had me to live out her dreams with and that was better than looking for love. But the unthinkable happened to us when I was ten years old. When I walked into the kitchen she was at the table crying. Looking up at me, she smiled, threw the tears and told me "Do not worry sweetie, we will be fine." she handed me the note that was left by my dad, telling us that his father had died and he had to return home to help the family out. Which made no sense, he told us that he had no family. We were fine because he had put the house in Tina's name and paid off. He also paid off her car, left fifty thousand dollars in the joint checking account, and he sends fifteen hundred dollars monthly by direct deposit. The monthly deposits is how we know he is still alive, because he never calls, writes, or sends gifts after he sent Tina divorce papers giving her sole custody of me. Though I made Tina happy, she lacked the need for another touch as she put it. She started dating when I was thirteen years old. My dad made it hard for her to find a man, because she always put them to the standards that he had shown her. Finally, a few months before my sixteenth birthday, she met a man who not only met those standards, but had the same muscle build. She and Tony Fairwood were married a month after I turned sixteen. I soon realized that he was not interested in my mother, but me, and it was creeping me out. So I enrolled into the work program at school, giving me a reason to stay out of the house. Only a few of my closet friends know, and they help keep me busy too. I have been saving my paychecks. My mother tells me that I do not have to pay for anything and that she is overly proud that I am working to instill good work behavior for the future, but she wishes I would just concentrate on school and colleges. That she did not have the opportunity to go to college and she would like me to go and find my true calling in life. I just can not find it in me to tell her about my plan to leave after my eighteenth birthday because of the way Tony watches me. I have caught him following me too. She is happy, and she deserves it. Tina looks up from the stove and smiles big at me. "I have sent out all the graduation announcements and the graduation party invites. I also had the cake ordered the way you wanted. Also, Dee Dee's mother is going to be catering the party."I can feel the excitement coming from her. Shaking my head, "I told you, I do not need a party." She took my hands into hers "You will only graduate high school once, and only turn eighteen once. Who else do you know can celebrate both at once?" both of us started laughing, "No mother, I do not". Then Tony walked into the kitchen wearing his sleeping pants and a tight white tee shirt. "I promised Dee Dee that I would meet her before school, to go over college choices." leaving as quickly as possible without being too noticeable that I did not want to be in the same room as Tony. Dee Dee has been my best friend since we started kindergarten together. She and her mother, Kathy, who had been there, threw everything with my mother and I. They made the worst moment of our life seem not to be that bad, and we tried to do the same for them when Keith, Dee Dees father, left them for the town w***e. Which was worse than not knowing where my dad was, they were the town gossip for months. I walked into the front door without knocking like I live there. "Dee Dee, where are you?" I yelled as I walked into the house. "We are in the kitchen," Ms. Kathy yells back. I can see the kitchen island where Dee Dee is sitting on a stool. As usual, she has her mouth full of food. "Oh look at you two matching!" Ms. Kathy has the same excitement and energy as mom has. We almost match. Dee Dee is four inches shorter, with blue eyes, the same hair color, just she has a pixie cut. As Dee swallows her food, "we got the invite to the graduation/birthday party. Should we go shopping for new outfits?" I rolled my eyes, "yeah we can, I just don't understand why mom is making this into such a big deal." Spinning around Ms. Kathy answered, "That is easy my dear, you are her greatest accomplishment. She has to show this whole town that she has done her best and-you have become the most well mannered, smart, and outgoing girl that she had hoped for." Smiling back "I guess when you put it that way, I can not be upset with her. So what kind of outfits are you thinking?" Dee Dee's smile reached her eyes, so I was unsure if I was going to like this. "We follow in your mom's choices and wear maxi dresses!" I nodded my head, yeah we can do that. We started walking towards the high school. It is our last week, and the next part of our lives will start. Where as most of our classmates, including Dee Dee, know what they want to do next, I am still trying to figure out what it is I want to do, or where I want to hide from Tony. I know leaving is going to hurt mom and not telling her where I am going or why is going to devastate her. Dee Dee brings me out of my thoughts when she puts her arm into mine, pulling me close and whispering "Omg he is following us to school now. How has no one seen how he is stalking you!" A knot is in my stomach, "I do not know. I want to tell mom, but she does not need to be hurt by another man." Walking into the school means I am safe from him, for now. This week has passed by fast. Every day at school, we were practicing for graduation. Every afternoon was the same. I went to work at the local grocery store as a cashier. After I got off on Monday, Dee Dee and I went shopping for graduation and the party. Mrs. Dean, the owner of the boutique, helped us find the perfect maxi dresses and shoes for both events. On Tuesday I went over and had dinner with Dee Dee. On Wednesday, I went home and had dinner with mom. She talked a lot, and some things she said were outside normal, but I did not question her about that. On Thursday night, I got everything laid out and ready for the morning graduation, and then the afternoon party. My graduation/birthday party was the biggest thing going on in town, so it was on the front page of the town newspaper. I lay in bed awake before my alarm started to go off. I am a bundle of nerves. Getting up, I head to the bathroom to get a shower, to wake up and hopefully wash away some of these nerves. Before I make it to the bathroom, Tony steps out of the master suite and smiles at me in a cringing way. He steps between me and the bathroom, "In the next few days, we will know who you truly are. Do you know who you are?" I stepped away, looking at him like he lost his mind. "I know who I am." He nodded his head slowly, "but do you really? What do you know about your father? Your birth mother? and their families?" shaking my head, "I know what I need to know." He steps closer, "But you do not know what you need to know. And when you do learn the truth, it will be frightening." Then, he walked away like we had never spoken. I now needed a shower to help me clear my mind from that conversation. Twenty minutes of a hot shower did nothing to relieve my nerves, or help make sense of the conversation with Tony. Has he been here watching me because of who he thinks I am? Or who he thinks my father is? Is that why he has been following me? Why has he chosen today of all days to talk to me about my family that I know nothing about? Walking into my room with a towel wrapped around me, I noticed a pretty floral box with a pink ribbon sitting on my bed that was not there when I went to shower. Smiling to myself, mom is always doing these kinds of things. I am going to miss them when I leave. Walking over to the bed and picking up the little card attached to the box, my smile faded. To Jessica From Tony, What? Why? He was in my room. I quickly looked around to make sure I was alone, then I just as quickly put my graduation maxi dress on. What made him think it was okay to come into my room? Now dressed, I walked back to the box and slowly opened it to see what was in it. On the top was a gold necklace, with a wolf pendant. It makes sense he has been watching me these past few years so that he would know I loved watching movies and reading about wolves. Under the necklace are books I have never heard of before; "Shifters, an unknown world" and "The hierarchy of Wolf Shifters". These are not what I normally read, they are written like information and not fantasy. I will have to ask him about them. I go straight to the kitchen where I know I will find mom, but for some reason she is not cooking this morning. "Mom, is something wrong?" She looks up at me and smiles as I sit next down to her. "No sweetie. I have not told you, but as part of the divorce agreement with your father, he said he wanted to buy your first car, and that it would be sent on your graduation day." I give her a small smile, "Okay, but why are you sitting her looking like you are about to cry?" Shaking her head as if she is trying to find the words, "because today is one day closer to you being an adult. I have raised you and watched you become a smart and talented young woman. You have several colleges to choose from, yet you have not chosen one. I wonder why?" I shrugged my shoulders as she continued "you know, it is okay if you want to follow behind your father and become an architect. You have his talents." I used to try to hide my drawings from her, but she always found them and hung them around the house. She used to tell me that hiding my talent was not going to be done in our home. I looked at her with tears burning in my eyes, "I do not know what I want to do." She is nodding her head, but looks like her mind is in a different place. "I completely understand, you do not have to chose now or tomorrow. You can live day to day, until you know what you want to do. I just wish you to choose a college that you go to and get your Associates Degree. That way, when you do decide what you want to do, you will be that much closer to achieving it." As her eyes met mine, "I haven't thought about it that way, no matter what career I chose I will need my Associates. Thank you mom." The phone goes off and mom looks at me with pride in her eyes, "It is time to leave for your graduation, are you ready?" I nodded my head as we both stood and walked towards her car. Once we were backing out of the driveway, I asked "Where is Tony?" "Oh, he went to pick up the cake and make sure the decorations are being believed and set up while we are at your graduation. He said he would be there in time to see you graduate." Well, that means that I will be no closer to understanding the conversation or the gift he left. At least my nerves have settled and graduation will be over in the next hour and a half. I am glad we are at the closing of the ceremony, it is almost eleven thirty and the sun is being hard on us today. We all walk around the back of the chairs forming a huge circle and tossing our caps, as close to ourselves so we do not have to hunt them down. We hear clapping and yells of congratulations from family and friends back in their seats. Dee Dee grabs me and pulls me off to the side where our parents are waiting to take pictures of us and with us. Just as the excitement and fun of graduation was dying off on one of my classmates, Kelley and her friends came by to say "Cant wait for this afternoon, see you soon." Oh crap, did she have to remind me that today is far from over? Tony had dropped his truck off at the house and walked to the football stadium for my graduation, so he drove with mom on the passenger side of the car and I in the back. He looks at mom, she looks lost, "There was no big present in the driveway when I left and he was not there either. Just breathe, we will get through this day. He said he would send the car and her present, not bring it." That is it, mom is afraid that dad will show up today. As we got closer to the house, we could see that there is a car and something else being delivered. Tony parked mom's car in the driveway and we all got out. I was in the lead as Tony ushered mom behind us. A man in his early thirties was waiting for us with keys in his hand. "Ms. Jessica, I am delivering your graduation and birthday presents from Mr. Alston. He is sorry he could not make it today as he is extremely busy. He does send his best wishes, and also this card." He hands the keys and card over to me, turns and walks away to get into a truck with another guy, then drives off. We all just look at each other before looking at what had been left. In front of the house is a brand new gray Jeep Wrangler with a small camper. Getting a closer look at the Jeep is four-wheel drive. Automatic, leather interior, and four doors. Opening the driver's door and sliding in to get a good look at the inside, it is loaded. With Bluetooth, navigation, and a back-up camera on an 8.4 inch touch screen display, controls on the steering wheel, and heated seats. After looking at the inside, we walked to the back to check out the small gray camper. Tony spoke up "it is a tear drop camper. They are small and light weight, a good fight with the jeep." Mom looked at him with big eyes like she could not believe he had just said that. Inside was cute. When you open the door, one side is a dinette with a window, and the other side has a galley kitchen that leads to the back, with a queen-sized bed with a small window. Between the bed and the dinette is a small wet bath.It has bluethooth media center with a small TV, an instant hot water system, central AC and heat, and a solar roof. Wow! This is amazing. I could go anywhere and Tony would have a hard time stalking me then. I could hear Dee Dee before seeing her, "OMG! Yes, this is you. I want to go with you!" I walked out of the camper smiling big at her. Together we are loud and excited at the opportunity to travel in a small camper wherever we want. "I can not believe your mom would give you something so awesome." Shaking my head, and before I had a chance to say anything, mom did "I did not get it for her. Alston did. Though I dread the moment she is ready to pack and leave, I have to agree with his choice." Tears are streaming down her face and I join her soon. She knew I needed to leave and never said anything.