The Ones She Left Behind

Chapter Two

Maggie sat in front of a vanity table as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her appearance almost looked foreign to her, if not for her naturally tan skin, thick black hair, and chocolate brown eyes. She couldn't remember the last time she had used so much make-up, but Lani had insisted on doing it for her, claiming it would help her look less like a little girl and more like an adult.

A thick coat of sparkly pink eyeshadow combined with pink eyeliner and black mascara gave off a playful, flirty look. Ice pink lip gloss topped it off.

"I feel pretty." Her lips curved into a smile.

"You shouldn't need make-up just to feel pretty," Topher said.

Maggie turned to him. He was sitting behind her on her aunt's bed.

"Yeah, right. Because I'm so pretty guys are beating my door down to get to me." She sighed. "You saw Aunt Lani. I'm nothing compared to her."

Standing up, Topher strode over to her. Maggie was almost jealous he could walk effortlessly over the creaky floorboards and not make a sound, but it was best that way. Her aunt could never find out he existed. Topher never went into details about what would happen if anyone found out their secret, but one thing was certain: he would have to leave, and she never wanted him to go.

He rested his hands on her shoulders. Warmth spread through her.

"Maggie, you're beautiful. You don't need to compare yourself to some twenty-eight-year-old train wreck."

She rolled her eyes. "At least she's not covered in scars."

Topher spun the stool around, forcing her to look at him. For six years, he had been stuck in a twelve-year-old boy's body, but his soul was that of a eighteen-year-old. Usually, she tried not to think about that, but times like now, she had no choice. His child-like innocence was long gone, but Maggie wasn't sure it was ever there to begin with. She certainly had never seen it.

Then again, Maggie didn't really know what childlike innocence was herself. If she ever had it, she was certain it disappeared the first time she witnessed her father strike her mother.

"Scars aren't a bad thing. They're a reminder that you're alive and that the past can never hurt you again."

She looked in the mirror again, but this time it wasn't her reflection staring back at her. Instead, it was the bruised seven-year-old girl who had just been pushed down the stairs by her father. Wincing, she looked away.

As if reading her mind, Topher said, "Someday, it'll get better. The memories won't continue to haunt you unless you let them."

"How do you know?" Through the mirror, she looked at the spot he was standing, but she couldn't see him through the glass.

"I just do."

Sharp rapping against the door made Maggie jump. Aunt Lani opened the door before she could say anything.

"Maggie, Ronnie's sister, Rydelle, is here."

Maggie glanced at Topher. He nodded, and she followed her aunt to the front door.

A tall, pale-skinned red-head waited downstairs, her fingers moving quickly against her cell phone screen. She wore a denim mini-skirt and a plaid button-down shirt that looked at least two sizes too big for her, and she left a few of the top buttons unbuttoned, showing off her cleavage.

In comparison to her, Maggie felt even even smaller, almost like she belonged back in middle school. She couldn't help that the women in her father's family were short. She may have been blessed with her mom's black hair and tan skin, but she missed out on her height.

Looking up from her phone, Rydelle's lips curled into a smile. "You must be Maggie."

Maggie forced herself to smile back. "Nice to meet you."

"Alright, enough with the small talk." Lani pressed her hand against Maggie's back, shoving her forward. Maggie's eyes widened, but Topher grabbed her hand, calming her instantly. "Have her back by no later than one, Rydelle."

What kind of curfew was that, Maggie wondered, but pushed the thought aside as she followed Rydelle outside to a small blue truck that looked to be at least ten years old, if not twenty.

"It's my boyfriend's," Rydelle said. "He and his brother are attempting to fix my car, so he let me borrow his truck."

Climbing in the passenger door, Maggie glanced through the window to find Topher standing in the truck bed.

"So, welcome to nowheresville, North Carolina," Rydelle said as Maggie buckled her seat belt.

"Thank you." Maggie's voice sounded small and timid compared to Rydelle's loud, confident voice.

"There's not much to do around here, but we're pretty close to some tourist towns, at least," Rydelle continued. "So, where are you from?"

"I moved around a lot," Maggie said, staring out the window. "I was born in Hawaii, but don't ask me where exactly. We moved for the first time when I was three."

"Wow. You really are a fish out of water. Has anywhere else you lived after that been in the South?"

"A couple." Maggie didn't really want to elaborate, often choosing to forget her short-lived stays with "family".

"Do you like it here so far?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "I just got here a few hours ago."

Rydelle cursed under her breath, glaring at the steering wheel. "Of course Lyle would leave me with an empty tank. Hold on."

Seconds later, Rydelle pulled into a gas station and hopped out. Maggie smiled at Topher who had made himself comfortable in the truck bed, but her focus was broken by a loud bang from nearby. Wide-eyed, she turned to the sound, only to find a middle-aged man trying to start up an old Pontiac.

Her face drained of color as her breaths grew shallow. She didn't see how Topher got in, but he was by her side in an instant, his hands on her shoulders. "Maggie, it was just a car backfiring. You're okay. You're not there anymore."

With shaky hands, Maggie opened the door and ran inside the gas station, collapsing inside the empty women's restroom. Tears trickled down her face as her body shook. As she curled into a ball, Topher wrapped his arms around her.

"Maggie, it's going to be okay." Topher's voice was warm and understanding, but it didn't help to calm her down.

Maggie stared down the hallway to her parents' room. As usual, her father sounded angry, but her mom sounded even angrier.

She took a step closer as Topher placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Maggie, don't go in there. You don't want to get in the middle of this."

Snap.

Something stirred inside her. That sound. Almost like a lock. Like something falling into place . . . .

She took a few steps closer. She was almost a foot away from the door.

"If you take one step closer, I swear to God I'll shoot!" Her mom's voice made Maggie's heart lurch.

"You don't have the balls! You would probably miss!" Her father let out a hardy laugh. "Do you even know where the trigger is?"

There was a second's pause, but for Maggie it felt like minutes.

"You mean this thing right here?"

Maggie peered through the doorway, but Topher stood before her. He was transparent, but she still didn't have a clear view.

"Maggie, you need to get out of here right now. I can't protect you if you don't listen to me now."

She didn't budge. His words barely registered in her brain.

"The thing dangling between your legs will be the first to go," her mom said. "Remember our first date? How you coerced me with alcohol so I would have s*x with you? When I found out I was pregnant, I wanted to castrate you then, but I didn’t want to give birth in prison. I should’ve killed you then. Maggie would be better off than she is now if I had done what I set out to do." She paused. "She would be better off in foster care than she is living within fifty miles of you!"

"She's as much my daughter as she is yours! Go ahead and try to take her. I'll take it to court, tell them how unsafe she is with a pill-popping druggie like you."

"I wouldn't need pills if it wasn't for you! I'm tired of being screwed with. Take another step closer. I dare you."

"Maggie, for the last time, please go!" Topher was begging now, but she still wouldn't listen.

"You're bluffing. You're nothing more than a lazy, good for nothing piece of—"

A loud noise cut him off. Her mom staggered back, as if something pushed her. It was the first time Maggie had ever heard the sound of gunfire.

"Maggie, snap out of it. Come back to me." Topher tried sending her warmth and calming feelings, but they weren't enveloping her like they usually did, as if they couldn't reach her.

"Maggie, please let me in. I can help you." He rested his hands just above her hips. "I can take the pain away if you'll let me."

Looking in his eyes, the walls surrounding her heart crumbled into bits of nothing. The comforting feelings spread from her sides to her chest and to her brain. In a matter of seconds, the memories faded, her crying and shaking stopped, and she felt fine.

"Are you okay now?"

She nodded.

"Do you want to talk about anything?"

She shook her head. "I just want to get out of here and get this night over with. Rydelle probably thinks I'm a freak."

Topher followed Maggie out of the store and hopped into the bed. Maggie climbed inside the truck and buckled up. Rydelle never asked her what was wrong, for which she was glad.

A few minutes later, Rydelle turned off onto a dirt path. Tree limbs brushed against the truck, scraping the windows. She'd never gone through woods at night, and she was glad she wasn't alone.

Rydelle stopped in front of the first house they came across. It looked old, but judging by the outside, it must've been well taken care of.

"This is my boyfriend's house," Rydelle said. "I had plans to come here tonight, but don't worry. You won't be a third wheel or anything."

She got out of the truck and followed a few feet behind Rydelle who, much to Maggie's dismay, headed for the woods. Topher fell into step beside her. At least he was there, she thought.

Not too far into the woods, Maggie saw a flash of orange flames in the distance. Rydelle sped up, creating more distance between them. When Maggie caught up to her, Rydelle was already talking to the blond-haired guy tending the fire. They seemed completely oblivious to her presence, so Maggie turned her attention to Topher.

At first glance, Topher seemed fine, but rather than returning her gaze, Topher stared at the fire as if in a trance.

"You okay?" Maggie whispered.

A long second passed before he finally turned his attention to her. "Yeah, everything's fine."

"Maggie, get over here."

As if snapped out of a trance, Maggie walked toward Rydelle who motioned for her to join them.

"This is Lyle."

Forcing a smile, she greeted him, and he returned it with a friendly smile.

"Nice to meet you. I'm glad you survived Ry's driving."

Rydelle glared at him. "Oh hush. At least I didn't fail my driving test five times like someone I know."

Footsteps caught Maggie's attention as she turned to the source. A guy who looked like Lyle was coming toward them carrying a cooler and a bag of marshmallows.

"Yeah, but which of us here got pulled over by a cop first?" The Lyle look-a-like said.

Rydelle scowled. "Tailgate parties, no seatbelts, driving one-hundred miles an hour . . . One of these days, you two are going to get in so much trouble that my little ticket will look like nothing."

As if just noticing Maggie, the Lyle look-alike looked her up and down. As he drew closer, she realized the similarities weren't as much as she thought on first look. This guy appeared to be a couple inches shorter than Lyle, and while Lyle's blond hair was straight and clean-cut, the other guy had blonde, shaggy hair that fell a little past his ears. They could've been twins, she thought, or Lyle could've been slightly older.

Rydelle slung her arm around Maggie's shoulders. Maggie tensed, but Rydelle didn't seem to notice. "Lewis, this is Maggie. Lani's niece. And Maggie, this is Lewis, Lyle's little brother. "

Lewis gave her a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you. Though, I should've known you're related to Lani. You kind of look like her."

Maggie smiled as a light blush crept on her face. Her aunt was gorgeous, and while she didn't entirely believe she looked much like her, it was still the best compliment she had heard in a while.

"So, how do you all know my aunt?"

The three exchanged glances, and after several moments of silence, Rydelle spoke up, "Did Lani ever tell you where she works?"

Maggie shook her head.

"She's a waitress," Lyle said. "And, she has a second job. We know her mainly because her second job involves Ry's brother."

Rydelle sighed. "I keep telling Ronnie he's an i***t, but he never listens."

A thousand thoughts swirled through Maggie's head. What was she? Some undercover secret agent? A hitman? d**g dealer?

"Don't worry. You'll be fine. Just, what she's doing is kind of illegal," Lewis said. "Heck, maybe living with you will straighten her out. Maybe she'll learn responsibility."

Maggie wasn't sure which of them burst into laughter first.

"But seriously, don't worry," Rydelle said once she stopped laughing. "I'm sure you'll be fine. It's her you should be worried about. She's going to get herself in a real mess one of these days."

Maggie glanced around, until her gaze fixed on Topher. As she expected, he was frowning.

"Go for a walk," he instructed.

Maggie looked back at Rydelle and shifted her weight. "I need a bathroom."

"It's to the left of the living room," she answered.

"I can show you where it is if you want," Lewis said.

"That's okay. I can find it on my own." Maggie started walking away, Topher right beside her.

"Now, what did you want?" Maggie asked once they were far enough away they couldn't be heard.

"You just looked like you need a moment alone," he said. "About Lani . . . if you're worried, you know I won't let anything bad happen to you."

She nodded, staring at the ground. "I know. What bothers me is that I'm about to share a house with someone I know nothing about."

"If it's any help, I know what her second job is." His frown deepened. "She's a hooker, pretty much."

Maggie bit her lip. "How do you know?"

"A locked box full of money was under her bed, as well as some other things. When I found out her second job was illegal, I figured it out."

Maggie groaned. "Why can't she just be normal?"

A smirk crossed Topher's lips. "You're talking to a ghost. Everyone else would think you're talking to a tree. Who's the unusual one now?"

Maggie smiled. "But if I was normal, you would be bored."

Topher's smirk vanished. "No. I probably wouldn't be here."

"In that case, I promise I'll always be abnormal, and every day for the rest of my life, I'll get even more abnormal so you'll stay."

They made it to the front of the house and took a seat on the front step. All the lights were out inside, so Maggie assumed no one else was home.

"They seem nice," Maggie said, switching topics.

"Just be careful," he said. "The vibes I've been getting haven't all been the best."

Maggie pursed her lips. "No one's perfect. For once, I might actually be able to make friends. Human friends."

Topher hesitated, but then he nodded. He wouldn't look at her, though. "If this is what you want, then okay."

Maggie threw her arms around him, even though he couldn't feel her. Still, he smiled.

"You're always looking out for me, but you need to relax." She pulled away. "I'm safe here."

On closer inspection, Maggie noticed his smile wasn't a happy one. "Topher, what's really wrong?"

He shook his head. "Just go. Have fun. I promise I won't bother you the rest of the night unless it's an emergency."

With a bit of reluctance, Maggie dropped the subject and headed back to the others. Topher had hung back behind her during the walk, and she could no longer see him. He never hid his presence from her—heck, she didn't even know if he could—but he could hide from her as much as anyone else.

Lyle had Rydelle pressed against a tree, kissing her. Her legs straddled his waist. Embarrassed, Maggie turned to Lewis who was tending to the fire. Cautiously she approached him.

"So, how long have they been dating?" Maggie asked him, nodding in Rydelle and Lyle's direction.

"About six months," he said, not looking at her or them. She crouched down beside him, and he finally looked up. "What about you? You got a boyfriend?"

Maggie shook her head. "I've moved around too much to make friends, let alone a boyfriend."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? Wow. I thought someone as pretty as you would've had quite a few boyfriends by now."

A blush crept across her cheeks. No one had called her pretty before, except for Topher, but she always thought he was just being nice.

"So, how old are you, anyway? If you're younger than Lyle, I'm guessing you're not a senior." Maybe he was closer to her age, she thought.

He shook his head. "Actually, I'm five minutes younger than Lyle. Rydelle just likes to tell people I'm younger because she knows it gets on my nerves."

"Oh." She stared down at her shoes.

"So, how old are you? I know you're not eighteen."

"I'm sixteen."

"Not too young, then." Lewis stood up, dusting off his jeans. "Want a drink?"

Before she could answer, he was already in the cooler. He pulled out a can of something. Maggie couldn't see the label, but she had a feeling it wasn't soda.

She was about to shake her head, but it turned into a nod. Eighteen and sixteen weren't that different. If they could handle alcohol, so could she.

After all, it wasn't alcohol's fault that her father beat her and her mother. Just because he couldn't handle it didn't mean she couldn't.

"Anything in particular?"

She smiled. "Surprise me."

Once Lewis turned away, Topher appeared beside her.

"Maggie, you shouldn't be doing this. Something bad could happen."

"One drink never killed anyone," she whispered. "Just relax and let me have a minute of fun."

Sighing, Topher walked away as Lewis came back with his can and a plastic cup. He handed her the plastic cup which was less than half full. She caught sight of Topher who was standing against a tree, his expression hard and not something very often seen on a twelve-year-old boy. He obviously didn't approve of this and going against him felt wrong. He just needed to loosen up, she thought. One drink wouldn't hurt her.