New guard
739 Words
The SUV slows.
Then stops.
I c***k one eye open.
That's odd.
The gate is supposed to open automatically.
For a moment nobody says anything.
Then True lifts her sleeping mask.
"Why are we stationary?"
I sit up pulling the beauty mask off my face.
The giant wrought-iron gates remain firmly shut.
A small security booth sits beside them.
A man I've never seen before is staring at our vehicle like we're attempting a bank robbery.
"Oh no," I mutter.
"What?" True asks.
"New guard."
The words barely leave my mouth before the guard marches toward the SUV.
He taps on Mr. Bauer's window.
Mr. Bauer lowers it.
"Good morning," the guard says professionally. "State your name and reason for visit."
The silence inside the vehicle is immediate.
Then True slowly lowers her sunglasses.
I stare.
Mr. Bauer stares.
Even Maria looks confused.
The guard continues.
"Sir?"
"Reason for visit?" I repeat.
The guard nods.
"Yes."
I glance out the window.
Past the gate.
Past the private road.
Past several acres of land.
All leading to the giant house that literally belongs to my family.
"I live here."
The guard blinks.
"No, you don't."
I nearly choke.
True makes a sound suspiciously similar to a dying seal.
"What?"
The guard gestures vaguely toward the hills.
"The Van Ryn estate is private property."
I stare at him.
Then at the estate.
Then back at him.
"Yes."
"Only approved guests are allowed inside."
"Yes."
"Do you have approval from the owners?"
At this point True has buried her face in her hoodie because she's laughing too hard.
The guard waits.
I wait.
Finally I point at myself.
"Leah."
Nothing.
"Van Ryn."
Nothing.
I point harder.
"Leah. Van. Ryn."
The guard narrows his eyes.
Then his entire face drains of color.
"Oh."
"OH?" True wheezes.
The poor man looks moments away from throwing himself into traffic.
Mr. Bauer finally takes pity on him.
"The young lady is Miss Leah Van Ryn."
The guard visibly ages ten years.
He scrambles toward the control panel.
The gates begin opening immediately.
"I am so sorry, Miss Van Ryn."
"It's okay," I say.
"It is not okay," True says from beside me. "This is the funniest thing that's happened all week."
The SUV starts forward.
As we pass the booth, I glance over.
The guard still looks horrified.
I roll down my window.
His expression becomes even worse.
"You're doing great," I tell him.
Then I roll the window back up.
True laughs so hard she nearly falls off the seat.
The second the SUV stopped, I practically launched myself out of it.
Freedom.
After an hour trapped in a moving vehicle, even my mother's estate looked inviting.
The front doors were already open by the time we reached the top of the stairs.
Waiting for us stood a petite Asian woman in a perfectly tailored cream uniform.
She bowed slightly.
"Good morning, Miss Leah. I hope your journey was pleasant."
"It was a journey," I replied.
"Would you care for hot towels and green tea?"
Before I could answer, True brushed past me and wandered into the foyer like she personally owned the place.
The woman blinked.
I sighed.
"That's True."
"I gathered."
The foyer smelled faintly of fresh flowers and expensive candles.
A large crystal jar filled with colorful sweets sat on one of the entry tables.
Without hesitation, True removed the lid.
Then she stuck her entire face inside.
The woman made a small choking noise.
True sniffed deeply.
"Huh."
The woman looked horrified.
I watched for a second.
Then continued walking.
"Leah!" True called after me.
"What?"
"What flavor are these?"
"I don't know."
"Can I eat one?"
"You're an adult."
The woman looked like she wanted to call security.
"Miss True," she said carefully, "those are decorative."
True popped one into her mouth.
"Not anymore."
The woman visibly flinched.
I decided it was safer to leave.
"I'm going to find my mother."
"Tell her I'm alive," True called.
"I'll tell her you're a nuisance."
As I headed toward the back terrace, I heard True speak again.
"Do you have a problem with me?"
I stopped.
Oh no.
Behind me, the woman straightened.
"Excuse me?"
"You keep looking at me like I just licked the walls."
The woman inhaled slowly through her nose.
For one brief moment, I considered turning around.
Then I decided whatever happened next was between them and God.
- Writer
