Chapter 2: Chapter Two

The past two days, I’ve spent one night with Dawn and then the next night with Ellen. The experience was…interesting to say the least. I’ve spent the night with them before when I was younger, but now, everyone is older, their siblings have kids, and their families have grown.

Both Ellen and Dawn have large families that include noisy younger siblings, including young nieces and nephews. I love seeing the young kids and playing with them, but with so many people under one roof, there isn’t much space left for another person. While I am grateful that my friends and their family are willing and able to help me out when I need it most, I know my father is having a rough time sleeping in his vehicle at night.

I’m worried about him. What if he isn’t getting enough sleep? What if he isn’t eating properly? I know that if I don’t bring him meals, he’d either be eating greasy fast food three times a day or not eating at all.

During the third day, Ellen and I sit on the swings at a park close to her home. Luckily, our schedules work out just right, so she has off from work today, and I don’t have class.

“Thank you for letting me stay with you,” I say to Ellen.

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”

I give her a weak smile. I wish I could find somewhere else to stay tonight.

“Have you heard from your dad today?”

“Not yet.” I love that my friends will let me stay with them, but I can’t study. I can’t think with so many distractions inside their homes.

After a brief pause in our conversation, Ellen decides to change the subject. “So, what is happening with you and Liam now?”

“I don’t know…”

“Are you going to keep talking to him?”

“Probably not,” I confess bitterly. “To him, it seems like I am nothing more than a pest to him,” I continue, kicking the sand under my foot. “But even though he was so mean to me, calling me stupid in front of everyone and insinuating that I’m not good enough for him, all I can do is think about him. What’s wrong with me?” Ellen shrugs her shoulders.

“That should’ve made me hate him, right? But why am I trying to impress him instead?”

“You know…” Ellen starts hesitantly. “You know why Chad is acting the way he is, right?”

“Yes…” I reply reluctantly. While I’ve tried to ignore it for years, it’s no secret that Chad has liked me since middle school.

“Do you like Chad in that way?” she questions curiously.

“Ugh…I don’t know…he is a reliable guy and always has my back, but I’ve just never thought of him in that way. Most of the time, he reminds me of a puppy.”

“Yeah, I can imagine his tail wagging whenever he sees you,” Ellen replies, laughing. “So, what are you going to do? About Liam and Chad?”

“I’m not sure…I mean…it’s not like I’ve done anything to lead Chad on, have I?”

“No, I don’t think you have.”

“The only thing I haven’t done is just come out and tell him that I don’t think of him like that, but I don’t really want to hurt him.”

“Don’t you think you are hurting him more by not telling him? Maybe he thinks that there is still some hope.”

“Ugh! I don’t know…I really don’t want to think about all that with everything else happening right now,” I state, aggravated, and put my hands over my face.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Between losing the house, needing to study, Liam, Chad, and not knowing what to major in, I am very stressed out.”

“I know. I’m jealous that Dawn already has her future planned out. How long has she known she wanted to be an architect?”

“Since she was ten, I think.”

“Why is it so hard for us?”

“Ellen, why don’t you work in a hair salon?” I suddenly state. “You love cutting and styling people’s hair. Plus, you know all the right products to use for certain occasions or if your hair is lacking.”

She quietly considers this for a moment. “Yeah…that does sound like a good idea. I do like helping people look their best.”

“There, you see? It wasn’t so hard to figure it out for you either!” I respond cheerfully.

“Well, yours shouldn’t be too hard either.” Ellen begins thinking. “You love children. Since you are always volunteering to help with kids and such, why not look into a career involving kids? Like teaching or something?”

I consider for a moment. “Yeah. That does sound like something I would enjoy.”

Ring, ring. Ring, ring.

“It’s my dad,” I tell Ellen, quickly answering my phone. “Hello?” Please have good news!

“Hey, pumpkin, where are you?” he questions, his voice sounding more jovial than it has over the past few days.

“I’m at the park with Ellen right now.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll be there to pick you two up soon.”

“What’s going on?” I question, skeptical of what is happening.

“Yesterday while I was working, I happened to bump into an old friend of mine.” He’s speaking with an enthusiasm I’ve never heard from him before. “I’ll tell you all about it when I pick you up.”

“Ok,” I respond, soon hanging up the phone and filling Ellen in on what he said.

“Hopefully he found somewhere for both of you to stay!” she responds happily.

About 30 minutes later, my father shows up, and we climb into his truck while waiting on the news he has to share as he drives us back to Ellen’s house.

“At the construction site where I’m working, I needed to discuss some things with someone. So I went to the office to talk with the director, and while I was there, I happened to run into a childhood friend of mine. We haven’t seen or heard from each other in nearly 35 years,” my dad starts enthusiastically as he remembers his encounter. “We ended up having lunch together, talking about when we were younger and discussing our families and how things have been going for us. I didn’t tell him about all our troubles, and I was a bit hesitant, but he offered for us to stay at his house,” he continues to explain. “At first, I told him no. We couldn’t impose on his family like that, but about half an hour later, his wife showed up and insisted that they wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Even though I don’t know what family this is like, I can’t help but feel relieved that I’ll be able to stay in the same house as my father. But on the other hand, I’m still nervous. I don’t know who these people are, and what if I’m moving onto another situation that is the same as the one I am currently in with Dawn and Ellen? “Do they have any kids?” I question, wondering if there is a possibility of noisiness or overcrowding.

“Yes. They have a 19-year-old and 12-year-old.”

I let out a sigh of relief. At least I’ll be able to focus on studying. While I love children, they are distracting with screaming, running, and crying. They don’t provide the best environment for studying.

At Ellen’s house, I collect my things and tell her family thank you and goodbye. Then, my dad and I set off to our new temporary home.

I’m nervous about going to live at a stranger’s house, but I want to be with my dad. Ever since my mother passed away, I’ve been taking care of my dad. Because he is the only parent I have, I worry about his health a lot. Hopefully, these people that he knows are nice.

After driving around for nearly 30 minutes, the truck finally stops in front of a huge two-story home surrounded by tall fencing and a large gate. Next to the gate, there is a video screen. A call system has been set up to communicate with the house’s occupants.

My father and I it in the truck, staring at the house in awe. Just beyond the gate is a brick driveway and walkway that leads to the front porch. A massive porch that runs the entire width of the front of the house, containing plenty of seating with comfy benches and porch swings. There’s even a fire pit for when it’s cold! The front lawn has dark green, freshly cut grass with a garden full of many different kinds of flowers. The house is strangely inviting yet intimidating at the same time. From the front of the house, you can even see a balcony on the second floor.

Completely dumbstruck at the size of the house and its surroundings, I finally question, “What does your friend do exactly?”

“Um…he just told me he’s a businessman,” my dad responds, awestruck. “I guess he was being a little modest.”

“Maybe just a bit more than just a little,” I mutter.

Suddenly, the gate opens, and a man and woman come running to the front of the house to greet us.

The man is tall but a little chubby with thinning black hair. He is a handsome man who appears to be my dad’s age. This man looks like a very happy person who would be very easy to get along with. The woman standing next to him is very beautiful. She’s a little taller than me, has a slim build, and long, flowing black hair.

After my dad pulls up and we get out of the truck, the man and woman approach us.

“Hello!” the woman’s sweet voice calls out to us. “My goodness, you must be Bree. You are so beautiful.” I smile at her, not knowing how to respond. She reaches her hand out to me. “My name is Calia Hall, and this is my husband, Will,” she continues without skipping a beat. “We are so happy to have you and your father here and hope you make it your home too in the meantime.”

“Oh…” I reply, taken off guard by everything she said within the past five seconds. “Thank you for having us.”

“Well, come on inside, everyone!” she says excitedly, walking towards the house.

When I walk inside after Mr. and Mrs. Hall, my mouth drops open. The house looks enormous and expensive but welcoming. I don’t want to walk inside in fear that I’ll break an expensive decoration or dirty the spotless, well-kept place.

“Come sit down.” Mrs. Hall beckons to my father and me.

The living room contains a big fluffy couch that rests against a wall with a massive window behind it, a matching fluffy loveseat that is positioned at the side of the couch and is against the wall, and a big recliner. All the seats are sat facing a huge television, which is off. When I sit down on the love seat with my dad, I feel like I’m sitting on a cloud.

My dad and Mr. Hall begin talking, reminiscing about the old days as Mrs. Hall and I listen. I’m still very nervous and can’t help but feel awkward. Should we be staying in such a beautiful place? There has to be a downside to this. It’s almost too good to be true.

“Bree, you are so adorable!” Mrs. Hall states excitedly, noticing my apprehension. “And your father has done such a great job raising such a well-mannered child!”

I smile at her. “Thank you.”

“I’ve always wanted a daughter. I have two sons, so I don’t get to do all the fun girly things with my children. So get ready to do a bunch of fun things together!” she continues excitedly.

“What are your sons like?” I question.

“You’ll meet them in a few minutes. They’re moving my youngest’s things into his brother’s room. They should be down any minute to meet you.”

I fall silent after this as my father and his old friend continue their conversation about the old days. It’s nice seeing my father like this, but there’s something in the pit of my stomach telling me that something isn’t right.

“Oh! Silly me, Bree. Are you thirsty?” Mrs. Hall says while standing up. “I’ll go fetch some drinks!”

Soon, she comes back with one of her sons. “Everyone, this is Oscar, my youngest,” Mrs. Hall states as she sets some water bottles and sodas down on the coffee table. “Pick whatever drink you want.”

Oscar stares at me with intensity. His brown eyes look like they’re engulfed in flames as he stares at me. I’m not sure what to think of him at this moment, but something in the way he looks reminded me of someone…

“Where’s your brother?” Mr. Hall questions Oscar.

“He’ll be down in a minute,” Oscar starts, cutting his eyes at me. “He’s finishing moving his things around in his room so my things will fit without so much clutter,” he retorts with a bite.

I feel myself flinch at the sudden harshness.

Mrs. Hall smacks the back of Oscar's head. “Please excuse my son. He’s not used to having guests.”

I give Mrs. Hall a small smile before taking a sip of my drink and staring around the room. I can still feel the cold stare glaring at me from the recliner as I examine the room. This is so awkward! I haven’t even met everyone yet, and this 12-year-old boy hates me. What if his brother hates me?

Suddenly, another person shuffles into the room. When I notice the movement, I look up to acknowledge his presence. I begin to choke after taking a sip of my water.

“Are you okay?” my father asked, patting me on the back.

“You!” I retort, staring at Liam and feeling overwhelmed. In that instant, I become angry, sad, embarrassed, excited, giddy, and unable to act out any of my emotions properly.

“Oh, do you two know each other?” Mrs. Hall questions with intrigue.

“We go to the same college,” Liam replies, staring me directly in the eye and making me feel small, inferior. “The other day, she told me that she is in love with me,” he continues nonchalantly.

My mouth falls open as my face grows hot and my eyes become teary. I’m mortified that he’d say such a thing in front of everyone—people who I’ve only just met.

Liam stands there, displaying a prideful smirk as he stares at me. Oscar is laughing uncontrollably in the recliner.

My father falls silent, and his eyes are wide. He looks like he wants to disappear.

“Now, that is very rude!” Mr. and Mrs. Hall start shouting over each other at their sons.

“I’m so sorry about my RUDE children,” Mrs. Hall begins, apologizing to me while cutting her eyes at her sons. “If I had daughters, they wouldn’t have been this cruel…”

I stand up at this moment, wanting to leave. “Excuse me, where’s the bathroom?” I question in a small voice, trying to keep my voice from shaking too much.

Mrs. Hall stands up. “This way,” she responds with a kind smile, walking me to the bathroom.

Once I close the door behind me, I can hear Mr. Hall’s voice angrily shouting at the boys and forcing them to apologize to my father for their rude behavior in showing how thoughtless and cruel they are to his daughter. But that doesn’t help me any. I’m about to have a meltdown.

I stare at myself in the mirror. “I am not gonna cry…I’m not gonna cry,” I say to myself over and over again while staring at my reflection. Why didn’t I stand up for myself this time? Why did I let him get the better of me? Ugh, how am I gonna face all of them?

There’s a small knock on the door.

“Bree, are you ok?” my father’s voice asks through the door.

Opening the door, I meet his gaze. “I’m all right.”

“Are you sure?” His voice is filled with concern. “Do we need to leave?”

“No,” I reply. “He’s not going to run me off that easily.”

“Are you sure? If this is too awkward or…”

“Dad, I can handle it,” I continue. “There was bound to be something bad about staying here.”

“Okay…” he replied with a sound of defeat. “But you let me know if it gets to be too much.”

“I will.”

We walk back into the living room with each other and take our seats.

The parents continue their discussion and catch up while I sit silently, avoiding eye contact with Liam. After an awkward thirty minutes, Mrs. Hall speaks to me again. “Bree, as you already know, you will be sleeping in Oscar’s room. Oscar is bunking with Liam, and Tyler ,you will be staying in the guest house.”

“I could stay in the guest house with my dad,” I reply.

“Nonsense!” Mrs. Hall declares. “Your dad works odd hours, which could interfere with your sleep and schoolwork.”

“It would be no different than before, really,” I argue.

“I’m all for having her cramped in the guest house with her father,” Oscar retorts.

Mrs. Hall glares at Oscar. “That’s too bad.” She turns her attention back to me. “Bree, I know you don’t want to make a big fuss in the house. But a girl needs her own space. Especially when your father goes to work early and gets off late.”

“Okay,” I reply reluctantly.

“Now, let’s go see your new room!” Mrs. Hall says excitedly.

I followed her upstairs to the room that will now be called mine. She leads me to a closed door. “Are you ready to see your new room?” she questions with a big smile.

“Yes.”

“Welcome home!” Mrs. Hall half-shouts with excitement. My mouth falls open. “I may have gone a little overboard.” She giggles. “But I wanted to make it especially nice for the daughter I never had.”

My new room is bigger than the master bedroom in my old house. There’s a queen-sized bed in the center of the back wall decorated with baby pink pillowcases, sheets, and a big poufy comforter. Along with the six big fluffy pillows rest stuffed animals from a puppy holding a heart to an elephant with a cute smile. The walls are a freshly painted turquoise color with white running boards. The smell of paint remains in the room. The nightstand, desk, dresser, and headboard of the bed are white with an intricate pattern chiseled into the wood. A cute little white wooden chair sits at the desk with a baby pink cushion on it. Cute little picture frames with images of teddy bears holding flowers are also on the wall. This room is extravagant.

“Oh my gosh…” That’s the only response I can muster.

“Do you hate it?” Mrs. Hall questions with concern.

“No!” I respond. “I love it. It’s the nicest room I’ve ever had.”

Mrs. Hall’s huge, bright smile returns. “Great! Do you need help unpacking?”

My bag lies at the foot of the bed. I open it to start taking out my belongings. The first item lying at the top is a framed picture of me, my dad, and my mom. I walk over to the nightstand to place it there.

“Can I look at that picture?” Mrs. Hall asks. I nod, handing it to her. She smiles, looking at the picture. “Is that your mom?”

“Yes.”

“You were such a cute little girl! You’re growing up to be just as beautiful as your mother!”

“Thank you,” I reply with a small smile. “And thank you for letting my father and me stay here. Your home is beautiful.”

Mrs. Hall hands the picture back. “Well, I should go cook dinner. Do you need anything else?”

“No, I’m fine. Thank you.”

“Okay. Come down when you finish unpacking!”

I nod my head with a smile. This is still a bit awkward for me.

After she leaves, I continue unpacking my bag. I don’t have a lot of things, so it doesn’t take very long. When I finish, I sit on the bed debating whether I should go back downstairs or not. It would be rude to stay up here…

Going back downstairs, I find my way to the kitchen, where Mrs. Hall is cooking. “Would you like some help?”

“I would love some help,” she responds happily. “Do you know how to cook?”

“Yes. I love cooking.”

“That’s wonderful! One day, you should cook a meal for us!”

I smile. “I will.”

When dinner is finished, we set the food on the dining room table. Everyone sits down, ready to eat. Mr. Hall sits at the head of the table with Mrs. Hall beside him. Oscar and Liam sit on the left side, and my father and I sit opposite them.

“So, Bree, what do you like to do in your spare time?” Mr. Hall asks.

“Oh…” I say, becoming shy. “I don’t know…” The question takes me by surprise. I have also always been a bit bashful when others ask questions about me.

“Probably not studying…” Oscar scoffs.

“That’s strike two,” Mrs. Hall cuts in, glaring at her son. “Do you want to see what happens on your third?”

Oscar looks down at his plate in bitter annoyance.

The way he looks at that moment instantly reminds me of Liam, who is also wearing the exact same expression. It’s as if he’s sitting next to a mirror. I giggle to myself a little.

“Bree is being modest,” my dad cuts in. “If she’s not with one of her friends, she is usually volunteering in town for youth mentoring as a big sister.”

Mrs. Hall beams with delight. “Aww!” Her reaction makes me blush. “What kinds of things do you do when volunteering?” she questions, genuinely interested.

“Oh…um…I have been assigned to a girl named Carey. She is eight years old and as cute as a button. But I’ll bring them to the park or the zoo, do arts and crafts, help with homework, and pretty much anything they want to do.”

“How long have you been doing that?” Mrs. Hall asks.

“About four years now.”

“Tyler, you have raised a wonderful daughter,” Mrs. Hall gushes.

My father wears a prideful smile. “I can’t take all the credit.”

After dinner, I help Mrs. Hall wash the dishes before heading back up to my room. As I’m closing the door behind me, Liam’s voice catches my attention.

“Hey, you.” His voice is dry and cold, much like his stare. “You better not tell anyone that you are staying here.”

“What does that matter?” I question, disgusted.

His eyes grew sharp with intensity.

“Fine, I won’t!” I reply, annoyed.

“You better not,” he responds with a growl.