Page 10 of Echoes of Us

All I can do is nod. If I were to open my mouth, I don’t know what would come out. Anger? Denial? Rejection? It doesn’t matter. Whether he knew her or not, he is right about one thing: she would want me to take the opportunity to get the hell out of here.

It takes me about twenty-five minutes to complete the exam. I walk it over to him at his desk. He looks up at me, then to his watch, raising his eyebrows.

“I hope you didn’t just write C for every answer. I really wanted to see if you’re as smart as Ethan says. I just didn’t see that being possible knowing the school you have attended the last three and a half years.” He pauses, looking up at me, “No offense.”

“Just grade it so I can go.” I turn to sit on the sofa.

McNeely stands after a few minutes of reviewing the exam and leaves the room without a word. Mr. Briggs follows him back inside a few minutes later with a huge smile on his face. McNeely is wearing a twin smile.

“Ms. Parker, no one has scored a perfect score on the senior level entrance exam in the history of this school. And you, my dear girl, received a perfect score on an even more difficult version of the original exam.” He looks over to Mr. Briggs, his grin widening. “She keeps this up and she will bring us national recognition. Welcome to Leland Christian Academy, Ms. Parker.”

This is the last place I want to be, buddy.

Chapter 10

Emmaline

I wonder how long it would take me to train Eli to bite on command. The thought quickly fades as I look down at my goofy dog who is belly up, tongue out, and snoring so loudly I can hear him over the music.

Dad and EJ have been gone all day picking up that girl. I have refused to leave my room this week except to go to school. They are trying to give me space to process everything, but in reality, all it has done is give me time to think of all the ways to make sure she is miserable enough to leave.

There is a soft knock at the door. I ignore it and turn up the music. Mom opens the door, walks over to my speaker and shuts it off. After glaring at her for a moment, I stand and walk toward the bathroom door to avoid talking to her.

“Stop right there, Emmaline.” I stop, slowly turning toward her, face void of all emotion. “They will be here any minute. Dad and I have been patient the last few days and let you have your space, but it ends now. I need you to come downstairs and help me set the table. They are almost home, so you will come downstairs, and you will treat her and us with respect.”

“I owe her nothing!” I yell.

“ENOUGH!” Mom shouts. “Downstairs now, smile on, attitude gone, or you’re grounded until I decide otherwise. No Devan, no Millie, no phone, no lacrosse. Got it?”

It takes everything in me not to explode, but I know this is a losing battle. If she wants me downstairs, then I’ll give her exactly what she is asking for.

The table is decorated with noodle art, drawings and a big welcome home sign. Clearly EJ has been busy.

“This isn’t her home,” I say to Mom as she walks past me.

“It is now. Stop with the attitude and help me set the table so it is ready when they arrive,” Mom says exasperatedly.

I set the table for four people. I don’t care what she says. I am not okay with this, and I shouldn’t have to pretend to be. I hear the garage door open. Mom hurries into the dining room to greet them when she notices there are only four place settings. She looks at me sharply. I hold my ground, staring back. She looks as if she is about to say something, but she hears the car door close and hurries to grab a fifth setting.

EJ runs inside and comes to stand next to me. He leans over the table to make sure all of his art is perfectly on display toward the entryway. When I hear the door open, I lean over and knock the welcome home sign to the floor. EJ stares at me in disbelief. He kneels down to pick up the sign and holds it in front of him. “You can’t knock it down if it’s in my hands, meanie,” EJ exclaims. I feel a presence behind me, “No going to Devan’s tomorrow. Keep this up and I’ll take the phone,” Mom whispers into my ear. She leans away as the door closes and we hear footsteps coming from the hallway.

Dad walks through the archway into the dining room first and smiles when he sees the welcome home display. The girl follows him in, holding a small duffel bag over her shoulder. Is that all she brought? Maybe Dad wants to get the rest of her things after dinner. She is still looking at the floor when Dad turns to shut the door behind her. Eli is the first one to run toward her for his ‘entry tax’ as we call it. She bends down to pat his head, receiving a famous Eli kiss. One she doesn’t deserve. I roll my eyes dramatically. That girl has been here ten seconds and is already irritating the hell out of me.

After a few moments, she stands and finally looks up. Our eyes lock and her mouth falls open, frozen in disbelief. The shock on her face is unmistakable, as if she’s seen a ghost. Mom notices the exchange and asks, “Do you two know each other?”

“Absolutely not,” I respond quickly while she shakes her head, still staring at me in shock.

“Okay, well…Teagan it is so nice to meet you, dear.” Mom walks over, pulling her into a hug. “Em, why don’t you take Teagan’s bag and put it by the stairs. You can show her to her room after dinner.” Mom says as she motions toward the table. “Sit, everyone. Dinner is ready.”

I roll my eyes and grab her bag from the floor where she dropped it when petting Eli. She still hasn’t taken her eyes off me. Her face has gone ghostly white. Good. I want her to be nervous. She has no idea what she is about to face after ruining my life. I walk into the foyer; hearing EJ ask how she likes her surprise. I huff, throwing her bag toward the foot of the stairs. It rolls past the stairs and down the hall. I shrug and walk back into the dining room, frowning when I notice that girl is sitting in my spot. Mom sees my line of sight, her face dropping. Before I can say anything, she says, “Em. Can you go get the tea pitcher from the fridge, please? I forgot to grab it before sitting down. Then, you can come sit next to me tonight. I’ve missed you the last few days.” Smooth, Mom.

In the kitchen, I can’t help but smile at the smell of Mom’s famous pot roast. My smile quickly fades as I realize she made my favorite meal for her. I grab the pitcher of tea from the fridge when an idea hits me. A huge smile spreads across my face. Back in the dining room, Eli is sitting next to her chair. What a perfect set up. I walk toward the table, keeping my eyes on her. She is totally oblivious to my approach. As I near the table, I purposefully trip over Eli. An entire pitcher of iced tea rains down on her. The icy liquid splashes everywhere, soaking her clothes and dripping onto the floor. The room erupts into chaos as everyone jumps out of their chairs, rushing into the kitchen for towels.

She and I stay frozen, staring at each other amidst the frenzy. Her face is a mix of shock and anger, while I can’t help but let a small smile creep onto my lips. I maintain eye contact as I look down at her and give her a slow, deliberate wink. Her jaw tightens. I relish the moment; the noise and commotion around us fading into the background.

Welcome home, bitch.

Chapter 11

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