Endless, page 15
part #3 of Lost in a Fairy Tale Series
We sat in the airport together, waiting for our ride. Dad noticed his car pulling up to the door and gestured for me to follow. One of his coworkers got out, waved, and left in another car.
“What do you think Julie’s going to say when we show up at the house?” Dad asked.
“She’ll flip out, fall all over you, and then decide to go shopping.” I was just glad Dad was coming home with me. This way, Julie wouldn’t freak out and make my life even more miserable.
As we drove, Dad talked to me about what had happened with the cloth, and I told him a little about camp. I mentioned being taken and how Nick was around the few times I’d felt like I was being watched.
“Are you sure he’s the guy?” Dad’s fists gripped tightly on the steering wheel.
“No. But the fact that he knew the woman was going to give me a couple of days off is too coincidental.”
“I just wish I knew who she was and how she manages to live in that dream.”
“What do you mean, she lives in it? I’ve only seen her a few times. It’s Nick I see all the time. He’s the one who grabbed me and pulled me in to talk to the woman. He’s the one wearing the cloak I see on the stairs.”
“If the woman you see in your dreams is the one who put the curse on you, she’s most likely the one who’s watching you, but from a distance. Nick may just be who she sends to take care of her dirty work.”
“Maybe.” Dad was probably right. She seemed to be the one in charge. If she did live in the stairs, there had to be other rooms, and I wondered if I’d be able to get into them.
Dad got a phone call, so I watched out the window as he talked about work stuff. I was relieved to be home—until we turned onto our street. There were news reporters outside my house. I groaned. This couldn’t just end easily, could it? We pulled up, and Dad sat there for a moment with his mouth open.
“Uh, honey? Do you know what this is about?” Dad gestured toward the mass of cars.
“Me. Apparently Julie desperately misses me and wants the world to know. She was on the news last night.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with her.”
“Kick her out? Make her do everything she’s forced me to do?” I held up my hand when I saw that he was going to argue. “Dad, you should have seen what the house looked like when I got back from camp. I swear they’re doing it to punish me.”
“Maybe.” He put his hand on the door handle. “Well, let’s go face the media.”
“Okay, fine.” I could think of several other things I’d rather do than get out of the car. Like, getting a root canal, for instance. If Dad hadn’t been there, I don’t know what I would have done.
We counted to three, then opened the doors to the noise outside. The media swarmed us and began firing their questions. Dad stepped forward and cleared his throat.
“Sydney is fine. She joined me on vacation, and we just got back. Now, please leave our property so we can spend time together as a family.”
He guided me into the house and we slammed the door, ignoring the reporters asking for more information.
“Well, that was exciting. I think I’ll go nap now.” I took a step toward my bedroom, wanting to avoid Julie.
“Nice try. Come on.” He dragged me in to the living room, where Julie sat in a recliner, drinking tea and reading one of her fashion magazines. I could hear the music blasting from her headphones from where I stood. Yeah, she looked really concerned that we were gone.
“Honey? You’re home! I was so worried about you.” She set her drink down and scrambled out of her chair to throw her arms around my dad. “Where were you? I tried everything I could to get ahold of you.”
“I was sick for several days and didn’t have my phone by me.” He pulled away from her. “Where are the girls?”
“They’re out sho—looking for your daughter.” She suddenly focused on me. “When did you get here?”
“I came in with Dad.” I tried to act like it was no big deal, but inside, I was shaking. Her suspicious glare had made my mind totally freeze up.
She looked between the two of us. “What’s going on? How did she know where you were when I didn’t?”
“I’m sorry, but I was getting you something special when I fell ill and Sydney’s number was at the top of my call list. I came home as soon as I was feeling better.”
Her frown turned instantly into a wide smile. “You got me something? Where is it?”
Dad’s eye twitched. “It’s still being made. I’ll be picking it up next week.”
She sniffed, obviously disappointed that he didn’t have the present with him. “I don’t see why she even has a phone. We hadn’t agreed on getting her one. And since she hasn’t done her chores for today—”
“Stop. Now. She has done more than her fair share. She’s my daughter, and I will allow her to have a phone if I see fit.”
Julie jerked back. “Your daughter? I thought we worked together.” She stormed away and slammed the door.
“I think you’re going to pay for that one, Dad.” I noticed the mess Julie had left around the chair she’d been sitting in and sighed. “Or I will.” I picked up an envelope off the floor, but my dad stopped me.
“That’s not your job. Could you please start some dinner? I’ll go try to calm her down.”
“Okay.” I went in to the kitchen and pulled some chicken out of the fridge. I figured making Julie her favorite meal would help. Kaylee and Sarah walked in, carrying several bags.
“Wow, you two were looking really hard for me. Where did you go? The mall?” Not that I was surprised. They couldn’t last a day without buying at least one thing. Kaylee scowled at me and continued to her room, but Sarah stayed behind.
“I see you’re just fine. You caused a lot of trouble with your little runaway scheme.” Sarah glared.
“Oh, brother. You got to be on TV. I would have thought you’d eat that right up.” I pounded the chicken so I wouldn’t reach over and strangle her.
“Yes, well, it messed up my date with Luke,” she pouted. “He was just about to kiss me when Mom insisted that I had to get ready to be on the news.”
I knew she was bragging about Luke on purpose, but I couldn’t help pounding the chicken just a little harder than necessary. “Yeah? What makes you think that?”
“Oh, you could just tell by the way he looked at me. Besides, he’s taking me out again tonight.”
“What?” I wanted to scream, or cry, or something, but I wasn’t going to let her get to me. I couldn’t.
She leaned in. “He’s taking me to dinner with Kaylee and Dillon. Oh, and Mom told me I could borrow your dress. You know, the dark blue one?”
I slammed down the tenderizer and glared at Sarah. “She can’t let you wear that. It’s mine.” So much for not letting her bother me.
“Oh, but she can.” Sarah smiled, knowing she’d had won because of the tear that escaped and ran down my cheek. Both girls knew that if they made me mad enough, I’d cry.
I seriously wanted to slap the smile off her face, but instead I turned and put the food in the oven, giving myself a chance to fight back the tears. When I turned, she was gone.
I chopped vegetables for the salad and waited for dinner to finish cooking while I set the table for Julie and Dad. There was no way I was going to eat with them while the girls were gone. I cleaned up behind myself and switched the laundry.
Once the chicken was out of the oven, I grabbed my plate of food and knocked on Dad’s door to tell him dinner was ready before hiding in my room. I nibbled at the chicken, not really in the mood to eat. I got up to turn on my stereo and stopped in my tracks. My closet was a mess. I rushed inside to find that the dress was gone. Sarah must have slipped in when I was cooking—I’d left the door unlocked.
I growled in frustration and stomped toward the kitchen. “Dad?”
Dad jumped up from the table. “What’s wrong, honey?”
“Sarah has my dress. Again.” I wanted to wipe the smug look off Julie’s face. “You can’t just let them borrow my clothes. They’re mine.”
Dad put his hands on my shoulders. “Honey, what are you talking about?”
I pointed at Julie, my hand shaking. “She told Sarah that she could use my dress. It’s my dress. I . . . made that dress.”
He looked down at Julie. “Did you really tell Sarah that?”
Her attempt at looking innocent was ruined by the sneer she directed at me. “Sarah was going somewhere nice tonight and needed something to wear. Sydney wasn’t going, so I figured she wouldn’t mind.”
“Wait—where did they go?” Dad looked at her, confused.
Julie giggled. “You never notice anything, do you? Kaylee went out with Dillon tonight, and Luke took Sarah. She’s been waiting to go out with him ever since you introduced them at the restaurant. Yesterday, he showed up on the doorstep and asked her out. He liked her so much, they’re going out again.”
I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. He was supposed to be my Luke. Was that why he was so distant those last two days? Was he done with me?
“That doesn’t mean she can wear Sydney’s dress. If she said no, that means no.” Dad was trying to stay cool, but I could tell he was annoyed.
“It’s a shame they’ve already left. Oh, well. No harm done.”
Dad stared at her. “No harm done? You can’t just let your girls run wild, doing what they want all the time. I saw how much they spent today. I’m going to have to cut off their credit cards if they don’t stop wasting my money.”
Julie slammed her hands on the table. “I will not have you speak to me like that. I have been worried sick about you since you left, and this is how you repay me?” She grabbed her purse and keys and left the house. The food I’d made lay forgotten on the table.
Dad rubbed his face with one hand and leaned back. “I wondered why she kept talking to me about random things. She was waiting for her daughters to make a clean getaway with your dress.” He looked up at me. “I’m sorry, sweetie.”
I dropped into the chair next to him. “It’s not even the dress I’m upset about, though it nearly killed me trying to make it. It’s the guy. Dad, I thought he liked me.” I buried my face in my arms.
“I’m sure he does. Luke is just being nice as part of his cover. You’ll see. Plus, you don’t even know who asked who, right?”
I lifted my head. “I guess not. But still, thinking of them being together hurts.” I stood and went to my room to get my food. Sitting with my dad at the table just felt right. I ignored the untouched plate of food sitting there where Julie had been.
“So, about that birthday.” His eyes sparkled as he grinned at me. “Any ideas what you’re going to wear?”
I picked at my food. “No, not since Sarah laid claim on my dress.” I sighed. “Do I really need to have a party? No one’s going to come.”
“What about all the friends you met at camp? I thought you liked your roommates.”
I perked up. “I can invite them?”
“Of course you can, princess. What’s the point of having a party if you can’t have your own friends come?”
“Sweet! I’m going to text them as soon as I get done eating.” I stabbed my chicken with my fork and took a big bite.
Dad chuckled. “Slow down before you choke. While you’re inviting your friends, I’m going to put in some calls and get things set up. I was thinking of holding the party at the country club. Will that work?”
“I thought Julie had it planned for here.”
“She did? Well, where do you want it? It’s your party.” He pulled out his tablet.
I played with my fork, unsure what I wanted to do. Home would be easier and cheaper for my dad, but then I’d be the one doing all the work. “Let’s do the country club, if that’s okay.”
“Anything for my girl. Okay, I’ll send a message to schedule it for Saturday night and then start working on invitations. You write a list of who you want to invite. Texting to invite them is fine, but let’s make this special for them too.” He winked and stood.
“Thanks, Dad.” I hopped up and threw my arms around him, and then ran to my room to start texting. Jade, Katy, and Heidi replied immediately. Ashley and Liz texted back a few minutes later, asking about bringing dates. I told them to invite whoever they wanted, but to make sure to let me know who was coming so I could tell my dad.
For the first time since my dad offered to throw me a ball, I was actually excited for it. This party really would be mine—and my dad would be there for it this year. I went online to go through a few dress ideas and heard a knock at the door.
“Come in,” I called.
“Hey, sweetie. It’s all set up. Did your friends reply yet?”
“Yes, they’re all coming and bringing dates. Um, if that’s okay.” I ignored the fact that I didn’t have a date yet.
“Of course. The more the merrier. And you need to figure out what you want to eat.” He glanced at the computer screen. “That’s a pretty dress. Is that the one you want?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it until now.” We went through the other pictures I’d saved and chose a couple to go look at later.
“All right, it’s time for us to get to bed. Tomorrow is a busy day.” Dad leaned down and kissed my cheek. “Careful on the stairs tonight.”
“Thanks, Dad. I think I’ll try to sleep again.”
“Good luck.” He left the room and shut the door behind him. I continued to look around online until I heard the girls come home from dinner. From the giggles, I assumed it went well. Time to pretend I was asleep so they wouldn’t try to rub it in. I shut down the computer and tiptoed over to turn off the light.
“So, did he kiss you?” Kaylee asked outside my door.
“Yes,” Sarah said, giggling. “It was amazing. And we’re going out again this weekend.”
I rolled my eyes. That wasn’t obvious at all. I tried to keep out the noise with my pillow, but it was no use.
“What about Sydney’s party, though? Don’t you think he wants to go with her?”
Sarah’s laugh grated on my nerves. “Of course not. Why go with her when he could have someone so much better? And did you see the way he kept looking at me? He obviously liked the dress better when I wore it.”
Kaylee laughed. “Totally, but was there ever a question? Come on. I’m exhausted and need my beauty sleep. Dillon is taking me to the lake.”
They wandered off, their voices muffled. Thankfully, it was ridiculous enough that their taunting rolled right off me. I knew they just did it to bother me, and I wouldn’t give them that satisfaction.
The house was quiet an hour later, and I hurried out of my room to get ready for bed. Clothes and shoes were all over the floor of the bathroom, including my dress. I picked it up and opened the bathroom door to find Sarah standing outside, hand ready to knock.
“What are you doing with that?” she asked.
“Taking it back to my room. It’s mine.”
She sniffed. “Fine. Luke has seen me in it, anyway. I’ll just have to find something else for this weekend.” She pushed past me and slammed the door.
After the dress was hung up in my closet, I slipped into my bed and waited for sleep to come. Even the staircase was better than dealing with Kaylee and Sarah right now.
I wasn’t alone. I hadn’t felt this afraid here for a while, and I didn’t know what was causing it. I ran, just wanting to get away from whoever was watching. When I couldn’t go another step without fainting, I imagined a dresser and pushed it into a corner so I could hide. A closet would have been better, but I was too flustered.
Whoever it was came closer, stepping lightly. I curled up in a ball and hugged my knees, trying to get up the courage to peek out. I closed my eyes and breathed in slowly to calm myself down. I knew the person who’d trapped me here. I would use that knowledge to fight past the fear.
After counting to one hundred, I stood and faced the direction the person was coming from. I formed a fireball in my hand and waited. For extra effect, I decided to throw on a cloak. “Nick? I know it’s you.”
Nothing. The steps I’d heard stopped. The fear in my stomach didn’t go away, but I used it to keep the ball of fire going. After a few more minutes, the steps started again. They were coming quickly this time.
The cloaked figure dove at me, almost catching me off guard. I stepped out of the way, pulled off my cloak and threw it over him, making him stumble.
“Why won’t you leave me alone? Isn’t it enough torture that I have to be here every single night?”
“Because I have no choice,” Nick’s voice said from beneath the cloaks.
I stared at the pile on the floor, feeling just a small amount of sympathy. Reluctantly, I helped pull the cloaks off him. I needed to understand why he would do this. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve been sent here to make sure you don’t leave. It was easy at first. You ran up and down the stairs for no reason, and I could just sit back and watch.” His expression changed to a scowl. “But then you had to ruin it by mixing things up. I was promised riches, but I lost everything when your dad ended up here.”
“Well, if you ask me, that was your fault. You left part of your cloak in my room.” I folded my arms.
Nick’s eyes widened. “Aw, man, she’s going to kill me.” He jumped up and pushed me against the wall, his hand around my neck. “Did you tell your dad anything about this place?”
I tried to get away, but he was too strong. “Of course I did. He’s my dad.”
“Yes, but he’s awake now. Does he know who I am? How he got here?” His breath stank, and I coughed.
“Yes, he does. I tell him everything.” I coughed again. “Seriously, get off me.”
He let go and paced the floor. “You may have just killed us both.”
“Well, if you hadn’t left that piece of cloth behind, my dad would have been off looking for another cure instead of getting stuck here. What did you tear it on, anyway?” I rubbed my neck where he’d pinned me.
