for? Maybe they had a lot people over.
“This is Lexus’s room.” She pointed out a vivid hot pink door with Lexus’s name painted on it in black cursive. I could hear her talking on the phone. With as much money that these people had, you’d think they would have enough for soundproof doors. Then she led me to a door at the end of the hall that was painted white. She opened it, exposing the biggest bedroom I had ever seen.
It smelled like fresh paint and vanilla. The walls were light blue on top and a dark blue on the bottom, with a white wooden trim between the two. There was a queen-sized bed with a white wood frame and a matching dresser, desk, chair, and entertainment center with a flat screen television.
“This is my room?” I expected a room in the attic, under lock and key. I almost felt guilty.
“I know it’s not much, but it’s what we could muster up at the last minute.”
“No, it’s nice. Thank you and please tell Stuart it’s too much. You really didn’t have to do all this. A simple bed would have sufficed.”
She forced a smile. “You’re being modest. That’s sweet. Stuart told me that you were living with your mom?”
“Something like that.” I didn’t want to give her a lot of information. Who knows what she’d do with it.
Placing my bag on the desk chair, I glanced out the window. My room overlooked a massive backyard complete with a deck, pool, and gazebo in the distance. The entire property was surrounded by trees, thick like a forest. When I turned around, Petra was still there. What did she want? A tip perhaps.
“You favor you mother.”
“Did you know her?” I walked across the room and opened a door, revealing a messy bathroom. Lexus slammed the door on the opposite side.
“No, but I’ve seen pictures of her. I mean, who didn’t know her? Between you and me, from what I heard she got around.”
Did she really think I would tolerate this? “Please don’t talk about my mother like you know her, because I can assure you, you don’t.” I glowered at her.
She seemed stunned into silence. I began unpacking my bag.
“Well, I guess I’ll leave you alone then. Breakfast is usually at 8:00 a.m. during the week and 9:00 a.m. on the weekends. So when you get up, just come on down. It’s informal.” She left.
Like I would join her for any meal. We were definitely not going to get along. I didn’t need a mother. I hadn’t had one since I was five.
Chapter Nine
I familiarized myself with the rest of the room and found cubby holes in the back of the closet perfect for my keepsake boxes. I’m sure they were meant for shoes or something because they were built into the wall and low to the ground. Jeez, this closet’s as big as the bedroom Elizabeth and I shared back at home. There was no way it was ever going to be filled with clothes.
I began to relax and took a seat on the blue settee at the foot of my bed and gingerly picked up the TV remote. I hit the power button and cartoons blared to life, so I lowered the volume. It was still hard to believe I was actually in California.
Sitting on the edge of the couch, I was sure Petra or Stuart would burst through the door any minute and take me to my true quarters in the basement.
But after five minutes, I decided it was safe to stretch out.
As if on cue, Lexus marched into my room with her ear plastered to her phone, glared at me, and then retreated back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Part of me wanted to chase her down and give her a piece of my mind, but that would have just made things worse. Besides I was technically invading her space, not the other way around.
* * *
“Here you go,” Petra announced a short while later as she walked in without knocking. She was accompanied by a woman dressed in a black and white uniform who carried a stack of clothes. Without speaking, the maid began arranging the clothes in the closet.
“I hope these will these work until we get you some new
“This is Lexus’s room.” She pointed out a vivid hot pink door with Lexus’s name painted on it in black cursive. I could hear her talking on the phone. With as much money that these people had, you’d think they would have enough for soundproof doors. Then she led me to a door at the end of the hall that was painted white. She opened it, exposing the biggest bedroom I had ever seen.
It smelled like fresh paint and vanilla. The walls were light blue on top and a dark blue on the bottom, with a white wooden trim between the two. There was a queen-sized bed with a white wood frame and a matching dresser, desk, chair, and entertainment center with a flat screen television.
“This is my room?” I expected a room in the attic, under lock and key. I almost felt guilty.
“I know it’s not much, but it’s what we could muster up at the last minute.”
“No, it’s nice. Thank you and please tell Stuart it’s too much. You really didn’t have to do all this. A simple bed would have sufficed.”
She forced a smile. “You’re being modest. That’s sweet. Stuart told me that you were living with your mom?”
“Something like that.” I didn’t want to give her a lot of information. Who knows what she’d do with it.
Placing my bag on the desk chair, I glanced out the window. My room overlooked a massive backyard complete with a deck, pool, and gazebo in the distance. The entire property was surrounded by trees, thick like a forest. When I turned around, Petra was still there. What did she want? A tip perhaps.
“You favor you mother.”
“Did you know her?” I walked across the room and opened a door, revealing a messy bathroom. Lexus slammed the door on the opposite side.
“No, but I’ve seen pictures of her. I mean, who didn’t know her? Between you and me, from what I heard she got around.”
Did she really think I would tolerate this? “Please don’t talk about my mother like you know her, because I can assure you, you don’t.” I glowered at her.
She seemed stunned into silence. I began unpacking my bag.
“Well, I guess I’ll leave you alone then. Breakfast is usually at 8:00 a.m. during the week and 9:00 a.m. on the weekends. So when you get up, just come on down. It’s informal.” She left.
Like I would join her for any meal. We were definitely not going to get along. I didn’t need a mother. I hadn’t had one since I was five.
Chapter Nine
I familiarized myself with the rest of the room and found cubby holes in the back of the closet perfect for my keepsake boxes. I’m sure they were meant for shoes or something because they were built into the wall and low to the ground. Jeez, this closet’s as big as the bedroom Elizabeth and I shared back at home. There was no way it was ever going to be filled with clothes.
I began to relax and took a seat on the blue settee at the foot of my bed and gingerly picked up the TV remote. I hit the power button and cartoons blared to life, so I lowered the volume. It was still hard to believe I was actually in California.
Sitting on the edge of the couch, I was sure Petra or Stuart would burst through the door any minute and take me to my true quarters in the basement.
But after five minutes, I decided it was safe to stretch out.
As if on cue, Lexus marched into my room with her ear plastered to her phone, glared at me, and then retreated back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Part of me wanted to chase her down and give her a piece of my mind, but that would have just made things worse. Besides I was technically invading her space, not the other way around.
* * *
“Here you go,” Petra announced a short while later as she walked in without knocking. She was accompanied by a woman dressed in a black and white uniform who carried a stack of clothes. Without speaking, the maid began arranging the clothes in the closet.
“I hope these will these work until we get you some new
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