“I just wanted to crash in my room… when I walked in the door of my room, Uncle Jim was sleeping in my bed… so… so I… I just laid down beside him. He’s is my mother’s friend! There’s nothing wrong with that, right?”
I was speechless and worried about what I was about to hear next. B
“He tried stuff Lindsey!” She broke into uncontrollable crying. I thought she would pass out from all her hyperventilating so I just waited for her to continue.
“He touched me! He’s so disgusting! I hate him, I hate him, I hate him…” She cried and cried. All I could do was hold her. Oh my god. I couldn’t believe what she was telling me.
“What did you do?”
“I screamed and said no! He grabbed my wrists and told me to shut up and not to wake my mom because she would be mad at me! He said I would like it! I didn’t like it, he held me down hard and I couldn’t move. He put his hand on my chest and that’s when I was able to kick him and get away to call you. I just needed to hear your voice… sniff…”
“You’ve got to tell your mom,” I said.
“No! She would just say it was my fault!”
“What?!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“I don’t know, maybe she would be right… I mean, we took these pills and all…”
“Pills? What pills?”
“Uncle Jim gave us these little white pills. They made us feel so good.”
“Would you listen to yourself? Now he gave you drugs? I’m phoning the police.” I grabbed the phone.
“No! I’m not saying anything!” She snatched the phone out of my hand.
“He’s a criminal Chloe!”
“But I asked him for the pills.”
“Well you definitely didn’t ask him for what happened last night!”
She sat quietly looking down at her hands that she had clenched on her lap.
“Maybe I did.”
“What!?”
“Well, he said that I wanted it because I’m always flirting with him.”
“You didn’t deserve that, not even for a second! Just like you didn’t deserve what Adam did to you!”
“I don’t want to talk about that.”
“Well maybe you need to for once! Adam forced you to have sex with him and you got pregnant!
“It’s not supposed to be like that Chloe. you need to have more respect for yourself. you are beautiful inside and out. It’s wrong that your mom tells you that you only need to look pretty and find someone to marry. There is so much more to life. Look at her life! Is that what you want? you always told me you never wanted to be like your mother but you are heading in the same direction…”
Chloe just sat and cried. I remember when I used to envy Chloe. I was so jealous of how pretty and popular she was. I wanted to be like her so badly. Now, I wouldn’t want to be her if someone offered me a million dollars.
We ended up falling asleep until around noon.
Then my mom came in and we talked.
We talked and talked. Chloe told my mom everything and we decided that we would go to the police and press charges against “Uncle Jim.”
My mom may not like Chloe’s mom and she may not like some of the things that Chloe has done, but she truly likes Chloe as the person that I see. Through all the clothes and make-up there is a fragile little girl who needs to be loved and cared for.
When Chloe gave up her baby two summers ago, my mom was there for her every step of the way. It was the most difficult thing Chloe has ever gone through. She was very brave. Nobody ever knew about Chloe’s baby. Not even her own mother. Chloe was able to hide her entire pregnancy from everyone. I think she also hides her feelings from everyone as well…
CHAPTER 15B
Life Goes On
After weeks of hard persuasion, my mom and I finally convinced Chloe to see our school counselor, Mrs. Futuro. She has been talking to her almost ever y day at lunch time for about a month. I think Chloe has had a lot of issues that she needed help dealing with. She seems better, a little more calm and focused. She still hangs out with Brittany and doing whatever they do but at least she’s attempting to help herself. We still talk, not like we used to but at least she feels she can open up to me, I think that’s pretty important.
Deirdre’s mom passed away with Deirdre and Megan by her side. It had been a long and painful battle with breast cancer.
Deirdre phoned me and we went out for a long walk that Sunday afternoon.
“I’m going to miss her so much but I know she’s in a much better place now.” Deirdre seemed calm and convinced. “She was in so much pain at the end. It was no way to live.”
“How is Megan doing?” I asked.
“Not so good. She understands things differently at her age. I told her mommy is dancing with the angels…”
We spent the entire afternoon together just walking in the park. We talked a lot about Deirdre’s mom and what her family life was like when she was little. She told me that just before her mother passed away, her mom spoke to a social worker at the hospital about foster homes. Her mom tried everything to get her out of that horrible place where she and her sister lived at.
Deirdre has become one of my best friends. Jess and I really enjoy her company; she is fun and likes to do anything we suggest. She has a really good heart. It’s such a shame people didn’t take notice of that before.
Deirdre and Megan joined my family for dinner that night. My mom thought it was important for them to be with people who supported them during this sad time. My mom is disgusted with Deirdre’s grandmother and father.
“Deirdre, if it is okay with you and Megan, we would love to have you live with us for as long as it takes to find an appropriate foster home.”
“Hooray!” Aimee and Megan squealed with delight. My mom suggested this to me awhile back. I think it’s a great idea.
Deirdre looked like she was on the verge of tears.
“Thank you,” is all she could say.
Joey, Jess, Deirdre and I spend a lot of after-school time and weekends together just hanging out.
Deirdre loves to read so she spends some of her time at the library. I still enjoy going to the hospital with Joey to visit Mr. Tommies. He’s not doing very well right now. He’s a real fighter and simply loves life too much. Mr. Tommies has taught me so much…
What I will remember most, is to look around and see who your real friends are and celebrate that. A real friend is someone who makes you feel good about who you are when you are with them; don’t ever take your loved ones for granted, life will always have obstacles and you will always be thrown difficult choices. Follow your heart because ultimately, you know what is right from wrong. you always have the ability to get through tough times and you will become a stronger person because of it, but the most important words that I will always remember, “Live everyday like it is your last…”
Joey and I went down to the hospital cafeteria for lunch one Saturday afternoon. Joey was still in line when I went to find us a table. I noticed he was talking to a couple of people and he had a surprised look on his face.
They looked concerned and seemed to be very serious about whatever they were talking about. I couldn’t help but be very curious. Joey looked my way as he was leaving the couple. He came to the table and put his tray of food down.
“I’ll be right back okay?”
“Sure.” I wanted to ask what was going on but he seemed quite distracted.
He returned about 20 minutes later with a content look on his face.
“Where did you go?” I was dying to find out.
“I went to visit an old friend.” I searched his face for more information. “Those people who I was talking to earlier were her parents.”
“Is she going to be okay?” I asked.
Joey took a long pause and looked down momentarily. He then looked right into my eyes with a big smile and said, “She’s going to make it… she is going to make it.”
Epilogue B
“Are you almost ready?”
“Would you quit asking me, I said I’m almost ready.” I was finishing off my last touch of makeup. I stared at myself in the mirror. I can’t believe it has been ten years since we graduated high school. This reunion is going to be interesting. I have major butterflies in my stomach.
“You are as cute as you were when I saw on the beach that afternoon.”
“So what are you saying, I look like I’m 16?” Joe hugged me around the waist as we spoke through the mirror.
“I’m so nervous,” I said.
“It’ll be fun, I can’t wait to see how the guys are doing, Eddie, Newman Boys, Kurt and especially Jake Stein.”
Joey and I were married three years ago. After graduation, we did end up going our separate ways. Joey was offered a position on the National Men’s Volleyball squad at that time so he was off traveling for a few years.
Jessica and I did our own traveling. We threw on a backpack and headed to Europe for six months. I enrolled in Canon College when we returned. There, I received a Physical Education Degree and worked as a teacher for a few years.
Joey and I tried to keep in touch. It wasn’t always easy. We actually dated other people for a few years while we remained friends. I found that all I ever did was compare every guy I dated, to Joey. He has always been the one for me.
Four years ago Joey hung up his court shoes so he could pursue other interests, which included me. He was accepted into medicine and I continued on with my education in a Master’s Degree program.
Chloe and I remained good friends throughout high school. She continued with her counseling, I think it really saved her. It took her some time to get out of the group she had been hanging around. I think they all needed extra growing up time.
Chloe works as a nurse at Canon General Hospital. She married a nice guy from college. They have a two-year-old little girl named Abbie.
Abbie calls me “Auntie Wimzie.”
“What time did you say Jessica’s plane gets in?”
“In a half an hour, we should go,”
Jessica travels around with a research group who saves animals that are going extinct. She is married to her animals; she absolutely loves what she does. We e-mail frequently. She’s single and I think will always be single. She moves around so much, I doubt she’ll ever settle down.
Deirdre Duncan writes children’s books. In fact, she has a whole series of books that teach children about life and death. She has actually been on television promoting her books. She is becoming pretty famous! I’m so proud of her. We still keep in touch despite her living so far away. Megan and Aimee are college roommates. They act like sisters. They even tell people they are sisters.
“I wonder what ever happened to Brittany Sinclair.”
“Isn’t that why you wanted to go to this reunion so bad- ly?” Joe asked as we were getting in the car.
“I’m pretty curious about a lot of people. I wonder who made it and who didn’t.”
“We made it, that’s the most important part.” He tapped his chest and reached for my hand.
“We made it.”
About the Author
Laurel Peterson received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of Alberta. Her experience includes dealing with students on varying issues during her years as a School Health Nurse in Alberta cities. Laurel has drawn from her work experience to create the issues and obstacles the main character faces.
Laurel has consulted and presented on various topics such as alcohol/drug abuse, relationship issues, bullying, suicide and depression, teen sexuality/teen pregnancy and decision-making skills.
She has been previously published in The Canadian Nurse, a nursing journal. The article, “So you want to be a Nurse?” documents the stress faced by college students and specifically nursing students.
Laurel Peterson currently lives in Edmonton, Alberta with her husband and two daughters. She continues to work as a Public Health Nurse.
She can be reached at
[email protected].
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends