Devon Thiele
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Dust to Dust
-Chapter 1-
Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up and just want to bury your head under your pillow and let the world pass you by? But you pull yourself out of bed and decide to give the world a chance? Then the world totally screws you over and you wish you’d followed your instincts and only gotten up to lock your bedroom door? Yeah, I was having one of those days.
It was the small things first. I slept through my alarm clock so I was running late. Then the hot water clonked out two minutes into my shower. After speeding to get to school I made it to my high school graduation practice. In my crappy jeans and a sweatshirt I was dismayed to hear about the class picture. And don’t even get me started about my hair.
I wasn’t invited to the senior class breakfast at the town’s only restaurant but I was okay with that. I went home and showered in lukewarm water so I could make my hair presentable. At least this time I had time to style my hair and do my make-up.
I took the time to study myself in the mirror. There were some days I hated my curly, auburn hair. The curls were tight spirals, perfect finger cages as my best friend Shayla would say. I just call it auburn because it really has so many colors that I can’t pick just one. I’ve got some blonde hairs in there, every shade of brown, and I’ve even found a black hair once or twice. But combined and added to my red undertones, it looks… well, red. But sometimes it looks brown. I get the occasional dark brown comment. And one time a guy I had a crush on told me it looked like unvarnished gold, which was flattering. Now, looking back on it, I think he was trying to get my answers in geometry.
The make-up highlighted my high cheekbones and strong jaw. My blue eyes stuck out on my pale ivory face. My eyes were another odd thing to label. Yes, they looked blue but the base color was actually grey, then there’s like a large blue starburst that blended in with it. Then there was another smaller green starburst right around the pupil. To top it all off, there were tiny gold flecks around the outside. But it all blended together to look blue.
On my way out I stopped in the kitchen to grab something to eat and to grab a cold can of pop. Now that I was back on schedule I was cheerful enough to be humming my favorite song of the moment.
All whistling stopped when I saw my car. “Oh, you’re kidding me,” I grouched at the flat tire. I wasted fifteen minutes trying to air it up but nada. That left me with one option.
I went back inside after the spare keys for the piece of crap car I’d just parked for good. Now my new shiny car was out of commission and I was back to… this.
I sighed and opened the door. I had no other alternative. That didn’t make me feel any better in the stifling black interior car. And the air conditioner hadn’t worked since 1998 so the windows were rolled down. “I hate this car,” I sang when the radio went out. It came and went on good days.
After some lovely traffic, and I’m being sarcastic there, I was yet again running late.
I parked my car and sprinted for the building where I was supposed to be taking my Spanish placement test. I burst through the doors and breathed a sigh of relief. Everybody was still chatting and the professor was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly there was a gasp and everyone looked at me. I was confused but I doubted it was because I looked cute at the moment. I looked above me and sighed. I had entered through Door F. I’d just broken one of the University’s cardinal superstitions by coming in through Door F on a test day. According to legend, I was now doomed to fail.
I could feel myself reddening as the giggling and chatter started. I walked down a few rows and sank into the first seat I saw.
“Smooth one, Cortland,” I said to myself quietly. “Real smooth.”
“Well, I was unsure about sitting next to you since you’re now a bad luck charm,” someone to my right said. “Now I’m unsure because you talk to yourself.”
“Like I’m the only one who walked in through that stupid door,” I turned towards the voice. And I immediately wanted to die. This guy was CUTE.
His hair was a light brown, a little on the long side, but that was okay because it was adorably curly. His eyes were a light hazel. “Oh you’re not,” he grinned. If possible he looked even cuter. “Why do you think I was sitting alone way back here?”
I glanced around and sure enough, there was at least a five row radius around us. “That’s so dumb. Like there’s any actual proof that walking in through that door makes you fail.”
“I totally agree that it’s all about the mindset,” he said. “But I’ll let you know how I feel after I get my results back.”
“Well, I suck at Spanish so I know I’m failing.”
“Smart girl like you?” he said skeptically. “You’ll pass with flying colors.”
“Ha. You obviously never met my Spanish teacher.”
“I haven’t even technically met you,” he said, holding out his hand. “I’m Campbell.”
“I’m Cortland,” I shook his hand. “Also known as Clumsy, Cursed, or sometimes Unfriendly.”
“Well, Cursed, here comes the professor, so let’s just see how you do.”
Had I not been sitting next to Cutie Campbell I would have been mumbling negatively under my breath or contemplating pulling out my hair or falling on my pencil. But since he probably already thought I was a freak I was on my best behavior. Okay, so my best behavior didn’t include not guessing “C” whenever I was clueless. Which was a lot of the time.
I was done with my test so I walked up front and handed it in. I smiled at Campbell as I headed for the door.
I was halfway across the mall when I heard a voice calling my name. I turned and saw Campbell jogging after me. “Wait, Cortland, I was wondering, do you want to go out for a cup of coffee or lunch or something?”
I smiled and got that happy feeling. Someone liked me. But unfortunately I mean, too bad for Campbell, I already had a boyfriend. But coffee, that would be harmless.
My phone rang, blasting out TikTok. I didn’t recognize the number but I knew it was from my hometown. What the heck. It would give me a chance to justify going for coffee with Cutie Campbell. “Hello?” I answered. Oh, what do you know, it was justified.
“Cortland, this is David, from the store.”
I held back the sigh. David, my boss. Calling from a number that was not the store’s. Ooh. This meant one thing and one thing only. “Hi David.”
“Can I get you to come in and work for a few hours until next shift starts?”
“Well, I…” Campbell was standing there patiently. “I’m at my college. I just got done with a placement test.” Dang it, I shouldn’t have said that I was done.
“The day checker just went home sick. I can have someone cover for you for an hour while you’re getting here. That’s better than having someone work for five.”
I looked at Campbell. It looked like fate had made the decision for me. I really didn’t want to go to work but David had been really good about letting me go to the graduation parties. And I’d called in sick a few weeks ago so I owed the cosmic forces at the store. “I’ll be there as quick as I can.”
I hung up and looked apologetically at Campbell. “I have to go. There’s an emergency at work.”
“Shouldn’t you be in school?”
“No. Our last day was yesterday since we graduate on Sunday. How long are you here?”
<
br /> “I’m not sure. As long as my brother needs to be.”
“Oh, cool. Well, it’s nice to have someone you know here.” Unlike me, who was deathly afraid of coming here and not having any friends.
“It would be even nicer to have two someones,” he said. “So I’ll take a rain check on the coffee and your cell phone number as sort of a consolation prize.”
I laughed. “I guess that will work.” I scrounged around in my purse for a piece of paper and a pen. I wrote my number down and handed it to him.
He took it. “Now I know who to call and blame when I get my scores back.”
I smiled. “You walked through the bad door too.”
“Good point. I’ll be talking to you later, Cortland.”
“Sounds good, Campbell.”
The euphoria of having a guy show interest in me quickly faded once I got to work. I understand that people may be having bad days so they let a little barb slip into their conversations. They’re a little rude to make themselves feel a little better. Whatever. But it hurts that person. Just a little but when a bunch of people are rude, it all starts adding up.
My boyfriend’s grandma came in, that last ten minutes of my shift. I greeted her warmly because she is a sweet old lady and she adores me.
“Hi honey,” she answered. “How are you doing?”
“Fine,” I answered.
“I knew you were a strong one. But still, the way my grandson betrayed you…if you need anything you let me know.”
“Um, okay.” I was totally confused.
“And that girl is not as pretty as you. What the boy was thinking I will never know. Just hold strong, dear.” Okay, now I was intrigued.
Luckily next shift showed up and I was allowed to leave. I stepped outside of the store and its vacuum of cell reception and called my best friend, Shayla.
“I have no idea what is going on,” she said. I could hear lockers slamming shut and loud chatter. Ugh, school. “Hang on, there’s Tish.”
Tish is his younger sister. “You can’t go and ask her because she’ll know you’re asking for me.”
Shay gave a frustrated sigh. “What am I supposed to do then? Wait. Monty!”
Monty, or Montgomery, is another good friend. But Shayla and I are inseparable so Monty would cause less suspicion.
I heard Shayla mumble an explanation and Monty say something else. Then Shayla’s focus was back on me.
By now I was sitting in my car, waiting for things to unfold before I started driving.
“Ok, Monty is approaching the target. She has engaged the target. They’re talking… talking…more talking…”
“Shay!” I cut in. “I don’t need a complete rundown.”
“Sorry. You know, maybe his grandma is confused. She is like ninety.” Typical Shay, trying to make me feel better.
“She’s not even seventy.”
“No way.”
“Yes.”
“She sure ignored her daily skin regimen.”
“What’s going on between Monty and Tish now?” I asked, fidgeting with my keys. The woven bracelet I wore over my left wrist moved, revealing the tiny tattoo on my wrist. Fairy wings weren’t really my thing but there it was, in all its blue shimmery-ness.
“I thought you didn’t want a rundown.”
“Shay, don’t screw with me.”
“Okay. Monty is flipping her gorgeous blonde hair like the goddess she is. Tish seems to be giving some lame excuse about having to leave. And… here comes Monty.”
“We’re going to kick his ass,” Monty fumed. “And then we’re going after little miss hare brain over there and we’re going to kick her ass.”
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Cortland wants to know what’s going on,” Shayla said to Monty.
“Give me the phone.”
“I want to know too.” I could hear them wrestling over the phone.
“You can hear me as I tell her over the phone, whereas if I tell you, you will have to repeat it to Cortland.”
I rolled my eyes as the struggling on the other end of the line ceased. “I hate it when you make sense,” I heard Shayla say.
“Cortland, before I begin, know that we love you and Burke never deserved you.”
“Monty, just get to the point.”
“Tish informed me that her amazing, god’s-gift-to-earth of a brother is engaged to some sweetheart of a southern belle. And a shotgun wedding is in order.”
“You’re kidding me,” Shayla and I said at the same time.
“How long has he been cheating on me?” I asked. Right now the pain had me withdrawing, to hide somewhere and lick my wounds. But once the rage kicked in his ass is grass.
“To quote Tish, when wasn’t he cheating on you?”
I sighed and put my head against the steering wheel. “What is wrong with me? All American Mr. Nice Guy cheated on me. I drove him to cheat.”
Shayla quickly snatched the phone from Monty. “Oh no, you are not blaming yourself for that douchebag’s choices.”
And the conversation pretty much went downhill from there. Somehow it progressed so that at nine thirty the three of us, plus our good friend Asher, were in front of a Wal-Mart.
“Guys, this is a bad idea,” I said. I was being the voice of reason and for once I was losing.
“No, it is an amazing idea. We all go in and you and I buy the supplies then leave. Asher and Monty stay and buy something to provide us with a good enough alibi to satisfy the folks back home. All while you and I go get him.”
“I don’t want to egg his car,” I protested.
“Yes, you do.”
Okay, she had me there. “I want to be the bigger person. I want everyone on my side. Heck, I’ve got his grandma on my side. I don’t want…” At that moment I got a text message. From Burke.
‘Hey babe. What’s up? I miss you.’
And if that wasn’t enough a split second later my phone beeped again. ‘I love you,’ I read silently.
“Oh, hell no,” I mumbled.
Shayla was staring at me. “You don’t want to what?” She prompted.
“I don’t want to leave one inch of that car uncovered.”
Three grinning faces turned in my direction. There was Shayla, with her black, adorable curls and mischievous green eyes. To go with it was her perfect porcelain skin. And a wicked sense of humor.
Monty had long golden hair that was naturally wavy. Add that to her golden skin and legs that were miles long, she always looked fresh off the beach. The beach of gorgeous blue eyed blondes.
Asher was brought in by Shay’s humor and my sarcasm and stayed for the hope that Monty would one day see him as more than a friend. Personally I couldn’t see what was taking so long. Ash was tall and lean, in shape and tan. With his sandy blonde hair and startling blue eyes, he was freaking cute. He has six pack abs for god’s sake. Sometimes I wanted to smack Montgomery and tell her to open her eyes.
Anyway, forty minutes later under the cover of darkness, Shayla and I approached Burke’s unprotected car.
“I feel bad about this now.”
Shayla shot me an annoyed look. “His car is parked at the curb, away from all streetlights. He’s practically asking for it. Plus you went all softie on me in the store and made me buy saran wrap.”
“Well, it’s double the pain in the butt minus the peeling off of his paint,” I sniffled righteously. “Sorry that I’m a nice responsible girl.”
Shayla rolled her eyes and opened up the saran wrap. “Get on the other side of the car. We’re going to do this the smart, efficient way.”
Cut to Shay rolling the saran wrap, me picking it up, and then rolling it across the top of his car. Once the doors were firmly wrapped shut we super glued the end to the plastic and then whipped out the eggs.
“Do you feel better?” Shayla asked once we were back on the interstate, a Ke$ha CD blaring through t
he stereos.
My cell phone beeped and I flipped it open. ‘What’s up? Still waiting on that coffee.’
A tiny smile played on my lips. “Yes. I’m feeling much better.”
-Chapter 2-