Emily's Perfect Valentine: Friday Harbor, #2

Emily’s Perfect Valentine

Doyle MacBrayne

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Copyright © 2014 Doyle MacBrayne

Edited 2017 Copyright © 2017 Doyle MacBrayne

Cover Art Work Copyright © 2017 Doyle MacBrayne Photo from www.123rf.com/profile_theartofphoto'>theartofphoto / 123RF Stock Photo

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 1495953270

ISBN-13: 978-1495953279

DEDICATION

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To my children. I wish you happiness and love.

CONTENTS

DEDICATION

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six 

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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Thank you to my amazing husband who encourages me to spend my days reading, writing, and generally enjoying an extremely early retirement. Yes, there’s laundry and cooking, but that just gives me time to sort out the plot details. He is my true love.

To the readers, I hope you enjoy this piece of writing. It is meant to make you happy, escape from reality, and realize that there is true love!

Chapter One

Emily—

Some days I feel like I can’t run far or fast enough to escape the past.

I ran through the neighborhood that I had lived in for the last two years. The playground had a covered picnic area that had been taken over by neighborhood teens wearing gang colors. They moved into the park three weeks ago and stayed. There wasn’t much anyone could do about it. It meant that my foster brother, Tony, wasn’t allowed to leave the yard now. At twelve, that was like a prison sentence. My foster parents, Lupe and Dave, had bought a PlayStation4 to tempt him to stay home and bring friends over rather than spend time on the streets.

Tony was lucky they cared. Lupe and Dave were in their sixties, had three grown children and took in at-risk kids.

At risk. What a stupid phrase. More like living in a nightmare. Given choices like take a beating for a bed or sleep on the street.

My feet hit the pavement and I ignored the burning in my side. I ignored the small pebble that had managed to get in my shoe through the hole on the side. It didn’t matter. I was getting away. This was my past. I might not be able to escape it completely, but I would conquer it. I could reinvent myself.

I pondered who I would be. I snorted at the thought of being someone famous, followed by press, constantly scrutinized by what I looked like and never who I really was.

I was pretty. Well, I was beautiful on the outside. On the inside? I was the girl you crossed the street to avoid. I knew how to hide, how to steal, how to break in to a house and never leave a trace behind. When I was Tony’s age I had already been in three foster homes and ran away every time.

I had found my mother the last time I ran away. She was living with an old tattooed man. Not the colorful pretty tattoos with dragons, no this guy had swastika’s and skulls. I guess he tolerated my mother’s Asian background, although she looked mostly white, but I knew he wouldn’t stand me. Black, Asian, White, and God knows what else. Brown skin, black straight hair, green eyes. A hybrid. Blended. A true American. All I knew was that it meant I never fit in. You could be every race and yet there was a "purebred only’ kind of mentality. Not that kids intentionally excluded me, it was more unconscious. The only one who ever got me was a foster-sister from three years ago. She was mostly white, with red hair and freckles, but she had dark brown Asian eyes. It was striking, but it just made her stand out.

Misfits. At risk.

I suppose even if I was a purebred being in foster care would have marked me as a misfit anyway.

Even my mother had rejected me. She could have petitioned the courts for custody after she got out of rehab. Although, after looking at tattoo guy, maybe she did have my best interest at heart because I doubted that would have been a happy household to grow up in.

None of that mattered because I was going to college. Lupe had managed to help me get some scholarship money and with money I had saved the last two years I could pay for the first two years of college.

I would rewrite myself. A new version. Beautiful on the inside. Stable. Honest. Trust-worthy. I would no longer be the scary girl from the street. I would be Emily, the college student with a bright future.

I turned up our street and sprinted home. Tony was in his room packing.

What’s up? I asked, leaning against his doorjamb.

Tony shrugged. My mom is coming to get me.

I grinned. That’s great.

He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. We both know it’s bullshit Em. I give her two weeks, no ten days before she’s her usual useless self.

You can hang with me if you need to couch surf. I won’t change my cell number.

He came over and hugged me. Thanks, Em. You know this is the nicest place I’ve ever been.

I blinked back tears. Me too.

Dinner that night was depressing. Lupe looked worried and kept fussing over Tony. She knew what was going to happen. I don’t know how people do what Lupe and Dave do; I mean they take strangers, like stray dogs, into their home. They love them. They feed them. They help them have some sense of normalcy and then they’re gone. Although I’ve seen a few of their old foster kids drop by or send a card. For the most part, though, we all just move on. Misfits with attachment disorders.

Their hallway had framed photos of the fourteen kids they’ve taken in over the last five years. Some were just for a month, most like Tony, until their custodial parent got out of jail or rehab. The photos reminded me of the orthodontist’s office. A line up of patients with awkward smiles hoping for perfection. This was a photo line-up of trouble; kids with attachment disorders, ADD, ADHD, and sociopaths in the making. There would be no redemption for us, much less perfection.

Dave cleared his throat. We wanted to let you kids know that you’re our last foster kids. Lupe and I, well, we’re getting older and we’ve decided it’s time to retire.

Tony’s hand clenched his fork. So what happens when I enter the system again. Can I still live with you?

Lupe hugged him. It won’t happen. Have faith. Your mom wants you to live with her. You have to try and make it work.

Tony looked at me. He was calling bullshit.

Are you moving? I asked.

Lupe nodded, but Dave answered. Yes, we’ve decided to move to Costa Rica. Lupe’s cousin and his family are there.

Guess I wouldn’t be coming home for Christmas break.

I nodded, and kicked Tony under the table. I said lamely, Good luck, you deserve a nice retirement.

Tony put his fork down. I’ll miss you.

Lupe began to cry then. She hugged him tightly and whispered something into his ear that made him push her off and run to his room. He hated showing emotion in front of anyone. It made you weak. It made you a target.

Lupe looked at me sadly. I reassured her. He’ll be fine. He’s got me.

Dave said, Thanks. You can always count on my brother too. If anything happens, don’t be afraid to call him.

I nodded. Thanks. His brother was creepy. One of those guys that stared too long and didn’t care that you caught them looking.

Lupe sniffed. Are you all packed for school?

Yes, ma’am.

Lupe gave me a weak smile. We’re giving you the car. We won’t need it. I know it’s not much, but we hoped it would help you. Make it easier to get a job.

Dammit, I couldn’t help it but I cried. Thank you. She hugged me while Dave patted my hand.

Dave said quietly, Emily, your future is so bright. Go to school, make friends, and don’t ever come back. Do you understand? Take the car and don’t ever come back.

Lupe hugged me tighter. I’m going to miss you.

I hate crying. It makes it hard to breathe. I hate when my heart hurts. I’ve tried so hard to distance myself from that kind of pain. It helps when you don’t care about anyone, or what anyone thinks.

It seemed like every time I trusted someone they abandoned me. It’s probably why I ran away so often.

Two weeks later, Tony had moved out and was living with his mother and his aunt. It seemed to be going well. I had packed up the pig. It’s what I called Lupe’s old coupe. Somehow the color had changed over the years to an odd shade of pink. It was supposed to be sand colored. It sucked down gas and oil at an alarming rate, but at least I could afford the insurance, and it ran. Really, that’s all I could hope for.

I moved into the dorm room, cautiously eyeing the loud people all around me. They were so bubbly. I wore my dark sunglasses and a hoodie and pulled my one duffel bag into the room. My roommate hadn’t shown up yet, and it took me all of five minutes to unpack.

I was nervous. I had shared rooms with strangers before, but this was different. We had an entire year together, and basically with my past if she had any complaints about me I would be kicked out of the dorms. I had to be civil.

I hoped she was a serious student and not looking to party every night. Her name was Bree. It seemed like a diva kind of name. However, when she first appeared at the room she was dressed in normal clothes, no makeup and she looked nice. Her parents were with her. I wasn’t surprised; everyone else had brought at least one parent if not their whole family. What did surprise me was how quickly they included me. Bree seemed to sense my awkwardness and teased her parents to stop with the third degree. I suppose it was normal for them to want to know who was living with their only child. They cared.

Her parents had dropped us off after dinner and Bree apologized again for their nosy questions.

It’s ok, I said, I totally get it. They’ve taken care of you for the last eighteen years. I could be a total crazy person or partier. I think it’s nice they care so much to both come and help you move in.

Bree said, I’m lucky. Mom was serious, you know. You’re now stuck going home with me on long weekends and stuff.

I grinned. It sounds horrible. Being surrounded by family that loves you, feeds you, and does your laundry.

She threw a sock in my direction. Hah! That’s what you think. You’re only two-thirds correct, and honestly cooking is a group effort. She picked up her sock and sat down on the floor. I need to bring my throw rug or something. This carpet is nasty and the floor is really hard. Her head banged against the wall and I laughed. She rubbed the back of her head. So how come you got to move in early?

I aged out of foster care a few months ago, but the family I was with let me stay until school started. Lupe arranged for me to move in early. I watched her reaction and was glad she didn’t give me a pity look.

Cool, so we’re the same age and we have a couple of weeks to get used to campus so we don’t look like total dorks on the first day of school.

I shrugged. I’ve never looked like a dork

She laughed at me and I relaxed and giggled. It felt good, maybe even normal.

She suddenly looked at me seriously. Look, I don’t want to sound like a total prude, except I really am. She rolled her eyes. At least that’s what my cousins tell me. I am hoping that you’re cool having a very quiet laid-back roomie that doesn’t drink, smoke, or date. Basically, I’m telling you I’m like a nun that wants to graduate with a four point-oh.

Perfect. I said sarcastically and then I giggled when her face fell. Just kidding. I just want to go to school and work. I’m hoping to get a job next quarter. I’ve got enough saved up to take some time off and just focus on school.

She looked relieved. Me too. I worked all summer but I’m on a scholarship for softball, so that’s going to take all of my extra time.

Softball? I looked at her; she wasn’t what I expected as a jock.

She grinned. Yes. I’m a pitcher.

Have you met the other girls yet?

A few of them. She shrugged. They seem nice. A lot of them are rooming together.

But you didn’t want to do that?

No. Definitely not. I like softball but I don’t want to live and breathe it 24/7 you know? I’m thrilled I got the scholarship because it would be hard to go to school otherwise, you know?

Yeah. I get that.

"Besides, this is better. We’re both the same majors, we