~My Dearest Scout,
It saddens me that you are reading this note. Not because I am gone. I am an old lady and have had an amazing life. No, it saddens me because I will not be there to see you grow into the amazing woman I know you will be. It also saddens me because I know that in many ways, you are now alone. Your parents mean well. I hope you understand that. They do not know what I know.
I am sure you are wondering how I know what you see, feel, and understand are true. It is more than just me believing in you. It is more than a grandmother’s love. It is because I am like you. It is something I probably should have told you much earlier. You have to understand I did it for a reason. I wanted you to have a childhood. The tea was meant to help.
So far so good. Nothing she hadn’t read before. She could do this. Well, at least she hoped she could. It was only a letter after all and, at some point, she had to learn to control her emotions.
Okay, by now you probably think I am talking in riddles. You always say I need to stop my silly phrases and just mean what I say. Deep down, we both know you love my phrases, and I can see you saying them to your friends, so you can wipe that look off your face. Yes, I know you have it.
Busted from the grave. Only Grandma Nora could take a moment like this and add some levity to it.
First things first. I can’t even begin to tell you everything I need to in a letter. There is just too much to say, and from what the doctor told me today, there is too little time to say it all. So I am doing the second best thing. I left my journal-type book. You will see what I mean. It is more of a history/recipe/story/memory/random thoughts-type book than it is a journal, but there you have it. Not being as organized as your mom, or anyone else I know for that matter, it is a chaotic mess and includes random papers shoved inside. I had this plan to redo it in one of those fancy, leather journals you showed me on the computer and to give it to you when the time was right. You know what happens when you make plans, life or, in my case, death happens. I probably should not have said, “Death happens,” because I am guessing I made you cry. It is the truth though, and something I wish I had done more with you is tell you the truth. Not that I lied, but I surely did omit some pretty important things. Okay, you are right, that is lying, but… you will see. Trust me on this. I am probably not making any sense. Babbling on like a silly old woman.
How did she do that? It was like her grandma could see inside her mind as she wrote the letter and, true to her words, Scout was crying. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her father calling to her mother, asking if she had anything that needed to go in the car. She knew she had to hurry if she was going to get this done, and she had to find that journal. If she had left it to her, why did she not already have it? She imagined she was going to have some big-time questions for her parents when she finished the letter. Maybe that was why her mom was so weird about it. Maybe she didn’t want her to have the journal yet? Going back to the letter, many of her questions were quickly answered while many more appeared.
You know as well as I do that your mother likes things to be “normal” and “organized,” and since the journal I am leaving to you is neither of those things, I hid it for you to get when you read this note. Do not panic if they already cleared out my things. I bet your mom was right on that. Not because she does not love or miss me, but because she feels better accomplishing things and having that done would help her cope with me being gone.
That was true. How did her grandmother know so much? Maybe it was in the journal. She had to get it, though not really to figure out what all this rambling was about. Chances were that she was doing what Scout always did when she was nervous, and was just babbling on and on. No, she needed that journal to have something of her grandmother’s with her at college, so she would not feel so all alone. Even as she thought it, Scout knew that sounded pathetic, but she couldn’t help it. Thoughts were thoughts, and they were uncontrollable.
I hid a box with the journal, a stash of tea so you can have a cuppa if you so choose, and some random odds and ends I thought you might like. It is in your closet, behind/under your bookshelf in the little space beneath the last shelf, but before the floor. I actually put it in the backpack you hide there. Now, don’t be embarrassed. I did not look at anything else you have back there, and you should definitely not be blushing because you kept the backpack. It was from a time in your life when you were happiest. I can see you clearly in my mind, wandering around the park with that little pink backpack with the unicorns on it, putting magic stones and twigs in them as you found them. See, I am babbling again. Go get the box. I hope it helps in ways I currently can’t. Oh, and do yourself a favor. Do not let your mother see it. She is all sorts of… well, you know. She would not like it. When the time is right, you can share whatever you want, but wait until you read it all. I know I sound cryptic, but you will understand why later.
I know I have never told you this before. In fact, I have told you the opposite more than once, but please forget all that, and listen to what I am telling you now. ALWAYS BE YOURSELF. I may be old, but I learned a thing or two from you with that texting, and I know that those caps signify I mean what I say. Or do they mean I am yelling at you? Oh, I forget, but I mean what I say. Be yourself. You may not need to share all the facts all the time, but do not pretend to be someone you are not anymore. It is not fair to you, and it certainly is not fair to the people you meet. They need to know the amazing person you are. The world is better for having you in it.
I love you, Elenore Scout and, even though I know I am in a good place, I am sure I miss you every day. How could I not? You are my shining light.
Love,
Grandma Nora
Without giving the letter even a moment to sink in, she ran to the closet, pushed the pile of shoes to the side, and slid the bookcase out just a wee bit. She knew it was odd to have a bookshelf in the closet, but her closet was huge and, as a child, she left her books in a very disorganized mess, so her mom thought it would be best to keep it there so her room would at least appear clean. One day, when her favorite unicorn book fell behind it, she discovered what her mother had truly given her. The perfect hiding spot to keep her treasures. She might not be able to talk about things, but that didn’t mean they had to disappear. It had been years since she had added anything to her treasure trove. She had actually almost forgotten about it. Come to think of it, how did her grandmother even know about it? Surely, her parents did not, or everything would have been long gone. Well, that was a mystery for another day. Today, she had to get the bag and take it to the car without her parents suspecting anything.
Grabbing behind the shelf, she found the bag immediately. At the time she wore it, it seemed so huge and grown up. Well, as grown up as unicorns could seem. Now looking at it, she saw it was only the size of those mini-backpack purses that were all the rage for a wee bit. She quickly unzipped it and felt inside. Sure enough, there was what felt like a tea caddy and her old treasures. Rocks mostly. She always liked rocks, but in her childhood, these rocks were special. They glowed. She really had quite an imagination back then. Maybe she could tap into it again and take a writing class or two. Writing had to be more fun than the History of the Basque, which, believe it or not, was one of the class offerings they tried to talk her into enrolling in. No thank you. She would leave that for the historians. Instead, she signed up for US History, which was mandatory. If she was going to be bored, she might as well do it with something that was unavoidable.
Scout was pulled out of her ponderings by her father calling and letting her know they were ready when she was. Somehow she had missed the fact that he had already gotten her suitcase. She hurried to her bed, folded up the letter, and put both it and the backpack in her messenger bag. It was now overflowing, but she didn’t expect her parents to think twice about it since she was leaving for months. Of course she would have a ton. One last look around the room, and she was off. Only twelve hours plus stops until she reached her final
destination—New Hampshire. Home of everything wicked and soon to be home to her.
“Sweet Pea, we are almost there. Time to wake up.” Her mother’s voice pulled her from her dreams. Apparently, even the excitement of knowing she was going to be moving into her dorm, and meeting her roommates, was not enough to keep Scout awake for the whole twelve-hour ride. They were still three hours away last she knew. Whoops. Scout stretched her arms and looked out the window as they came to a stop at the traffic light.
To her left, Scout saw an eclectic-looking building that had a huge sign with a B to the third power on it. That made her inner geek smile. Upon further perusal, she realized what the three Bs stood for—Books, Brews, and Beers. She had seen a bookstore/coffee shop combo before, but never a place with coffee, books, and a bar. She was beginning to like this town already. Not that she drank, but any town that thought books were cool enough to be in a bar, was A-OK in her book.
The light had already turned green, but there was a very elderly, very slow lady making her way across the street. That would never fly in Michigan, but here, no one seemed to be bothered by it. As she watched her, the woman made eye contact and then turned her head back towards the bookstore with a wink. Scout was sure she had seen incorrectly, but turned her head towards the “bookstore of fun,” as she now referred to it in her head, and saw a new sandwich board with three people standing next to it. Not any three people, but three glowing people. Three glowing and beyond colorful people.
On the sign, she read—Scouting for new help. Apply in person.
What the heck? There was no way she read that correctly. It had to be a coincidence. Just then, the car started to move. She found herself turning her head to see what was on the other side.
It read—Yes, we mean you.
The old lady, who should have been on the other side of the road, was now standing next to the three very colorful people, as they gave her a nod, a smile, and a small wave. She stared at them while the car continued down the street. Just as they were about out of sight, she saw the old lady start to glow.
Scout’s adventures truly begin in Unless You Can Be A Unicorn, set to be released late 2014.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Delphina, mother of four and reading enthusiast, attended the first UtopYA in 2012 and it truly was a life changing event. Not only did she meet amazing people and have a great time, but it sparked an idea. Unless You Can Be A Unicorn, was that idea. When not glued to her ereader, Delphina can be found on FB, Twitter, and her blog.
Visit her at www.facebook.com/DelphinaHenley or on Twitter @DelphinaReads
Touch of Love
A new adult contemporary romance by E.L. Todd
Scarlet
I can’t tell you how happy I am to be here. No, really. It was everything I imagined and hoped it would be. I hadn’t been to the campus once, but I knew I wanted to be at that university nonetheless. I didn’t need to see the brick walls of the historic buildings or the elegantly designed campus that conveyed decades of legacy and achievement. Anything was better than where I was before.
I was a freshman at Harvard, and I still couldn’t believe I was there. I knew I was smart, but I didn’t think I was that smart. I asked my brother to read the acceptance letter just to make sure.
“Scar, it says you got in.”
“Are you sure?”
He rolled his eyes. “Maybe we should reconsider this Harvard thing. You’re pretty dumb.”
“Ryan?” My voice contained my serious tone. My heart was racing in my chest. My brother wouldn’t lie to me. I needed to hear him say it. If he did, it would make it real.
He handed the letter back. “You got in.”
I almost fainted.
He helped me move into my dorm room, carrying everything I owned—which wasn’t a lot. It was a tearful goodbye. I hated being on the other side of country, away from the only family I had left.
“I love you so much,” I said as I hugged him.
“I love you too, Scar.” He returned my embrace and held me tight. My brother was my best friend—everything to me. I knew he felt the same way.
“I don’t know if I belong here,” I whispered.
He pulled away. “Look at me.”
I wiped my tears away and stared him in the eye.
“You’re right. You don’t belong here. You’re meant to be here. You’ll do great. I know you will.”
“Are you sure? You’re always telling me how stupid I am.”
“Because you are.”
“Now you’re just confusing me.”
He kissed me on the forehead. “Just do it. I have my faith in you. You were accepted to this university because they believe you will succeed. You wouldn’t be here, beat out thousands of applicants, if you weren’t capable of it.”
“Okay,” I said with a nod, feeling more assured.
He walked toward the door. “You can call me for anything—anything.”
“I know.”
“I’ll see you for Thanksgiving?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Now get settled.”
The door opened and Theresa walked in. She stopped and looked my brother up and down. “Hello, handsome.”
His cheeks blushed. “Hey. I’m Scarlet’s brother.”
“And it’s nice to meet you.”
He nodded. “You too. Be nice to my little sister. She’s really annoying and bratty, but when you look past all that, she’s really not that bad.”
“Thanks,” I said sarcastically.
“I had to warn her,” he said with a smile. “See you later.”
“Bye,” Theresa said with a wave of her hand.
Ryan left and shut the door.
“So, what’s his story?” Theresa asked immediately, twirling her hair and batting her eyelashes.
“He lives in Seattle,” I said quickly.
“Oh. So no story?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh well.” She walked to the mirror and fixed her hair and makeup. She was already beautiful so I didn’t know what she needed to check. I guess knowing you were beautiful all the time was a confidence booster. She just liked to look at herself. “You ready for school tomorrow?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Why are you nervous?”
“I’m always nervous.”
I looked at myself in the mirror and compared myself to Theresa. We were the same size, but my breasts were bigger than hers. I was always a little self-conscious of their size. I tried to make them looker smaller whenever possible. They weren’t huge, but they were noticeable. I had more curves than her, but I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.
“Let’s go down to the hall,” she said.
“Sure.”
“We’ll meet some other English majors.”
“I could use some friends.” Theresa and I just met, but she and I got along pretty well. She was very blunt and direct, saying exactly what she wanted and when she wanted it. She was the ying to my yang. I don’t where she got all that confidence from.
We left the dorm room then headed to main mess hall. A lot of students were already there, sitting at the tables or in the chairs dispersed throughout the room. It reminded me of a quiet coffee shop. It was dark, very minimal light flittered through the room. The walls were painted brown, and the furniture was also a dark wood. There was a large red rug on the floor.
We ordered a few coffees before we sat down at a table. I didn’t see anyone that I recognized, but then again, no one I knew from high school got into Harvard. It was still surreal. I still couldn’t believe it. When I looked around at everyone, I could tell there were a wide variety of people that made up the student body, even international people. Everyone had a different sense of style. I was just wearing jeans and a t-shirt, being incredibly casual.
Theresa sipped her coffee and looked around the room. “See anyone you like?”
“Excuse me?”
“Any boys you like?”
&
nbsp; I wasn’t searching, concentrating on my coffee. I scanned the room and took a look. My eyes stopped when I saw someone that I did like. He had brown hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. He was sitting down, but I could tell by the length of his legs that he was tall. His muscled chest and arms showed his physique. He was big, but not too large and bulky. There was an aura of confidence about him that was borderline arrogance. I don’t know what caught my eye but something did. He was incredibly handsome, one of the best looking guys I’ve ever seen. I wanted to keep the treasure to myself so I didn’t mention him to Theresa. If she agreed that he was attractive, she would sweep him of his feet. And I had no chance of competing. “Nope.”
“No one?”
I took a drink of my coffee. “I’ll see someone I like in class.”
“I’m sure.”
A man came over and sat next to Theresa. “Freshman?”
She smiled. “What gave me away?”
“You look lost.”
“Good thing you saved me.”
I rolled my eyes. She said the cheesiest stuff sometimes. Initially, I thought she was a flirt, but now I just thought she was a slut.
“So, what’s your name?” he asked.
“Theresa. What’s yours?”
“Scott.”
The guy didn’t look at me once so I knew I was practically invisible to him. It was high school all over again. Theresa seemed to like the guy, so I decided to take my leave and blend into the shadows. Without saying goodbye, I stood up and walked to the coffee counter. I ordered some nutty latte and it wasn’t suitable to me. Instead, I decided to order two sandwiches, a bag of chips, and a tea. I like food and I’m not ashamed to admit it. When I glanced back at Theresa, she didn’t seem to notice my absence. I snuck a glance at the man I had my eye on. He was talking to a group of friends as he leaned back in his chair. I turned back to the counter and waited for my order to finish.