What Jaime said makes sense, but I’m still not willing to buy the fact that Cooper could be dangerous. I want to give Jaime the benefit of the doubt, but she’s seriously overreacting about the whole thing and paranoia isn’t my idea of a good character trait in a friend—or a roommate. I hope I’m not expected to live my last year at Dominion House with a total control freak. She’s my friend, sure, but in the end, I have to look out for myself.
Jaime must sense how ridiculous she sounds and relaxes on the bed. “It’s just freaky, that’s all. Sorry if I went a little overboard back there. You can’t be too safe nowadays.”
“You’re probably right. It is kinda weird,” I say as a way of calling a truce. But in the back of my mind, I didn’t think it was weird at all and I can’t get the image of his perfect smile out of my head.
Then again, if Cooper is going around asking about me, why didn’t he just tell me what he wanted back at Battle Grounds? And how did he know to ask for me here at Dominion House? It just doesn’t add up. I can’t think of a possible reason for him to come looking for me.
Unless… “Hey, do you think…” I know I’m letting my imagination get the better of me, but my thoughts come stumbling out, “…do you think maybe he’s some sort of relative or something?”
Jaime springs up from bed with a wide-eyed expression. I can tell she looks sorry for me. “Oh, Etta. I don’t think so. If that was the reason, don’t you think he would have said so from the start?” She then turns away from me and faces the wall. “You know, I have thoughts like that too. That some long lost family member will realize I’m in this hell-hole and take me home.”
I can hear her sniffle under the sheets and I realize I’m not the only one who daydreams about being reunited with a family that simply doesn’t exist. I know it’s a long shot, but why can’t it be possible? “Yeah, you’re probably right,” I finally agree and turned over in my bed, staring back at my own barren side of the wall.
Tonight, I dream about going to a fancy ball. I’m wearing a knee-length silver formal and I feel like a princess. I can’t tell who my date is, but I’m positive he’s cute.
• • •
At school, I try to keep my thoughts of Cooper and his mysterious entrance into my life out of my head. A small part of me still holds on to the belief that he’s here to tell me I have family out there, waiting for me to come home. But I know Jaime’s right. If that’s the case, he would have gone straight to the administration office to discuss the matter.
“Miss Fleming, are you still with us the morning?”
“Sorry, Mr. Duncan.” I’m a bit embarrassed at being caught daydreaming in English class. Mr. Duncan is one of my favorite teachers and the last thing I want is for him to think I don’t care about his class.
Jaime is in the same class and she leans over her desk to poke me when Mr. Duncan isn’t looking. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I whisper back. I don’t want to tell her I’m thinking about Cooper. She’ll give me another lecture for sure. I settle back into my chair and listen attentively to Mr. Duncan’s lecture on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the remainder of class.
As soon as the bell rings, Jaime and I hightail it to the cafeteria, which is the only time we get to hang out during the day—as if sharing a room back at Dominion isn’t enough face time. But since English is the only class we share together, we take advantage of the lunch hour and spend it catching up on idle gossip.
“So, did you hear, Amy Pierce is preggers,” Jaime says in a hushed voice. I don’t know why she bothers to whisper. There’s no one else at our table to overhear our conversation. Because we’re orphans and live over at Dominion House, it pretty much seals our fate as social pariahs at school.
“Really? I thought she was all religious and stuff.” Then again, isn’t it always the pious ones? Amy is president of the Bible Fellowship Youth Ministry and spent the latter part of last year trying to convert all of us heathens. By the time she got to me, I told her I was Catholic and didn’t need to be saved. I don’t actually know what I am, but I figured that would shut her up. It didn’t though. After that, she and her ministry pledged to save my soul. The finally gave up last semester after their group was nominated to head up the high school’s beautification project.
“Pretty sure. Bridgette all but confirmed it the other night at Battle Grounds.”
“Well, it could be worse, it could be us,” I laugh. People always think the worst about us.
“Speaking of, do you think Alex would notice us if we weren’t orphans?” Jaime slides her lunch tray across the table, eyes focusing on the table situated at the other end of the cafeteria.
I guess even girls like Jaime have confidence issues. I follow the direction of her gaze and immediately understand the reason behind her question. The back corner table is where all popular kids sit, including Alex Stewart. Not only is he captain of the football team, he also dates the most popular girl at Alexandria High, Jenny Prado. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out, she’s captain of the cheerleading team—but do I really have to say it?
“How are those two things even related? And to answer your question, no.” I go back to munching on a french fry. Hamburger Day at school is my favorite day of the week. They actually use real meat for their burgers, not the crap ones filled with fillers, like the ones they serve us over at Dominion House. “We’d have to be cheerleaders too. It’s in the teenage handbook. Even then, I’m not sure we’d have a shot.”
Jaime sighs. “I know. Just wondering out loud.”
“Uh, huh.” I lose interest in my soggy fry and look up at Jaime. “You know, we’re almost outta here. We’ll be eighteen soon and you’ll probably be going off to college. I don’t know what I’ll be doing, but my point is, it’s a chance for us to start over. You know, be whoever we want to be.”
She stops staring at the table across the cafeteria and immediately brightens up. “A new beginning. I like that.”
The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. Jaime and I pick up our empty trays to deposit on the conveyor on our way out, when I feel a shove on my right side. It’s too hard for it to be an accident, so I immediately seize up. “Hey.”
“Sooo sorry.” A hollow laugh follows Jenny’s snide apology. “Didn’t see you there.”
“Sure you didn’t.” I glance over Jenny’s head just in time to see Alex’s apologetic expression. I raise my eyes in response, as if to say, “nice girlfriend you got there.” It never ceases to amaze me when guys overlook bitchiness in favor of looks.
“Come on Etta, we don’t want to be late for class.” Jaime pulls me away from a scene I’m not entirely sure I want to avoid. Ever since I enrolled at Alexandria High, Jenny has had it in for me and I can’t understand why. Okay, I can. I’m a nobody in her eyes, so in her world, it’s okay to pick on the poor orphan girl. And she’s the one with the rich parents, fancy car, and most importantly, Alex. Just once, I’d like to show her a piece of my mind.
Chapter Four
The Storm Trooper
In the days that follow, the incident at Battle Grounds is long forgotten. Actually, it’s more like we don’t discuss it. Whatever thoughts about Cooper I have, I keep to myself. I’m still not going to confide in Jaime that I can’t stop thinking about him.
After another boring day at school, I decide to clear my head. Instead of going straight back to the dorms, I end up going for a walk. Jaime has her weekly counseling session with the in-house social worker, so I don’t have to answer any questions about where I’m going. All the girls at Dominion have to undergo weekly sessions—which is a complete waste of time if you ask me. All my counselor wants to do is focus on is why I have these aggressive tendencies. Right, like I’m going to tell her it’s all in my mind—literally.
The late afternoon breeze makes it much cooler than usual, so I throw on a light jacket before I head out. I’m not exactly sure where I’m headed, but I don’t want to get caught w
ithout something to keep myself warm during my walk. The administrators have somewhat flexible rules for those of us over sixteen. We are allowed to leave the confines of Dominion House, as long as we are back by 8PM curfew.
After walking around for several minutes, I realize I’m headed straight to Battle Grounds. I quickly check to see how much money I have on me—about three bucks. I don’t want to loiter inside without buying anything. At least it’s enough to get me a small regular coffee and refills are free.
I purchase my coffee—this time it’s a different barista, so I don’t have to wait as long, and I make my way back outside to sit at one of the unoccupied patio tables. Springtime around here can be temperamental at times, so I welcome the pleasant weather and choose to sit in solitude. Lost in the moment, I’m able to purge my thoughts about everything: Dominion House, upcoming graduation, Jaime, and even Cooper.
“Is this seat taken?”
Well, I was doing a good job, not thinking about Cooper. Hearing the southern drawl from the other night is enough to snap me back from wherever my mind had wandered.
“Oh, no, go ahead. What are you doing here?” I ignore the inner voices telling me this might be a bad idea and motion for him to sit in the empty chair beside me.
He shoots me a forty-watt smile and heaven help me, my knees begin to knock against each other. I say a silent prayer of thanks that he found me already seated. Now he won’t have to witness me fidget underneath the table.
“I was wondering if I’d ever get to talk to you again. I took a chance that this was one of your regular stomping grounds.” As he says this, Cooper scoots his seat closer to the table. “Actually, I’ve been looking for you for awhile now.”
Okay, perhaps it’s a bit premature on my part to dismiss him right away. He just owned up to looking for me and maybe now he’s willing to tell me why. Besides, Jaime’s overactive imagination negated any sound advice she might have about potential stalkers.
“Well, here I am.” He doesn’t have to know that the odds of us meeting up again were pretty low, since I can’t afford to come here as often as I’d like. It’s the same as displaying a big neon sign advertising my status as an orphan from Dominion. Today, I just want to forget who I am and enjoy a cup of coffee with a handsome stranger.
“I’m glad.” He shoots me another megawatt smile.
“So, do you live around here?” My instincts tell me that even if he answers yes, he’s being less than truthful. For some reason, he just doesn’t seem like he belongs around here. His accent gives him away for one, and two, there’s something about him that makes me feel like he’s from a different world all together. But if the voices in my head are correct, then what does he want with me? He doesn’t seem the type to hang around a coffee shop chatting up seventeen year olds.
“I rent a room just a couple blocks from here. What about you?” Not taking his eyes off me, he takes a sip of coffee as he waits for me to respond.
“Oh, I live pretty close by.” He must know where I live, or he wouldn’t have been at Dominion House looking for me, but I’m curious to see how this game of pretend is going to play out. I’m taking a chance that he hadn’t been able to get any information about me, so I’m not going to confirm where I actually live. I might be enjoying the attention, but that doesn’t mean I have to be totally honest with him. And I’m ashamed to say it, but there’s also a small part of me that resents the fact that I live in a home for foster kids.
“Etta!”
I watch as Jaime makes her way over to where Alex and I are seated. I guess her counseling session ended early. When she didn’t find me at the dorm, she must have figured out where I was. Leave it to her to show up just as I’m getting somewhere with Cooper—like finding out why he’s been looking for me.
With Jaime here, I’m well aware of how things will turn out and I don’t want a repeat performance of the other night. From the look on Jaime’s face, I can tell she’s steaming and it’s going to be bad. Why does she care whether or not I speak to Cooper? But before I even get a chance to apologize to him for whatever’s going to happen next, he beats me to the punch.
“Do you trust me?” Cooper reaches over across the table, his hand outstretched. “Let’s go somewhere and talk.”
I don’t know what possesses me to get up from the table, but I do, and allow him to lead the way.
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Jaime running to catch up, just as Cooper leads me to the side of the building towards the parking lot. He quickly ushers me into the passenger side of a swank white Land Rover. The truck’s stark white exterior with black trim reminds me of one of those storm troopers straight out of Star Wars.
I talk myself into the idea that what he has to say to me is important. I’m almost eighteen and it’s not like I have a secure future after I’m kicked out of Dominion. I’ve no money, no resources, and certainly no options. There are no provisions for me after I’m legally declared an adult. So I’m taking a chance on Cooper. Maybe there isn’t a family that’s waiting in the wings to claim me as their own, but I’ll be damned if I ignore any opportunities that come my way.
Cooper doesn’t say a word as he guns the engine and pulls out of the lot. With everything happening so fast, I don’t bother to ask where we’re going. Call me stupid, but I decide to go with my instincts. Even though he never got the chance to tell me why he was asking about me, it’s obvious he has his reasons for wanting to find me. No matter how erratic my actions are in response to the situation, I feel like I can trust him.
After a few minutes on the road, I realize we’re headed towards the District. “Where are we going?” Even though I still feel relatively safe with him at this point, I still have a right to know where we’re headed.
Not answering me, he continues to drive as if he’s the only passenger in the vehicle. After what feels like an eternity of silence, he finally turns his head to answer me.
“Somewhere we can talk in private.”
What, does he think his SUV is bugged? “This looks pretty private to me Cooper. There’s no one in here but you and me,” I point out. Now I’m starting to run out of patience. It’s one thing to disregard my friend’s warnings, but it’s quite another to take off with the person she warned you about, only to have him ignore you. I’m slowly beginning to regret my rash decision to join him.
He senses my waning tolerance and pulls the Land Rover off the side of the road. “Look, if you can just hear me out okay? I don’t have much time to explain.” His face takes on an intense expression. His coal colored eyes twinkle with sincerity. “If you don’t like what I have to say, I’ll take you right back to the home.”
I sit there with my mouth hanging wide open. He knows where I live after all. So much for keeping it a secret. “You know where I live?” I ask, feeling slightly embarrassed. Not because he knows I’m an orphan, but because I now look like a dumbass for trying to cover up the fact when he’d known all along.
“Yeah.” He smiles. “And it wasn’t easy finding out either, trust me. Took me awhile to figure out where you were.”
This isn’t the time to get into a discussion about my living arrangements, which is essentially an orphanage, so I let it go. “Okay, talk.” I cross my arms to indicate that my patience only runs so far.
“I know you won’t believe me, but I have to bring you back.”
“Back where?” A small flicker of hope rises in me.
“You know how I just said it wasn’t easy tracking you down?”
I nod my head, only because I want to see where he goes with this. This could be what I’ve been waiting to hear my whole life. I don’t want to interrupt him, so I keep nodding to let him know I’m listening.
“Well, that wasn’t necessarily the truth. I’ve always been able to keep tabs on your whereabouts. Granted, you move around a lot, but since you always manage to remain in the same general vicinity, it’s always been relatively easy to lock down your exact location.” Cooper says th
is so casually, he might as well be telling me he was sorry, but he ran out of gas.
Jaime was right. I was so flattered to have been singled out by him before that I didn’t stop to notice the red flags. Now here I am, sitting in parked car with a guy I don’t even know, who all but admitted he’s stalking me. How can I be so dumb? But I’m seventeen for crying out loud. Isn’t this the time when I’m supposed to explore new opportunities and talk to hot guys?
“I’m just going to come out and say it.” He leans in towards me to make sure he has my full attention. “This isn’t your reality Etta. You don’t belong here and it’s imperative that I take you back home. There, I said it.”
“What?” I’m stunned. I don’t know what I expected him to say, but this isn’t it. I thought for sure he was some kind of attorney coming to tell me I’ve come into an inheritance or better still, that some relatives in Podunk, Kansas discovered I was stuck here in Virginia. “Just turn back around and take me back to Dominion. I’ve had enough fun for one day.” I glance at the clock on the dash. It isn’t even 6:30PM yet—I still have plenty of time to get home before curfew.
“This isn’t your reality,” he says again. “It’s not the one you’re supposed to be in.”
“You’re talking alternate realities right?” I now decide it’s better to humor him than try to argue. If television taught me anything—and I watch a lot of TV—it’s to remain calm when confronted with a crazy person and whatever you do, don’t provoke them.
“Sure, alternate realities, parallel universes…it’s all the same.”
“What?” I say again. One look tells me he’s totally serious. This conversation has gone from infuriating to beyond delusional by this point. Maybe if I pretend to believe him, he’ll tire of this charade and get to what he really wants from me.
Cooper shifts his position in the driver’s seat and studies me closely, like he’s debating on whether or not to continue. “I don’t have much time to explain. Consider whatever you want, but deep down you know on some level that what I’m saying is true.”