Left Behind: Left Behind Series #1 (2 page)

“Well,
no shit. If Kacie’s around, you’re out of my hair,” he teases. “I brought the
wine.” He holds up two bottles before he continues, “And I ordered pizza on my
way over here. It should be here any minute.”

“You’re
the best big brother ever,” Jade announces, taking out wine glasses from the
cabinet for us and grabbing a beer for Jake. How awesome is it that my best
friend even put alcohol in my refrigerator?

“Tell
me something I don’t already know,” he tells her.

“Doesn’t
anyone work around here?” I ask, setting plates down on the counter.

“You
coming home is a big deal, Kacie,” Jake says. “How long are you planning on
staying this time?”

Jade
and I exchange a look. Apparently, she didn’t even tell her brother about me
graduating. “I’m planning on hanging out for a while, Jake. Is that okay with
you?” I tease.

He
smiles enough that both of his dimples are visible. “Of course,” he says,
almost shyly. The doorbell rings, announcing the pizza has arrived. “I’ll get
it.”

Once
he is out of listening range, Jade says, “You just made his night.” She giggles,
flipping her long, brown hair over her shoulder.

“I’m
pretty sure his little crush on me is over. It’s been a long time,” I reply,
climbing up on the stool next to her and taking a long sip of my wine. Years
ago, Jake tried to get me to go out with him on numerous occasions. Even now,
it wouldn’t be right. Jade has been my best friend since we were about
ten-years-old. I’m afraid if Jake and I didn’t work out, it would ruin my
friendship with her. She’s repeatedly told me not to worry about it, but our friendship
is not something I’m willing to risk for anyone. Jade means that much to me.

“On
the contrary, my friend,” she whispers, as he comes back into the kitchen with
the pizza.

“Who’s
hungry?” Jake asks. When Jade starts laughing, he looks at both of us. “What
did I miss?”

“Jade’s
just being Jade. Pass me a slice. I haven’t had anything to eat since around
five this morning.” Good thing he’s not curious enough to keep asking.

For
the rest of the evening, Jade and Jake try to fill me in on everything I’ve
missed since being home last. Most of our old friends are still in the area or
on their way home from college. Their parents finally divorced and instead of
selling the house, Jake and Jade get to share it. Apparently, neither parent
was willing to give it up entirely. Jade’s mom is off traveling the world with
a new, much younger boyfriend, and her dad hangs out at local bars most of the
time. So, really, nothing has changed with them.

Before
he heads home, Jake brings in the bags from my car and carries them up to my
room for me. “Is this all you brought?” I nod. “Guess you aren’t staying that
long then.” He looks disappointed.

“Longer
than you think, Jake.”

“Are
you going to be alright staying here?” He doesn’t mean in Tampa. He’s referring
to the house.

“I’m
not sure yet, but I have to try. It’s all I have left of Gram.” My eyes water
up again, but I still refuse to let the tears fall.

“I
understand.” He gives me a hug. “You know where to find me if you need
anything.”

“Thanks.”

“Anytime.
Maybe I’ll see you at your brother’s party tomorrow,” he calls over his
shoulder as we head back downstairs.

“You
better come. You can’t make me face my parents alone.”

“You’ll
have Jade. I don’t know anyone crazy enough to mess with the two of you.”

“Her
parents are crazy enough to mess with the damn devil,” Jade snaps from the sofa
where she’s flipping through a magazine.

Jake
chuckles. “They haven’t seen you since the funeral, right? They should be
excited.”

“You’d
think,” she says, turning the page a little harshly.

“You
coming home, Jade?” Jake asks.

“No.
I’m going to stay with Kacie tonight,” she says, closing the magazine and
swinging her legs to the floor. She drops it on the glass coffee table as she
stands up. “I’ll just come home in the morning to get ready for work, so none
of your whores better be hanging around outside of your room half-naked when I
get there,” she warns.

“Jade,
you don’t have to do that,” I say. “I’ll be fine.”

“I’m
not staying for your sake. I’ve been waiting a long time for you to come home,
Kacie Foster, and I’m not ready to leave you just yet.”

“Okay.”
I smile at her.

Jake
shakes his head at us as he walks toward the front door. “Good night, girls.
Don’t stay up too late,” he adds before closing the door behind him.

“Told
you he still has a thing for you,” Jade says confidently.

“He
does not. He’s just being a friend.”

“Yeah,
a friend who wants to get in your pants,” she says under her breath.

I
shake my head. “I’m going to take a shower. Meet you upstairs in a bit.”

The
moment I reach my bedroom, I grab my dark blue duffle bag and dash into the
bathroom. I make sure to lock the door in case Jade decides to follow me in.
Her pestering about Jake and the ridiculous notion that he still has feelings
for me is not something I’ll be able to tolerate any more tonight. The hot
water and the huge shower stall remind me of how I won’t miss bathing at my
apartment back at school. There was never enough warm water to rinse my hair,
let alone wash my whole body. I just may stay in here for the rest of the
night.

When
I’m coming from my bathroom a little while later, Jade is already curled up in
my king-sized bed. My room is a deep rose color. The furniture is dark brown,
almost black, and my bedding just about matches the walls. There are French
doors on the back wall that lead to a balcony which overlooks the pool and the
bay. Many nights, Gram and I would sit out there, looking at the stars and
watching the boats go by. I remember when I was little, she was afraid to leave
me in here alone. She was afraid I’d go out on the balcony in the middle of the
night. I won’t lie. I totally did.

“Thinking
about Gram?” Jade asks, bringing me back to the present.

“Don’t
I always?” I sigh and climb into bed next to her.

“She’s
still with you, Kacie. She’ll never leave you,” she reminds me, turning out the
light.

“It’s
not the same,” I whisper. “It’s a little harder being here than I thought it
would be.”

“It
will get easier. I promise,” she whispers back. “After all, you have me.”

“That’s
true,” I smile, even though she can’t see me in the dark.

“Get
some sleep. You have a long ass day ahead of you tomorrow.”

“Don’t
remind me. Good night, Jade.”

She
chuckles. “Night, Kacie.”

Kacie

Sunlight
gleaming into my room reminds me where I am. If that wasn’t enough, the
groaning of my best friend next to me snaps my eyes open all the way.

“You
need curtains,” Jade groans from underneath the comforter she pulled over her
head. “I forgot how obnoxiously bright this room is in the morning.”

“If
I had curtains, I wouldn’t be able to see the water. You don’t get to see that
on a college campus up north,” I inform her.

She
flips the blanket down. “I knew you’d miss Florida while you were gone,” she
teases.

“Of
course I did,” I say, getting out of bed. “I just haven’t missed the bullshit
that goes along with being in Florida.”

Without
thinking about it, I stroll over to the doors and open them. The fresh morning
air coming off the water pulls me out onto the balcony. There are already a few
boats out at this early hour. Leaning on the railing, I scan Gram’s backyard
from one end to the other and back again. In that very moment, I promise myself
that no matter what it takes, I’m going to be happy here. This is where I
belong. This is what Gram wanted for me and there is no way I could let her
down by turning the house over to anyone. “I belong here,” I repeat to myself,
this time loud enough that Jade hears me from where she is standing just inside
the door.

“Yes,
you do,” she says, smiling. She comes out to stand next to me. Since we are
both about the same height, she leans her head into mine. “Everything will work
out. I promise.”

“It
will. Now, get out before you’re late for work and Mary comes here looking for
you. I’m not going anywhere,” I assure her.

“I’m
holding you to that,” she whispers. After a few moments, Jade clears her throat
and collects herself. “Okay, so if Jake doesn’t come with us tonight, I’ll drive.
You need to celebrate. Besides, you’ll need to drink twice as much since your
parents will be there.”

“Isn’t
that the truth?” I laugh at her.

“I
know it’s not necessary, but good luck at the interview. Let me know how it
goes as soon as it’s over.”

“I will.
Come over later to get ready.”

“Yay!
It’ll be just like old times!” Jade gives me a hug. “So excited. See you
later!” I can’t help but laugh as she shows herself out of my room.

There
isn’t enough time to hit the pool like I wanted to this morning. Swimming will
have to wait until later on this afternoon. While I could probably find
something to wear in the bags that I brought from school, I decide to look in
my walk-in closet. I kept nothing at my parents’ house. Everything is here. On
my seventeenth birthday, I showed up at Gram’s door with a few suitcases and a
handful of boxes. She smiled and said nothing about sending me back as she
helped me carry everything upstairs. My parents didn’t care all that much. They
made my old room into a bigger office for my dad, and my mom took over his old
office downstairs for whatever it was that she needed a room.

Standing
in front of the mirror, my reflection approves of the outfit I selected. A
straight, gray skirt, which falls just above my knees, and the black sleeveless
top go perfectly together. Somewhere in this closet is the matching gray suit
jacket, but I decide to skip it. No need for that in the middle of May.
Eventually, I find the black shoes I borrowed from Jade a while ago, but never
returned. She knows where to find them if she needs them.

Almost
an hour later, I walk up the sidewalk to the place where I spent many wonderful
childhood years. The white stone building still looks just as beautiful as it
did back then. I reach the front door and press the button to the left. You
have to be allowed access from the inside. When I went to school here, security
like this wasn’t necessary. There is a buzzing sound and the door automatically
swings open toward me. Just before stepping through, I take a deep breath and
exhale slowly.
I can do this
, I comfort myself.

Once
inside, my attention instantly focuses on the new picture now hanging on the
wall opposite the entryway. Surrounded in a dark, antique frame is a picture of
my grandmother. I cross the hallway to get a closer look. Even though the
picture is in black-and-white, I know the suit jacket she has on is gray and
the shirt underneath it is yellow. I remember shopping with her the day she
bought it. Gram was a little irritated she had to get her picture taken for the
school yearbook. This picture was taken a few months before she got sick.

Below
the frame is a plaque which reads:

In Loving Memory of
the reason we are all here.

Our founder. Our
friend.

Dr. Marie
Simon-Foster

“Kacie
Foster, I cannot believe you are standing in my hallway!” a cheerful voice says
behind me.

Turning
around, I see my grandmother’s long-time friend and colleague. I blink away the
tears to smile at him. “It’s so nice to see you again, Dr. Kelly. This is a beautiful
picture of Gram, but you know very well she’d probably be more than annoyed
about you bringing attention to her.” He comes across the hall to give me a
hug.

“That’s
why I put it there,” he jokes.

This
causes me to laugh a little. I’ve always wondered if my grandmother and Dr.
Kelly were ever more than friends. They used to bicker like an old married
couple. My grandfather had been gone for many years before she passed away, so
I guess it was possible. I asked her about it once and she said, “Don’t be
silly. I’m an old lady.” Then she winked, ending the conversation.

“I
still keep waiting for her to walk through the door and remind me how much work
I have to do,” he whispers, peeking at the picture.

“It
feels so weird being here without her,” I say. He gives me a sympathetic smile.

“I
have everything for our meeting set up in my office, but if it’s too much for
you to go in there, we can move to the library or a conference room.” He’s
concerned about me having to walk past Gram’s old office to get to his.

“That’s
okay, but thank you for asking,” I tell him.

He
nods. “Shall we get started then?” He leads the way to the main office of
Shining Stars Private Elementary School. Even in his older age, Neil Kelly is a
handsome man. He’s tall, average build, and gray hair, but he could still pass
for a lot younger than he actually is.

Everything
inside still looks the same. The two administrative assistants’ desks sit
behind a long counter. The mailboxes for the teachers and other staff are along
the wall to the right. Even the wooden chairs I helped pick out a few years ago
during a remodel are to the left in a small waiting area with a television.
Other than Gram not being here, nothing’s changed.

One
of the ladies recognizes me immediately. “Hi, Kacie,” Monica greets me. She was
Gram’s personal assistant for the last nine years.

“Hey,
Monica,” I answer back. “How have you been?”

“I’m
great. Thanks. What about you? You look fantastic.”

“Thank
you.” I smile. “I’ll stop by to chat on my way out.”

“Okay.
Be nice to her in there, Dr. Kelly.” She winks. He assures her everything will
be just fine.

As I
walk through the office, I come to the first door and my nerves start to
quiver. The door is open and even though I don’t want to look in, I do. All of
the furniture has been replaced and the walls have been painted a different
color. They are now a light shade of blue rather than the pale yellow they used
to be. Different artwork hangs on the walls and there are pictures of people
I’ve never met sitting on the credenza under the windows overlooking a garden.
From behind the desk, a younger lady notices me and smiles.

“Kacie,
this is Rebecca Lawrence. She’s the new assistant principal here at Shining
Stars,” Dr. Kelly says. When Gram passed away, Dr. Kelly took her place as head
principal. “Becky, Kacie Foster.”

“It’s
a pleasure to finally meet you, Kacie,” she says, coming out from behind her
desk. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Hello,
Ms. Lawrence,” I say politely, shaking her hand. 

“Please,
call me Becky. Were you able to get settled in yet? I heard you just graduated
a few days ago. You’re back already?”

“No
point in prolonging the inevitable,” I sigh.

“True.”

“We’ll
be in my office,” Dr. Kelly interrupts from beside me. “Please handle any calls
or issues for me in the meantime.”

“Of
course,” she tells him with a smile. “Good luck with everything, Kacie, and if
there’s ever anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank
you.”

Once
we are in his office, Dr. Kelly closes the door behind us and motions for me to
take a seat in the chair on the opposite side of his desk. Suddenly, he appears
to be distraught over something. When he sits in his chair, his bright smile is
gone and he closes his eyes, inhaling deeply before slowly releasing it. His
recovery is quick, though. “I’m sorry. I don’t usually go in Marie’s…” He looks
at me before continuing, “I mean, Rebecca’s office.” I return his smile, but
I’m unable to respond. The feeling hits home. Something tells me I was right
about him and my grandmother’s relationship. “All of her belongings are in
storage, even her desk, chair, and bookshelf. She loved that office. I didn’t
want anyone else to have it, but it couldn’t stay empty. I know that. If you
want her stuff, it’s yours. I’m sure you could set it up somewhere in that
house of yours. The only thing I’d like to keep is that, if you don’t mind.” He
points to something over my shoulder. I turn to see the picture Gram had of the
two of them from the grand opening of Shining Stars all those years ago.

“Not
at all,” I whisper when I turn back to him.

“Thank
you.” He clears his throat. “Now, back to you. Tell me. How was graduation?”

I
swallow to regain my composure the way he had before answering. “It was very
nice. My speech went better than I thought it would. And by that I mean I
didn’t throw up on anyone.” I laugh at myself. Public speaking is not one of my
strong points and having to speak in front of hundreds of people was completely
horrifying to me. It really didn’t help to know there was no one from my family
in the crowd. Jade offered to fly up to attend the ceremony then drive home
with me, but I declined. I needed the trip back to Florida alone to mentally
prepare myself for things to come.

Almost
as if he was reading my mind, he says, “You know I would have been there if I
could. You’re just like one of my own grandchildren, Kacie.”

“That’s
very sweet of you.”

He
nods as he starts shuffling papers on the desk in front of him. “I’m not sure
if you’re aware of this or not, but I’ve been in contact with Dr. Reynolds
quite a few times over the last two months.” Dr. Josephine Reynolds was one of
my professors and was my advisor from college.

“I
had no idea,” I admit, reluctantly.

“Your
grandmother had been speaking to her for the last year regarding your progress
as a student teacher. I was instructed to finish this through,” he informs me.
“In all honesty, this isn’t so much an interview for you as it is a sales pitch
from me. I want you to be a teacher here at Shining Stars when the new school
year starts in August. I have a first grade position open. Due to the Common
Core Initiative, we use the same educational standards here in Florida as in
Pennsylvania. I’ve already spoken to our other first grade teacher and she is
more than happy to collaborate with you over the summer. I’m sure you and
Madeline will get along just fine.” Dr. Kelly pauses, trying to gauge my
reaction. “You know this is where you belong, Kacie.”

“I
know I belong here. I assumed I’d be coming in as an aide. Or to help file
papers in the office. Even a custodian. I don’t know if I’m ready for a class
all on my own. What if I fail?” I’m starting to panic.

“You’re
a Foster. Foster’s don’t fail.” He grins. “Tell me about Luke Myers.” Dr. Kelly
leans back in his dark leather chair, causing it to squeak. He’s holding the
tip of the pen up to his lips, waiting for my answer.

“Luke
was a student in the class I taught. How do you know about him?” I ask,
curiously. The school system I was placed in is one of the poorest in the area.
All of the children are from low income families with very limited resources.

“Dr.
Reynolds,” he answers.

“I
know where you’re going with this. The teachers there are overworked and
underpaid. It’s not like here. I’m sure they saw the same thing I did. They
just don’t have the time to speak up and look out for these kids,” I inform
him. Luke Myers showed behaviors of an Autism Spectrum Disorder. I put in a
referral for intervention and he was later diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. 

“The
school still receives state funding. Someone needed to open their mouth about
what they saw, but no one did…except you. I’m going to tell you right now,
Kacie. Being a teacher isn’t about the money. It’s about taking a child, or a
group of children, from one point in their lives and helping them progress to
another. Getting them to learn and grow as much as possible in the small amount
of time you have them. I understand how, most of the time, things are out of
our control. However, this was out of your hands and you could have walked
away, but you didn’t. Because of you, Luke Myers will get the help he needs.”